STILL CHAMPION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18255, 25 November 1933, Page 7

STILL CHAMPION

HAWES BEATS FRANKLIN SPARKLING' FEATHER BOUT CHALLENGER QUITE OUTPACED

I Fighting warily and carefully throughout the 15 rounds of his contest with doe Franklin, at the Opera ■ House last evening before a big ati tendance of sportsmen, Percy Hawes, 1 featherweight boxing champion of New Zealand, retained his title with ! a good margin over his . challenger. The Gisborne man, Franklin, could only have won by a knock-out, and his opponent was too last and “shiflv” for him to put a really devastating shot over. Hawes outpaced Franklin all through the light, and though the challenger made a game and determined bid for the title, there ! was no doubt in the minds of the . largo majority of the audience that Hawes would have been unlucky to drop the championship as a result of , tjils eontest. I ’ The winner proved himself a hardlighting and experienced -featherweight, well up to the general standard of feather champions of recent years, though old-timers will probably agree that Liu Robinson, in his prime, would not have considered Hawes a very formidable opponent. Those who measure the present champion against the Liu. Robinson of say 12 years ago should not forgot, however, that the ex-champion met the best in the southern hemisphere, going out of his class to do so, and was a really good bit above the average championship standard of the Dominion. Hawes is a hard man to beat, for he can take a blow and give two back; he can block and duck, and in an emergency “ride” the blows of his opponent so as to take the sting out of them. He never misses chances of making his points, and for this reason will never lie beaten by a boxer of the type of Franklin, unless ho is beaten bv the short route. The professional contest, and also the amateur bouts, were refereed by Air. F. Dominey, with Alessrs. .1. Heency and ,T. Allen as judges. QUESTION OF FREOEDENt E During the preliminaries the announcement was made by Air. W. Lissant Clayton that the .Northern Boxing Association had claimed precedence over Gisborne in the matter of the featherweight title bout, and that the Now Zealand Boxing Council had upheld that claim. The Gisborne association had appealed, however, Air Clayton stated, and hoped to sustain tho appeal. Whatever the result ->f the light, he intimated, the association would endeavor to secure recognition of the winner as the holder of the championship. Tho principals otlVred a keen contrast in appearance, for the champion was perfectly proportioned and lighiskinned, while the challenger was heavily developed in the torso by comparison with his thighs and logs, and was dark and Hushed of countenance. Hawes bore little sign of bis 72 battles in the ring, though not nearly so rugged as Franklin in build. His weight was 8.0, and Franklin 8.12. Right from the outset Franklin fought as though he knew that a knock-out was essential to a win for him. He pressed constantly, and tried repeatedly to connect with weight behind tho glove. Hawes soon gave evidence of his superior boxing ability, hitting cleanly with tho left and repeatedly driving off Franklin’s attack. From a crouching stance, the champion whipped upright and cut through his opponent’s guard with apparent ease, landing two to Franklin 't one through the first round and leading by a street of points at the closo of the round. CIIALLENG ER P R ESS IN 0 The second round was a replica of the first, with Franklin constantly pressing in and then being beaten to the punch by the champion, who flashed rights and lefts to the head and body with almost monotonous regularity. Franklin kept going in, however, content to land one after taking two, and by tho end of the round Hawes was beginning to look a bit thoughtful. Franklin really appeared to have Hawes a little troubled in the third round, for ho, walked into the champion’s best punches without showing any concern, and had more success with his own attack, his right chop to tho side of the head steadying Hawes noticeably at one stage, Franklin following up with left and right swings that must have made themselves felt.

i Opening in the fourth round, Hawes jumped in to land left and right, but j received a hard right chop, in return, and later he ran flush into Franklin’s , lol't The local boy was taking some • hard punches with ail the champion’s weight behind them, and a collision j opened up a rut on his forehead, but he continued to press. PLUGGING ALONG The fifth round was the fourth over again, Franklin going in all the time and Hawes lighting him oil persistently, beating him to the punch and scoring points galore, but seemingly making no real impression on Franklin’s stamina, while the Gisborne boy s blows carried a lot of power. .Inst towards the end of the noxt round, tor i half a minute, Hawes forced his chai- , longer to give ground with two-handed i attacks, but the seventh found the j earlier conditions restored, with Frnnki lin taking two to land one, and seemingly well satisfied to keep plugging on at this rate. i For the first time, Franklin slowed up a bit in the eighth round, and seemj ed to bo saving himself a bit. Hawes was alert all the time, and his pointj.making tactics were well exemplified when Franklin landed twice, very .forcefully, towards the end of the • round. The champion dived in again and registered on head and borfj’, I without serious force hut inlent on restoring the balance of points on the rally. 1 The ninth round saw Franklin pressing again, and tlie champion alternately giving ground and then stopping in to lead. He notched a lot of points in this round. ! NOT TO BE DRAWN Franklin came out running for trm tenth, but did not maintain his speed, and the fight settled down again to the old trial of endurance against superior

boxing ability. At one point in this round Franklin simulated grogginess, trying to draw his opponent in, but Hawes did not accept the invitation. Hi the eleventh round, it became evident to ringsiders that Franklin’s chances of being champion this time were not at all bright. lie was slowing up, and even when offered good openings, he had not the speed to make use of them. The champion was mil carrying a mark, and he was hitting almost as fast as over. The twelfth session confirmed the opinion that Hawes was definitely master of the situation, Franklin’s Lest scoring blow being a left uppercut which split the , champion’s lip. Apparently well advised from his corner, Franklin runic out for the thirteenth determined to force the pace, and he rallied for a time, connecting solidly to the champion’s head. Hawes fought him off again, though, and was the aggressor in the last minute of the round. Half-way through the i'oiirteenih round, Franklin was taking steady punishment, ami though fighting game lv on, seemed to have less chance than at ,any stage of the contest. The last round saw no change in the relative positions of the pair, though the challenger’s supporters had a moment of hope when Hawes went down near his own corner. This was the result of a slip, however, and Franklin’s demeanor indicated that he .knew it, llawes being up again and notching points a few seconds after his fall.

