LECKIE FOE LONDON

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 205, 28 July 1928, Page 20 (Supplement)

LECKIE FOE LONDON

MAY LEAVE SHORTLY. DUNEDIN, July 25. On the outcome of his engagements with I tad ford and Barber will probably depend the future movements of johnny Leckie, who has expressed the desire to visit England. It is quite on the cards that he and his trainer, Archie Leckie, his cousin, will

make straight for London within the next few months. Leckie has just passed ids twenty-first birthday, and ho has Ins »career in front of him. Outside the ring Johnny is one of the most popular and unassuming young fellows one could wish to meet, and should ho fight in England and, perhaps, afterwards in America, lie will carry with him the best wishes of all New Zealand boxing fans.

HUGHES THINKS HE AVON,

CONTEST WITH GRIFFITHS. Though Tommy Griffiths (Dunedin) secured tiro verdict against Archie Hughey (Sydney) in their recent fight at Dunedin, there was very little in it either way. the fortunes of battle fluctuating frequently during the contest (says an exchange). Griffiths was in the ascendancy in the closing stages when he clinched his win, and the fact that the Australian fell away somewhat at the finish may have been due

lin some men sure to the fact that darling the week he had some trouble with ! his weight. Hughes offended far less 'in respect to holding than was the case

against Leckie. and indeed the greater offender in this direction was Griffiths, who held on grimly about the eleventh round when Hughes was ladling out some fairly heavy punishment. Griffiths was ahead in the straight work and connected with a good left to the head, while ho scored with short rights to the body and also with a good right to the chin. Hughes had him nuzzled

i'or quite a while and the evasive work of both men was very clever. Griffiths exploited a left hook occasionally, though he did not have the same power behind this punch as Hughes. The Australian gave a taste of his real quality and there was so little between the men that a return contest would provide a good attraction for some association. Hughes used a better variety of punches than on the previous occasion, and in infighting was Griffiths’ superior, connecting to the body with both hands.

Hughes stated after the fight that ho considered he had won, and expressed his willingness to again meet Griffiths anywhere but in Dunedin.

SYDNEY ACTIVITIES

McAllister—socks bout

Now that boxing has been given a pick-me-up by the sterling boxing contest between Billy McAllister, the Australian bantam champion and Kid Socks, of London, it would be a shame if any effort were spared in carrying on the good work, states the Auckland, Star’s Sydney correspondent. That £I7OO was paid at the Sydney Stadium by the patrons is proof that a good boxing match is still popular. The weight question will have a great bearing on the future, and. that is the most serious hurdle which Stadiums, Ltd., will have to clear. Australia differs from the rest of the world in regard to boxing. Every other country has 2 o’clock weighing, although ringside weighing is usually practised in regard to wrestling. Ninety per , cent of the world’s bantam-weights would ho feathers if they fought in Australia'under the existing conditions, and if Stadiums, Ltd., desire to carry on the good work

which they have started they will have to indulge in some heavy thinking over the weight question. The question lias been raised by many peopla-'whether the contest between Socks and McAllister was a legitimate Empire championship. The answer can only be “No.” There is no body in existence with authority to stage such a title bout, although most British sportsmen would deem Kid Socks, their best bantam-weight, a fitting representative. If an agreement could be reached regarding the weight question, and if Pattenden and Smith should go to Sydney for contests, one can feel very sure that the boxer who emerged triumphant from the tourney would have an indisputable right to tlie honoured title, if not a purely legal right.