HARDWICK THE WINNER.

NZ Truth, Issue 509, 20 March 1915, Page 10

HARDWICK THE WINNER.

Ex-Amateur Makes Good. Les O'Donnell's Losing Effort. (By "Boxer-Major/) It was a great night for the amateurs, both natatorial and boxing, when Hardwick met Les O'Donnell m the ropedring. Lovers'Of the game, particularly the class who patronise amateur boxing, have looked forward eagerly to the day when the tall swimming and, boxing crack wojuld»shy' his castor into the professional ring and try his strong hand m competition with, the tough blokes who go for the big money. Hardwick had never boxed m public —though he had been a favorite pupil with that splendid -instructor, Arthur Scott —before he went to England as a representative, m the swimming contests, of New South Wales m the Dmjj'ire championship carnival. .How gbdd a boxer Hardwick really is was shown by the fact that without »rty specJaJ preparation, except that undergone for swimming—a form of training, which deteriorates rather than benefits ai boxer —he was able to beat the champion of # Great Britain and the champion lof Canada m les3 than a round each. ■lie made his debut as a professional at; the Rush^utter Bay Stadium on Saturday night week,' and the opponent chosen for him was no less brilliant and formidable a man than Les O'Donnell. unquestionably, next to Dave Smith, the' best mid-heavyweight Australia possesses. ..;•.■ <. A very fine crowd showed their appreciation of the treat offered, though there were considerable unoccupied spaces, at that. O'Donnell had George Johns, C. OJDonnell, Em Casey. and \another In Mia-corner. Hardwick, who got a magnificent reception, was accompanied by Harry Nathan, "Chlddy" Ryan, Arthur Schtii, and Len McCarthy. ; ' The weights were: Hardwick, 11.12%; O'Donnell, 12.3%. "[%]. ..."',"■ J THE FIGHT. i..j|ardwie(c instantly put the left .to the mouth* and brought the .right over t;o the. cheek. He tried It again, bu^Les ducked It. Hardwick retreated round the ring, aiid Btopped to put a right to the> face; He kept putting his right across to the head, crimsoning O'Donnell'a ear.!'-• '■■' lies put one tremendous right"to the ribs, but Hardwick's right laid Les's right eye open, both brow and cheek beneath. Then Lea caught Hardwick on the retreat and put a heavy \et,t »wing.:to.the ..cheek and a right to tho^ aide of, the face; Distinctly Hardweek's round, and he was cheered tremendously as he calmly strode to hiß comer. • ' In round two Hardwick's first left, load went plunk to the nose, and Les clinched. Stepping lightly round his man, Harold put the right to the sore eye again, bringing the blood m a stream, arid a right uppercut nearly knocked Los's noso up between his eyes. Hurling a tremendous right, he nearly threw himself down as O'Donnell just back-moved it, and the next moment Leu drove left and right to opposite jaws. The beginner, strode to hiß corner as calmly as a young man going to church. O'Donnell led thla round, but Hard-

wick countered with a right uppercut that glanced off the chin. Harold stooped and put the right heavily to the body, and, after a very brief spar, put his left to the lame eye. Hardwick absolutely would not clinch, but cut loose every time Les got hold. His left drive to the face was sent with the speed of lightning, while the right lead was similarly fast. Close m they exchanged uppercuts with the right— both telling punches: In round four, Harold put one beautiful straight left to the mouth, and several times repeated it. The ex-ama-teur cleverly ducked a left swing, and plunked his own right to the belly. A few minutes later he repeated the manoeuvre, his cleverness seeming to surprise O'Donnell. Hardwick was now leading on points. Round five saw O'Donnell now the aggressor, and several times he beautifully ducked that straightleft, and came inside the swung rights. Both were now doing clever work, and O'Donnell's guard for the left hook was simply , beautiful. In round six Lea got a heavy right to the body. He was fighting coolly and methodically, and Hardwick was getting shy of his punches. One shorting right to the jaw made Les hang on, but m the half break he banged his own right to the ear. It was a bitter battle now, and the ex-amateur's long lead was being rapidly reduced. . This was similar to six, with Les hitting for the loin every time. One left to the mouth bjr Hardwick, and a terrific right swing made it look bad for 'O'Donnell, but he took it round the shoulder. It was a rather slow round. In the eighth, Hardwick; m a clinch, twice hooked the jaw hard. Les. was following, up his man now with great determination, but as Hardwick got in-, to a corner he drove out a left that sent Les's head back between his shoulders, and the right crashed to the head above the ear. A second later he^put a left to Hardwick's mouth and sent him back several feet. Hardwick put his very Bou'l into a right at the jaw, but Les half turned his head, and took most of the sting out of it. In round nine Harold banged the left to the body with great force, as the round opened, and put a Tight to the }aw that looked as if it must have floored O'Donnell. Hardwick went after him, madly sending out tremendous blows, which Les partly ducked and partly ran away from. He was m dire distress, but utill gamely drove his own left to the face. Harold nailed him with very hard uppercuts and smashes to the side of the head, and the house was m a ferment. " In the tQnth, as Les came m, Harold smashed a punch to the ear, but the force was partly broken, and the next moment Les got back so smartly that he got a right swing 1 to the jaw. A couple of stiff lefts to the features did not do the South Sydney man any good. ■ During round eleven, Hardwick scored the more frequently, and made des- j • perate efforts to finish his man. The seasoned pro, despite burst lip and bunged eye, grinned and chatted to his seconds. ■ Opening round twelve they walked round, Hardwick occasionally putting a left to' the dial, and O'Donnell driving rights to the body. One left hook by Hardwick was very heavy, but Les i drove his right to the body, and looked

to be taking the upper hand, until Hardwick fought him dut of a clinch with heavy uppercuts. In the devil's round Harold retreated as Les followed, and nearly knocked his head off with a straight left, but there was no flinch about Les, and he followed his man round and round the ring, scoring with straight or hooked lefts and the right to the ribs. Had Hardwick not also been hard- ! head and clever with it, O'Donnell would very probably have begun the I end from now, and won by a knockI out; for he was the stronger and usualj ly forced the fighting right up to the end of the twentieth; except for quar-ter-minute spurts by the new ornament to the Australian heavyweight ranks. There were moments when Hardwick, whose mouth had also been very badly, burst m the eighteenth, and who was considerably troubled by the blood, thereafter, appeared to be on the verg£ of collapse, under O'Donnell's relentless attack, but his dashes of vigorous attack, which changed the round from well O'Domiell's to even, showed what a fine constitution and splendid spirit he possesses. Tlarald Baker placed his hand on Hardwick's head, proclaiming him the winner. One miscreant, probably a backer of. O'Donnell to the extent of a dollar, hurled a big tumbler into the ring. It cracked by the fall and broke into a dozen fragments as it rolled over the edge on to the reporters' desk.