LIGHT-WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF AUSTRALIA.

NZ Truth, Issue 180, 28 November 1908, Page 3

LIGHT-WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF AUSTRALIA.

Kock Keys Meets his Master.

Goes Down Before "Boer" Douglas —

In Fifteen Rounds.

At 9st 51b apiece, Hock Keys, lightweight champion oi Australia, and Arthur Douglas, holder of similar honors m South Africa, met at the Cyclorama, Melbourne, to settle their much-disputed claim to "international distinction." Douglas, as we wrote at v the time, left Boerland to ißvade not only Australia, but America ajso. He had "mopped up" everything so easily at homo that the South African experts regarded him »as a future world's champion, and >_the Australian trip was merely an "incident or detail " m his promised descent on America. Whether Doutlas will be able

TO SOAR AS HIGH m the fistic firmament as his friends imagine, time alone can decide, but certain it is that- we have nothing much 'oetter m Australia, now that our once-dandy hglit-weight, Hock Keys, has been beaten.

The old and painful "alter gag" about poor condition, etc., is too paltry to set up as an excuse for Australia's loss of her light-weight title. The boxer, especially the champion boxer, who goes into the ring to risk his reputation, should s.ec to it that his condition is perfect, and must he rated on his actual showing, ..irrespective of this, that, or the other tiling. Many a time have we seen Keys looking better ihon he did on Monday' ni.sht, if the expression of such an opinion counts for anything. We go further, and say that apart from his physical condition, he lacked even the

OLD STYLE AND DASH , that made him famous, and was nothing:

like the same Hock, for instance, as whe"n he beat Frank Thorn so pointlassly at the Saucer > Track. ' But the main thing is, that he was quite out-roughed and out-classed by Douglas, and that he is champion no longer. On the form of Douglas and Thorn m Sydney, Keys should have done much 'aetter on Monday, for while Thora made si \ draw of it with Douglas, Keys, as a ready stated, had easily polished off 'j B horn previously. ' [ It was a packed house, and very orderly, with Jack McGowan standing referee. I "Young Peter" Jackson and Bill Walsh I were m Hock's corner, while Douglas was attended to by his manager and Fred Preston. Fully three-parts of the house FAVORED THE CHANCES of our own man, who had been sent away with an attendant by the management to train m the country. At the first gong both were cautious, Keys being the first to open, with a couple of light stabs to the face, which were repaid by a few 'oody blows. There was no. harm done, and as they stepped back it' was "much of a muchness." Round 2.— Hock crossed nicely to the jaw part, and then got m a left stab, Douglas meanwhile confining his attention to the ribs. Keys put m a bit of good defensive work at this stage, and more than once pushed m that straight poke which was always SO DEADLY OF OLD.It seemed to lack powder now, however, and so far nothing very exciting had 'been seen on either side. Round 3.— Douglas forced, planting a hard right to the jaw. By way of reply, Hock stabbed once, twice to the mouth, but the remainder of the round was mainly defensive on both sides, and they were both pretty good at it. 4.— Keys scored a -snappy upper-cut, and then Douglas, with a rip, visited the kidney region, and followed on with a neat hook. Putting out his left, Hock came up with the right and got there, but the blow lacked ginger. There was NO COCK'S EYES OUT AS YET. s.— Douglas led oB with a '.right to .the head, and was evidently bent on forcing it. Keys reached for the face more than once, lightly, but for the most part he was oa the defensive, looking after his "physiognomy." When Douglas dropped down to this, he hammered away at the midriff. Round 6.— Douglas one, two to the kidneys ; then a hard -chop "downstairs," which was not relished by the Australian, and kept him still busy on the defensive fine. The Boer lad was "top-dog" by this time, looking all over - a winder already. 7.— A score of two light lefts to Keys; then Douglas brought over the right for a chin-hit, and Hock was "down for six." Resuming, he tried to bang on, but the visitor pushed him. off and whanged away at the midriff. STILL HANGING ON. Keys weathersd the storm but he was dead tired at the gong, and Douglas as fresh as ever. B.— Douglas hard to the "Darby Kelly" twice. Keys was palpably distressed, and it took all his cleverness to ward off the attack, and secure, as far as possible, a quiet round. Round 9.— Douglas a beautiful cross, with Keys breaking ground, but followed at every turn. Douglas next pushed m a hard rip to the kidneys, Hock's only response being a few light taps that had no effect whatever on the story countenance of the^ Boer. There was no comparison between ' the hitting powers of the men now, every stroke of the South African being full of ginger. 10.— Keys was first m with A SWEET UPPER-CUT, but Douglas replied with a smashing double—to the heart and the head— and keys, who was palpably tiring, was not sorry when the gong spoKe. 11. — Hock pushed m the left, but there was no force m it, and Douglas, after visiting the body a couple of times, was kept busy getting out of clinches. Round 12.— Another quiet time, relieved only towards the finish by Keys getting m a nice swinging hit to the body. 13.— Keys livened up a trifle, and with a dandy hook rattled Douglas, and brought on a mix-up. The Australian held his own here ; and possibly this was THE BREEZIEST SPOT of the fight. It was only a flash m the pan, however/ on the past of Keys, who was tired again m Round 14, and only too willing to rest. Round 15, and last.— Douglas, playing the forcing game again, put his man "down for six" with a clean hit to the chm, and then down again fot Bsec. with a cross to the jaw. Resuming, Hock took an upper-cut which placed him "on the horizontal" for the third time, and enabled him to see his towel skied when the count had reached "Six!" There was nothing else for it, for the once "sparkling Hock" was limp, weary and dead beat. His well-won title had passed, at last, into other hands.—Melbourne "Truth." 1." - ." v