Patrick KO'd For First Time; Now in Hospital

Northern Advocate, 2 September 1947, Page 5

Patrick KO'd For First Time ; Now in Hospital

/-n • 11 qn om I SYDNEY, This Day. out for the first time in his career in a fight with the American negro, Freddie Dawson, at the Sydney Stadium last night, Vic Patrick, Australian lightweight champion, is m h ° SP Doctors report that his condition is not serious. They are treating him for concussion, a badly damaged le eye and cuts about the face.

Patrick was badly hurt and had to receive medical attention for five minutes before police and his seconds carried him from the ring. After a consultation at 1 a.m. doctors decided to admit him to hospital. By that time a great crowd of supporters, who had come from the S.ad- j ium, surged outside the hospital, and ] fans were still arriving by taxi, private j car and on foot. A crowd of over 14.000 saw the fight, for which each boxer will receive about £2OOO. Some correspondents are suggesting that this will be Patrick's last fight. Aged 27. Patrick has had 51 fights, of which he has won 42 by knockout. Dawson said that he fought 10 rounds under the impression that the fight was a 15-round one instead of 12. His object was to wear Patrick down ana to win In the last few rounds.

“Patrick punches as hard as any lightweight in the States,” said Dawson. "I am told he was not as good as he was 18 months ago. “I can’t comment on that, but I know that the punch he knocked me through the ropes with in the 11th round was the hardest I have been hit with.” Dawson took the first three rounds; the fourth, fifth and sixth favoured Patrick; the seventh went to Dawson, and the eighth was even, though Patrick's eye was bleeding, j Dawson shaded Patrick in the next two. j In the 11th, Patrick, though tottering, 1 broke through and knocked Dawson I through the ropes for a count of six with a left to the chin. Two rights by Dawson early in the 12th dropped Patrick. •• He rose at eight and went down 1 again under another right to the face.