BOXING

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 July 1920, Page 6

BOXING

ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE HOLMES —VOL AIRE FIGHT.

(By “Looker-on.”)

A gentleman well-known in boxing circles in Wellington, and who witnessed the Holmes-Y olaire light at* Dannevirke last week, writing to this scribe, gives the following description of the bout: — In company with two other followers of the pug sport, I headed for Dannevirke on Saturday night, of course, r.s you can guess, with the hope of seeing ago above the ordinary, and I was more than satisfied as it was undoubtedly one of the best fights—light or heavy —I have seen yet. .. . lor your benefit I jotted down the following details : ' In the first round Holmes assumed the offensive, but, though his blows were well placed on the body, Volaire remained unperturbed. Holmes, still attacking early in the second round, got home with a powerful left to the point which staggered Yclaire. Some mutual heavy hitting to the solar plexus followed. Just before the gong sounded Yolaire evened the round with a" powerful right to Holmes’s point. No particular advantage either way was visible throughout the third round. The Australian, continuing the attack, gave a fine exhibition of feinting and got home occasional body blows but Volaire was apparently still fighting with reserve. In the fourth round the Frenchman’s tactics were changed and some powerful stinging blows were launched, but Holmes’s superior footwork told and his exhibition of light-ning-like movements as he parried, feinted, and forced by turns, was very good. Four quick successive blows each coming from a sudden dip and uppercut after breakmg from a clinch, found Yolaive’s jaw in the opening of the fifth round. Holmes was attacking superbly, straight right and left blows being prominent. ■ No advantage resulted either way in the sixth round, and a good deal of clinching occurred ,in the seventh, while the ninth, tenth, and eleventh rounds were occupied with the same dogged tactics Volaire was putting in some fine footwork in the twelfth round which ended slightly in his favour, although Holmes secured a hit to the point just as the gong sounded. Volaire seemed to be improving in the thirteenth round, but a few half-arm jolts were registered by Holmes. For the first time in the contest Volaire took up the open attack in the fourteenth round. Both men commenced warily in the last round, but soon fought with more abandon 1 than hitherto. Volaire’s first spectacular hit in the fight was accomplished; early in this round, when he got home with a heavy left hook. Holmes appeared on the ace of blunging off a mighty hit, surely intended for a knock-out, when the final gong sounded, hut it fell short, landing Yolaire heavily on the solar plexus. It was a fine fight right through and, though Holmes appeared always to have a slight lead, there was noth’ n g of the nip away victory about it The decision of the referee was loudly applauded.