BOXING

Southland Times, Issue 20939, 23 November 1929, Page 19

BOXING

(By Self-Defence.) FIXTURES. November 28.—Ted Morgan v. Artic Hay at Napier. November 30. —Pete Sarron v. Tommy Donovan at New Plymouth.' December 7.—Billy Grime v. Johnny Leckie at Napier. Ted Morgan and Reg Trowern meet again in Gisborne to-night. They fought a draw at Greymouth. So great is the interest in the forthcoming Billy Grime-Johnny Leckie match at Napier on December 7, that applications for seats have already been made from many places outside the usual area drawn upon for Napier contests. , The proposed heavyweight contest between the veteran Colin Bell and the giant Pat Redmond has not yet eventuated in Australia, and now it would appear that Bell is not going to get a chance to prov*. that he can or cannot “come back,” for Redmond refuses to meet the old-timer.

The Northern Association has arranged for a contest between Artie Hay, the Nev Zealand welter-middleweight champion, and Billy Thomas, the Welsh welterweight, who has been in Australia for some time, to take place at Auckland on November 26. Mr Frank Burns, the well-known Auckland referee, will return to Auckland in company with Thomas early next week. It was upon Mr Burns’s recommendation that Thomas is being brought over by the Northern Boxing Association. Writing from New York on September 14 to Mick Dunn of Sydney, “Minch” Williams, formerly a judge of contests at the old Madison square Garden, stated that good heavyweights are scarce in America. “When you come to think of it,” he added, “What a ton of money there would be for a Jackson, Fitzsimmons, Slavin, or Goddard! Cannot you train some big ‘Cornstalk’ and send him across to me! I was at Madison square Garden last night and saw two. of Tom O’Rourke's fighters at work. The first was Charlie Smith (England), who fought Paul Cavalier. In my opinion, Smith had an easy victory on points, but the judges favoured the American. The second of O'Rourke’s stable to fight was Tuffy Griffiths, who met Dr. Ludwig Hayman (Germany). Griffiths won on a technical k.o. in four rounds. The doctor has a’ good stiff right, but his left is a poor affair. When shaping up, he holds the left across his body and delivers backhand punches with it. If he had someone to teach him to use a straight blow he would be a good man.” The enlarged stadium at Leichhardt, Sydney, was unable to hold all those who wished to see the contest between Wally Hancock, the welterweight champion ol Australia, and Tommy Fairhall. Commenting on the fight, Dave Smith writes: “When the principals, Tommy Fajrhall, 9.12, and Wally Hancock, 10.44, entered the ring, both were greeted by loud cheering. Neither of these lads has exceptional ability, but they, in private life, are hard-working desirable citizens. From a boxing point of view this bout had little to commend itself, but the sleep-producing wallop packed by both men kept the fans alert, they not wishing to miss the punch that meant the end. Summing the bout up, the worst I would hav» given Fairhall was a draw. At times both led feeble lefts out of distance. Fairhall was inclined to wait until his opponent led, and then swing either hand to head or body. I think I saw one or two straight punches land during this scrap, but the fight was mostly composed of left hooks and swings, and an occasional right to the body by Hancock, and wild left and right swings to the head and body by Fairhall in return. It is almost a tragedy that Hancock has only one decent punch in his kit. Fairhall uses his head in his fighting, and appeared on this occasion to vary his attack without any great measure of success.” Eddie McGoorty, the famous American middleweight, died recently in the United States at the age of 40. McGoorty was born on July 31, 1889, at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in the United States. He was an Irish-American. He first came under notice in this part of the world by knocking out the New Zealander Dave Smith in one round in New York in 1912. Coming to Australia, he repeated this feat in the Sydney Stadium on New" Year’s Day, 1914. His left hook got through Dave’s defence. McGoorty’s fights with Jimmy Clabby and Jeff Smith in Sydney created remarkable interest. But his meeting with Darcy dwarfed all. The first fight was believed by many to have seen McGoorty go in determined not to win. However, Darcy repeated the beating when they met again. McGoorty was famed for the power of .his left hook. This blow was very deadly. When he fought Jeff Smith the latter took great care to keep clear of it, and the fight became a kind of Porthos v. D’Artagnan duel. McGoorty frankly admitted that Lea Darcy was too» good for him. He went further and said the Maitland boy was the best fighter he ever met, and that he would probably become the world’s heavyweigh: champion in time. That prophesy might have been fulfilled if Darcy’s life had been spared and his career had gone along the lines fitting to such a wonderful man.

After one of the greatest contests ever seen in New Plymouth, if not in New Zea land, Tommy Donovan, Waitara, gained a points decision over Tommy Doble, Aus-tralia,-at the close of a fifteen-round bout packed full of incident, thus repeating his performance of ten days ago at Wellington, states the Taranaki Herald. This makes the fourteenth contest that the tireless Waitara boxer has taken part in,* and incidentally it gives him his thirteenth win, but it is safe to say that on no previous occasion has he been so fully extended or had to fight so hard to gain the victory. Certain it is that he has Myer met an opponent who was able to stand up to his solid punches and then come back at him. Admittedly, Tommy Donovan suffered a set-back ’when his eye was accidently cut during a mix-up in the fourth round. The injury itself was not very serious, but the bleeding proved disconcerting for several rounds. The bout was cleanly contested. Donovan, as usual, was as aggressive as a tiger, but he found he was up against an elusive foe, and Doble, too, found that Donovan could make him miss. Each man fought in a sportsmanlike manner, and though on one or two occasions Donovan did land a blow on the back of the neck,' it was due to the speedy Australian lad swinging round after the Waitara boy had let go his punch. It was thought Donovan had the measure of his man in the early rounds, and about the seventh another knockout was predicted, but though Donovan did not appear to tire, neither did Doble. Indeed, in the latter rounds he ap-

peared to show more vim and poked out his left frequently, though his blows did not possess the sting that his opponent’s, did. Donovan landed heavily to the body and face, but the slighter-built Australian was evidently very wiry, as the pounding did not take the same toll of him that it has done of Donovan’s previous opponents. The fight .will long be talked of by the enthusiasts who packed the house, and the two are to .be complimented on their game display, while the Taranaki Association is also to be congratulated on having staged the tournament. Mr A. Maxwell was the third man in the ring, and though his decision did not meet with universal favour, it was the only decision. Both men scaled 9st. Donovan looked sturdy and rugged and had his usual mentors in the corner, while Doble had a galaxy or talent in his corner comprising J. Jones, the Welsh lightweight champion, his sparring partner, J. Crowley, and W. Crawford. J. Jones (9st. 41b.) was introduced to all the audience, and it was stated that he is prepared to box any lightweight, as he is remaihing in New Zealand. ,