BOXING

Northern Advocate, 16 November 1929, Page 12

BOXING

GOSSIP FROM EVERYWHERE

The Otago Association has in view a match between Ted Morgan and Norman Gillespie, the Australian lightweight champion. Both Morgan and Gillespie are very popular with Dunedin tight patrons, and if the Association is successful in its negotiations the match should prove a profitable promotion.

Advice has been received that the dual champion, Artie Hay, has injured his eye and will bo unable to participate in the game for a week or two. It is probable that his match with Morgan, at Napier, may have to bo postponed.

Dissatisfied with the result of the contest, Billy Grime has issued a challenge to Pete Sarron for a. third meeting, the winner to take all.

It is on the cards that Pete Sarron, victor over Johnnie Leekie and Billy Grime, will meet Tommy Donovan, the Waitaa-a fireman, ut New Plymouth on November 30. If this match comes off, it should be the means of testing Donovan to a greater extent than has been done in the past. Donovan has yet to meet first-class puneh-

Tommy Donovan’s next outing will be against Hector Lockie at Ashburton on Friday night next. When the pair met in Stratford, Donovan won by a knock-out after an exciting contest. The Ashburton Association should again draw a big house, as Leekie is very popular there.

Towards the middle of last year, three strangers called into the training quarters over whifeh Jack Dunleavy rules, in Liverpool Street, Sydney, and asked for a try out, states an Australian writer. DunTeavy set two of them going at once, and one lengthy country chap stopped his adversary in the first round. The other applicant was sent into the ring -with the winner immediately afterwords, and he, too, was stopped in the first round. The lengthy chap was Jack Haines, just down from the bush, Where he had been having a run of success around the Irrigation Area, at Griffiths and Leeton, and where he had had nine fights for nine wins. Struck with the style of Haines, Dunleavy told the management of Stadiums, Ltd., about his find, and Dunleavy was immediately engaged to take him in hand. He found the boy from the bush a job working about the Stadium during the daytime. Haines was given a four-rounder for a start, and won. That was sixteen months ago. Then he was given a 12-roundor with Pat Petty, and Petty was added to his list of victims. Just 16 months since he had his first four-rounder in Sydney, Haines had his first “main” Saturday night fight, and collected the winner’s purse. Many saw in Haines a great fighter months ago, and none more than the American, “Bad Boy” Bobby La Selle, who did not keep his match with Haines, and paid his own fare back to America. Haines would have reached the top sooner, but a six months’ illness, and a forced lay-by for three months, after breaking a hand on tough Ladhic McDonald, kept him back, Haines is now in direct line for the championship, and is looked upon as a “no bet” proposition against the present solder, Tod. Monson. Twenty-seven fights without a defeat is an achievement for any rising boxer to bo proud of, but a lot of praise is due to his trainer and mentor, Jack Dunlcavy, who will not instruct any other professional.

The proposed heavyweight contest between the veteran Colin Bell and the giant. Pal Redmond lias not yet eventuated in Australia, and now it would appear that Bell Is not going to get a chance to pirove that he can or cannot “come back,” for Redmond refuses to meet the old timer.

A good story is told by the Sydney “Bulletin” in eonection with the late “Paddy” Slavin, the ex-Australian boxer, who recently passed away at Vancouver. A New South Welshman, he first came into prominence as a bare-knuekle exponent on the Charters Towers when that great goldfield was in its heyday. Faddy was a blacksmith at the Black Jack, a few miles out of the Towers proper, and on, pay Saturdays was accustomed to take on all and sundry in a big bark hut near the mine, backing himself to administer the k.o. inside five rounds. Some smairties brought up a good sort of professional from Sydney, and, posing as a miner, this lad wont up against Paddy in the bark hut. A whisper got about, and the Black Jack money was covered in no time by the dmportee’s backers, most of whom came from the nearby town. At the first shape up Faddy hit his man so hard that he went dean through the bark wall behind him; and that was that. In after years, doubters of the legend were always shown the bare patch in the grass near the Black Jack poppet heads where the bark hut once stood.