BOXING

Southland Times, Issue 20538, 14 July 1928, Page 7 (Supplement)

BOXING

(By Self-Defence). FIXTURES July 14. —Tommy Griffiths v Archie Hughes at Dunedin. July 21. —Johhny Leckie v Norman Radford at Dunedin. July 23.—Southland Championships. July 23.—Jack Carroll v Harry Casey at Wellington. July 26.—Tom Heeney v Gene Tunney at New York. July 27.—Otago Championships. July 28.—Tommy Griffiths v Tommy Barber at Dunedin. August I.—Lachie McDonald v Harry Casey at Palmerston North. August 7.—Tommy Griffiths v Norman Radford. August 11.—Johnny Leckie v Tommy Barber at Dunedin. August 23, 24 and 25.—New Zealand amateur championships at Auckland. In the boom. Dunedin right in it. The reward of enterprise. Another series of bouts arranged. Johnny Leckie survived the “devils” number.” It was his 13th professional contest. Southland championships are drawing near. July 23 is the date. Archie Hughes is to meet “Dunedin’s second string” to-night. Something good is expected. It must be tough for a boxer of Griffith’s calibre to be looked on as the “try out” man. Writing in the Evening Star “Hooker” says:—Archie Hughes, the Sydney featherweight is keen for a match in Invercargill following on his contests with Johnny Leckie and Tommy Griffiths, and if a suitable opponent could be found for him this would be a good bout for the progressive Southland Association. While all the fun is going on in Dunedin do not overlook the fact that July 26 i§ almost on us. What’s on then? Gee didn’t you know that Tom meats Tun, I mean Heene meets Gene, ’er that is Teenie —(ey) meats Honey (Hunney). Oh—. Heeney, meets Tunney. Hooray got it. Brawn v Brain ’tis said. Come on N.Z. Wish the All Blacks had some. “Lachie McDonald is one of the most improved boxers in Sydney,” is the opinion held by the Sydney trainer Pat Conners,

says “Hooker.” Pat thinks he will beat Harry Casey badly the next time this pair meet. He anticipates, too, that the present Australian middle-weight champion and exNew Zealand champion will have no trouble in defeating Mclnnes, the Scottish boxer. Mclnnes, however, should do well in New Zealand, for he is very strong and fights from gong to gong. From a financial point of view, the Canterbury amateur championship tourney was a great thing for the Sports Club. The takings for the night were in the vicinity of £l6O, and there were many turned away when the house was full, so it would appear that any amount of the sporting public are eager to patronise the amateur side of the sport. The poor old boxing game Is taking another hammering (says an American writer). This time it is the outcome of the DelaneySharkey fight that is ‘under investigation. Nobody seems to understand why Sharkey was a one to five favourite or why Delaney, who has stood up better in other matches, succumbed so quickly when it came to the Sharkey fight. In consequence there is to be an investigation. I don’t suppose the investigation will get us anywhere. It merely leaves those followers of the sport who would like to believe in the game more or less doubtful in their state of minds. Meantime much of the glory that was to have accrued to Jack Sharkey has been dissipated. Billy Cook, an English heavy-weight, has a rather unique record. He has won his last half-dozen fights on a claim of foul. Private advice has been received in Wellington that Ted Morgan and Alf. Clererly will leave for Aidershot on Tuesdlay, where they will be received by the Army Commandant and accomodated jat the famous training ground to the highest possible degree. The boxers will be provided with sparring partners and will have full use of the military gymnasium.

“Boxing is in better condition in Australia to-day than was the case twelve months ago,” is the opinion given by Tommy Barber to “Hooker”. He said that it was brightening up at the beginning of the year, though it had slipped back a little lately. Wrestling was the boom, which was one of the causes for the boxing slip-back. Barber was not of the opinion that the importations to Australia would make a great deal of difference to the boxing game, for outside of such men as Harry Mason, the English light-weight, and Kid Socks, the bantam-

weight, the very best were not attracted to Australia. The Northern Boxing Association has engaged Tommy Mclnnes to meet Clarric Pocock on 3rd August. A purse of £2OO and expenses- will be offered to the Scottish middle-weight, provided the New Zealand Council agrees. If Mclnnes fights up to hie reputation with Pocock, it is the Auckland Association’s intention to match him with Jim Broadfoot and later with Lachie Me Donald. Auckland is evidently set upon getting big men into the ring, just as Otago is concentrating on the feather-weight division. During the past, few years, many associations have ignored the N.Z.B.A.’s rule regarding registration of amateur boxers. The rule states: — (1) No amateur shall taMe part in any contest or competition conducted by a local association unless or until he is registered in accordance with these rules. (2) Registration shall be effected by the Council. In accordance with these rules, it is hoped that instructors apply to their local associations for registration forms and fill them in as required. The N.Z.B.A. intends taking a very firm stand this year, and any amateur failing to comply with these reguia tions will be barred from appearing in preliminary championship contests. Tom Heeney, who is training for his bout with Gene Tunney for the world’s heavyweight boxing championship, saved his sparring partner, Phil Mercurio, from drowning when their canoe upset in the river. Heeney carried his partner, who could not swim a stroke, to the shore, and then swam out and retrieved the canoe. Joe Marcus (9st 7|lb), light-weight champion of the Pacific Coast of the United States, is the first of the visiting team of American boxers to appear in Melbourne. He fought recently in a fifteen-round bout against the former Australian feather-weight champion, “Norm” Gillespie (9st 81b), who has gravitated into the light-weight division. It proved a one-sided match, Gillespie being partially disabled by a smashing swing which landed in the second round on the point of his right hip, injuring his side and rendering it practically impossible for him to use his right hand. He fought on, visibly distressed at times, until the end of the tenth round, when he was prevailed upon to give in. Joe Marcus was born at Pittsburgh, 23 years ago, and has taken part in 48 contests for 19 wins by decisions, 11 by knockouts, 10 draws and eight defeats. He has never been stopped and has wins over Tommy Cello, Luis Vincententi, Dixie La Hood, Wildcat Carter, and Don Fraser. He has beaten Fraser three times and Fraser