There could have been only one verdict. oil points, and the nomination of llawes its tli(> winner was received without a shadow of a counlerdemonstratin, such as can always' be counted upon when the scoring is'at all close. AMATEUR CONTESTS TWO VISITORS WIN A!ATUHETT’S FINE FIGHT Tho amateur contests were of a good standard, tim ingnhg.u of tho preliminaries being provided by the meeting of W Withy, ol Wellington, and S. Alutcnett, two iiard nghiuig niKldleweights who brought the 'Tans’ to their feet by sustained exchange.., curried on through the four rounds ol (ho bout. Withy showed Gisborne followers of the game something in tlie way of defence that has not been seen in Uie local ring tor years, using his gloves in expert style to block Hatchett's aggressive iiilvunces, and being always in a position to hit out. The Poverty Bay champion went very well indeed, and gave as good an exhibition as he has given to date, ile was in great condition, and proved once more that it takes a really line lighter to beat him. The special six-round bout between D. Stirling, of Christchurch, and F. Allen was not the fight it was expected to be. .Stirling had Allen in trouble from the lourth rouud on, but could not press home his advantage, scoring a points win by a good margin when he should have won by the short route in the tilth.

Showing furl her improvement in his use ut' liis gloves, F. McKenzie, 9.12, had a sliado the better of the lirsv round of his bout with F. (I’llonoghue, 9.4. This contest, opened tin tournament, and though O’Donoghue connected well in the lirst minute, his opponent landed with some nice straight punches in the latter half of the round, and steadied him up. O’Donoghuo weathered a hard spell in the second and then evened up with some hard swings, hut was the more troubled at the close of the round, and in the third session McKenzie’s condition and extra weight told materially. The fourth saw O’Donoghue still fighting well, hut badly misjudging his opponent’s left, which repeatedly registered on O’Donoghue’s jaw wit h plenty of weigh I behind it. McKenzie was a good winner.

IMPROVED LIGIIT-HEAVIES | Meeting fo> - the second time in the Gisborne ring, F. McAneny, 12.4, and .1. Wilkins, 12.1, both showed a great deal of improvement, and their display was watched closely throughout. Wilkins fought, confidently, and in the first round scored frequently on his opponent, both to the head and body, while McAneny concentrated on his opponent's body. Early in the second. McAneny propped his opponent back on his heels with a hard straight left, and though Wilkins picked up as the result of a solid mid-round rally, the round was MoAneny’s. Coming in early in the

third, Wilkins throe times rail into j liard lefts, and he seemed to be in trouble, smothering for a moment and then quickly dropping these tactics when McAneny pounded him about the body. It was McAneny.’s round, and in the fourth he extended his lead, dropping ] Wilkins at one stage and then pounding j him heavily in the last half-minute. ■ McAneny was given a great round of • applause when he got the verdict. j TO Hit ID EXCHANGES As usual, the appearance of S. . Matchett, 11.,0 was greeted with applause, when In' took the ring against \V. Withy, of Wellington, 11.3. The : :wo went at it hammer and tongs from ; ihe start, the visitor proving a nuggety i lighter of the same build as Matchett, and , ol umiMial defensive ability. Matohotl went iu all the time, and in the first, lbough lie bad no margin of {Knots, lie had his opponent breathing hard at the • did of the round. Withy tried to slow • up the pace in the second, but Matchett • kept him going, and was a bit ahead • With half the light gone. Withy came • out for the third carrying! the fight to his . opponent, and there was no advantage to • either in the early exchanges. Withy • landed later with some good straight - lulls, and saved himself from hea\,y punishment by his fine defensive work, hut the Poverty Bay champion seemed still a shade ahead when they opened the fourth and last. 1 This round kept the crowd in a terrific pitch of excitement, the exchanges being sustained at a great pace, and the Wellington mail's ability to hit from any angle being demonstrated time and again. In.the last half-minute, Matchett showed signs of weakening, though lie was no less aggressive than before. Aj draw would have suited the crowd, .but I the decision for Withy was well received, and Matchett was accorded as much applause as his winning opponent. QUIET SIX-ROUNDER

Looking the cut of a fighter, D. Stirling, of Christchurch, 10. C, failed to make any serious impression in the first, round of his special six-round bout with F. Allen, of Gisborne, 9.13. In the second round, after a quiet opening, Stirling sailed into the local hoy, but did not land heavily on any occasion, though he hit more speedily than Allen. The latter was mainly on the defensive in this round, mid went into clinches regularly. The third round saw Stirling still pressing, and Allen defending with but few rallies, the Canterbury man’s best blow being a right to the body, with which he landed only two or three times, however. The fourth round saw Stirling fighting more vigorously, and he went in in a two-handed attack that had Allen bustled. The Canterbury boy’s right ripped hard in over the heart, and Allen went down with a bump, getting up aMI effecting a fine recovery, however. Stirling tried hard to register another tolling punch, hut Allen drove straight in every time they shaped up, and his opponent could not measure him. Allen .was distressed, however, when he went to his comer, and early in the fifth round ho looked well “cooked.” Stirling was not entirely fresh, and he seemed to welcome the slackening of the pace, which did not sort too well with the taste of some patrons. In the first exchange of tho sixth and last round, Stirling wrestled Allen down, and was warned by the referee. Allen was soon in trouble again, and though he kept responding to «his opponent's advances, he must have wet* coined the final gong. The verdict do* sorvcdlv went to Stirling.