PETE SARRON BEATS JOHNNIE LECKIE ON POINTS

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7297, 6 August 1930, Page 7

PETE SARRON BEATS JOHNNIE LECKIE ON POINTS

Fight Goes Full Distance RECORD CROWD AT OPERA HOUSE WITNESSES FINE EXHIBITION 9 OF BOXING. Pete Barren, the hard-hitting and aggressive American, gained a points decision over Johnnie Leckie, of Napier, last evening after one of the best fights ever 6taged in Palmerston North. The contest run under the auspices of the Manawatu Boxing Association, was of 15 3-minute rounds for a purse of £2OO, and it was fast and exciting throughout. Sarron weighed in at Sst 121 b and Leckie at Ost and both stripped as fit as it was possible to be. Sarron was the aggressor throughout and had a margin in his favour in the majority of the rounds, but Leckie proved an elusive target and, keeping his left playing into Sarron ; s face, was reducing the margin in Sarron’s favour at the final gong. There was a record crowd, the Opera Houso being paeked to the doors and even that mystic section of the theatre the “fly gallery,” was occu* pied. The Bout Described. Round 1: Sarron got straight to work and planted a left to tho face. Leckie retaliated and in an exciting exchange Sarron scored with a left under-and-over and with a light uppercut to the chin. Leckie was working away with his left and making Sarron miss with vicious swings. Leckie ripped two hard rights to the body just before the gong. It was a good round. Round 2: They came to close quarters beginning the second round, Leckie scoring with lefts to the face. and a right cross to the head. Sarron retaliated with a heavy left to tho facß which stung but Leckie made him miss badly with two savage uppercut®. Sarron forced the fight but Leckie ’a left kept Mm off. Round 3: Leckie opened the third with a left to the face but Sarron bounced back off the ropes and saflk a heavy left to the body and a right to the head, missing.with a terrific uppercut. -Sarron kept after Ms man but Leckie kept away and danced in to score with lefts to the face. It was t very good round. Round 4: Leckie opened to the body and ducked Sarron’s swing. Leckie again led with Ms left but Sarron chopped a solid right to the jaw, sending Leckie down on one knee. Leckie was hurt and waited till six had been counted before he rose. Sarron unleashed, a two-handed attack, striving desperately to finish the fight but Leckie was not done, and with good footwork and a tireless left, ho weathered the storm. Sarron again got him on the ropes and though ho connected with heavy rights to the head, Leckie was not idle-rand placed both hands to the face at the gong.

Round 5: Sarron opened with a right to the face and a left rip to the body, taking a left and Tight to the head in return. Sarron then concentrated on the body, planting two rights to tho region of tho heart and then both hands to the body in close. Reekie drew appiauso with stinging lefts and rights to the head. Round 6: Lcckie ran slap into * left swing and received punishment on the ropes. SaTron pushed him though the ropes and helped him back. Leckio blocked an uppercut and scored with both hands to the face. Sarron then found the target with two rights to the body. They were mixing it freely at the bell.

Round 7: Leckio kept jabbing Sarron in the face but Sarron was taking toll with body blows. Lcckie sent Sarron sliding along the ropes with a heavy left but there was little between them at the gong. Round 8: The eighth was even. Both scared to the face and Sarron then missed with two uppercuts but jabbed two straight lefts to Leckic’s face. Lcckie retaliated with both Lands to the head and repeated tho dose. Then made Sarron miss badly. Sarron had Lcckie on the ropes and landed with heavy lefts and rights at the gong.

Round 9: Lcckie was successful with a right cross opening tho ninth but Sarron drove him to the ropes but could not find an opening. Leckio then missed with a swing and Sarron chopped a right to tho head, taking a left rip to the body in return. Sarron sank a right to the body at the- gong.

Round 10: Sarron went after Leckio like a tiger in the tenth and -lighting furiously, landed both hands to the head. Lcckie ducked a Tight swing but received another amidships, back moving an uppercut just iu time. Lcckie took the offensive and landed a left to the face, a left hook to tho jaw r.nd again with the right . He was fighting back now and his blows carried weight. Round 13: Sarron punished Leckio about the head opening the eleventh. Lcckie landed two snaky lefts to tho lace, taking one in return, but planted both hands to the head. Sarron swung back and sent his head back with two lefts. Lcckie connected with two savage rights to the face at the gong. Round 12: Leckio landed a solid right to the body and made Sarron miss with a right hook though Sarron landed two smacks to the body. Lcckie crossed a right to the face and then scored with a left.

• Round 13: The thirteenth was won by Leckie. He fought brilliantly in this and scored with both hands to tho body, then to the face. Sarron was ducking nicely and missed some of the stuff intended for him. Sarron whanged a right to the body and a left to the face but received a hard right to the head. At the gong Leckie was piling up points fast with his left. Round 11: Sarron chased his man all over the ring in the fourteenth and although he was swinging wildly, he v:as making great use of his left and

knocked Sarxon back on his heels. Just beforo the gong Leckio landed four good lefts, threo to tho face and one to {no body. Bound 15: The final session was hectic: Sarron got Leckie on the ropes and tried hard for a knoek-out. He hooked a heavy left to the faco and sank both hands to tho body. Leckie covered well and beat Sarron off with lefts to tho face. Before tho end of the round, both were hard at it in midring swapping lefts and rights to the body. Tho referee was Mir F. O’Neill (of Greymouth), the timekeepers, Messrs J. McKelvio and A. E. Ekstedt, and the announcer, Mr J. M. Pearson.