BOXING

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 July 1937, Page 13

BOXING

ARMSTRONG-BLATCH BOUT. [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] NEW YORK, July 8. At Madison Square Garden. H. Armstrong (9st Gib) beat Alf Blatch (9st Sfflb), the negro securing a knock-out in the third round. In the first, round Blatch went down for the count of three, and again for the count of eight, as a result of the negro's powerful rights. Blatch's left eye was badly cut. After being down for three counts of eight in the second round. Blatch rallied marvellously and just before the end. punished his opponent viciously. The crowd cheered his game recovery. Armstrong's nose was badly bleeding. Blatch was knocked down three times in the third round. He was apparently suffering from the earlier blows because he was not hit very hard.

The referee then stopped the bout. Blatch. when lifted up from the canvas by the referee, turned to fight again, but realised that the end had come, and walked to Armstrong’s corner and congratulated him. Blatch later told the Associated Press: “I hurt my head against the canvas the first time I fell, and the second time I received a blow on the back of my head. After that I fell from weakness. I was unable to get started and was over anxious. This is not offered as an excuse, but as an explanation of what happened." Blatch's manager, Mr Lucas, said he had received other offers which he would probably accept, as, “Blatch must be given a chance, to show his real quality."