IN THE RING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 154, 15 June 1932, Page 3

IN THE RING

RECENT “PRO” FIGHTS SULLIVAN'S SURPRISE VICTORY. CHAMPION BEATEN ON POINTS. (By “Ringsider.”) A surprise was in store for the Southland boxing public on the King's Birthday, when Billy Sullivan, of Hastings, secured a decision over Alan Campbell, of Timaru, in fifteen tfwo-minute rounds. The bout was staged before a packed house in the Civic Theatre, Invercargill. The original bout was between Ray Nicol and Sullivan, but Nicol injured an arm early in the week, and Campbell was secured to substitute. In his remarks the announced stated that Campbell had done no training since his return from Australia, and the Timaru man certainly appeared to be conserving himself throughout the bout (says a writer in the Dunedin “Star”). Over the first seven or eight rounds Campbell established a substantial points’ lead, boxing very coolly and scoring with hard rights and lefts to the head and body.

Sujlivan appeared clumsy and awkward by comparison, and took heavy punishment in the eighth round. However, Campbell did not force his advantage, and from that point Sullivan improved all the time. He began to conagct to Campbell’s head with a right (Jwi'ng, and his awkward style enabled mm to slip many of the Timaru man’s punches. He still had some leeway to mke up, though, and, although he won t£e last two rounds by a fair margin, it. appeared that Campbell’s early lead should have secured him the decision.

It was not a brilliant fight, Sullivan forking hard and taking a lot of punishment, while Campbell seemed for the jnpst part satisfied to coast along and not seriously extend himself. There was not much between them at the finish. but Campbell was considered by many to be unlucky. Billy Sullivan, on Monday evening, scored another win at Timaru, where hf accounted for Jack Cossill, who ten djys ago figured in a good bout with Cyril Thompson at Hastings. Local enthusiasts, no doubt, were surprised to learn that Sullivan secured his win ajs the result of “ a tremendously powerful right. In his displays in Hastings there had been nothing outstanding about Bill’s punches, his forte being aldogged resistance and the ability to stand up to everything for any number of rounds.

Broadfoot Defeated. While this bout was in progress, a well-known figure to Hawke’s Bay fans in Jim Broadfoot was meeting Tommy Mclnnes at Auckland, the bout ending in a disappointing fashion, Broadfoot retiring in the sixth round owing to an injured ear. Up to that point the bout had been fast and interesting and, although Mclnnes had established a lead, there was every prospect that the fight would be keenly contested to the end.

The contest opened fairly tamely, but early in the second round both men settled down to business, and there was some brisk to-to-toe fighting, Mclnnes paving the better of the exchanges and showing some of his old-time form (says the “New Zealand Herald”). Mclnnes carried the fight to his opponent who, however, connected frequently with his left. In the fourth round Mclnnes commenced to pay attention to Broadfoot’s tender ear, and continued to be aggresyfce. These tactics were used in the fffth round, but in a smart exchange Mclnnes was sent to the mat. However, he was quickly on his feet. In U>e sixth round, which proved to be flhe last, Mclnnes rocked Broadfoot with a right to the jaw, and appeared to have him in trouble, but Broadfoot r Mpe back strongly with a last-minute rally at the end of the round.

On going back to his corner, Broadfat announced that he w'ished to retire owing to the pain from his ear, wliich was angry and greatly enlarged. Ijjie referee, Mr R. Meale, called in two doctors and, after an examination, they agreed that the request was a reasonable one in the circumstances. In view of the intense pain which Broadfpot was suffering they could not inaist on his going on. The match was therefore awarded to Mclnnes.

Morgan’s Sydney Debut. Ted Morgan’s first appearance in a Sydney ring was attended with disastrous results for the New Zealand boy, for he was knocked out Imin 2Osec after the first round had started by Wally Hancock, who , thus repeated in two rounds less what he had done in Dunedin three years ago.

Morgan, according to the accounts to hand, was making his sixth visit to the canvas when the fight was stopped, and his display met with some trenchant criticism. Morgan was in the throes of unpleasant memories of the knock-out Hancock administered in New Zealand, and before the first round had elapsed was counted out, says one writer. His balance, except for the first few moments, was unsteady, and twice he tottered and went backward to the floor from blows that carried plenty of threat and vim, but did not reach their objective. Once he was wrestled down, but Hancock did land a couple of lefts, which doubtlessly impressed upon Morgan that their force was not mythical. Several times the New Zealander assumed a posture on one knee to await the count of nine, and disappointed those who had hoped that American experience might have adapted him for a hurricane assault on Hancock. Just fo r a while Morgan’s left rip to the body seemed to have possibilities, but then it was all over, with Morgan muttering something about being all right, and they were on their way to the dressing-rooms. Another writer in a once famous sport: i'f weeklv goes much further and u.-cs tin- light as an excuse upon which

to base a general condemnation of New Zealand boxing (says the “Evening Post”). His invective, however, is its own answer, for it reveals more clearly than anything else could the writer’s bias and lack of reasonable judgment. New Zealand boxing may have slipped, judging by the unfortunate displays of Campbell and Morgan in Sydney, but New Zealanders still remember Australian boxers whose displays in this country wore far from what wore to he expected from the glowing, not to say fulsome, Press reports of their ability.