CRIPPS AND GRIFFIN AT CHRISTCHURCH.

NZ Truth, Issue 218, 28 August 1909, Page 3

CRIPPS AND GRIFFIN AT CHRISTCHURCH.

A Win for the Former.

A Ding-dong Amateur Go.

# A hig house greeted the contestants at the Theatre Royal, Christchurch, on Tuesday evening last, when -Jim Trillin (New Zealand) boxed Arthur Cripps (N.S.W.) for the 12 stone championship of Australasia, under the auspices of the Christchurch Sports Club.' A preliminary bout was fought between H. Wilson (8.13) and T. Gundry (8.12>). Both lads showed excellent defence and footwork, and were m good order and repair till the second round, when both had their ruby tapped. Gundry's right swings were particularly effective, and the third round found him .the winner of a good "go" on points. A six-round fistic discussion followed between C. Stewart, R-5» (TimaYn), bantam champion of New Zealand, and D. Nelligan, 8.7* (Lyttelton), the Canterbury champion. Nelligan was the taller of the two, and left his dial much exposed, his hands being nearly on a level

with his thighs, and his nuggtty opponent got -a. few m ,with both hands m Nell iga'h's polar region' in the 'first and second rounds. The Lyttelton man was evidently looking, for- a knock-out with a terrific right swing, hut. Stewart was too dodgy. Nelligan kept his guard a little higher m round three, nevertheless his countenance ' stopped a few brutal lefts, and Stewart also took delivery on the dial of one' or two savage lunges. The Timaru lad was . leading m the fourth round, but Nclligan stood up grim andsolid. The chance that Nelligan was waiting for came early m round five, when file active Dominion champion found 6is jaw m contact with a stinging left jab, and he took eight seconds on one knee, though, obviously not distressed. He wiped otfti the debt with interest by planting right aird left m quick succession on. NelHgan's face, a performance repeated two or three times subsequently. His methods of avoiding punishment 1 were very meritorious. The sixth round , was chock full of excitement, Nelligan again landing a left to the jaw, but victory was snatched from him by the game- ; • ness of Stewart and the sound of the gong. The Lyttelton man got m a nasty upper cut early; .'l-fiijid .afterwards confined '. has whole energies'^Qj'-tbSs ■form of at- ; tack, which Sound' Weakness m Stewart's • defence. TJip Tnnarti lad plugged his enemy repeatedly on the smeller and kisser, and was piling up points when m an incautious moment he let Nelligan cut up with his piston-like left, and the i champion went down spitting blood. He igot up groggily at the call of "eight" and Nelligan rushed mto settle him. ! •Stewart was obviously dazed, and after ' a feeble defence, -■receiscd an uppercut , again, and interviewed the carpet. A j monotonous count by an official sounded, j and the crowd screamed m wild excite- • ment, "Get up,' Stewart !" The sympathy was with the fallen lad, who, till now, had the best of., the fight. By a: superhuman effort the plucky Timaruvian .. xose to his feet and xusiied savagely at. Nelligan'. Blows were exchanged and the gong sounded amid a scene of wildest excitement, the fight being awarded to Stewart on points, though it is certain he wouldn't have lasted another round. CRIPPS v: GRIFFIN. Prolonged cheering greeted the an- < nouncement of the battle of the evening, which was, r of course, between. Cripps and Griffin. The New South Welsher was the first to ; enter tht ring; being escorted by W. Jordan, A. Huston, and ' W» O'Connor, whilst, Griffin was towelled by Brother Jack Griilin,. J. Cross, and R. Mayze. "Ma jab." Chaffey, who is really a 'Colonel, refereed, B. March, and Hairy Sharplan • being judges. .GriiEn maale the fighting from the jump, Cripps, with his ugly, battle-woEn face, waiting grimly like a bird" of prey till Griffin had exhausted his bos of .tricks, when he used his relentless left: persistently and consistently. The man from the other side was (quite cool at the close, whilst moisture oozed from Jim near the end and he exhibited other signs of having forced the pace, though a long way from being done. The best man won, though it is unfortunate that. he shouH have fouled Griffin; accidentally on two occasions. The hair of both men is getting very rare on top, but the .circumstance doesn't interfere with their pugilistic power. Prior to meeting arrangements were made for a clean break away, and a step back, but ,this 'didn't prevent clinching. Griffin stripped at 11.11, • and Cripps poundage was down to 11.64-. First point went to Griffin with a left uppercut, but it was