BOXING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18180, 30 August 1933, Page 3

BOXING

P.B. TITLE BOUTS ONE PAIR: TWO FINALS PRO. WIN FOR ROBERTSON There were no young Griffos discovered in the course of the Poverty Bay Boxing Association’s championship tournament, concluded last night at the Opera House. It was shown in the course of the tournament, however, that though the district may lack potential New Zealand champions, the courage and tenacity that inis always been a tradition of amateur boxing in Poverty Bay still holds good. Every one of the matches under the amateur code was fought at top pace, and in no case was there any cause for dissatisfaction on tiie part of the public. The judges disagreed in more tlran one instance during the evening ; as most of the bouts were closely fought, there was room for some difference of opinion in one ov two cases, but whether the decision was rendered by the judges or on the casting vote of tho referee, Mr. F. Doniincy, tiro awards were well received. A striking reversal of form was noted in connection with the welterweight finalist, F. Pritchard, who on the first night of tho tournament eliminated J. Clayton, erstwhile champion, and seemed to bo a certain winner of his class. Against F. Allen, Pritchard threw to tho winds all the steadihess that had gained him points on tho first night, and throughout the bout he hardly landed an effective blow. Allan was an easy winner on points, in consequence. One pair of boxers fought out the final in both the light-heavyweight and middleweight sections, the pair being A. Buckingham and S. Matclictt. In the light-heavyweight class, the decision went to Buckingham on points, and in tho middleweight, Hatchett registered a technical knock-out. The two men thus divided the titles in these classes. THE NEW P.B. CHAMPIONS

The list of champions for the ensuing year is as under 1-7, Bantamweight.—W. McKay. Featherweight.—-J. Johnstone. Lightweight. —A. Waugh. Welterweight.—F. Alien. Middleweight.—S'. Matchett. Ligh't-heavyweight.—A. Buckingham. Heavyweight.—Mahunga , Brown.

‘-The first and last of those named above secured, their district titles without a fight, there being no opposition in their respective classes. The Aislabie Memorial Cup, for the most scientific, display at the district championship tournament, was awarded to A. Waugh, lightweight winner, the presentation of the trophy being made by Mr. R. Aislabie, a son’ of the former , chairman of the Gisborne Boxing Association, to whom the sport owed practic- J ally its existence in Gisborne during critical periods of the past. A fast and clever special bout of three rounds between E. Donoghue and Jim Jim McKay, both at 9st. 61b., proved an interesting addition to the programme, though the disparity in the build of the two did not help the display. When Donoghue fills out his frame, lie will be a good middleweight, judging by his present promise. He was the aggressor all through the bout, and scored busily, while McKay was content to play almost exclusively for the head, and to neglect chances in infighting. Donoghue got the verdict. , Another special bout, between CDavy, 10.8, and G. Goodley, 10.9, looks ed like ending in the first round. Davy twice stumbled in the early part of the round, but. quickly established a lead with straight lefts and right which Goodley found it hard to counter. With one pretty right he sent Goodley to the canvas, and his opponent took an appreciable rest on the canvas, and then saw the round out, though badly rattled. Davy went on with his straight-armed punching in the second, but though Goodley was groggy for a while, he recovered by the end of the round, and came out for the third quite aggressive. ' Davy had an easy win on points. Another special bout 'was ' furnished by P. Sceats, 8.11, and H. Kane, Bi 7, the last-named a slightly-built lad who had little idea of hitting, and took a good deal of punishment in the first round. Kane bled freely from the ear in the second round, and it was obvious that only ono of tho boys had a chance of winning. Under a continued buttery , in tho third, Wane stood op woW, though vainly, and saw tho bout to its conclusion. Ho was given a round of applause for his game showing.

