BOXING

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 7 May 1927, Page 13

BOXING

TO TURN PRO. A recent report f rein Dunedin stated that Johnny Leekie, the amateur feather Weight champion of the Dominion, who has been mentioned as the prospective candidate for inclusion in the New Zealand team for the next Olympio Games, has decided to enter the professional ranks. Johnny first entered the- list of championship holders in 1923, securing a triple crown. That year he carried off the Otago fly-weight championship, and followed this tip with the South Island and New Zealand titles. He won the Otago bantam-weight championship in 1924, and was runner-up in thjs New Zealand championship. Last year he accounted for the -Otago and New Zealand feather-weight' titles. He will enter the professional ranks as a feather-weight, and his services should be in great demand bV associations. He is a clever and aggressive fighter, and his trainer, Archie Leckie,, sponsor of all the Leckie champions, considers him the best of the bunch. He is just 20 years of age.

NORTHERN ASSOCIATION,

A loss of £424 is shown in the balance-sheet- of the Northern Boxing .Association. Notwithstanding this less, the association is still in a strong financial position, and the accumulated fund stands in credit to the extent of £2260.

The last Auckland provincial amateur championships were held iu the Auckland’ Town Hall, when a team was selected and sent to the New Zca-'land championships at Napier, the tour costing £ll4. F. Taylor -successfully defended his bantam-weight title -in a strong- class. During the year ended March 31. eight professional contests •were held, £llß9 being paid for jiurses and expenses. A number of amateur bouts was stage,d in conjunction with each professional match, and fiamcial and managerial assistance was given to various gymnasia, boxing clubs and colleges for the benefit of the amateur side of the sport. During the year £lB3 waa paid for amateur trophies, and almost £IOO in subsidies: to trainers of amateur organisations.

A SECOND DRISCOLL

Jam Driscoll’s name null always endure in the world’s boxing history. His style was the essence of perfection. I saw him in every important fight he had, and Driscoll never boxed badly. “Peer-teas Jim” was always a polished and finished master of the art of the true English style of glove fighting. Driscoll never wasted a punch. He delivered his left with unerring accuracy. His right glove was seldom u«>sd for a false punch, and iio boxer of any kind hit so consistently with the knuckle- part of the glove, writes a prominent English boxing authority in the “Athletic News.” Driscoll’s methods were the poetry of motion. He was a classic performer. Against the very clever Joe Bowker he shone resplendently. He out-boxed the little Salford man. who had previously beaten the famous, Pedlar Palmer. When it came to downright fighting, Driscoll was equally as brilliant. We are always on the look-out for a replica of Driscoll, as we are for a second Jimmy W T ilde. Yet I doubt if we shall ever see in our time wuch masterful fighters. But the Driscoll I saw in his youthful glory cut Jack Heberts to ribbons has been duplicated by the red-headed Teddy Baldock. He is absolutely a second Jim Driscoll. This is not. foolish fancy, but an. -absolute fact based on- concrete evidence. Baldock has boxing brains. Skilful in every movement-, an unerring left-, ,a:nd a right-hand .punch that is a second' edition of Georges Carpentier-’s famous delivery, Baldock is a second Jim’ Driscoll, a sure champion, not only of England. but more than probably of the world.

A HUNDRED ROUNDS.

Sometimes in the bad old days of the prize ring, bankers, far more intent on seeking a decision •which would settle the bets than on good sport, would allow men —nay. urge them —to go on fighting long after they should have been carried away The battle between Deaf Burke and Simon Byrne, the Irishman, was a case in point- (writes Bohun Lynch in “John o’ London’s Weekly”) This affair took place at No Man’s 'Land in Hertfordshire in 1833. The men were evenly matched so far as physical strength and skill were concerned, but Bvme’s constitution had been sadly undermined by the vigour with which he “went out of training” between fights. For a long time there was, as they say, nothing in it. Now Byrne, now Burke, gained some advantage. and they had fought nearly a hundred rounds in a matter of three hours before at last the brave Irishman fell senseless to the grass. For some rounds past it had been a mere toss-up which would fail first to reach the scratch at the call of “Time.” Poor Bvrne survived the battle onLy three days. The fact that he had lost it, the severe strain, and the depressing effect of having himself been in a similar manner responsible for another man’s death some time before, combined to kill him. Burke was tried for manslaughter and acquitted on the surgeon’s evidence.

HEENEY’3 FLTTCKY DISPLAY.

Staging a determined, slashing finish, Paulino Useumdun, colourful Spanish heavyweight, clubbed liis way to victory last night over Tom Heeney, rugged New Zealander, in a bruising ten-round match before a crowd of 14, 000 in Madison Square Garden on April ”, says an American writer. According to him, it was a dose and furious battle between two unschooled sluggers, but- Paulino’s superior stamina, tireless attack, and damaging left hook gave him the verdict by a two to one vote of the officials. The referee, Arthur Donovan, and one of the judges decided in the Spaniard’s favour while the other judge east his ballot for Heeney In the opinion of the most ringside critics. Paulino carried off six rounds, and Heeney four. Paulino floored Heeney for a moment, just before the end of the first round, with a swishing loft hook, staggered the New Zealander in the seventh with a smashing attack, and forced the fighting throughout the last four rounds. This aggressive as well as effective finish bv the stocky woodchopper enabled him to offset Heeney s early lead, as well as the latter s shiftijer boxing and defensive skill. Heeney also displayed a sharp right-hand wallop that frequently brought Paulino up short- and in at least two rounds, the third ah cl sixth, starggerel tee ParTie.