LIGHT-WEIGHT BOXING TITLE

Evening Star, Issue 20687, 9 January 1931, Page 8

LIGHT-WEIGHT BOXING TITLE

HECTOR LEGKIE MATCHED Hector Leckie, of Dunedin, holder of tho New Zealand professional lightweight championship and the ‘ Truth ’ belt, has been matched in Auckland with Harry Johns (according to the Auckland ‘ Star ’). The contest will take place on January 26, at the Auckland Town Hall, and Leckie’s title will be at stake. He won it when ho knocked Glen Leslie out at Ashburton, and since then has engaged in several contests, one of Jiis most meritorious performances being against Lou Bloom, tho American light-weight, who is reported to be doing well now that he has returned to America. The American dropped a points’ decision to Hector Leckie. Hector also made a solid showing against Norman Gillespie, tho light-weight champion of Australia, but Gillespie wore Hector down at the finish and won on a technical knock-out.

Tho forthcoming contest will be Johns’s first as a professional. Ho won the amateur feather-weight championship of Now Zealand at Greymouth in 1929, and in that fight it was W. G. Leckie, a brother of Johnny Leckie and a cousin of Hector, that he beat in tho final. Johns also won the Jamieson Belt for being the most scientific boxer. Last year be was disqualified for hitting with the open glove. Another bout of considerable importance takes place at Wellington on Monday night, when Johnny Leckie will give Bobby Blay, the Australian feather-weight, his first contest in New Zealand. Blay has an undefeated record, and much interest is attaching to bis present meeting with the ex-New Zealand amateur feather-weight champion.