\.!) q teyv •• <■*«:■ t jj CHAMPIONSHIP CONTESTS

,j : FEATHERWEIGHT T.-Final. —A. Johnstone, 8.8, beat LJ Robinson, 8.9, on points, .Robinson .opened aggressively, and score# freely in the first exchanges, his greater reach serving him well, and his leads to the head landing regularly, Towards, tho end of the first round, however, lie started to swing •wildly and to neglect his guard, John•stone going in and wresting the lead away, finishing I he round ahead on points. The .second round was a repetition off the first. Johnstone looked a sure winner at the start of the third, though neither looked like figuring in the award of the science trophy. Robinson picked u'p a bit with straight lefts- as they slowed up at the end of the third. Relying almost entirely on his left in the last ■round, Robinson punched, off his opponent. every time he came in, and .took t'be points of the round, Johnstone being very#groggy at the close. The referee decided the bout in favor of Johnstone. LIGHT-JHEAV YWEIG H T Final.—A. Buckingham, 11.2, beat ■S. Matchett, 11.1,'0n points. The public expected action from this, pair, and 'they were not long in realising the expectation, though there was; more wrestling than real fighting in the first round. Matchett kept crowding in at every opportunity, but his favorite right was repeatedly spent over his opponent’s shoulder. Buckingham, (for his part, could not. shorten his punches enough to do much good in the close work, and at tho Oitd of two ■rounds 'there was not much .between them, though both were winded by their efforts. Buckingham held with The left and hit with the right in the Third, which saw more blows landed than either of the previous sessions, without either getting a decided advantage. A toe-to-toe slugging match opened the fourth, and Buckingham .seemed briefly to have The measure of his opponent, but Matchett, sunk two heavy right jolts into his middle and doubled him up, after which it. became ,a question whether Matchett could

I stop Buckingham before the close of j (lie round. The gong found him still 'frying. ■Buckingham got the verdict, .again on the decision of the referee, ,the judges being divided in their Opinions. | LIGHTWEIGHT | Final.—A. Waugh, 9.5, beat M. C'al- ■ laphan, 9.7, on points. . | Old opponents who knew each others' every trick, Waugh and Callaghan found i a Job of trouble in registering real | punches on each other. Callaghan was very hard. to hit, some of his evasions being really good, but on tlieir showing through two rounds, neither seemed likely to go to the New Zealand championships. Waugh deserved' a shade of points on the first half of the bout, on tho strength' of his aggressiveness, and ho continued to do tho best of the scoring in tho third. He registered more, accurately still in tho fourth, when Callaghan began to share the leading, and ho was :t sure winner. , WELTERWEIGHT Final. —F. Allan, 10.21,, beat F. Pritchard, 10.6, on points. Pritchard looked nothing like the careful fighter who beat the former district welter champion in the elimination ! bout, when he opened against Allen. Ho went in with the obvious intention of making short work of his opponent, and i spent the first minute trying to land a | punch without the smallest degree of success. Allen seemed a little nervous ‘ for a start, but when bo found that ' Pritchard was not going to overwhelm j him at once, ho opened out and took . the points of the round. In tho second round, Pritchard slowed down, but was still unable to land effectively on Allen, tho latter blocking or ducking his telegraphed blows and taking toll of him with hard left leads. The third still saw

: Pritchard trying to put a real blow j across, and beating himself by his telegraphed and non-connecting deliveries. Pritchard steadied himself to start the fourth, and landed two or three good punches,, but he broke loose again and • was swinging wildly when the round concluded. Allen won by a street of points, and not seriously ruffled by the i bout.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Final. —S. Matchett, 11.1, beat A. Buckingham, on a technical knock-out. Back again to fight in the final of the middleweight section, Matchett and Buckingham opened bettor than an their first encounter of the evening. Matchett went early to work, and landed successfully with a choppy right to the jaw, which seemed to shake his opponent, the pair going over the ropes in the tussle. Buckingham bored in. in later exchanges, and for a while seemed to be holding his own, hut again Matchett rushed him. and connected repeatedly to the head with lefts and rights, dropping him to the. canvas in his own corner, badly shaken. Buckingham’s left eye was nearly closed as he struggled to his feet, and he needed badly the respite given when the referee stopped the fight to dust resin from his gloves and head., Ho managed to see the round out, however, though Matchett tried hard to land cleanly for a finish. Early in the second round, Buckingham was reduced to a state in which he was unable to offer any resistance to Matchett’s rushes, and the referee interposed none too soon, giving the match to Matchett. Buckingham’s game display was warmly applauded.

