FRANK ELLIS v. BILLY ELLIOTT.

NZ Truth, Issue 444, 20 December 1913, Page 6

FRANK ELLIS v. BILLY ELLIOTT.

The New Zealanders Hard Luck.

[ Frank Ellis, the feather-weight | champion of New Zealand, met Billy Elliott, one of our very cleverest feathers, and sjamest stickers, m tha ten j t\vo«mlnute rounds preliminary to the Wells-Stono contest at Sydney, and had the hardest luck possible. Ellis has boxed a lot with Keys, m New ! Zealand, and since Hock and Mark Golden brought him over here: and ho Slights a lot lilce that great master. Elliott fought well, and with superb grit, but he had no show against the clover and hard-hitting Maorilander. Left and right chips to the chin put Billy down wtlh a thud, m the first round, and when he got rjroggily up at "two," the bell alone saved him from swift defeat. In the third Elliott was absolutely > outclassed nnd m a bod way: yet he had the folly to "give his. face" to the foe, till a right swing and a left hook made him regret his act; which was intended to show folks that Ellis couldn't hit hard enough to hurt! In the fourth iSllloit began to indulge In his favorite pastime of holding round the neck, and hitting the while. The fifth was another bad time tui Elliott, and towards the end Ellis brought a terrific fight, half up, to the jaw that dropped Billy flat on Ma back. To the general surprise he got to his feet at "seven," and just as Ellin walked m to finish him, the bell again saved him, Ellis, much to the astonishment ot the crowd, kept oft during the sixth, displaying splendid footwork, and jabbing nasty lefts to the face. In the seventh ho adhered to these tactics, and, while he mined straight lefts on Elliott's face, and nearly knocked bis head off, it was noticed that ho never used the right except to throw off a lead. His footwork and jabbing were worthy of Keys at bis best, and he was cheered to the echo. Throughout the eighth Ellis continued to jab the phiss oft Elliott, and .several times met it so hard with tho left as to suggest that he' a break Billy's neck. But when ''ho wont to his chair his towel ctuno m. He had bndly broken his hand In delivering that right knock down In the flftn. He was very unwise to stop, however, for ho could havo beaten lsJUlott, the way ho had him, if his right had been tied behind him.