BOXING Terrific Punching By Negro

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1947, Page 9

BOXING Terrific Punching By Negro

Jones’s Stocks Rise After Victory Willie Jones, the American negro boxer, provided some of the hardest punching seen in Wellington rings for many years when he defeated Jack McCann, of Wellington by a technical knock-out in the third round of their scheduled twelve-round bout at the Petone Recreation Ground on Saturday afternoon, says the Sports Post. McCann’s gameness—and he deserves full marks for his pluck—was no match for the brilliantly hard and fast punching, the cleverness, and experience of his opponent. Plain Dynamite. Jones may have adopted cautious tactics against Murphy a fortnight ago, but on Saturday the position was the reverse. He was brimful of confidence and obviously _ keen to get cracking. From the initial gong he was just plain dynamite—clearly a top-line boxer. He punched crisply with both hands to McCann’s head and body. He was quick on his feet, weaved his head cleverly, and altogether gave McCann little say in affairs. McCann fought as well as he could, and his pluck was one of the features of the bout. Few boxers after receiving the battering McCann did in the second round would or could have made an appearance in the third. Jones's performance invests his forthcoming return bout with Murphy with particular interest. If he adopts the tactics against Murphy that he used to batter McCann into early submission to-day, then a magnificent fight should result. The bout was really too onesided to be classed a great spectacle, but at least it served to redeem Jones in the eyes of the Hutt Valley and Wellington boxing {public and make him a No. 1 drawcard. Description of Fight. Both boxers hopped in in businesslike fashion and in the early flurries Jones gave a taste of his real hitting ability. He landed two beautiful lefts to McCann’s face and ripped over a vicious right which knocked the Wellington man off balance. McCann, too, made it willing, and he landed a

couple, but his punches lacked the sting of the negro's. Moreover, he was obviously handicapped by the latter’s considerable advantage in reach. McCann landed a right at the start of round two, but Jones worked him up against the ropes and hammered them in with lefts and rights. Seconds later Jones landed a heavy right and left, and blood was flowing from McCann’s nose. A beautiful straight left to McCann’s jaw sent him down for nine. He picked himself up but was sent crashing down again. However, there was no count, and the gong brought McCann relief. Jones sent McCann down for nine again at the start of the third round, but the latter came back gamely. His punches, however, lacked sting. Jones, as a matter of fact, just didn’t worry about defending himself. It was abundantly clear that the end was near, and it came in this third session following a two-handed attack by Jones. He landed several very hard punches, but it was a right to the head which finally sent McCann to the canvass again. He picked himself up at nine, took a couple of paces, and collapsed. The referee lifted Jones's hand.