BOXING.

NZ Truth, Issue 111, 3 August 1907, Page 4

BOXING.

THE LIGHT-WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP. Bob Turner and Tim Tracy. Referee Declares a Draw. The second night of the Wellington Boxing Association's carnival of gore,, held at His Majesty's Theatre on Wednesday night, cannot be pronounced the success which crowned the efforts of that body on the previous Wednesday evening. And the reasons attributable for this fact is due, no,, doubt, to the unsatisfactory decisions of the referee, Dr. Napier McLean. The contest between Ben Tracy and J. O'Donoghue was over m two rounds, the latter being no use to Ben. The light-weight go between L. McCarthy, of Palmerston N., and W. Kirk, of Wellington, proved- a fiasco. Kirk set mto make things willing, and half-through the first round stopped a right on the jaw, which floored him.. He sat down till nine was declared, and was clearly on his. feet when Referee ' McLean declared him "out." A long delay next ensued, after which THE CHAMPIONSHIP CONTESTANTS put m an appearance. Turner, whose weight was given at 9st 6^ffi . was the first to hop into the arena, and a splendid ovation he received, • which was -eclipsed when Wellington's cham-i pion came to light. If anything; Tracy looked m the ibest of condition.!. He looked a ball of muscle,' and his appearance showed that Tim had made every preparation m his endeavor to secure the verdict over the Sydneysider. Having been admonished to break clean, the lads got going, and Turner at once demonstrated the possession of a left, that has before, settled such champions as Tim Hegarty, Ed. Jessop, Tom Dunn and the whole gamut of Austral an pugs, who m the last six or seven years have bitten the dust to the sturdy lad from Sydney. Three > tit four times did Bob's left play a tattoo on TimJs face, and Tim's response was a couple of body blows* though a right found Turner's guard missing. Again and again did that straight left find Tim's chin", the Wellingtoman's defence being exceedingly weak. Tim's clever feinting tactics seemed to puzzle Turner a lot ; nevertheless, though Tim's smashing rights once or twice almost connected} the N.S. Welshman's coolness and cleverness won him great applause. Tdm certainly was very aggressive, yet Turner found the local lad's face with His left whenever he desired. In the second round Tracy, if anything, had the best of it. His right half. swings were very effective, though Turner jnled up points with his terrible left, and to which Tracy offered a very feeble defence. Tim's clever feinting . Was again very disconcerting to the Sydney lad, though a hard left to Tim's jaw seemed to take the steam out of Tim, and both were engaged m a hot rally when corners sounded, Tim just getting a hard right to Turner's face ere they parted. A. hot exchange of blows commenced the third round, and Turner's left played sad havoc on Tim's face. Blow after, blow he rained m about the point,' and Tim responded with a few bodyblows. The local lad's jaw was found 1 three, times m succession by Turner's left, though Tim's right kept Turner stalling his nut all he knew, and a vicious right which carried a knockout with it just missed- the "all blue." Though Tim had asserted his trickiness by baulking Turner earlier m the fielvt, and had trapped Bob once or twice,

TURNER BECAME MORE WARY, and adopted tricky tactics himself. He completely fooled Tracy and succeeded six or seven times m reaching Tim's jaw. Tim got .savage and rushed m, swinging that merciless right with much vigor. The Svdaeysider, however, was too clever m his head and foot work to enable the Wellington walloper to do any damage. In the fifth round Turner's left connected with Tim's jaw. His left got home on the belly and face m rapid succession, though Tracy's right found Bob's face twice. The coolness of Turner was' wondncfal. He was as active as a cat, an£ hiss smile seemed to worry Tim. who came m like an avalanche, only t9 be completely fooled by Turner, who made it apparent that he could &Q just what he liked with that laft. It reaqjhed Tim's jaw and body over and over again. The .fifth round was. Turner's from the -gong. He ha-d i>ila# tip a heap of points, and theugh Ttoa, m round six, came m with a set jpgw, and though his opening right got Tfcs> ncr on the ear, Bob's left to th* jaw equalled matters. In a hot rally", m. which Turner clearly showed his generalship, and his clevern-ess, Tim was fought almost to a standstill. and, Turifer, cleverly baulking and fainting with Ms left, swung a right, Which, had it got, there, would have settled Tracy's pretentions. A lot of fooling on Turner part next took place. He planted his left under Tim'g jaw whenever he wanted to, and the smile that hovered about Bob's cbin showed how confident he was of victory, and therein he made a mistake. Though m ring tactics he is Tim's superior, though more than his equal m the finer and clevorer points of the game, he made a mistake m holding his opponent so cheaply. Up to "the tenth round he played with Tracy, though m round seven, Tracy got a right, home that made Bobby wince. Turner, up to round ten "was a winner. After that Tracy took up the running, arid though Tim failed to fully extend the Svdnevite, he put up a great fight. His effort, to, most of the spectators was made too late, and when Dr. McLean pronounced the fight "a draw" there was A HOSTILE DEMONSTRATION. "Truth's" opinion is that Turner won. He is far too clever lor Tracy, and though better fights have been witnessed m Wellington, there is no gainsaying the fact, that, as a sparring exhibition, a Wellington audience has never seen the like. Turner won without a doubt. The verdict of a draw m the circumstances was very unsatisfactory. Turner certainly held Tracy too cheaply, and, no doubt, he wiJl, if ever the occasion arises again, pro fit by experience-