BOXING

Southland Times, Issue 21820, 24 September 1932, Page 14

BOXING

(By

“Veritas.”)

Fixtures Ahead.

September 26.—Ted Oxley v. Johnnie Leckie, at Hastings. September 27, 28 and 29.—N.Z. amateur championships, at New Plymouth. September 30.—Southland Boys’ High School tourney. October 3.—Billy Sullivan v. Pettyofficer A. Firth, at Auckland. October 3.—Harry Johns v. Archie Hughes, for lightweight title, at Auckland. October 7.—“ Tiger” Thompson v. Petty-officer Firth, at Hastings. October 11.—Bobby Blay v. Reg. Trowern, at Wellington. October 27.—George McEwan v. Vince Parker, at Timaru. Dates to be fixed.—Amateur tourneys at Wyndham and Bluff and probably Tuatapere. NEWS OF THE WEEK.

Southland’s team for the New Zealand amateur championships leaves for Christchurch, en route to New Plymouth, by this morning’s express. Members of the party include Messrs W. Gellately (manager-trainer), Frank Prendergast (light-heavy representative), Young Bill Pasco (middleweight), Jimmy Moseley (featherweight), S. A. Lindsay (judge), A. (“Son”) Tall, Frank (“Pat”) Hughes, and George McEwan (professional middleweight champion of New Zealand).

Ted Oxley, the promising Pahiatua lightweight, and Johnnie Leckie meet at Hastings on Monday night. Oxley came into public favour when he recently outpointed Harry Johns in a non-title bout. He was beaten a fortnight ago by Archie Hughes, featherweight champion of New South Wales, but pleased the fans with a good display. He should keep Fighting Johnnie busy.

Prior to the commencement of the Hughes-Oxley bout Harry Johns entered the ring and challenged either contestant to a match for the N.Z. lightweight championship, a title at present held by Johns. As a result Johns and Hughes meet in a title fight at Auckland on the same programme as Sullivan and Firth.

When Bobby Blay and Reg. Trowern clash at Wellington on October 11 they will meet at catchweights. Bobby Blay has been dubbed the “ghost in gloves” by Australian critics.

The N.Z. amateur championships commence on Tuesday and will continue on Wednesday and Thursday. The Southland team will return to Invercargill, next Saturday night. On the way up to New Plymouth the team will.spend a day and a night (Sunday) in Wellington. This break will be very beneficial to the boys who will not be so travel-weary as they would be if they made a non-stop run. It is pleasing to record the return of the annual tourney at the Southland Boys’ High School. The “night” has been fixed for Friday next and is sure to be greeted by a good crowd. Southland is well off for professionals just now and it will not surprise if the S.B.A. continues to run special contests right through the summer months. If suitable opponents can be found the matching of George Spencer (heavyweight), George McEwan‘(middle) and Les Adams (welter) would draw a good house at any time of the year. Then there is Ray Nicol who is fast recovering from his arm injury, to be considered. The reception he got last Saturday night when he appeared in the ring prior to the Adams-McEwan bout, was sufficient to show that local fans will be there to a man when he hops out again. I was privileged to witness a couple of spars at Ocean Beach during the week, and was pleasantly surprised at the improvement noticed in George Spencer’s work since he knocked Cossill. He sparred with both Bill Pasco and Frank Prendergast and went very well on each occasion. He is now ready to meet Billy Sullivan or any other heavyweight, and I have no hesitation in saying that he would repay any association looking for a good mixer and hard hitter. Veteran Wally Fewster, wKo is superintending Spencer’s training, is very pleased with his charge. Wally should know. George McEwan is fixed up for October 27 with Vince Parker at Timaru, and as the title is not at stake there is almost certain to be a return at Invercargill, McEwan will be much in demand in the coming months and, provided he can retain his present good form, will always be a paying proposition both to himself and. associations. I am satisfied he will give a good account of himself against Parker. All going well Southlanders will probably see McEwan in action against Parker (return), Bert Davis, Len Turner and Tommy Mclnnes before the summer season ends.

