SCHMELING BEATS THOMAS ON TECHNICAL "K.O."

Northern Advocate, 15 December 1937, Page 2

SCHMELING BEATS THOMAS ON TECHNICAL "K. 0."

Boxing

(Received 10 a.m.)

NEW YORK, December 13

In an elimination contest for the world's heavyweight boxing title, Max Schmcling, of Germany, defeated Harry Thomas, of America, by a technical knock-out in the eighth round. Both men weighed in at 14 stone. , - Shortly prior to the commencement of. the fight, the odds on Schmeling for a win jumped to five to one Wagers were made at odds of two to one that Schmcling would knock out his opponent prior to the tenth round. Louis Looks For Weakness. The world’s champion, Joe Louis, was at the ringside He said: “I want to get a look at Schmeling from the outside. Maybe I can spot a weakness in his defence, like he did in mine when I was fighting Uzcudun.” Thomas, who was first to enter

the ring, received a mild ovation,

while Schmeling was wildly ap-

plauded.

Thomas won the first round with a varied attack to the jaw and abdomen. In the second round, Schmeling opened up and crashed a stinging right to the head, followed by two lefts and a right in the same direction. Thomas Warned. Thomas hit low with his left and was warned by the referee. The American’s nose was bleeding at the end of this round, which was in favour of Schmeling. The German cut Thomas’ lower lip in the third round with a hard right, the latter’s reply with a left to the abdomen being on the border line. This round and the fourth

went to Thomas, the German being content to fight cautiously. .

A stinging left hook to the-jaw sent Schmeling spinning round in the. fifth, but two rights to the jaw appeared to make Thomas tired and the round finished evenly.

Thomas Groggy,

A left and right to the head by Thomas rocked Schmeling in the sixth, but a hard right to'the jaw in reply staggered Thomas, who was driven to the ropes with two further rights, followed by a left to the head. Thomas was groggy and it was. SchmelJLng’s round.

Thomas’ knees buckled following .successive rights and lefts to the head, and then a hard right to the chin, succeeded by a terrific right to the jaw, saw Thomas knocked down. It was easily Schmcling’s round. v

A barrage of two-handed blows, mostly to the jaw, saw Thomas on the mat on six occasions in the eighth round before the referee intervened.