ON POINTS

Northern Advocate, 5 July 1923, Page 5

ON POINTS

DEMPSEY DEFEATS GIBBONS. WOULD CHAMPIONSHIP. AN UNSPARING COMBAT. (Received 1.10 p.m.) NEW YORK.. July 4'. Dempsey (holder) defeated Gibbons (challenger) in the world championship heavy-weight boxing contest, on the referee's decision, the fight going the full 15 rounds. Messages from Shelby, where the encounter took place, state that Dempsey entered th<- ring weighing ISB pounds, Gbfcons' weight being 17;"H pounds. In the first round Dempsey led viciously, landing heavy body blows, and drew blood from Gibbons' mouth with a left hook. Gibbons retreated -and landed twice on Dempsey's jaw, but the champion knocked the challenger about easily. In Round Two Gibbons landed a hard right to body and then opened, Dempsey's eye. Dempsey jarred his opponent by it left to the. jaw. Round Three found Gibbons protesting against Dempsey mauling him in clinches. Dempsey. pounded the body savagely and both exchanged head blows. In Round Four Gibbons landed a right upper-cut. Li-fighting followed. Gibbons was boxing well and the champion was having trouble in hitting him. . When. Round Five opened Gibbons drove Dempsey back, knocking him to the ropes with two lefts to the jaw. Dempsey kept clinching, but Gibbons again drove him back. In Round Six Dempsey knocked Gibbons between the ropes as they came out ol" a clinch, Gibbons protesting. Dempsey gave him severe punishment at close quarters, which' he continually sought. In Round Seven the crowd was angry as Dempsey held and hit and then twice hit Gibbons below the belt without the referee protesting. Soon after Round Eight opened Gibbons pocked Dempsey with two lefts to the jaw. Dempsey hit low and the crowd resented it. The round ended with an exchange of head blows. Round Nine was mostly a series of clinches. Gibbons was distinctly outboxing the champion and standing body punishment well. He also landed several hard blows to the jaw. In liound Ten Gibbons improved in the clinches and also neatly dodged Dempsey's upper-cuts and straight hits. .In Round Eleven Diempsey was outmanoeuvred again and struck below the belt. The crowd was furious. Gibbons retaliated with two hard blow's to the jfiW and dodged . Dempsey's counter. Round Twelve Was marked by savage in-fighting, Dempsey roughing it all over the ring and striking low. In Round Thirteen Gibbons outguessed Dempsey, dodging terrific upper-cuts repeatedly. Round Fourteen saw Dempsey tiring. He missed continually at long range and sought to get close. Gibbons' generalship was far superior. In Round Fifteen Gibbons acted strictly on the defensive. Dempsey, desperately trying for a knock-out, landed on the right jaw, bally shaking Gibbons, but the bell sounded. The referee's decision was in Dempsey 's favour. The. wildest excitement followed the fight. The referee rushed out of the. otndium immediately he had announced hit* decision.—A. and N.Z.