McKay Beats Summers In Whangarei Bout

Northern Advocate, 4 September 1939, Page 4

McKay Beats Summers In Whangarei Bout

BOXING

Aggressive tactics apparently were responsible for Brian McKay, of Auckland, securing a win on points over Harry Summers, of Australia, in the professional boxing contest in the Whangarei Town Hall on Saturday evening.

Fought over 10 rounds,' the contest which was staged by the Whangarei Boxing Association, drew only a moderate house.

Practically throughout the contest it was McKay who took the initiative, but Summers counter-punched effectively, and at close quarters generally had the better of exchanges.

It appeared that he had a handy | lead at the finish. | However, the decision went the , other way, the judges. Messrs K. G. M. Kelly and T. Harmon, disagreeing, 1 and the referee, Mr S. Hughes, award-1 ing the verdict to McKay. j • 1 McKay’s Weight Advantage. i 1 At 9st. 121 b. McKay had an advan- j dage of seven pounds in weight over j his opponent. Immediately the con- i test opened, both went to close quar- ] tors, where McKay scored with a left | to .the body and Summers a right to j the head. When McKay came in ] again. Summers opened up with both hands to the body. Commencing the second round, Summers tried his left to the head before McKay got in close to score with a left to the head and a right to the body. The remainder of the session was devoted to light, sharp exchanges at close quarters, with McKay having the advantage. A straight left to the head opened McKay’s account in the next round, but he was tied up by Summers when he went in close. McKajy slipped under a hard right and sent in a left uppercut, but stopped a hard right counter to the ribs. Toe To Toe Exchange. Plying a straight left as McKay came in at the start of the fourth session, Summers again used right at close quarters, where McKay was making suspicious use of his head. Towards the end both unleased a flurry of punches to the body, in a toe to toe exchange, the best so far.

Summers counter-punched effectively when McKay rushed to close quarters in the fifth and then tied up his opponent in a clinch. McKay scored with a left to the head and another to the body, but had to take two solid rights to the head. With half the distance gone. Summers was breathing easily while McKay appeared to be tiring. The latter covered up under a body battery from the Australian. He moved back from a hard right to the face, but failed to dodge another. He absorbed body punshment towards the end, fighting back gamely. Honours Even,

Round seven brought a body attack from McKay, Summers showing excellent defence and scoring with both hands to the body. Three light lefts went to McKay’s account in the next, the Aucklander throwing all his weight into the offensive while Summers remained on the defensive.

Solid punching to the body with both hands by Summers was met by a left to the head. McKay then had to take a hard left hook to the body, McKay countering with a similar punch. Both opened up strongly in the final session, Summers scoring with .a left to the body.and another to the head, McKay registering two left swings to the mid-section.

The decision to McKay made honours even, Summers having scored a win and a draw in their two previous meetings.

Amateur Preliminaries,

R. M. Gurr (10.7), Whangarei, beat H. Salle (10.7), Huakaka on points. S. West (9.7). Awanui, beat T. Ayton (9.3), Whangarei, on points. M. Balcombe (10.5), Auckland, beat J. Redmond (10.0), Whangarei, on points.

M. Hughes (10.2),. Whangarei, beat L. Brown (10.7), Kaikohe, on points. H. Grade (9.0), Dargaville, beat E. Huston (9.0), Kaikohe, on points. M. Painter (10.5), Whangarei, beat D, Erceg (10.7), Te Kopuru, on points. Injuries received in the Auckland championship tournament prevented Robertson, Painter’s scheduled Auckland opponent, from making the trip.

J. Kauwhata (10.8), Aw.anui, beat G. Palmer (11.7), Whangarei, by a technical knockout in the second round.

Mr T. Harmon was referee and Messrs K. G. M. Kelly and R. Nelson were the judges.