AMATEUR BOUTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27112, 21 June 1949, Page 6

AMATEUR BOUTS

'AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION IMPRESSES The feature of the amateur section of the Otago Boxing Association’s; , programme at the Town Hall last night was the highly-impressive display given, .by Graham Higham, the Australian amateur middle-weight champion and Olympic representative, who took part in a threeround exhibition with the Otago amateur, K. McCombe. Higham showed speed in punching and employed beautiful footwork and sufficient was seen of him to indicate his class. The amateur bouts resulted:— Middle-weight A. W. McLay (11.8) outpointed R. Keenan (11.74). This was a fairly willing contest, but McLay did the cleaner work and used a good straight-left and right to the head to score well at long range. Keenan began strongly but found McLay a fairly elusive target, and the latter gained a unanimous decision.. Welter-weight R. Leckie (10.5) defeated J. Fleury (10.0), the referee , stopping the fight in the second round. Leckie showed himself to be an aggressive two-handed puncher to the head and body, and although Fleury scored with one or two rights to the head in the first round, Leckie continued to carry the fight to his opponent. Fleury was shaken by a vigorous attack when the referee inter- = vened. Light-weight K. Anderson (Dunedin) 9.7 outpointed J. Dee (Christchurch) 9.9 after a spiritedbout in which Dee stood up to his hardpunching opponent very well indeed. Anderson moved with his characteristic speed and showed an excellent variety of punches, left hooks and" inside rights being his most effective weapons. Dee defended stoutly but did not get his distance so well as his opponent. Anderson winning fairly comfortably. Mr W. W. Watt refereed the amateur bouts and Messrs W. Francis and A. E. Edwards were the judges.