BOXING BOUTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27311, 10 February 1950, Page 8

BOXING BOUTS

SEMI-FINALS DECIDED

MOST WINS TO ENGLAND From the Sports Editor AUCKLAND, Feb. 9. The Empire Games boxing was advanced a further stage towards finality at the Town Hall tonight when 12 bouts (all second round or semi-final contests) were held. The honours were well divided. England scored the most wins with three, Celyon had two, South African two, Australia two, and Scotland, Rhodesia, and Canada one each. The standard of boxing was much higher than on the opening night, and the most impressive form was shown by the United Kingdom and Australian boxers. No more skilful display was given than that of T. S. Ratcliffe (England) against the clever New Zealander, J. Mclvor, in the welter-weight D. E. Scott, of England, an Olympic finalist, gave a polished display of straight punching in the semi-final of the light-heavy-weight class, and another first-class boxer was W. R. Barber, the Australian light-weight. The Ceylon boxers showed cleverness in the ring, and their wins were well received, but the much-fancied Albert Perera, though he won his bantam-weight match, was somewhat disappointing being inclined to be a little flashy. After taking severe punishment m the first round, R. Latham (England), who performed well in the light-weight class at the Olympic Games, made a great recovery in his bout against

another Olympian—the Canadian south-paw, E. Haddad—to take a very close decision. A clever and shifty boxer, the Aus-ti-alian, W. R. Barber, came prominently into the light-weight picture by scoring an impressive victory over J. E. Barnden, the New Zealand southpaw. Barber moved very smartly and scored with both hands in telling straight hitting. Just before the gong at the end of the second round, the Australian connected with a perfectly timed short right to the jaw. Barnden took a count of nine. The New Zealander fought back strongly and scored with lefts and rights to the head, but Barber continued to do the cleaner and crisper punching and won The welter-weight bout between W. Seewitz (Australia) and A. Obeyesekere (Ceylon) had a somewhat unexpected ending in the third fbund, Seewitz winning by a technical knockout. Until then, the Ceylonese had been giving a good account of himself. • In perhaps the best display of boxing seen during the evening, T. Ratcliffe, the 19-year-old RAF boxer from Bristol, outpointed J. Mclvor, the New Zealand welter-weight champion. Both men indulged in fast, two-handed punching. Ratcliffe moved beautifully in to his man and was as effective in his body work as with his leads to the head. Mclvor connected with some telling left leads, but neglected openings for his right. Ratcliffe’s twohanded punching to the head and body gained him the decision. There are only three contenders for the middle-weight title and the bout between two. slogging fighters—W. Pinkus (Canada) and T. van Schalkwyk (South Africa)—was a semifinal. There was much vicious hiting without damage. The South African did the eleaner work and earned the decision. J. B. Beal (Southland), who drew a bye in the middle-weight class and will thus contest the final tomorrow night, will leave for Australia on Wednesday to join Ambrose Palmer’s gymnasium. He hopes later to place himself under the care of the wellknown Sydney trainer, Jack Dunleavy.

D. E. Scott (England), who was an Olympic finalist, carried too many guns for J. Taylor (Australia) in the semi-final of the light-heavy-weight class. Scott’s chief assets were a telling straight left and a well-timed right cross. Taylor took heavy punishment but in the second round the referee awarded the Englishmen a technical knock-out.