COUNTRY TALENT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21854, 26 October 1945, Page 4

COUNTRY TALENT

WAIKOHU AMATEURS

KEEN BOXING TOURNEY

TURNBULL LK.O’S RAY For the first time in a number of years Te Karaka and Waikohu County people last night had an opportunity of seeing a series of boxing bouts in which amateurs from 'heir own district wore matched with leading Gisborne boys. Whatatutu contributed a considerable proportion of the country talent, and officers of the Gisborne Coxing Association who assisted in conducting the tournament noted several promising performers who may bo expected to appear in the Gisborne ring in due course. ... Several of the fights developed into toe-to-toe tussles, and the large attendance found plenty of excitement in almost all the bouts. Tho filial match, between T. Turnbull and D. Hay’, produced a technical knock-out and showed Turnbull in a highly favourable light as an eventual heavyweight prospect. The bouts were refereed by Mr. A. Heency, and Messrs. H. C. Swan, W. Mason and J. Heeney assisted him in the capacity of judges. The ringside arrangements were in the hands of Waikohu association officers, and Mr. 11. R. Hammond was the announcer. __ Boxing exhibitions with F. Holns and “Skip” Kay. two boxers of very different types, the professional Tom Baty gave a good account of himself in both spars, though obviously handicapped by the necessity of keeping the real weight out of his punches. Holljs and Kay both sparred well, in what was Baty s last good change of a work-out before ha fights the Aucklander, N. Underwood, in Hastings next Monday. ‘ ' The display emphasised the difference a really powerful yiuiich can make to the prospects of a boxer. Willing Bouts Two good paperweights in I. Jones, Te Karaka, and W. Brown, Whatatutu, both 5.6, opened the programme with a willing bout. Jones attacked persistently and got the verdict, though his Maori opponent fought well and landed more blows. Whatatutu provided both contestants for the next bout, R. Pineha, 5.0, and B. Tamanui, 6.6. They battled with plenty of spirit, and Pineha developed a punishing right, with which lie propped his opponent back repeatedly. He got the decision after a torrid third round in which Tamanui tired a little. Another Whatatutut bout was provided by N. Pineha, 6.6, and D. Tamanui, 6.3. It was almost equally lively, and a draw proved a popular decision. There was not much action in the first ,\| round between B. Gregory, 5.6, and A. McKay, 5.6, Gisborne. Both boys were smart and quick-moving, but after the initial exchange they treated each other respectfully, and sparred their way through to ’the opening of the third round. They mixed it a bit more in the last, but the crowd did not get much out of it, McKay was the winner. H. Underdown. 8.0, and E. Babbington, 7.10, both of Gisborne, knew too much of each other’s style, and they did not mix it much. Underdown got the decision by a narrow margin. R, McKay, 7.0, Te Karaka, had plenty of support from the crowd when he met R. Matenga, 6.8, Whatatutu. The Maori boy made the going in the first round, butMn the second McKay showed better form, and met Matenga’s steady advances with lefts and rights. Matenga put up a good show, mid the verdict for McKay was not received unanimously. Another Good Fight T. Mclntyre, 5.6, Gisborne, added to his list of good fights when he met S. Clayden, 8.9, To Karaka. The country boy was aggressive, but u bit wild in his punching, and he had no guard for Mclntyre’s straight long right, which connected steadily to the head. Clayden slipped down in the first round, but was up again quickly, and he took a lot of punishment before the end of the second round. He fought back stoutly, however, and steadied hiß aggressive opponent with good solid swings. Mclntyre was always attacking, and had an edge all the way. Clayden’s display was a promising one against a more experienced opponent. R. Hunt, 10.11, Gisborne, had too much experience for J. Gardner, 11.0, Te Karaka, who found him hard to hit and difficult to stay away from. Gardner showed up best in the third round, when he got to close quarters, but hi 3 display hardly warranted the verdict—a draw. „ , A tall boy with a good degree of control, 1. Atkins, 9.0, Te Karaka, fought R. Ferris, 9.0, Gisborne. He used his reach well and hit with both hands, Ferris being forced to give ground repeatedly. Ferris was working hard ntid shirking nothing, forcing his way inside Atkins’ long reach, but he was clearly outpointed. A promising first appearance was made by B. Biniiie, 10.8, Gisborne, against G. Cummings, 10. S, also of Gisborne. He had reach and height and combativeness, and carried the fight to his opponent all the way. Cummings waß well bustled at the finish, and Binnie was a good winner. A confident first-timer in L. Gregory, 9.5, Whatatutu, met an experienced boxer in O. Rosaman, 9.0, Gisborne, and went after him with both hands swinging. Rosaman used tho ring and in his own time came out with a right hard to the head. Gregory continued to forge in, but after two rounds he had lost a lot of his style and reverted to swinging in round-arm fashion. When Rosaman dropped him with a right late in the second round he was up quickly, but he had seen the red light and kept away from Rosaman’s more aggressive approaches. The decision in favour of Gregory suited the crowd, but it had very slight grounds in the performance. D. Coutts, 8.8, Gisborne, met a hard-punch-ing novice in D. Hollis, 9.0, Whatatutu, Reach and experience were in Coutts' favour, and after a promising opening Hollis failed in the second round, when the referee stopped the bout to save him punishment. Country Euggedness Country ruggedness was typified by S. Symon, 10.8, Te Karaka, who met T. Owen, 10.8 Gisborne. The latter did. most of the leading, but took some bard counters to the head which obviously steadied him up. Sim' n carried more of the. fight in the second round, and early in tho third round put Owen down, but only momentarily. Owen followed his opponent doggedly, and got the decision for his aggressiveness. He deserved it, though the bulk of the crowd did not like the decision.

W. Christie, 10 0, Te Karaite, gave away height and reach to E. Wilkinson, -10.0, Gisborne, but did not worry much about it. He did not lead much, but he responded enthusiastically to every opportunity to get in. close. Wilkinson was the better boxer, but Christie put on a good show. There was nothing for the crowd in tha first round between K. Cox, 10.12, and J. Grey, 10.8, To Karalta. Cox did what leading there was, but Grey was canny and there was no ronl fighting. In the second round Grey came out with orders to mix it, and he made a much better showing. He overwhelmed Cox with well-placed hits with either hand, and in the third round carried it further to get a highly popular decision. Cox did not produce his best form, but he was meeting a hard hitter who, once he got going, never gave the Gisborne boy a chance. One of the most natural hitters seen out for a long time, T Turnbull, 12.0, Gisborne, looked a quick winner when he put D. Ray, 12,0, Gisborne, down three times in the first round. Ray was up quickly from the first two punches, but he took an eightcount on the third, and was lucky to see tho round out Early in the second Ray was down again, hut lie came up quickly, and it. was not until lie had been down twice more that the referee stopped tho bout and gave the decision to Turnbull. Ray was then fiat out on the canvas, but he had taken no serious damage, for he came round after being assisted to his chair.