BOXING TITLES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26841, 4 August 1948, Page 6

BOXING TITLES

AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS I. DICKISON'S TRIPLE SUCCESS The performance of lan Dickison in winning three titles was the feature of the Otago Amateur Boxing Championships which were held in the Town Hall last night before an audience of fair dimensions. Dickison's successes were achieved in the welter-weight, middleweight and light-heavy-weight classes. In his first bout, Dickison conceded nearly two stone in weight to A. Eade, a Bluff light-heavy-weight, but gained the title by a knock-out in the third round. He was given strong opposition by K. McCoombe in the welter-weight class, but his solid punching earned him a points’ decision. Dickison disposed of L. Burt in the second round to win the middle-weight championship final. Dickison's triple success was rounded off by his award by the judges of the Powley Cup for the best all-round boxer of the tournament.

In the majority of classes, the contests were confined to finals, but the audience witnessed some spirited boxing, a good all-round standard being revealed. The biggest surprise of the night was the defeat of Colin Kerr, winner of the Jamieson Belt (for the most scientific boxer at the last New Zealand championships), by Ross Sadler, the Waimate light-weight. This was one of the best bouts on the programme, and Kerr was very unlucky to lose the decision. P. Huston’s experience proved a decisive factor in the feather-weight class, and he stopped R. Keen in the first round. J. McNally gave a clever display of twohanded boxing to win the fly-weight title, and D. Lewis (Waimate) took the Bantam-weight Championship after a good bout with A. Findlay. Messrs V. Parker and S. Paris were the referees, and the Judges were Messrs R. M. Morris, A. E. Edwards and C. E. Brown. Mr F. M. Paape was the M.C. The new title-holders are: Fly-weight, J. McNally; bantam-weight, D. Lewis (Waimate); feather-weight, P. Ruston; light-weight, R. Sadler (Waimate); welter-weight, I. Dickison; middleweight, I. Dickison; light-heavy-Weight, I. Dickison; heavy-weight, A Eade (Bluff).

The results were:— Fly-weight Final

J. McNally (7.13) outpointed R. Christianson (Bluff) 7.7. The winner proved himself a speedy two-handed puncher, and forced the fighting all the way. Christianson was always willing to miy it, but McNally’s superiority in the straight work and his aggressiveness gained him a fairly comfortable decision.

Bantam-weight First Round

A Findlay (8.3 J) beat J. Dougal (3.41), the referee stopping the bout in the third round. This was a fast and willing contest between two hard-hitting boys Dougal used a telling left hook to the jaw, but Findlay scored with both hands in straight work to the head. There was not much between the contestants when they came out for the last round, but Findlay proved he stronger, a solid in-side-right to the jaw shaking Dougal. When the latter went down under a further two-handed attack the referee intervened and awarded the bout to Findlay. D. Lewis (Waimate), 8.51, a bye. Final

D. Lewis (Waimate) 8.51 outpointed A. Findlay (8.31) after a closely contested bout. Lewis took the fight to his opponent and scoring with a straight left and inside right he established a lead in the first two rounds which a strong finishing effort by Findlay in the last round was not quite sufficient to wipe out. Both boys boxed well.

Feather-weight P. Ruston (8.121) defeated R. Keen (8.13), the referee stopping the bout in the first round. Keen went in with a left lead, but Ruston measured him off with two hard rights to the jaw which put Keen down for a count of sue. Ruston gave Keen no respite, and the referee stepped in, awarding the decision to Ruston.

Light-weight Final

R. Sadler (Waimate) 9.5 gamea d points’ decision over C. Kerr (9.9). .Kerr was very unlucky to lose his title, as he had the better of the first two rounds, in which he did the cleaner straight hitting and employed a much wider variety of punches than his opponent Sadler wen the approval of the spectators by his willingness, and this, together with a grandstand finish in the last lound, apparently decided the judges in isis favour. Sadler's hitting, however, was not nearly so decisive as that of Kerr, and the decision must have come as a surprise to those who followed the bout at all closely. Welter-weight Final

I. Dickison (10.6 J) outpointed K. McCoombe (10.7). McCoombe used the ring effectively in the first round, and connected with some good straight lefts, but he made the mistake in the second round of going in to trade punches with his hard-hitting opponent, who caught him with some telling left hooks and a vicious left uppercut. Dickison used his right hand to good purpose in the last round, and, although McCoombe fought back strongly, he could not wipe out the deficit, and Dickison gained the decision Middle-weight Final

I. Dickison (10.6 J) stopped L. Burt (11.5) in the second round. Burt began briskly against an opponent who was having his third fight of the evening, but Dickison drove him out with straight lefts and hard rights to the head and body. The gong saved Burt, and, though he came out fighting for the second round. Dickison caught him with two hard rights to the jaw, a further barrage putting Burt out

Light-heavy-weight Final

I. Dickison (10.6 i) defeated A. Eade (Bluff) 12.3} by a knock-out in the third round. Giving away nearly two stone in weight, Dickison fought a heady fight against a strong and rugged opponent. Eade carried the fight to the lighter man, but his rushing tactics did not pay dividends, as he was too often short in his punching. Dickison used a straight left to the head to some purpose, and, though Eade was getting his distance better in the second round, Dickison refused to be bustled. The latter connected with a welltimed short right to the jaw in the third round and followed ■■ ' with a left hook. Eade going down for he full count.

Heavy-weight

A. Eade (Bluff) took the title by default,