NEW ZEALAND BOXER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20244, 2 May 1929, Page 19

NEW ZEALAND BOXER.

GEORGE MODRICH IN LONDON HIS DEFEAT BY MULLINGS. [f ROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] LONDON, March 19. The form displayed by Geoi'go Modrich, t iic New Zealand heavy-weight boxer, when he met ex-Guardsman Penwell recently was so good that one ex pected it would bo difficult to find his match except among the first-rato men. When he met Joo Mullings, however, n few days ago at Shepherd's Bush his supporters were disappointed. In a 15round match he had to give up in tho sixth round a beaten man.

Modrich says ho was ill when he went on to fight. 110 had been unwell for several days, but ho did not want to disappoint his manager, so he evaded the doctor and faced his opponent, a clever boxer. The New Zealander hoped to get a decision in tho early rounds. Although he gave Mullings a serious time of it for the first two rounds ho weakened badly in the following rounds. Modrich says he felt his legs going under him and his punch was feeble. Ho has tried to obtain a return match, but Mullings refuses.

Since then Modrich has been under the doctor, and when 1 saw him this week he was obviously still suffering from a cold. All training has been suspended in the meantime. At tho present time negotiations arc proceeding to obtain a match at Newport with Dick Power, tho Welsh champion. Joe Mullings, the New Zealander's opponent the other iiight, is from Peckham. He has met such formidable opponents as Phil Scott, Harry Pearson, Marcel Nilles, beaten Charlie Smith, George Stack, and knocked out Dick Power and Marine Trindcr.