Who will be Les Adam’s next opponent? This question has been put to me many times during the past week, but all that I can advance is that pending investigation regarding the N.Z. welter title, nothing definite will be done. The S.B.A. is anxious to secure a title fight for Adams, and as the crown is just about vacant by law, there is every likelihood that Les will be one of the figures in a title fight here in Invercargill in the near future. Failing a title fight, Adams is prepared to accept Steve Hughes’s challenge or that of any other welter in New Zea-

land. It will be remembered that Adams met Steve Hughes in his first professional fight about two years ago and was beaten on points. The local boy promises to go a lot better should they meet again. According to a Dunedin writer, Johnny Richmond is Otago’s hope for a New Zealand championship next week. Johnny, who annexed a N.Z, title on a previous occasion, will do his best to out-bantam the other bantams.

When commenting upon the first meeting of Les Adams and George McEwan, I unwittingly did McEwan an injustice by recording that he made no secret of the fact that he thought Adams had beaten him. George McEwan made no such statement or suggestion. My informant was the victim of a misunderstanding. Some boys are like racehorses, they leave their best work on the “tracks.” Hector Calder, ex-featherweight champion of Southland, and now a promising lightweight, was among tire boys working out at Wally Fewst'r’s gym. at Ocean Beach the other night, and none went better than the Greenhills boy. He sparred with George Spencer and Bill Pasco, and unleashed leads, counters and form generally sufficient to suggest that he should be the hardest lightweight to head off .in Southland. His form against Jack Reidy at the championships was all wrong and nothing compared with what he is capable of. I am satisfied Calder has not shown his best in an Invercargill ring, and when he does fans should sec a lightweight a bit above the average. I am indebted to the Bluff correspondent of the Southland Times for the following unsolicited testimonial regarding the sportsmanship of Invercargill boxers and supporters of the game. I heartily endorse the references to Mr Jack Breen. Not only has he transported boys to Ocean Beach, but also to Gore, Dunedin (twice) and Oamaru (twice). He loves the sport and shows in a practical manner that he is right out to foster it. There must be a seat waiting for him on the executive of the Southland Boxing Association. Men of his type are not too plentiful and cannot be wasted. My correspondent says:— “Boxers in outlying places are often hampered by the difficulty of obtaining local sparring partners and as a consequence are forced to make frequent trips to schools in Invercargill. The visits of town boxers to country centres is therefore very welcome. In this respect the boxing school at Ocean Beach appreciates the action of Mr Jack Breen in motoring boys down from town on two or three occasions lately to spar with local men. Two particularly good practice bouts took place at the Beach early in the present week between W. Pasco and George Spencer and J. Moseley and H. Calder. Spectators were of the opinion that these bouts were worth travelling far to see, and expressed their gratitude to the visting boxers and to Mr Breen whose sportsmanlike action in bringing the Invercargill experts down made possible an excellent glove evening. On Tuesday night Mr Breen brought Frank Prendergast down for a spar with Spencer, and again local enthusiasts were treated to a capital exhibition, a fast and willing bout resulting.”

The second bout between Les Adams and George McEwan, fought last Saturday night, will always be remembered by McEwan’s electric finish, Adams’s amazing gameness and punch-absorbing powers, and the difference of opinion occasioned by the decision. It was a great mill in every respect and was entitled to some such feature as the sensational ending it brought. These boys have met twice now as professionals and have proved each time that they have all the make-up of crowd-pleasers in their equipment. Associations should have no hesitation in matching them with opponents in their classes anywhere. There is no risk. Both are good workers, fit as fiddles and always liable to hand out something extra. It is certain the S.B.A. will not waste these boys.