thrice defeated “Dot” Snell. As Snell was the first man to beat Billy Grime in America it looks as if the “Pittsburgh Pirate” has come to Australia with a great record. The Wellington Boxing Association did not secure the services of Tommy Mclnnes, the Scottish middle-weight. Auckland has signed this boxer up, but the local body has done just as well. It has engaged Jack Carroll, welter-weight champion of Australia, to meet Harry Casey in the Town Hall on July 23. Carroll won his title from Al Bourke, and has since convinced boxing writers in Australia that he is a champion of class. Recently he clearly outpointed an American named Danny Lewis. He is regarded as a good combination of boxerfighter, and should make an excellent ponent for Casey. Lewis is an American boxer brought to Australia by Tex Salkeld. He is aged 23 and has been fighting for five years, during which time he took part in 40 contests for 20 decision wins, 10 knockout victories, six draws and four defeats. SOMEWHAT DISAPPOINTING PROFESSIONAL BOXING CONTEST. JOHNNY LECKIE OUTCLASSES HUGHES. AUSTRALIAN'S PERSISTENT HOLDING. Superstition has its place in sport as in other branches of life, and to some fans there may have been significance in the fact that the feather-weight contest at the Dunedin Drill Hall last Saturday night between “Fighting Johnny” Leckie, featherweight. champion of New Zealand, and Archie Hughes, New South Wales featherweight champion, for the maximum purse of £2OO, was Johnny’s thirteenth engagement in professional ranks. Johnny must have had some ideas on the matter, for when he entered the ring to the accompaniment of cheers from over 3,000 spectators the seconds bore with them a mascot in the shape of a small “black cat.” In any case, Leckie should be able, in future, to regard the devil’s number with equanimity, for he scored a decisive victory against the Australian, who, however, went the full distance of fifteen rounds states the Evening Star.

Hughes came to Dunedin with a good record, a feature of which was the fact that

he had never taken the count, and the general opinion in boxing circles was that the contest would be one of the brightest and most interesting seen under the aegis of the Otago Boxing Association for some time. However, despite the fact that some of the rounds were full of incident and that Leckie carried the fight to his opponent all the way, it was a disappointing affair from the spectators point of view, and this was not due to any fault of Leckie’s. The New Zealand champion endeavoured all the time to make an open fight of it, but the nuggety Australian persisted in holding, and was cautioned by the referee as a result mid-way through the contest. He may regard himself as somewhat fortunate that he was not more severely dealt with. Leckie adopted his usual crowd-pleasing slogan of “Attack is the best means of defence,” and carried the fight to his opponent from start to finish. In Hughes, though, he met a boxer with splendid defence, and though Leckie was a long way ahead on points at the finish, he was unable to out the Sydneysider, who showed rare gameness in the face of severe punishment. Once Leckie had broken down Hughes’s guard he connected heavily with both hands to the face, and scored well with his deadly straight-arm right to the body. Leckie was made to miss a fair amount in the earlier stages by the clever bobbing of Hughes, but he was leading all the time, and punished Hughes severely with a straight left to the jaw, usually followed quickly by the right to the body. He was less penetrable when he was bringing his right across to the jaw than has been the case in dome of his more recent contests, and had Hughes not saved himself when under fire, so to speak, by holding Leckie almost in a vice-like grip, the Australian might have taken the full count. Johnny would connect several times, then Hughes would come to close quarters and hold either until the referee broke the contestants apart or Leckie managed to push him off. There was far too much clinching to make for an attractive contest.

Hughes’S tactics in holding so frequently cannot be admired, but there were other features about his exhibition that could not fail to please. He was on the defensive for the greater part of the distance, but was possessed of a good smother, and proved to be as sound in defence as any boxer Leckie has yet met. Certainly Leckie gradually broke it down, but Hughes showed himself to be one of the toughest lads seen in the local ring for a long time. He was determined to go the distance, and his determination in this respect carried the day. i So far as he was concerned, he adopted

the right policy in milling at close quarters, and though honours were fairly easy at infighting, it may fairly be said that Hughes was slightly Leckie’s superior in this respect, though Johnny showed an improvement in this department. Hughes lacked the punching ability of his opponent, but employed a left hook with telling effect. This was his best scoring asset, and, indeed, it was upon his left hand that he placed most reliance, though he scored occasionally with his right. There were some exciting rallies during the progress of the bout, but, taken as a whole, it fell a good deal below expectations, and did not rouse the fans to that pitch of excitement which was evident in some recent contests, such as that between Johnny Leckie and Norman Gillespie, for instance. However, next Saturday’s bout between Hughes and Tommy Griffiths should prove to be brighter, for the contestants are somewhat akin to each other in style. Though Hughes won only one round on Saturday night, with two others fairly even, and Lecki’e taking twelve, he made the New Zealander do his best all the way. Johnny might have placed his punches to better advantage on occasions, but Saturday’s contest should stand him in good stead when he battles against Barber and Radford.

The Otago Boxing Association should emerge with a large credit balance from the fixture, the takings amounting to something like £670. At an interval in proceedings Norman Radford, the English feather-weight, and Tommy Barber, actually feather-weight champion of Australia now that Norman Gillespie has entered light-weight ranks, were introduced to the crowd. Both men are shortly to appear in contests under the Otago Association. Tommy Griffiths, who is to met Hughes to-night was also introduced to the crowd—or rather he made his appearance in the ring.