OXLEY WINS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12438, 2 September 1933, Page 5

OXLEY WINS.

DECISION ON POINT). A RATHER DELL WXJT. 11l what call only be trilled an uneventful encounter, r Jbd Oxley, of Paliiatua, New Zealaifl’s professional light-weight cham/ion, easily defeated '‘Cyclone” McKay, of Gisborne, over twelvf rounds in the King’s Theatre list night. There was scarcely a vaant seat in the large hall but at p stage did the boxing come up to expectations. In the first place, pi j of eighteen first-class amateur hats definitely arranged at various t ages beforehand by Die indefatigable secretary not one eventuated outlie night. It was a disheartening position for any club to be in, hunjig . round to match unknown boxes at the last minute, and the soiier the amateurs are brought p heel in the matter of last-mimic defaults the better for all conceited. The principal offi/als were: Referee. Mr L. Roupal; judges, Messrs E. R. Wimset aid J. R. Evans; timekeeper. Mr W.jf. Gaisford ; announcer. Mr A. H Jen sen ; secretary, Mr J. A. Wish. Oxley and McKjv both weighed in at 9st Bibs. Tej was a fraction taller than his soli little antagonist and to, have beii fitter than the visitor would havebeen a sheer impossibility. McKays perfect condition was a greii/ tribute to his modest trainer, Rter Sweeney. The title was not at stke. The fight was not • a spectacularpne. McKay, with his unorthodox lift shoulder punch, had a plan of cinpaigii which did not include stalling off and fighting. Instead, helVould bore ahead onto his adversary head fairly low and lean and Irestle with the champion who oftjn found his arms locked and the tak of getting in a clean blow or of getting tree none too easy. It waj a style that did not appeal to te majority of onlookers, ijor to Oxley either. The fans quickly tirfl of too much infighting ail'd d<panded a change. But the dogged little Gisbdrne lad had a purpose m mind and stuck to it relentless/- He hoped to tire Ted out and lake up his leeway over the last /w rounds but Oxley was just abouffit enough to see the last round tlp'ugh and the champion’s expeifnee and punching power alwayskept McKay definitely in the positfn of underdog. With the excel>t hi of one or two even flutters in te middle of the contest Oxley /won practically every round anil /is margin at the end was consideable. Still, he could not make any/real impression on his game oppdent and a knock-out never seerfd a possibility. This is only “thepyclone’s” fourth professional con/st and Oxley’s first fight Vfor four jantlis since he injured his hand injwimiing the title from Archie Ifighe 3 at Wellington. The eac-ounte last night will do him a Jot of gpd but he will need to be fitter an more resourceful if he is to defed his crown in the near future. Id, admittedly, had just got over about of ’flu and even after the fjlit he looked rather seedy and ride tracks for home, showing all tp signs of developing a bad cold /gam. T/E ROUNDS DESCRIBED. i'i Oxley, Rahiatua (9.8) v. “Cjlone” Johnny McKay, Gisborne <9.1; 12 three-minute- rounds. bund one: They started at a 1Y y pace with McKay allowing Opy to lead. Oxley landed oftener hi> now and again McKay would b£n out like lightning and slap his cross to the face. There was Ittle in it hut a shade in favour If the local lad. 1 Round two: McKay was holding Oxley’s arms and Ted swung him to fcrm canvas. The referee had to warn Jed but he warned ‘-the Cyclone” / minute later for his tendency to imprison the gloves of New Zealand’s champion. Oxley rammed in a right cross to the face and McKay staggered a second but weathered the succeeding onslaught to lose that round also. The referee warned the Gisborne lad not to bore in so much and crowd onto the champions arms and took the trouble to impress this upon the ■seconds between the rounds. Round three: • The referee . continually called ‘'break” and got quite desperate about it in fact McKay jumped in and Oxley met him with a stiff uppercut which had some power behind it. Occasionally McKay flashed in a nice left or right but lie was doing more damage i v wading in and smothering Oxlev s gloves. This took it out of fed as lie had to struggle free and then make the fight: Oxley’s round.

Round lour: McKay stepped in and sent over a right cross to the head and countered a left with another late right. Oxley jabbed the Jett to the face and they mixed it in close McKay skinned Oxlov’s Dead with a vicious right and the session was even.

. : , The , Cyclone” bored bI, J Oxley fought him off and picked him with cleaner blows. A ’ an< l left landed hard on Mc--Iv.iy s head but the Oisborne bov was tough: Oxley’s round.

Round six: They milled about for while, mostly with arms interlocked and th e fans were far from pleased. Oxley was stung to action a. second later and hammered his Juan onto the ropes but McKay drove over the right twice and it stung led on the ear: An even round.

