BOXING High Standard Set at Greymoutth

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 April 1946, Page 10

BOXING High Standard Set at Greymoutth

Coasters Too Good For Visitors

Last Saturday’s boxing contests at Greymouth, in which eight Wellington boys took part, provided some bright, clever boxing. The standard generally was high, and the success of the West Coasters was in keeping with their form at tournaments in various parts of the South Island last season.

Boddy Too Strong. A great deal of interest was taken in the contest between J. Boddy, lightweight champion of the West Coast and Canterbury, and C. Adams, welterweight champion of Wellington. Boddy did not give Adams a chance to use his greater height, reach and weight. He worked into close quarters and threw punches from all angles. He put Adams down three times and then the referee called a halt. Boddy will prove a handful foi' any true lightweight and must be accorded a first rate chance in the New Zealand championships this year. Good Performance.

M. Tuck proved he is all that has been claimed for him by defeating a good boy in M. Sproule, of Wellington, fairly easily. Tuck has improved out of all knowledge since his last appearance in Greymouth and it is obvious he has benefited from last year’s travelling and fighting. Sproule was not easy to handle and tried very hard in the last round to even things up. Tuck should make a big name for himself.

Heavy Punches. B. Eder shone in defeating two Wellington boys in quick order. Eder punches hard, is cool, fast and strong. One of his opponents, N. Stewart,, was no mean performer. Eder, however, has a punch in both hands and this is a big asset. He is also improving in boxing ability.

Lucky? K. Doolan fought a draw with G. Philp, but the Wellington boy was probably unlucky in not obtaining a straight-out win. Doolan was obviously nervous and the occasion seemed too much for him. He shows promise, however, and a bout in the near future with a local boy should do much to restore his confidence.

Marked Improvement. J. Finlay carried too many guns for T. Scaife, of Wellington. The latter is paperweight champion of Wellington, and is fast, strong and willing. He was outpointed in a clever bout that started and finished at a whirlwind pace. Finlay showed marked improvement since his last appearance locally and should go on to further successes if handled carefully and not allowed to fight out of his class. Fast Bout. H. Tuck defeated J. Hillier in a fast middleweight contest. The decision did not meet with the approval of a section of the audience. The verdict was, however, correct, and 1 Tuck has a bright future. Hillier boxed well and his footwork showed definite improvement. He was not in the best of condition, but will feel the benefit of this bout. A further meeting between this pair should prove a big attraction. Quick Decision.

C. Curtis broke through R. Blacktopp’s guard early in the first round and the referee stopped the bout to prevent Blacktopp from receiving unnecessary punishment. Blacktopp is a good boy, however, and a further meeting between these two might show a different result. _ Curtis is improving in boxing ability and punches very hard for one of his weight and size.

Southpaw. K. McMillan defeated J. Bell rather easily. Bell did not show the form he displayed in several bouts last year or he would have made McMillan’s task much more difficult. McMillan boxed nicely and overcame Bell’s awkward southpaw stance.

Thrills and Laughs. W. Fraser and T. Munden provided plenty of thrills and laughs during their bout, which was won by Fraser. Both boys are keen and willing so improvement can be expected.

Clever Boxing. The bout between L. Domney and J. Musson lacked thrills, but some clever boxing was witnessed. Both boys were fast and elusive. Musson is experienced and his bobbing and swaying from punches was a treat to watch. Domney has a nice left hand and good feet. He boxed well in the last round and would probably have won if he had made his run a little earlier. The result was a draw. Musson is a dangerous opponent for anyone who will stay in close to him. A bout between Boddy and Musson would be a great draw, but Boddy’s trainer states his boy will not fight out of his class any more this season. No lightweight, however, will be barred.

Bridges Defeats Collins (P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 23. Steadily wearing down his opponent by his superior reach and wider range of blows, Jack Bridges, one of the two Australian lightweights under contract to the Welington Boxing Association, defeated ■ Joe Collins, of Palmerston North, in the ninth round of a scheduled 10round' professional welter-weight contest in the Town Hall to-night. Neither boxer revealed a real match-winning punch, but Bridges exploited a long left rip to the stomach with considerable success.. It was this blow which made Collins very groggy in the ninth round, when he was sent to the floor three times. The referee then stopped the bout.