BOXING.

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 December 1911, Page 3

BOXING.

KELLY V. TRACY.

BOTH GO GAME

TRACEYS LUCKY WIN

fOTJR SPECIAL REPORTER J WESTPORT, This Day. Tim Tracey and Arthur Kelly bof h claimed to be the light weight champion of New Zealand.

First round.—Kelly opened accomrs with a left to the chin, right to chin an I three lefts to the face, making Tracy, for flic moment look foolish, so. quiet 1were blows delivered and retreat from r---tfßation effected. An exchange of body blows took place, followed by left to face be Kelly and right to chin by Tracy, Kelly slipping and going to the boards, but immediately rising again. Kelly con-t-nued aggressively, Tracy being unable to counter his lefts to head and just getting clp.ii of a vicious upper cub Tia.y r.sponded with some body blows and made some good infighting and swinging hard with right to face, Kelly taking the blows on his gloves. The round concluded '■ another straight left (o face by Kelly, who had certainly the best of things. Second round. —Kelly got in a small left end right, Tracy replying with r gbt to face only to get in smart succession two straight lefts to head from Kelly. A liveb exchange ensued, both delivering welltimed lefts and rights to the face and body, but avoiding the heavier blows by [ retty footwork. Kelly closed his account with a straight left to the face, the round being his. Tl i d round. —Both scnel fr-dy lot Kelly had the best of matters with

Fourth round. —Tracy repaid pn-1 of the debt with good body blows, scoring vth infighting and Kelly’s upper cuts missing The fifth round was Tracy’s.

The sixth was very even. Seventh round. —Tracy had the advantage, Kelly falling, but quickly rising and resuming tire fight vigorously. Eighth round. —Tracy got the better of the fighting, Kelly twice losing his feet, Tracy standing oil' till he rose again. Tracy got home with a left to the chin. Tracy held a slight advantage in the ninth round, but in the tenth Kelly again nonplussed him with his straight lefts. The eleventh was slow and even. The twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth rounds were Kelly's rounds, but Tracey also gol in some true home ./hots to the ! ody and fa.ee. In the final round with but a slight margin of points between the men, Kelly was disappointing, and the fight ended in a win for Tracy. Kelly disputed the decision. SPECTATORS AND REFEREE. A message from Gisborne to the Wellington Dominion, published on Friday last, reads; —In the final of the heavyweight amateur boxing to-night, Y. Lowe forfeited to his brother, B. Lowe. The professional contest between “Jim” Griffin, middle-weight champion of Australia, and Fred Williams (runner-up in the Auckland heavy-weight championship) was f. very willing ‘‘go,” Williams having a good deal the best of matters, and cornveiling Griffin to take the count on several occasions'. At the end of the fifth round Griffin went to his corner in a groggy condition, and on the sixth round opening, Williams immediately rushed Griffin into his corner. The latter went on his knees, and the referee then disoualified Williams for hitting Griffin while in that posture. The decision was adversely received by the crowd, Williams being carried shoulder high round the ring. The referee (Mr I. Fake) was hooted a good deal.

