BOXING

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 June 1922, Page 6

BOXING

GENERAL notes.

(By

“Looker-on.’’)

Everybody was pleased to see young Purdy continue his winning success at Auckland, and it looks like this fine little boxer making another trip to Australia. Last year Purdy contested the bantam division, but increasing weight has now brought him into the feathers.

The N.Z. Boxing Council has added two new classes, viz., fly weight'7.lo. and light-heavy 12st., making a total of eight different classes. The Council has also increased the number of rounds from three 3 niniute to four 3 minutes.

The South Island Championships will be held at Timaru on July 25th and 26th. The committee of the Greymouth Boxing Association will meet next Thursday night, when the date of the West Coast championships will be finally fixed, probably for July 15th. Rewi Gray, who will be remembered as putting up a splendid fight against Laurie O’Neill here in the nnal of the welters at the last New Zealand championships, contested both welter and middle seqtions at the Hawkes Bay championships this week, winning the former and being runner* up in the middles. In the welter on tiie caning night Gray had an easy win ever AV. Stevens, of Hastings. In the middles on the same night his opponent was F. Greasley. The bout terminated in the first round by the k.o. route. At thq outset Greasley slogged in with heavy blows. Gray accepted the challenge and for the first minute both exchanged hefty wallops. However, Gray’s superiority quickly asserted itself and a right swing sent Greasley to the boards. He was soon up again, but a few moments later another heavy blow sent him to the floor with a terrific thud and Gray was declared the winner. “Shorty’’ AA'oodward, a pupil of Denny Murphy’s school at Hastings, was successful in winning the Hawkes Bay lightweight championship. Those who know “Shorty’’ say that he will be a hard nut for the New Zealand Championship. Young Harry Maddox, winner of the Hawkes Bay bantam championship, is a. younger brother to Duke Maddox. Young Maddox is said to possess a beautiful straight left that carries a sting. I Here is just a doubt as to whether Laurie O’Neill will be able to make welter weight at the forthcoming AVest Coast championships, or whether he will have to contest the middles.

Mr. A. Maxwell, of Wellington, offi ciated as referee at ’ the Hawkes Bay cn.unpk nships. On the opening night of the Auckland cb.ampionsiups, C. Purdy’s opponent was T. Collins, lliis pair provided an excellent exhibition of scientinc boxing, with Purdy always doing rather better than his opponent. The verdict for I'urdy, for some reason, was received with disfavour by a section of (lie spectators. loin Heeney (N.Z.) 13.1, beat Jack Leahy, ±3.8, at the Olympic Theatre, .ddckay, Oueenslaiid, recently. After twenty two-minute rounds were lougiit jueeiicy secuied a popular and decisive verdict. Heeney was superior m every detail, and altnougii Caere were a few rounds lie did not. win on points, there was not a round he lost, the balance ben4 ? even. The iinal round was probably the liveliest seen in Mackay. Both men mixed it quite merrily. Punch followed punch throughout, ana iieeney, backing ..gamst the lopes, went mrotign them, lie was up and at it again, tiie round uiiisiiing with a slashing encounter. Eli Baxter beat Doolan Murray in Sydney last Month, but in his next battle was technically knocked out by Jimmy Ryan.. It l.as been announced that Benny Leonard will fight Jack Britton for the welter-weight title in New York on the 28th inst., and Lew Tendler on July 2d.

At Leeston recently Bill Butler fought Tommy Uren for the middleweigiit title and a purse of £360. Uren was declared the winner on points. DWY ER—HOLMES BATILE. For twenty rounds at the Brisbane St.idium a big crowd was kepi simmering with excitement by a brilliant exlubitiun between Hughie Dwyer anu Harry Holmes. The verdict for Dwyer, which was a sound one, met with cordial reception. By a succession of sparkling displays, each capped by victory, Dwyer- has won the hearts of Brisbane fans. Dwyer, who depends mostly on a good straight left, possesses a delightful variety of punches, and is cool headed in all he does. Holmes was more spectacular, and at times bounced like a balloon in his attemps to connect vicious swings at nis adversary, who fought a good deal on the retreat. When Dwyer took the lead he did well, .height and reach both favouring him. Those disadvantages were what perplexed Holmes though Dwyer landed by far the greater number of punches, his blows had not the same punishing effect. In fact, he looked the worse of the two at the finish, with his left eye-brow cut, and the other swollen.

Dwyer began well by winning the first two rounds, in which his countering was the outstanding feature. It w.is well into the second round before Holmes landed his first effective punch, a beautiful felt hook to the face, lie won the third round well, through good work at close quarters, and a right hook to the jaw, splendidly timed, was one of his best blows in the whole contest. The bout progressed with penduli m-like action to the 14th. The ninth was particularly strenuous, with Holmes most aggressive, hurling all manner of blows at his retreating foeman. Up to this stage Dwyer had been a 6 to 4 on favourite. Then, just as even money had been taken about H< lines, Dwyer rallied, and, despite his damaged eye, piled up points by beautifully’ timed lefts to the face and libs with both gloves. Holmes showed greater stamina, and had Dwyer tired at) the end of tho 17th. From • there out he revived wonderfully, and was boxing all over Holmes towards the finish of a thrilling and clever contest.