BOXING

Otago Witness, Issue 3860, 6 March 1928, Page 52

BOXING

By

CROSS-COUNTER.

r ,.T Ow ? ,r<^s , T P le .end of March Norman Gillespie, Victorian feather-weight champion, and other. Australians, including tommy Barber and Eric Harley, are likely to be seen in Dunedin. Gillespie has accepted an offer for two contests, each for a purse of £l5O.

Gene Tunney is now reported to be one of New York’s millionaires. He has been made a member of the Madison Square Garden Club, an exclusive boxing institution, and is the first actual boxer to be elected. Dempsey holds stock in the corporation, but is not a club member. Ihe appearance of the Australian boxers who have agreed to visit Dunedin will be an event of outstanding interest in New Zealand boxing circles, and considerable attent.on has already been focussed on them. The latest advice is that Gillespie will meet Barber for the feather-weight championship of Australia on March 10, and Gillespie and Harley will sail for New Zealand in the first boat after that date. It is not yet certain whether Barber will accompany the others, but there is now every indication that negotiations will be completed satisfactorily. Barber's offer and conditions have been accepted bv the Otago Boxing Association, and the matter is now in the hands of his manager, who will make the final decision. Unless Barber alters his plans at the eleventh hour it may be taken as certain that the three Australians will arrive together at little after the middle of March.

As may Lie judged from reports of the Otago Boxing Association’s successful negotiations with the Australians, March and April promise to be rcd-letter months in Otago boxing circles. Followers of the game, will have a choice of several bouts of an unusually high class, and both Gillespie and Harley may be matched against Johnny Leckie. Tommy Griffiths has announced that he will not accept any further engagements until after Easter, this apparently being tho outcome of his fight with Taylor, in which he seemed to be off-colour. His decision, however, should not apply to the period during which the Australians will be in Dunedin, as his period of inactivity will then be practically at an end. It is likely that Gillespie’s first bout will be with Tommy. An option has been secured over Johnny Leckie’s services fcr a contest with Barber, but the importance of this fixture will naturally depend upon the out some of the champion’s meeting with Gillespie on the other side of the Tasman. Should the bout go in favour of the challenger. Gillespie will be the big drawing card, although New Zealanders will be anxious to see something of Barber, a fighter who has made his name by good solid work. He is a plumber by trade, and a strong open boxer of the most vigorous tvpe, who should have an undoubted box-office appeal.

SMITHERAM AND HT’GHES BOTH DEFEATED. NAPIER. Februarv 29.

Artie Hay (Hastings). 10.5, to-night beat F. Smitherain (Dunedin), 10.2, in a 10round bout which went the full distance. Smitberam, though beaten all the way, put up a wonderfully game fight. In a second I'ont. Dave Palmer (Australia) 10.3, knocked out Hughes (Dunedin) 10.2, in the sixth round of a very tame fight. Excellent form was shown in three amateur bouts, the best of the evening being a willing fight between Hutchinson (Hastings). 8.4, and Roderiqne (Gisborne). 9.0, tho former taking a well-merited decision.

GRIME-GARCIA RETURN BOUT. NEW YORK, February 28. Billy Grime has been scheduled for a return Liout with Garcia at Baltimore on March 12. Grime’s manager states that the previous bout should have been a decision for Grime, but was called a draw, due to a mistake in one of the judge’s figures.

BOUT AT SYDNEY STADIUM. SYDNEY, March 4. At the Stadium, Johnny Curley beat Ades on points. Both men gave such a poor unscientific display that the audience hooted them and counted them out.