BOXING CONTEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20468, 21 January 1930, Page 12

BOXING CONTEST.

THOMAS BEATS McDONALD.

DECISION GIVEN ON POINTS

SMALL CROWD WATCHES BOUT.

The boxing contest at the Town Hall last evening between Billy Thomas, of Wales, and Lachie McDonald, ofTimaru, went the full 35 rounds, Thomas winning on points. There was a poor attendance of the public. Thomas weighed list 21b and McDonald 14st 4£lb. The bout was held under the control of the Northern Boxing Association for a purse of £IOO. Throughout the contest both men held continually, and the referee, Mr. R. Meale, was kept busy breaking the holds. Thomas moved fast from the start, placing his blows well while his opponent was slow and overshot the mark on many occasions. Thomas was quick on return and took advantage of every opening. McDonald made spasmodic rallies in which he showed some of his top form.

Unexpected Collision. In the eleventh round McDonald swung a hard left to the head, lifting Thomas to the ropes. He rebounded and his head struck McDonald near the left eye. 'JWiomas sustained a cut on the head while blood oozed from McDonald's wound.

Thomas displayed much better form than in his fight with Hay and mixed it willingly from the start. At the first bell Thomas moved smartly around McDonald's right swing and landed a left to the head, McDonald replying with a similar blow. Thomas came in to place a left to the head and a right cross to the jaw. Both were holding badly. Again Thomas made the first point at the second bell, landing a left to the head, a left swing to the body and a left to the head. Thomas went to the floor from an overswing but was up immediately. McDonald placed some hard rights to the kidneys in the clinches and was finding his mark better with his right, 'l'hey exchanged hard blows to the body at close range;

Thomas Ahead on Points. In the third round 'McDonald rushed Thomas to the ropes and connected with his right to the head. Another good exchange of hard blows followed, McDonald coming out the better of the two. Fiom a breakaway Thomas swung a hard right to the mouth, drawing blood. Thomas landed a nicely placed hard left swing at the bell. Thomas was ahead on points. McDonald followed his opponent round the ring in the fourth round, endeavouring to find an opening for his right, but Thomas was too wary. The latter was doing much the better work of the two, moving freely and placing his punches well. Both fought hard in the fifth round, exchanging some heavy blows to the body and head. McDonald did much better in this round and landed his best punch of the fight, a hard right clip to the jaw, which sent Thomas back.

Both Slowing Down. The sixth and seventh rounds saw both men casing down. With a Hard right McDonald cut the Welshman's left eye. At the eighth bell Thomas started to force matters again and stopped any attempt of his opponent to score. In the next two rounds Thomas took the score while McDonald missed badly and was showing the effects of the hard going. The eleventh round was a hard one from start to finish, both scoring with richts and lefts. Following a hard left swing to the head fiom McDonald Thomas went to the ropes, but rebounded and caught his opponent with his head near the right eye. Both went to the boards for two seconds and came up dazed, Thomas being the worst of the two with a scalp cut. McDonald tried hard to even the score in the twelfth and thirteenth rounds, forcing the pace and driving his rights to the head. Repeatedly he smashed rights to the neck, which suspiciously resembled "rabbit" punches. The fourteenth was tho hardest punching round of the bout and both were showing the effects of the hard going. A left to the jaw from Thomas caught the Timaru man hard. McDonald, however, connected with good lefts to the head and lights to the body and head. The last was another hard-fought round, but Thomas made for the head and scored well. The decision for Thomas met with a good reception. The Amateur Preliminaries.

Five good preliminaries were fought. R. Purdie, Bst 81b, gained a decision over T. Collins, 9st lib. in the featherweight section. C. Hill, Bst- sjlb, defeated F. Keenan, Bst. 31b. The light-weight J. Brentnall, 9st 13£lb, and C. Kelly, 9st 6Alb, put up a good display, Brentnall being declared the winner. In the second feather-weight bout C. Manson, 9st lib, defeated C. Smith, 9st lib. .The flyweights, W. Purdie, 7st s£lb, and F. Bruno, 7st sjlb, gave a spirited display, Purdie being awarded the verdict.