bloodless, and hit and clinch was the programme for , ; a short time, when Griffin opened the skin, ,of the Sydneysider's forehead with a" vicious left jab. Cripps retaliated with body blows, and from an exciting mix-up, both men emerged bleeding at th& forehead. Round two opened cautiously and clinches followed, Griffin four times finding his ' opponent's food store antf ribs, otherwise the ambulance wasn't required . m this round. The first effective blow m found three was delivered- on the boko, by Griffin.', after which much feinting and clinches, both men making the body -a target for blows, and just before the gong Cripps sent a vicious right below. the equator, an unmistateable foul, but Griffin's back' was to Colonel Chaffey, the referee, who didn't*. see it, although Griffin appealed. In tne fourth round Griffin punished" the ribs of 1 ; Cripps, who also Went for his op.po- ; nent's body. Jnstr on the call of, time, \ the Sydney' man ■ a "strenuous left on Griffin's jaw, although James treated the circumstance lightly. Round live found Griffin still making the pace,, Cripps finding the New Zealanders pan-' try at close quarters. The other sider was standing very solid, and twice m succession knocked Griffin's head well back. The contestants were so absorbed that they took no notice of the gong. Griffin opened the sixth round with a left tap on his opponent's, ugly boko, followed , by another, but Cripps was . grimly waiting his chance, and got m two short v left jabs on Griffin's eating cavity, the round otherwise, being without noteworthy incident: Griffin again opened the ball m the seventh, round, but there was no vim m a left jab to Cripps' dial, and two short thrusts with right and left found the visitor's headpiece, but there. was little ; strength bebin'd them. ' Both men next dug viciously into each other below the Shoulders between clinches, but no one was killed before' the gong . sounded. Rotmg eight began witlt lunges and clinches, the first variation . being a left on Griffin's jaw by Cripps, followed later by another, and yet another as the gong sounded. In number nine Griffin got m vicious lefts on ribs, but immediately took delivery of one on his talking apparatus, and he rushed Cripps; and the blood of both men appeared to be up, although nothing sensational resulted from the mix up. Griffin shot a left on to his opponent's catmteaahce and received a li&a coortesy m retniD.. The Austealiao. jnst ccnsrcc&dl T?ith Ernes' soby Hps ivhen the gong sounded. Cripps. was the first to get home on the left; chesk m round -teat,- CiißcSsKg followed, and Cripp? fsored on t&a rigfet o^fiie o£ Jifia. Soiro^ \ rib jabs by "both. contestants followed, and G-riffin's right found Cripps' jaw, the latter, however, plugged Griffin's nasal organ and teeth trap with an unpleasant left. On the call of time, Griffin, scored with a weak left swing. . Early m the eleventh and m clinches, Cripps started in.-lighting, 'disturbing Grii- : fin's bread basket with, short jolts, and Griffin essayed the same game on Arthur's ribs, but the visitor replied with two hair-raising biffs on tbe, dial. Cripps later again hit below the belt, but probably accidental,' and the referee spoke to thim about it. Griffin was not so sprightly on his legs in ' round twelve, Cripps 1 methods of dodging punishment making him tired. The Australian's left found exercise twice on Griffin's dial ere the gong went, and that round was his. The thirteenth meeting found both cautious, Griffin cleverly ducking to avoid his opponent's terrible left, but it got there four times m succession. "Our Jim" replied with a left and a right home on Cripps' northern aspect, but that deadly left, varied by a right ernbarassed Griffin's face with velocity ere the round closed. Left 3ab and left jab again by Cripps signalled the opening of the fourteenth, but there wasn't mush horse power behind them. Arthur was looking for points, and three more lefts on Griffin's countenance were the next incidents. Griffin, stung to .resentment, waded m, but made- little impression. The last round early found i Griffin uppercuttinc; viciously and missing by a whisker. He was going for a knock-out, but had to meet that implacable left too often with his face. Griffin had just missed with a hurricane uppercut when the gbng closed the warfaije. .Cripps was declared tflic winner on points 'amidst cheers, the visitor being the favorite. The. defeated man frankly acknowledged, to the crowd that he bad been fairly and' squarely beaten, and the audience cheered him for his sportsmanlike taking of a licking.