LIGHTWEIGHT BOXING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 205, 31 July 1939, Page 12

LIGHTWEIGHT BOXING

RAYNER RETAINS TITLE. DR AAA' AVITH AITKEN. EXCELLENT PROGRAAIAIE. Defending his title for the first time since he took it from J. Jarvis at the end of last year, Clarrie Rayner, 9.7), of Blenheim, fought a draw in a New Zealand lightweight championship contest of fifteen rounds with Billy Aitken, 9.7, of AVollington, before a capacity attendance in the Opera House at Palmerston North on Saturday evening. It was tlio biggest crowd drawn by the Alanawatu Boxing Association for some years, and reflected the public’s interest in the progressive policy of staging a special double-feature professional attraction. There was a good crowd of AVellington supporters present, and even a contingent of the title-holder’s followers from Blenheim. It was announced that Rex Gravney, of Dunedin, the New Zealand featherweight champion, had challenged the winner, and that Jack Jarvis would fight Aitken at Palmerston North on August 19. Johnnie Foster, the well-known Canadian boxer, was present. He stated that he was returning homo on August 8 owing to the illness of his mother, but hoped to return, next season to New Zealand, where, lie said, he had been very hospitably treated, particularly at Palmerston North and Gisborne. Though the bout between Aitken and Rayner, to some present, did not quite come up to their expectations as a spectacular contest, it was very evenly fought and at times brilliant. Aitken more than held his own early, through doing nearly all the leading, though ho did not connect frequently ; hut Rayner impressed as the cleverer boxer of the pair and showed slightly superior ringcraft. AA'hen the fight was two-thirds of the way' througn he was going well, and it appeared that he might win by a wide margin, hut Aitken, after a slight lapse of form, rallied vigorously in the closing stages. There was very little between the pair in many of the rounds. Aitken did the first leading, but Rayner sent in swift jabs to the head Aitken shot in a couple of smart lefts and then took Raynor to the ropes. It was Aitken’s round by a slight margin. Aitkcn continued to lead at long range ill the second round, hut when Raynor came in he did so effectively, and ho shook Aitken with several hard punches. It was Raynor’s round by a shade. There were some brisk exchanges in the third round. | and Aitken earned the displeasure of the crowd by letting loose a ‘ severe left at Rayner before the latter appeared to be properly clear of the ropes. It was the challenger’s round. Rayner stabbed in some lightning lefts in tlio next round, and landed two good punches to the jaw. He made his opponent miss badly several times, but Aitken connected with a right to the jaw. The honours were with Ravner.

1 Aitken, forcing the fight, went after ' his opponent in the fifth round again, ’ but Rayner, although he stopped one 1 solid left rip to the bod}’, was boxing 1 very coolly and confidently. It was i Aitken’s round by a shade. Rayner was timing his punches nicely and had the better of Aitkcn in the sixth ( round. RAYNER TAKES INITIATIVE. Rayner started to take the initiative in earnest in the seventh round, where Aitken, who was again missing badly, ran into some hard lefts to the face. Aitken took the eighth round after getting in several hard ones, ■ Rayner once going to the mat as he back-moved. Coming out for the ninth round, Aitken went straight in with a hard right, and though Rayner , checked him with a left, Aitken got in another right. Rayner then threw a vicious right cross which just grazed Aitken’s jaw, and sank in a heavy left which staggered Aitken as the round ended. Aitkcn held the points by a shade. Rayner peppered Aitken with short jabs to the body and jaw in the tenth, but stopped a left hook before the round ended. Rayner put in some pretty work in the eleventh with a’neat right cross and a succession of jabs, following these up with a nice right to the point. It was easily Rayner’s round. Rayner continued to make the most o! every advantage in the next, and took many of Aitken’s punches on his gloves. Rayner got in a. right to the body and Aitkcn was warned for his frequent holding. Rayner won the round. Rayner was definitely on top again in the 13th round, despite Aitken’s endeavours to force the issue. Rayner got in three good rights, one to the body and two to the jaw. Aitken was bleeding slightly under the left eye: Rayner was going well in the fourteenth round, but Aitken continued to hug Raynor’s left arm a good deal. Rayner just missed Aitken’s chin with a beautiful left hook that landed on his shoulder. Rayner 'sent in a good left rip to the body, but as the round ended Aitken got in a snappy left. The round was even. Aitken fought hard in the last round to mako up the leeway, but Rayner met nearly every punch with an offeetivc counter. Aitken won this round on his lending, and the contest was declared a draw. WIN FOR COLLINS. Prior to the title contest J. Collins (Palmerston North) and T. Loveridge (Taranaki) met in an eight round professional contest at catch-weights. Though the stockily built Loveridge had a big advantage in weight, he was not as fit as his opponent. Boxing stylishly, Collins had Loveridge beaten all the' way, and was an easy winner on points, but it was not a very aggressive encounter. Both opened cautiously, and there was little action in the first round, but Loveridge, who has a weaving style, attempted to do most of the leading. Collins scored with his left in the second round, but the pair had still not got going properly. Loveridge again tried to force the fight m the third round, but Collins was boxing very prettily, and swung in several hard rights.* Collins, moving very stylishly, had his opponent guessing in the fourth round, but Loveridge showed a wholesome respect for Collins’s left. Loveridge concentrated on short jabs to the body in the next round, but Collins got him on to the ropes and shook him with a stinging blow on the face. The sixth round was comparatively even, but Collins then had a commanding lead on points, and the fiist real rally of the contest came when Loveridge tried hard to get to close quarters, but Collins fought him off and knocked him through the ropes. Collins easily had the better of the exchanges in the seventh .round. Speeding up in the last Collins opened rapid fire with his left, hut Loveridge steadied him. opening no a cut over his left eye. Collins, however, ran out an easy winner on points. THE AMATEURS. D. Prentice, 9.4 (Palmerston North) v. R. Cantwell, 9.0 (Feilding).—Both these boys put on a good display, giving and taking plenty of punishment in a pure slogging match. Prentice had!l the better of the first two rounds, but I ran iuto a succession of lefts in the. |

final session. Both swung a little wildly at times, and fought themselves to a standstill. Prentice got the decision on his earlier leading. S. Richards, 10.7 (Feilding) v. D. Coughlan, 10.0 (Palmerston North). — Using left rips and right uppercuts, Richards, a southpaw, went after Coughlan in a very busy first round, which he won on points, hut Coughlan had his measure by the middle session, and there was plenty of action, Richards stopping two hard rights to the, face. Coughlan’» rights finally proved the undoing of Richards, and the latter was beaten on points after a good fight. V. Rye.- 7.7 (Palmerston North) v. J. Jones, 8.0 (Palmerston NorthV — live, a regular little “spitfire,” worried his opponent in the first round with terrier-like tactics. Jones, who showed more science, was the winner, hnt Dye was a veritable dynamo of energy and cleaved the atmosphere to some effect at times with spectacular flourishes. Officials controlling the fixture were Messrs (1. Watchorn (referee principal professional bout), P. Chase (referee first professional and amateur bouts), Messrs W. Ingram and E. Arnott (judges), Messrs R. R. Morton (announcer). N. D. Stubbs and AY. Crystall (timekeepers), James Purves (stage manager), Alan Scott and Jack Purves (call stewards). Special trophies for the amateur contest between Dye and Jones wore donated bv Messrs J. Eustace (AVellington) and AY. C. Coldieutt (Palmerston North).