BOXING.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 10912, 1 June 1929, Page 7

BOXING.

lachie McDonald outpointed BY NIVEN

CROWD HOOT REFEREE,

United Press Aasu. by EL;TeI. Cojiyrijihi

(Australian Press Association.) (.Received June 1,12.4 J a-.jn SYDNEY. May 31 ■At the Leichhardt Stadium to nigiit. Tommy -Niven (Queensland) outpointed Lachie McDonald (New Zealand) over fifteen : rounds, xhfspite tlie fact that McDonald always seemed to have a comfortable lead. McDonald was out of form but dm most of the leading. He used a right to the body effectively and .weakened his opponent’ in the later rounds. The contest was fast, and.there wasjmueb wild hitting. Niven was crouching low. McDonald delivered many .heavv right and left punches and receive*' a goodly number ou the side of the head. The crowd was greatly excited in the thirteenth round, when Niven complained of a foul, the blow having staggered him, but the referee allowed the contest to' continue. When the referee declared Niven tlie winner, the crowd vigorously hooted.

LA BARBA BEATEN. 'POINTS VICTORY FOR CUBAN. NEW YORK, May 22. “Kid" Chocolate, stringy black boy li'om Cuba, with a picaimmy lace, and brass'tooth agleam like the door-knob of ,a New York speak-easy, beat la Barba in a swift 10-round bout this evening,, before what the churches call a large and appreciative audience.' The loser, former world flyweight champion, was favorite in the betting by 7 to 5. and the Cuban's supporters bad rather apologetically said they played the short end because their “Kid” had won 156 battle.# without a reverse. To-night he. made it 1.57 by a substntial, though not terribly wide margin. The show was entirely Iron from brutality, and there was no sprawling on. {ho rug by either party. Both weighed 'over KsL Sib., so there is not a chalice in the world that Chocolate will be declared the bantam champion. The little negro won the first two rounds on points scored, then dropped command of the proceedings, as la Barba apparently -solved his • delcusive tangle of skinny arms and popping gloves. Prior to the fight la Barba was at a shade of odds in the betting, From the. clang of the hell in the first rouikl :it was. a slashing light. La Blarha. opened with, _ a ripping right at close quiulot’s .and evidently was bent on 'making a close range contest of it. ’ All through this session he slugged the grinning negro at close quarters. He snapped short ones against Chocolate’s head with looping left hooks. Chocolate, however, came back with two zipping right uppercuts,, . which hurl Fidel, who replied with two smashes into Chocolate’s body. LA BARBA BAFFLED. Opening his second round, Chocolate changed his tactics entirely, viciously attacking la Barba s body. Ho buried a dozen stinging left hook#, and these forced the Californian to crouch and hold. La Barba was plainly hall led. but towards the end of the round he smashed the Cuban with short chops to the head. It was unquestionably Chocolate's round.

A sharp left hook to the. head and a right cross almost floored La Marha in the opening of the third. But lie clung to the flashing Cuban, regained his breath, and then belted Chocolate into the corner with thumping hooks to the head and the body. Fidel sagged under a slashing right, caught himself. and nearly downed the negro with a left hook to the head afc the hell. Both hoys were still puffing when they opened the fourth round. The pace was so hot that both were glad, to spar and rest a Lit before falling upon each other in another desperate encounter, hut by the middle ol the round they were at it again, toe to toe. in an onslaught that brought the crowd to their fe.et. Chocolate was swinging 'a long left, and Fidel, in trying once to hob under it caught the full force of the smiling Cuban's right- on bis chin. This stung him to a de-porato rally, and hei swept Chocolate to the ropes. The Cuban however, lighting with! machine-like precision, was bountifully accurate, and the crowd looked on what appeared to he the iinest bantam exhibition in years. PERFECT HON KB. In the fifth round Chocolate sent across a series of slabbing lefts which were gradually .wearing down Fidel's vigorl and sapping his .speed. The Cuban was a picture of -ebon;, boxing perfection, hut La Barba, from a crouching position, brushed aside most of the punches with his right glove.. La Barbu did not seem to mind when Chocolate's deadly right flashed over half a dozen times. La Barba loived the fighting in the first half of the sixth, looping his left overhand to Chocolate's head, hut the negro’s short left, flung like an arrow, drew blood front Fidel’s loft eye. Towards' the end of the round La Biai'ha, recovered himself, and had the negro- hacking away. The Cuban varied his style once more and struck La Barba with a left hook and right cross, punching his wav out of danger iust before the hell. La Barba missed ‘an overhand right in thy. seventh, and before lie could recover Chocolate was upon him with, storming fists. A volley ol left and right uppercuts, ' books and straight punches sent Fidel Hying dizzily into the rope-.' He bobbed and weaved as the negro smashed vainly for a .vital spot, then rallied, and with furious hurts Irom both hands had Chocolate panting on the ropes before thu gong. LAST EFFORTS. Round eight was comparatively tame. Chocolate, with a comfortable margin of .points, assumed the- defensive..- while Fidel wove about trying vainly for a real opening. Round nine opened with the negro trying desperately for a knock-out. Hu buried his left into La Barba’s body, bn.t the Californian took the full smash without flinching. Fidel rested in the middle of the round, and then caught Chocolate against the ropes and belted him unmercifully, but was not strong enough to scorn a knock-out. When the tenth round opened, la Barba realised, that a knock-out was the only way he -could wm. He pawed both lists at Chocolate’.s head. The Cuban escaped most of the torrent, but two left hooks left a mark. Chocolate, trying to laugh, and back away, was taking a furious hammering when the tight ended.