SUMMERS WINS.

NZ Truth, Issue 406, 5 April 1913, Page 3

SUMMERS WINS.

Plcato Leading on Point* Outed m the Nineteenth. Johnnie' Summers prayed fervently all through his fight with Frank Plcato on Easter Monday night at the Sydney Stadium. Ho went to v hta knee In the centro of the ring and crossed himself devoutly every tlmo the sound of tho electric bell called truce at the end of each three minutes. Ho bobbed again aa he reached hla chatr, sltd off It to a knoo while being sponged and towelled, and even luggod his legs from tho attendants' knees white they were being massaged, to do a futher most important genuflexion. Thero was a groat acolyte spoilt when Johnnie Summers discovered that ho could fight And Johnnies patron saint, whoever he be, must have been very fond of a bit of a scrap himself and turned a sympathetic ear to hla suppliant's prayer. Which ac-

counted for the luck that won Summers his fight arid gave Frank the loser's end of the purse when the winner's was almost within his grasp. '-■'■' Weights were: Summers 9st 12%1b5, Picato 10 stone.'. As they were fighting at catch-weights It did not matter if either had exceeded the 14*0 lbs, while Johnnies I poundage shows, how fiercely bs had grafted through the hot spell. The end barne m the nineteenth but not as everything predicted, and it was ■' I brought about as' much by Picato's ; over - confidence^ as by Summers's ; quickness to seize and make the: most of an opportunity. ' John- i ■ nic was tricky, . getting out of range of ' I Picato's Impetuous swings till he had \ reached what he., ail along appeared to! deem the haven of. his own corner. Here j he set and here ; Picato kept him while he ! swung left to the head and. right -to the j body. Eager to secure a' win and take no chance on the verdict, Picato left 'him-' j self open as he dfcew ba_ck for another I double. In a flash Summer's best hit shot out It was tho left . hook-uppercut by means of which ' he • so. .damages his sparring partners, and it landed fair on the point, and Picato landed* on his back with his head outside the ropes. He was up at 9, but seemed, to think he had been, called tor the twentieth and last, for he held out :both hands and, tried to shake. But Summers wasn't taking any. courtesies. He just mercilessly slammed him down and out with three to each side of the quite unprotected v f ace. L " ;~ ; ' There was no neea for it, but once* more Sub-Inspector. Matthews . stopped the count and Scott , declared Summers the winner. The excitement was intense, and whllo the winner was cheered, the loser got a magnificent ovation and .a mountain of sympathy m his bad luck; for he must have got the verdict had he stood up for another round and a quarter and merely cut even. As a truth, be would, on his form at the time, have continued to outpoint Summers.