SMITH OUTS CROUSE.

NZ Truth, Issue 583, 19 August 1916, Page 11

SMITH OUTS CROUSE.

Buck Belted, Banged and Burst. When Dave Smith, Australia's ex-tnld-heavy and heavyweight champion, met : Buck Grouse, the strapping American mid-heavyweight, on July ,15 last, he tried to emulate Les Darcy and wipe Buck off tho map m a round or two; but found that his punches had not the Mecessary weight, and that Crouse took a whole lot of knocking, as scores of the Yankee's countrymen had discovered. In his tremendous efforts and incessant attack, Smith taxed his strength and staying powers,, and Grouse was able to land some tremendous wallops that further weakened him. Then he got that deplorable butt In the eye that induced the referee to advise Dave to discontinue,, during the rest after the ninth round, 'and he was compelled to accept the advice, as the damage was serious, and required immediate surgical attention m place of further injury. It was one of the greatest and most keenly exciting contests seen at the

Stadium for many a day, and Smith 'was undoubtedly leading on points when th© disaster overtoojc him; so that a return match was Inevitable, and this took place on, Saturday night, August 5. • Smith would have liked a longer Bpell to assure a full 'recovery from the scars, of his terrible battles with Darcy and Crouse (with only three weeks between them), but other fixtures and the fact that other arriving visitors had to be provided for, induced him to accept this match, though again only three weeks had elapsed since his last previous battle. He accepted an invitation to Garryowen Station, Binalong, and worked himself Into condition, and appeared his old cheery self when seen at the previous Thursday's matinee. Crouse looked better than even on that same occasion, and his training at Waverley had evidently suited him as well as did the cold weather, which reminded - him -■ of conditions "back home." He was bright and merry and full of confidence; but Smith was favorite m the betting during the week. Most people anticipated that on this occasion, warned-' by his recent bitter experience, Smith would box his bigger opponent very carefully and endeavor to outpoint rather than knock him out, and he opened as if suoh was his Intention. But when he saw the painful effect of his tremendous rigtrtsmash to the body, In the first round, he hastened to follow it tip; and, though for 'a moment he was forced to smother under a furious attack, and . crouched, head m arms, on the western ropes, the moment he unwound he hit out at a wide open Crouse, taken entirely by surprise, and with the beautiful left swing he specialises m, and a smash with the right to the other side of the < chin, he had Buck dazed, and on a clumsy retreat, before a hail of twohanded whacks. Finally, with a well measured right he drqpped the big Pittsburg- chap, with a dead crash, on the western ropes, near! his own corner. For a moment it looked as If Crouse was done, but he dispelled this Idea by rising on one knee and watching the clock, quite cool and collected, till at the count of three It clanged corners, when he sprang up and flopped into his chair. * . The uproar, when the three to four thousand watchers saw their old favorite so well m the ascendant and landing suoh a hall of good punches, was something tremendous. Crouse came out looking more puzzled and annoyed than damaged, and went at Smith hot and hard; but Dave,, cool as a seasoned churchwarden taking up the collection, picked his spots and' hit him mercilessly with both hands. Crouse ducked again and again to evade those stinging smashes, straight lefts to the dial and rights and lefts to jaw, and with a wicked left

hook he opened anew that queer, unaccountable cut on the side of the nose, sustained m the first round of his fight with Darcy. But Dave stuck his tongue out at the corner of his mouth, smiled his wintry smile into the face of the foe and so well timed him with snappy doubles that, though Crouse got one very heavy right to the ear, he was all abroad, and when the bell rang made off towards Smith's, instead of his own corner. A desperate attack by a perfectly recovered Crouse opened the third session; and again a wicked left hook started the ruby from that cut. and a tremendous right to the side of tho head shook Dave badly. But Smith measured and timed him to a nicety, with both hands, and Crouse fell m, and, getting a strong hold on his arms, dragged him half way round the ring and threw him off against the western ropes, where he attacked him fiercely, but could not get effectively past Smith's smother, while Dave drove him off with a splendid left jab to the ! nose. Then he hurled himself at I Crouse, m very much the style that helped him to lose the first fight, and once, as Buck slipped him with head flung aside to let the right, hurled with awful, force, go by, Smith plunged headlong into the northern ropes. He was pretty tired when he spun out, and Crouse might have done better if he had been less cautious. The fourth session brought the end. Crouse opened fiercely, but Smith made him over-reach, and nailed him twice with left jabs, and chipped the chin with the right. Buck went off backwards, with Smith m cold, deadly pursuit, hitting him at almost every step, till a beautiful left to the mouth and an instantly following right flush on the point put him down with a crash to a seat m the centre of the ring. He was too stupefied to think of the count, for a moment, and at two he half rose, but sank to the floor again, and should have lost on a foul therefor. But Scott let it pass, evidently seeing the end In sight, anyway, and Crouse rose at eight, and rushed head down, at the pallid destroyer that he felt was mastering him. Smith back-moved the furious swings, and swung that terrible left to the jaw, and drove the right to the other, starting Crouse on a staggering retreat, and hitting him with his most admirable double, at every step. Crouse set himself and stepped In to swing the right, but Dave's double got home first with terrific force, and Crouse fell on his face and was counted out making spasmodic efforts to rise at "8, 9, out." He was carried to his corner, and the mad cheering that had been incessant when Dave began to assume the mastery lulled for a moment, but broke out anew when Dave, wiped clean, and fresh -looking, strode, over and shook his vanquished friend by the hand. Crouse knew nothing of it, and was so very out that when he presently tried to climb through the ropes to leave the ring he got tangled, and fell over the middle rope on the broad of his back on the ledge outside the ring, whence he was lifted bodily and placed on his feet. It was one of the most thrilling and exciting scraps seen for many a day, and the victory one of the most popular. It seemed a pity to spoil the effect by putting on a six-rounder devoid of tone or taste, to deaden the delightful thrill; patrons had had full and plenty, and were m a state of wild delight.