Round seven: Oxley’s left leads generally invited a right counter * r °n\ . tbe Cyclone.” Oxley leapt in and his oponent smothered or fought hack without being greatly perturbed : Round even.

Round eight: The referee told the pair to make it more open but at this class of warfare Oxley had the advantage and Johnny knew it when fie felt the other’s gloves stinging against his face and head. Oxley opened out in mid-ring and got the

better of the exchanges which momentarily roused the crowd: Oxley’s round.

Round nine: Oxley rushed his man to the ropes and seemed to be after his opponent in earnest at last. But McKay was hard to get at and appeared to have, the capacity to absorb heavy punishment, fie planted his left to Ted’s face and kept the champion’s gloves smothered but it was the local lad’s round. Bound ten: McKay cracked the right to the head and Oxley rammed another back. McKay imprisoned Ted’s glove and the local man hurled him round and onto the floor to the accompaniment of cheers from a fed-up section. The referee warned McKay to keep it open. Ted was fighting at top now and the round was his. Round eleven: “The Cyclone” was just as fit, or fitter, than Oxley at this stage but his punch was not so devastating. Two light rights to the head stung Oxley to action and a rally in the corner at the end gave him the round again. Round twelve: They flew at one another, their gloves locked, and McKay half punched, half flung, Oxley back and onto his knees. The champion was up in a twinkling and going for his man. McKay opened savagely with his right cross but Oxley back-moved cleverly and got in some telling counters. A bit more wrestling and an occasional burst of punching was the order till the last gong when the decision, the only possible decision, went to Ted Oxley. And the fans filed out, not part i c ularly o ver j oyed. THE PRELIMINARIES. Tommy Henderson, Masterton (,6.0) v. Norman Pratt-, Pahiatua (6.0). Three If-minute rounds: Young Pratt went to business like a tradesman and a vigorous campaign earned him the first round. But the Masterton lad was made of the right stuff and fought back strongly in the second, which was even. They were all out in the last and they punched heavily for youngsters. Pratt got the decision by a shade in what proved to be quite a livelv pipe-opener.

Light-weight: W. Strange, Palmerston North (9.9) y. Bill Walsh, Pongaroa (9.9). Three two-minute rounds: A quiet opening by these two novices presaged a livelier ending, however. Walsh kept walking in but had no guard for a stiff straight left which drew the claret from Ins nose. It was open slather in the second session and the contestants quickly tired themselves out. They absorbed a lot of punishment and a knock-out was quite on the cards from either quarter. They spurted again in round three and Walsh’s fighting spirit carried him and urged him on but Strange was a little more scientific and earned the decision which a section of the crowd did not receive favourably. Middle-weight: Bolton Smith, Pahiatua (10.10) v. A. Parker (Palmerston North (10.0). Three twominute rounds: There was not a great deal of action in the first, Smith doing most of the leading. He landed a terrific right at the opening of the second round which rocked Parker but the Palmerston North man was using his head and a good left landed frequently with, better judgment. It was lively in the last with Parker just beating ms man to the punch. When Smith did land, however, the other man knew all; about it as the blood from his nose indicated. Bolton Smith’s glove was raised, but a draw’ would have been a fairer indication. Two midgets, pupils of Billv Sullivan, Hawke’s Bay, the well-known professional and former policeman (Mr V . E Tyree) in Rahiatua gave the onlookers a treat with three snappy 1 j-minute rounds. ’They were Hughie Sheridan and Rex Davis and each weighed 4st Illbs. A number of coins were tossed into the ring at the conclusion in appreeiation of a fast and clever bout which rightly earned a draw. Harold Reeves, New Zealand amateur light-heavyweight champion and holder of two Manawatu 'titles could not fight Luttrell, of Hawke’s Bay owing to an injured hand, but gave an interesting exhibition spar Ot three two-minute rounds with "Chum Rarnall, of Wanganui. Welter-weight: J. McMahon, Palmerston North (11.3) v. J. Tavlor, Hawke’s Bay (10.5). Three two-min-nte rounds: The Manawatu amateur champion was nearly a stone heavier than Taylor and when he kept I '/ n ZJ . his left to the face the other fellow did not enjoy it. The ntt.e man from the Bay livened in the second and they traded punches till the blood flew. Taylor was as they make them, but Mc-Maion was too big and strong. Though he put ins opponent on the canvas and abe ropes he could not keep him there and Taylor was wading in like a little lion right to the gong and after, when the referee caught his arm and indicated that it was over and although he had lost it was not by very much. The crowd gave the loser a rousing cheer and certainly he deserved it. CHALLENGE TO THE WINNER. Fiank Bennie the well-known 1 'gut-weight professional of Naoier wired last night to the Pahiatua Boxing Club challenging the winner °*. Oxley—McKay contest. Benme recently defeated Mc-Kay on points.

Tim gross takings last night were ± 62 .