BOXING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17917, 22 October 1932, Page 14

BOXING

FRANKLIN-MCKAY DRAW

“PRO” BOUT AT TE KARAKA

WATKOHU ASSOCIATION’S SUCCESS

Fighting their first professional contest last evening at Te Karaka, the two leading district featherweights, Joe Franklin and Jim McKay, went the full distance of 10 rounds to draw their match. The fight was voted a good one, though somewhat slow in the early stages, when the two newcomers to the professional ranks seemed to feel some doubts of their ability to see the full 10 rounds out. Neither' had previously gone further than six two-minutes’ rounds, and the extra time sat like a load on their spirits in the first half of the light. After the fifth round, the pair warmed up considerably, and the last three sessions saw them fighting like machines, and full of sting. Last night’s contest was for both men a pipe-opener, and when they next meet, Franklin and McKay should be capable of drawing a good house. The match was staged by the Waikohu Boxing Association as the feature of the first tournament of the new season, at the Waikohu Hall. The theatre _ was packed to capacity, and officials of the Gisborne Boxing Association noted with interest the enthusiasm displayed by an audience that included a very largo number of town, residents. The organisers of the tournament were fortunate in securing the services of most of the leading amateurs of the district, in addition to those of a- team of Hawke’s Bay amateurs, who came to Poverty Bay under the managership of Mr. W. Stickland, secretary of the Hawke’s Bay Boxing Association. Mr. Btickland officiated as" referee, and it was' evident that this militated in some degree against the success of the visiting contingent. When a hair-line decision was called for, the referee could hardly have felt happy, and in only one case did a Hawke s Bay contestant even share the honors in a decision.

Mr. Stickland was assisted by Dr. H. Doubling Rice and Mr. 0. 0. Holdsworth in the capacity of judges, and other officials were: Ring superintendent, Mr. A. F. Buckingham; time-keepers, Messrs A. Stoneham and J. Gregory; gongsteward, Mr. M. Dovle; announcer, Mr. T. L. Earnshaw. Messrs. R. Stephenson and F. Cook, as president and hon. secretary respectively, did their utmost for the success of the tournament, and must have been pleased by the general results obtained “PROS.” OPEN QUIETLY. Tho weights for the professional contest, as announced, gave McKay an advantage of 81bs., Franklin weighing in at Ost. 111 b. The extra weight did not favor McKay, who looked as though he could do with a bit more off. Right from the start, the pair seemed anxious not to extend themselves until they saw how the distance looked from midway, and the first and second rounds in particular saw little in the way of swift action. Franklin did better at long range than he usually does, directing his punches better and landing several times with light lefts to the face. He started tho third with a shade of points in his favor, but McKay livened up in this session, and shook Franklin with a hard right to tho jaw. The recipient quickly shook off the effects, however, and came back swinging both hands, to again shade McKay on the round. Infighting was featured in the fourth round, after a good exchange at open range. Thero was not much between them in the close-quarters work, McKay going for points, while his opponent worked on the body with tho object of slowing him up. This round went to McKay, and the fif th wont the same way, for though Franklin continued to press with tho object of getting in close, McKay showed good judgment in keeping away, and made a quick sortie when Franklin dropped liis hands on one occasion. Twice McKay connected to the jaw with hard rights, before he was driven off again. TRADING PUNCHES.

In the sixth round, tho audience saw the best work of the fight to this stage. Tho principals were now confident of their ability to last the distance, and they began to mix it with greater spirit, one rally bringing them too to too for a hard exchange with both hands. Tho spectators hummed with excitement as McKay got home with tho right to the jaw three or four times in succession, Franklin shaking off the punches to wade in with both hands to the body, the round ending with honors oven between the two.

Through tho seventh session, things wore rather quieter, the fighters going into clinches repeatedly, and having to be separated by the referee. The eighth was fought at greater pace, and with less holding, McKay driving the lighter man to the ropes more than once and scoring freely, though he did not have things by any means his own way. The last round but one found the fighters practically even on points, and 'after a wary opening they got together again in solid exchanges which did not affect, tho position much, Franklin’s attention to the body being noted as one of tho features of the fighting. Coming out for the last round, the pair were showing fatigue, but they continued at a hot pace, and McKay looked like lasting tho course tho better of the two. Over the last minute, Franklin was on the look-out for a chance to land a damaging blow, and took a lot of light punches while doing so. M«lvay took full advantago of tho opportunity, and took round honors by a small margin.

Tho verdict, a draw, gave general satisfaction to the spectators, the referee being called on for a decision when tho judges disagreed.

BRIGHT AMATEUR BOUTS. Practically all the amateur bouts were worth seeing, and three or four set a very high standard. The Hawke’s Bay amateurs all gave good displays, and though beaten by J. Clayton in the main amateur bout of the evening, ,T. Ferguson furnished one of the liveliest exhibitions yet seen in To Knraka. Two Maoris, W. August and If. Rika, opened the amateur programme, Rika having nearly a stone advantage in weight, and forcing the tight in the early stages. August was down once,] but ho came back strongly and boxed j his way to the decision. i Middiowcights, S. Matchilt and A. | Buckingham with a small weight advan- , tage in favor of the first-named, put on a hard fight, in which Matehitt showed tho benefit of recent experience at the national championship tournament. lie forced the pace, and made good use of j the ring. Buckingham waiting in vain j for a chance to land one of his “hay- 1 makers.” Within a minute of the end, Matehitt scored heavily with a right to , the jaw, sending his opponent to the I canvas, Buckingham was late in rising and was counted out. though apparently willing and able to proceed*

Tho flyweight pair, J. Davis (H. 8.) and W. McKay, at oven weights, gave the crowd a pleasing display, with plenty of fireworks. For two rounds Davis had tho lead, but in the third Mali ay launched a strong rally, forcing his opponent to tho ropes and piling up points for a narrow win. FOUGHT HIM OFF Kingcraft gave H. Turnbull, 10.7, the verdict in his match with JJ. Wright, 10.5, the latter proving a, bustling fignter who extended Turnbull to tho limit. By fighting him off and scoring at long range, Turnbull took tho decision fairly comfortably in the finish. A speedy contest was staged by H. Donkin (H. 8.) and M. Callaghan, rn the lightweight division. Donkin has really good performances, and Ins failure to stop Callaghan caused some surprise. The l’overty Bay boy showed great elusiveness, and hopped in repeatedly to score without taking a blow. Donkin went after him consistently, and midway through the fight had a lead on points, but Callaghan rallied strongly and notched sufficient points in tho last round to win narrowly. Another Hawke’s Buy boy, L. McInnes, gave away lOlbs. to B. Thompson in tho next bout and seemed to bo leading all the way, but hud to bo content with a draw. A poorly-matched pair, in J. Archibald and H. McAneny, were brought together in the next bout, which lasted only one round. McAneny was much more experienced than his opponent, and twice put him down, Archibald being so distressed after one round that, bis seconds threw in the towel, against their principal’s wishes it should bo said to Archibald’s credit. 4 •I. Clayton and J. Ferguson (H. 8.) met at even weights, and Clayton fought better than oil any previous appearance to shade tho visitor all tho way. It was a good bout, nevertheless, and the Hawke’s Bay boy received generous applauso for his display. Two stampweights, in IT. Boyce (H. 8.) ami B. Malone, were put on in‘an exhibittion bout, and proved as able as many of tho older and more experienced fighters. They earned the warm applause accorded to them.