WIN FOR ROBERTSON

SOLID FIGHT WITH HUGHES

WINNER FORCES THE PACE

After spending two rounds in an endeavor to out-box Steve Hughes, of Whaugarei. in tho professional contest of; eight rounds, Watty Robertson, of Gisborne, began to light at his best, and by keeping constantly at his opponent, made the fight and secured a win on points. The match, was a really good one; and Robertson's margin at tho finish was so narrow that one of tho judges- gave the verdict to Hughes, the referee" and the other judge being for Robertson. Neither liian possessed the punch to win by the short route, though both had opportunities to land a decisive blow in the course of one of the most earnest and rugged fights seen in Gisborne in recent years.

The weights were announced as: — Hughes, 10.2, Robertson, 10.8. Both looked in the pink of condition, , Hughes being very finely Vviune.fi. Early in the light, Hughes demonstrated a pretty straight left, with which he frequently beat Robertson to the punch. The round was lively, and with, Robertson taking a good share of the points in the dose work, it would have been hard to separate the men at tho close of the round. Robertson went in three times in succession to meet Hughes’ left counters, in the opening stages of tho third, but lie registered well on his opponent’s head with right hooks in the infighting. Hughes tied bis right up. after a brief experience of this treatment, and carrying on with his solid left, had Robertson bothered. A loft uppercut shook, the' local lad about half-way through the round, hut, he recovered Cjuiekly.

ROBERTSON GOES IN In tho third, Robertson had to take a hard left nearly every time lie went, in to his man, but lie made good play to the body with his right hand in close. Evidently : realising that lie would have to rattle Iris man a bit to do any good against his sharp-shooting left,. Robertson went in and forced things, his best punch being a right swing to the fjice, which sent Hughes back on his heels. Faying dose attention to the visitor’s middle section in the fourth round, Robertson slowed his opponent up With a hard jolt over the heart, and Hughes seemed to- be hanging on for a few moments. Hughes picked Up points again with his straight left, but he could not fight Robertson off. In one exchange late in the round, Robertson's head came into collision with the visitor’s mouth, and Hughes looked appealingly at tlie referee. The gong stoppeer them in a hot exchange. Continuing his forcing tactics in the fifth round, Robertson found it hard to get inside Hughes’ left, but he persevered, and though made to miss badly on several occasions, shared the honor® of the round. After five rounds of hard fighting, Thomas had a shade of points, and it seemed a question whether Robertson could break him down by constant forcing. • ■ • / , WINNER’S BEST ROUND The home talent showed up well an the srst half,minute of the sixth, ■wading in and landing heavily with short rights and lefts, while Hughes gave ground and backed up against the ropes in a neutral corner, taking heavy punishment before ducking out of further trouble. Robertson continued his onslaught through the rest of the round, and went to the lead of points by vigorous attacking. The seventh opened with both sparring for openings, and Robertson paid the penalty of letting Hughes measure his opportunity. At long range the visitor was accurate, more- especially with his loft, and it was obvious that Robertson needed to bustle him to hold

the lead. The two mem were tired at the end of the round, with the issue still very open. They came out smilihg for the eighth, and last, and Robertson, evidently under advice from his corner* took up his forcing tactics again. Time after time lie drove Hughes to the ropes, landing with both hands and taking tho best that Hughes could give without sign of trouble ; but three times in succession he let, his spurt fizzle out just when ho had Hughes looking troubled. He hung on to the initiative, however, and though the judges, Dr. H. Goulding Rice and Mr. T. Bmale, disagreed as to the result, he got the verdict on the referee’s casting vote, the verdict being well received as it deserved, though Hughes was not without many friends in the house.

.Prior to the commencement of tho professional bout, Gus. Fitzmaurice, of Gisborne, was introduced as the challenger of the winner.

WELLINGTON CHAMPIONS (Par Praia Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Tho Wellington Boxing Association’s tournament to decide the anuiteur and Senior champions concluded at ffha Winter Show Stadium last night. The 1 following are. tho 1933- title holders: —• Paperweight.—H. Kelly. Fly,—H. Allott. Bantam. —L. Larsen. Feather.—R. Wood, Light.—T. Corbin. Wolter.-*~J. B. Kent.Middle. —J. Mansfield. Light-heavy.-—J. Ford. The association’s medal for tho most; scientific ‘Boxer was awarded to Larsen.