BOXING.

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 May 1914, Page 3

BOXING.

HEAVY-WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP. BARTLETT BEATS FITZSIMAIONS. There was a. large attendance at the Olympia, Tinitmi, when the 'J'imaru Boxing Association held a meeting to decide the professional heavy-weight championship of Canterbury which was contested by Sid Fitzsinimons, of Timarn, and \V. Bartlett, of Christchurch. Bartlett proved the winner He was well trained and in much better form than his opponent. THE BIG FIGHT. .Siil Fitzsinimons, Timaru, 13st. W. Bartlett, Christehurch, 12st. 31bs. Fifteen three-minute rounds. .Bartlett' got to work early with a right hook and sent a good, right swing to his ipponent's head. The local man, however, was making the fight all the time, and evened matters up. Fitzsinimons ipened the second round by forcing Bartlett on to the ropes and dealt out some punishment to him. Bartlett replied with several right and left crosses and a *ood left upper cut which gave him the lead on points, up to this stage. Filziimmons used a straight left to good advantage, but the round ended in favour of the Christchurch man. In round three Fitzsinimons continued to make the fight, ind twice running gave a straight left .ind then a right cross, both connecting well. Bartlett was very good on the smother, and he sent a left cross just at the finish of the round to Fitzsimmnos's jye. A trio of straight lefts was sent by :he local man to Bartlett at the opening of the fourth round, the latter replying .vith a very effective left swing aad a jab :o the stomach. Thereafter he got in a shower of left crosses, but missed with a strong right swing. Both men got to close quarters in the fifth round, which was aarred a, good deal by too much in-fight-ing. The round ended in favour of Bartjll, who gave Fitzsinimons two short eights to the ribs just as the gong .sounded. The sixth round saw Bartlett looking much fresher than his opponent, though he kept missing continually with .lis right swing. Fitzsinimons continued M do the forcing, but Bartlett's smother •vas generally too good for him. In the .text round "break" was ordered pretty jfben, and Bart.ett now started to forte he light, Fitzsinimons acting the part of

'receiver- geneial." At the close of the seventh round Bartlett was winning on L iomts and he had not made a mark on aim. Infighting in the eighth-round Fitziimmons sent sunie telling blows to Bart.ett's jaw, but tlu latter replied wit iihhh left's jaw, but tile latter replied with h,s ■eit hand. The ninth round opened in reai earnest. The local man gave Bartlett a deadly swing to the back of the neck, jut bartlett got in some good left and ■right swings ami showed hjmself superior .u m-fighting. The ""jund ended in his favour. The tenth ,'ound saw a lot of feinting and sparring, nut not much serious punishment, Bartlett was still unmarked when the gong soumkd, while tfitzsimmons had one eye pretty we.l jlooed lip. He was still aggressive in the eleventh round and continued gamely to force the fight, but Bartlett repeatedly got m under his opponent's guard, and continued to deal oi.t severe punishment with his right and left. Fitzsimmona got in a pretty uppercut and evened mntteis up -somewhat for the round. Baitlett showed clever footwork, and Fitzsimmons got very groggy in the tuel'.h round. Once he almost lost his feet as ihe result of the right and i< ft crosses which Bartlett sent to him. 11l tile thirteenth round Bartlett connected with his right several times in .succession, and was still full of fight while his opponent was pre':y well exhausted. Bartlett again showed Joo clever in the next round, and his opponent's blows now Lacked force. The last round was veiy willing. The local man continued to fight pluckily. but Bartlett w,a3 toe good for him, and the attnouiicrment that the latter had won was received with great applause. CURTAIN RAISERS.

Lightweights-—T. Alexander (Ash'mrton) 9st 101 b and J. Steward (Timaru) 2st 91b, fought six 3-minutc rounds. The first round was fairly even, but in the second round Alexander showed to greatest advantage. ' In the third round Steward repaid with interest, ell he had received, the round ending distinctly in his favour. Hitting hard Steward made most show again in the fourth, but Alexander tin wed most science in his fighting, and got in some very effective blows. In the last round Steward continued to do most of the leading, and the verdict went in his favour. Feather-weight,--Fred Kerr (Christchurch) est 111 b, v. G. Armstrong (Oamaru) 9st lib; six 2-minute rounds. The fight opened willingly. Armstrong showed a straight left, but Kerr dealt out most of the punishment in the first round, and had Armstrong on the boards once when he took the count up to nine. There j was a tendency to clinch in the second, which ended wiih honours about even. The third round saw Kerr rushing things, but Armstrong easily kept him at a respectable distance with a powerful right and left alternately. Round four was uneventful, but Kerr opened the fifth; in very vigorous style, Armstrong responding with some fairly effective blows. In the last round matters were pretty lively, both men getting to work with a vengeance, and Kerr doing most of the leading. The verdict went in his favour.