BOXING RING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21505, 31 May 1933, Page 18

BOXING RING

TOURNAMENT NEXT MONDAY INTER-PROVINCIAL AMATEURS CRAIG AND HUGHES FOLLOW One of the best boxing programmes ever presented to the Auckland public has been arranged to take place at the Town Hall next Monday evening. For the professional match the Auckland Boxing Association went to a great deal of trouble to find an opponent for Steve Hughes, of Whangarei, and the match committee finally selected Clarrie Craig, the To Awamutu welter-weight, who will be. making his debut as a professional. Hughes has had over 80 amateur bouts of which lie lost but six. He was sparring partner to Tommy Milligan, who later fought Mickey Walker for the world's middle-weight title in London. Tommy McLnnes, well known to Aucklanders, was also a sparring partner to Milligan. Hughes' first notable success as an amateur was when lie won the light-weight championship of Scotland in 1926. «

Coming to New Zealand ho won the Otago welter-weight championship in 1927, and reached the semi-finals at the New Zealand championships. He has beaten four New Zealand amateur champions, Harold Kindly, Bill Carey, Dago Nelson and Walter Hogg. Since joining the professional ranks he has had eight contests and, following two losses to Dave Palmer, of Australia, at Napier, and to Ted Morgan, at Dunedin, he has had six wins on end. His victories were gained over Fred Sinithcran, Les Adams, Bill Carey, Fred Fraei, Walter Hogg and Nelson McKnight. Debut as Professional Craig has several times won the South Auckland championship and is also an ex-Auckland title-holder. The Auckland public will remember him at the Town Hall as a, very clever boxer. Craig's manager writes to the effect that his charge is in first-class condition and ready to go ten rounds at as fast a -pace as Hughes cares to set. The amateur section of the programme makes a ' big appeal as six ol Wellington's lending boxers will bo opposed to six Auckland champions, included in the visiting team are Higgs, New Zealand feather-weight champion; Donoliue, New Zealand fly-weight champion; and Mansfield, who contested the final of the Now Zealand light-heavy-weight championship with Prendergast. since turned professional. Higgs will bo opposed to I. Hogg, who is known to the Auckland public as a clever and scientific boxer. This should bo a great bout. Donohlie's opponent will be Kelly, who will he remembered for a splendid showing against Bruno last year. Mansfield will meet Martin,. the Auckland welter champion, who has gone up to the middle-weight division. Action all the Time

The other throe Aucklanders engaged are Bruno, present Auckland flv-weight and bantam-weight champion; W. Purdie, feather-weight title-holder, who has advanced to the light-weight class; and Brentnall, another leading welterweight. Their respective opponents will be Allot, Parris and McGurk, all of whom liavo fine records in the South. All these bouts will be over five rounds, each of two minutes' duration, and this should ensure action all the time. A special match over the same distance will bo 0110 between the wellknown Auckland heavy-weights, L. Paynter and F. Lindesay. Both are hard hitters and the contest should be a very good one. The Wellington team wdl arrive on Sunday morning in charge of P. H. Ponohue, who conducts a large and successful boxing school in Wellington. The visitors will be taken for a drhe in the afternoon.