BOXING

Southland Times, Issue 20633, 3 November 1928, Page 18 (Supplement)

BOXING

(By

Self-Defence.)

FIXTURES November 7.—Johnnie Leckie v. Norm Radford, at Christchurch. November 7.—Toddy Green v. Frank Taylor, at Napier. November 24.—Tuatapere. Don’t forget Tuatapere on the 24th. Wednesday will flee Johnnie Leckie in action again. He is down to meet Norman Radford, this time in Christchurch. Leckie had an easy win over the popular Englishman in Wellington but the match is sure to attract a good gate, particularly as this will probably he Johnnie’s last fight before he leaves for America. Hailed as a second Joe Gans, a San Francisco negro named Jack Thompson is creating a tremendous impression. His style is said to be strikingly like that of Gans—a fine boxer with a terrific punch in each hand. The Auckland bantam-weight, Frank Taylor, has been without a fight for some time, but on November 7 he will face the Australian, Teddy Green over 15 rounds at Napier. Mickey Walker is not content with meeting men in the middle-weight division, of which he is world’s champion, but wants to meet light-heavies and heavies. He recently knocked out Armand Emanuel, the Jewish contender for the heavy-weight title, in seven rounds. Harry Mason, of England (says the Sydney Referee) administered an artistic beating to Bill Richards at the Sydney Stadium on Saturday night, October 13. With a superbly executed right to the chin he knocked out the tough New South Wales welter-weight in the seventh round. The spectators were spellbound by Mason’s fine work from the first and the crowning thereto by his excellent finish. Tommy Mclnnes, the Scottish middleweight boxer, who fought three contests in Auckland, announces that he is about to be married. After his match with Monson, Mclnnes decided to have a short holiday in Sydney. In the New South Wales city he will be married. From Sydney McInnes may return to Auckland for further matches, but his plans are not yet finalised. Mclnnefl’ approaching holiday is well earned, as during the past 15 months he has engaged in 18 matches. Steve Hughes, who fought Fred Smitheram in Dunedin, recently wrote to the Otago Association stating that he is now prepared to meet any welterweight in the Dominion. In hifl bout at Greymouth, Johnnie Leckie rocked Billy Melton m the second round, and from that stage the feather-weight champion was easily the master, and it was only a question of when the end would come, which was in the seventh round. According to Trevor C. Wignail, wellknown boxing critic for the Daily Mail, Johnny Hill, holder of the British flyweight title, displaced world championship form at the Clapton Stadium, London, when, a few weeks ago, he clearly outpointed Newsboy Brown (U.S.A.) in a 15 rounds contest. “Hill has never fought more finely, and he won by continually using a straight left, which seemed perpetually to be in his opponent’s face, by retaining a strict regard for defence, by only using his right hand when an opening was presented, and by employing methods that admirably suited the occasion. He was immeasurably a better boxer than Brown, who is primarily rugged and strong and aggressive, but who is compelled by natural tendencies to depend too much on left hooks and a swinging right-hander to the ribs. He must have landed dozens of times on Hill’s body, but there could not have been great power in his punches, for the little Scot was scarcely affected.” Napier boxing enthusiasts will be interested to hear that Teddy Green, the flyweight champion of Australia, who is at present under contract with the Napier Boxing Association, has received a cable from Stadiums Ltd., Sydney, offering to match him with Fidie La Barba, undefeated flyweight champion of the world, who has signed a contract with Stadiums Ltd.

to defend his title in Sydney, writes Olympian. La Barba, one of the most colourful figures in the ring to-day, has had a meteoric career, quitting boxing some time back to enter a university and study law, but subsequently returning. He has at present an undefeated record, (says the Napier Daily Telegraph.) It has been known for some time that Johnnie Leckie intended to go abroad in quest of fights, and consequently the announcement that he has signed a contract with Tom Heeney’s manager to fight in America did not come as a surprise. Re* cently he was offered three fights in Sydney by Stadiums Limited, but apparently the low ebb at which boxing is at present in Australia convinced him that it would be wi«e to go further afield. In addition to that it is doubtful whether any suitable opponents could be found for Leckie, whose cleverness, both as a boxer and a fighter should carry him a long way in America. His last fight in New Zealand will be against Norman Radford in Christchurch on November 7, and he will leave New Zealand as soon as possible after that date. When Les Murray was in America he tried to persuade Leckie to go over for several fights, but his trainer was of the opinion that it would be better to wait until the featherweight champion had had a little more experience.—Exchange.

The spectacle of Gene Tunney, attired in evening clothes, re-enacting some of the phases of his Chicago fight with Jack Dempsey, while John McCormack took the part of the Manassa Mauler, was afforded guests of the Irish singer on August 24, according to a story from the Dublin correspondent of the Sunday Despatch, London. The demonstration took place at a dinner party given bv McCormack at his castle, Moore Abbey, near Dublin. A discussion arose concerning Dempsey’s knockdown blow in the famous seventh round. Tunney was explaining that he had been badly injured in his right eye for days before the fight. He suddenly arose from the table to demonstrate exactly what happened. Then followed, the correspondent said, the “strange spectacle of Tunney driving about in evening clothes in the lovely room with John McCormack facing him and giving an impersonation of Dempsey.” Tunnev admitted he was in bad shape when he went down, but insisted that when the referee intoned the word “four” he was again conscious. He attributed his trouble to astigmatism from the eye injury, the fact that he was nearer to the ropes that he thought, and that he came away from them too hurriedly. Tunney similarly displayed the methods he had adopted against Heeney.