RECENT MATCHES REPORTED. JACK GRIFFEN DEFEATS LIN ROBINSON. A "vent deal of interest centred in ' the 15-round professional light-weight I mat oh for a purse of fAD between Lin. ' Robinson (feather-weight champion of ! the South Island), at Gisborne on Wednesday last. The weights were ' announced as Robinson, 9.1 ; Griffon, 9. Hi. ! On the men facing each other it was i-apparent that Griffon had a great ad- | vantage in tbe matter if weight, height and reach. Robinson immediately led | off with right and left to the head, I which were nicely blocked. Robinson ' connected with a left to the side of the head and Griffon got in a good rich'. Robinson rushed in, and narrowly «T'S- , cd with a dangerous left swing. Griffon continued to do most of the leading, but Robinson dashed in wdth gre-t speed and scored occasionally with both hands. In the third round matters warmed up a little. Griffon scored with a right, and also kept chopping to the back of the neck in the clinches, j Robinson called np applause by getting | in a loop-the-loop blow, which tilted | his opponent’s head back. For the I greater part of the first seven rounds, S Griffon’s advantage in reach enabled j him to score, Robinson being compelled frequently to clinch to avoid punishment. Robinson used his feet well, i and brought his famous smother into ! play in checkmating his heavier opponent, In the eighth round Griffon infused some life into his work, and : hanged a- heavy right to the face. Roj bin son got in a stinging left, hut , Griffen came again with a good right and a left uppercut. In the ninth round Robinson forced the pace, and sailed in with right and left to the head. Both men boxed willingly, and warm applause followed the close of the | round. In the tenth round Griffen | just (lacked under a left swing, and with a short right hook caught his man on the point and put him down and out, Robinson’s head striking the hoard’s ; rather heavily. He recovered quickly, 1 and was-, soon none the worse for the knock out. j The fight was a clever and willing one. and both men came in for hearty applause. Griffon’s advantage in weight and reach were too much for , Robinson to contend against. HANNAN V. GAULT. GAULT DEFEATED IN THE SEVENTH ROETND. Before the professional contest—fifteen rounds, for a purse of £IOO, promoted by the Wellington Boxing Association— at Wellington on Wednesday last, ‘'Billy” Hannan, when

asked to express an opinion, thought that “it would be a good go.” His opponent, “Alf” Gault, Tracy’s conqueror, was, it was so alleged, slightly favourite at a shade of odds. He was first into the ring-—and the last to leave it, the winner having preceded him to the dressing room. The popular Maitland lad added to his already good New Zealand record by sending his man down for the Count, somewhat unexpectedly, perhaps, in the seventh round. Those leisured people who like to be thought shrewd, talked glibly beforehand of the right that Gault was to throw over. As it eventuated the fatal right belonged to Hannan. He was coming off the ropes where Gault bad driven him with a very solid left. As 'he straightened up the Aucklander led a right, at (he same time dropping his left. Then Hannan’s right came over like a flash to the point and heavily, and as Gault went down, Hannan, too, slipped to the canvas. His man, well rattled, was up on his feet at eight, was forced on to the ropes, struggled up, and was finished off for the count with an ungen 1 h push to the chin, falling in Hannan’s corner. All this was simply the result of taking the opportunity. The winner, who put it all over his opponent for defensive work, had made at least three attempts previously to land with that rasping right swing of his. Three times —in the third, fourth and fifth rounds —Hannan baulked, bringing Gault across, but on each occasion he just failed to connect. Gault, who looked over-anxious and pastyfaced. found his best left swings for the jaw whistle above his opponent’s head. Hannan, too, showing quite improved fontwork. The first round was quiet

and bloodless, the second but little mow 1 exhilarating, the third saw Gault scoring with a snappy hook to the chin which hurl, following it with an uppercut as Hannan sprang in with a straight left and a chopping right. Gault led in the fourth —another peaceful round—frequently, but bis distance was poor. In the fifth the Aucklander was still aggressive, Hannan backpeddling, and Gault opened the sixth with a left hook to the month. Also, ‘Hr referee (Air. T. Sampson)—‘ Do not hit low Gault. I know it was accidental.” In this round the Maitland lad was worrying his opponent with that sudden leap of his, but it was still a quiet battle. Then the end came in the seventh, as narrated. Hannan s little scheme succeeded Both men stripped at 9.12. Gault has obviously neglected to learn the elementary blocks and stops, and his evasions are not yet brilliant. The winner shone by comparison. He reputed himself in excellent fettle, though he has been in work a long time now. It was a popular victory. Hannan is essentially a clean fighter, and was apnlauded for his action in helping Gault to his feet in the first round after the latter had slipped. Last night the canvas appeared more than usually glassy. The wearing of new beats ‘could not account for all the Hidings and such little mishaps. Though Gault led well in the thud round, Hannan’s clever defence, variety of ring craft, and reserve power gave him the lead up to the fateful seventh. The kidney punch, it may be mentioned, was barred. About 2000 people witnessed the bouts.