HOT ENCOUNTER

Hokitika Guardian, 9 August 1930, Page 6

HOT ENCOUNTER

SARRON BEATS LECKIE.

PALMERSTON N., August 5,

In a fast and furious 15 rounds, Pete Sarron (9st.), won his contest against Johnnie Leckie (9st) here to-night.

Sarron clearly won most of the rounds and made the pace a hot one, usually taking the fight to Leckie, who at times was hard put to counter the American’s furious two-handed bursts. Early in the fourth round Leckie was down for seven, though he was not seriously affected. It was an exciting bout, both boxers mixing it freely, with Siarron scoring chiefly with his right, and Leckie mainly with .straight left. In the opening of the first round both missed leads until Leckie landed some solid body blows, Sarron being forced to the ropes, where he slipped and fell with Leckie on top of him. Sarron got i nspme useful work when he connected a solid right to the jaw and the round ended with a brisk- exchange off body blows with which the American scored; well. -

Leckie made the pace in the second round and evened matters with a leftand right to ’the body., then scoring; wuth a snappy left to the face. His footwork/ got him out of difficulties, and Sarron missed badly. . i k '-/■'V The American again missed with a .terrific uppercut in the third that would have ended the bout there and then had it connected. He persisted in forcing tactics, however, and Leckie replied willingly, and the round ended with two-handed exchanges in which Leckie was beaten, while he also missed badly in searching for Sarron’s chin with his left. LECKIE DOWN. The fourth round opened with Sarron leading and following in to connect with stinging left and rights. Leckie Was. down, but was up on .hi? knee, quickly, and waited for .thedount .‘o|i seven before resumingjO-fe scpred’. well with. Several?.straight lefts to" the face but Sarron’s guard: and footwork kept these from doing any. great, damage though they kept the American from following up whatever advantage lie had. Both displayed clever boxing that earned.applause. ' ; Sarron scored well in a period of infighting in the fifth and successfully took most of Leckie’s lefts on his gloves. The , New Zealand obviously did better when he fought from a distance So Ifar the fight was fairly even, with a slight advantage to Sarron, who frequently forced the pace and connected With wholehearted rights and lefts principally to the body.

LECKIE IMPROVES. In both the sixth and seventh rounds Leckie made his- opponent miss and gained points with his left, but in the eight- Sarron opened up in great style and hit Leckie to the ropes, following up with two heavy rights to the body. The round finished in a whirlwind of exchanges in which Leckie stood a good '.deal fof punishment. • ; Clever footwork and well-judged duck ing on the part of Sarron made Leckie miss on several occasions, but a'gain in the tenth round Sarron made the pace and carried the fight to his opponent, scoring with rights to the body and several pretty straight lefts. The pace slackened down when the boxers sparred for an opening, but again the American came in and finished the round with a terrific burst of rights and lefts, that had Leckie rattled for a few seconds, and when he tried to reply Sarron easily held him off. % The next two rounds saw some, fast work in leads and counter, with each boxer displaying pretty footwork. Sarron connected with a left hook in the eleventh, and again with a hard up percut that sent Leckie back to the ropes. ’ The New Zealander stopped some solid puches early in the twelfth, hut came back with lefts and rights that made Sarron give ground quickly. The thirteenth round was a quiet one with Leckie boxing at his best and scoring freely with his left. Each landed some solid blows. SARRON WADES IN. Sarron had the better of the fourteenth, and in the last round went for his. man in great fashion, landing several solid punches to the head and the body. Leckie followed his opponent’s style and stood off and hit, scoring with a beautiful left to the chin, and later making his opponent mis badly. Leckie scored towards the end of the round, which ended with each boxer trading rights and lefts in a furious burst. The decision in favour of Sarron was a popular one. Mr F. O’Neill was the referee.