A BOXING CHAMPION

Hokitika Guardian, 7 December 1929, Page 8

A BOXING CHAMPION

JACKIE BROWN’S SUCCESS. (By J.B. in London paper.) LONDON, October 10. A now Hv-weight clnunpion of Great Britain was crowned lu>ro tin’s morning when Jackie Brown, a 19-ycars-ohl Manchester youth, knocked out Bert Kirby, of Birmingham, with a crushing right-hand punch to the jaw in the third round. The fight took place in an ancient wooden building, which previously was a skating rink—a, cheerless, uncomfortable place with but two entrances. But 7,000 people pushed their way through these to pack the hall to suffocation point, while outside a crowd at least as hig struggled frantically to gain admission.

Inside, people who had reserved their seats could not get to them, and it was only with difficulty that 1 was piloted to a ringside chair. The fight was a revelation, and in spite of the discomfort was worth the journey. Brown gave a display which upset all preconceived ideas. When 1 saw him barely seven months ago he was a boxer of merely average ability. Me was fast, but he slapped rather than hit.

To-day he was as speedy as over, alike with hands and feet, hut with it there was punching which for sheer destructiveness has not been surpassed by any British fly-weight since Jimmy Wilde.

Except for a left-hand hook to the stomach as the first round was ending. Kirby was not in the fight with a chance. The blow bent Brown in agony. Many said it was foul. Actually it was a punch to the solar plex-

us. and it was fortunate for Brown that the gong came immediately to his rescue.

This tall Manchester youth has developed unsuspected stamina. He came up fresh for the second round and proceeded to give Kirhv an unmerciful boating. He could out-score Kirby with a straight left whenever it suited his purpose, but it was not by this method that lie won. He boat Kirby at bis own method of in-fight-ing—by fighting which was faster, stronger, and of greater variety.

Brown hit so fast, in fact that the eye could not accurately follow the blows, and he displayed a knack of changing.his attack Horn body to head which will take him far. His left came like a rapier thrust; at close quarters his arms worked like flails, and when Kirby ivas sufficiently unsettled over would flash a right to the jiiv. Kirby’s best round was the first, when he was countering Brown’s left with resounding thumps to the body, but that second-round onslaught, destroyed any chance lie might have had. With flushed face, a swollen nose, and with ugly red patches on his body lie faced Brown a distressed man for the third round.

A right produced a -Jin. gash above his eye, and that was the end, A swiftly following right to the jaw and Kirby was an inert figure on the ring floor.

It was a distressing spectacle for Birmingham, where Kirby is a popular hero but ail encouraging one from a national point of view, because R demonstrated that in Brown a worthy young champion has arisen to compensate the loss of Johnny Hill. A noteworthy point is that Brown is tho first Manchester boxer to win a British championship.