Good wishes will follow the Southland champions in their doings at New Plymouth next week. Moseley, Pasco and Prendergast are worthy champions, and all Southland knows they will do their utmost to bring honour to the province. They are following in the footsteps of some great southern champions. Ray Nicol, George McEwan and Russell Bagrie all have brought home the bacon in the past few years. Who knows but what there might be three pieces of bacon to carry back this time! Let’s hope so. Sid Lindsay can do the selecting! That the standard of amateur boxing is no better in any other part of the world than New Zealand is the impression gained from the opinion expressed by one member of New Zealand’s boxing representatives at the Olympic games in a letter to a member of the Southland Times staff. He states inter alia: “I was a bit disappointed at losing my first fight, but we must expect such things in boxing. I was beaten by a German who was taller than me and difficult to reach, but all the same he was a good fighter. I had him sick once (in the second round), and thereafter could not get a good go at him as he kept out of my reach. He didn’t like mixing it at all. The fighting over here is no better than it is in New Zealand. In fact we can easily line them as far as boxing goes, but they certainly make the most of fighting and go in for it more than the scientific stuff. Haymakers fly from the floor to the ceiling all the time, but I was surprised and disappointed with their standard of boxing.” F. Roguski, amateur middle champion of Taranaki, also holds the light-heavy title of that province, scales list. 21b. Describing one of Roguski’s fights in the middle class the Taranaki Herald says: “In the third round Roguski forced matters and a short right to the head put Price down for seven. He struggled to his feet only to be put down for nine. Then Roguski finished matters with a right short-arm jolt that sent Price to the land of dreams. The fight was marked by some feeling and Roguski was hooted by a small section of the crowd as he left the ring. But it was his fight, cleanly fought, and the boo-ing reflected only on the mentality of those who made the noises.” The winners of the Taranaki championships in the various divisions were: Flyweight,—T. Loveridge. Bantamweight.—D. Roebuck (by default). Featherweight.—B. Turner. Lightweight.—L. Lester. Welterweight.—L. Christiansen. Middleweight.—F. Roguski. Light-heavyweight.—F. Roguski. Heavyweight.—H. Hogg. Primo Camera is matched with Max Schmeling, probably the best heavyweight in the world, at the Chicago Stadium (U.S.A.), which seats 25,000, sometime next month. Primo demonstrated in his last major contest—against southpaw Jack Gross—that while he isn’t a terrific puncher, he is away above the ordinary in skill. He battered Gross to defeat in seven rounds. Previously Gross held the highly-touted Ernie Schaaf to a dispute verdict. When several promoters announced that in future radio companies would not be allowed to broadcast fights, the radio people arranged to send out reports from dirigibles hovering a thousand feet over the ring. Rather than have this nightmare over the stadium while the fight was in progress, the promoters gave in.

George Anderson, the 18-year-old bantam who accompanied Al Foreman from South Africa, who is undefeated over his 20 odd contests, may face our bantam champion, Em Evans, in the near future at Sydney Stadium. Tom Heeney, New Zealand heavyweight, and former challenger for

world’s title, is leaving America for another invasion of Great Britain. Jack Peterson, Cruiserweight and heavyweight champion of Great Britain, has relinguished his cruiser title, and intends to build up into a 14-stone man. ■Gene Tunney, who retired world’s heavyweight champion, three years ago, has published his life story: “A Man Must Fight!”

Young Colin Jones, who is representing North Otago in the featherweight class at the New Zealand Boxing Championships, has, during the last twelve months, had twelve fights and twelve wins. The following are some of the boys he has beaten: N. Fisher, J. Nelligan and R. Overend (Canterbury), W. Murphy (South Canterbury) and J. Moseley (Invercargill). After being floored six times in the second round by “The dark demon” Alby Roberts at Newtown Stadium a few weeks ago, Rus Critcher staggered along till the tenth, when he was knocked out. Then he suffered a nervous seizure and it took three policemen to get him into the hospital ambulance. On two other occasions Critcher has collapsed after training. One of the features of a very successful and satisfactory amateur boxing season in Christchurch this winter has been the prominent part taken in the sport by the Lyttelton competitors, says the Sun. Clad in royal blue uniforms with the initials of the Lyttelton Boxing Club across the front of the singlet, the Lyttelton boxers are not only very well turned out, but their boxing shows evidence of careful coaching and good work in the corner. B. J. Graham, who has charge of the Lyttelton boys, has every reason to feel proud of the assistance his work is giving to the game.