TITLE LOST

Southland Times, Issue 22040, 13 June 1933, Page 6

TITLE LOST

BOXING AT DUNEDIN LOWE DEFEATS McEWAN REFEREE STOPS BOUT (Special to Times). Dunedin, June 12. Failure to rise at the count of ten when dropped in the 14th round cost George McEwan of Tuatapere his professional middleweight title in a scheduled 15 round bout with Bert Lowe (Dunedin) before a crowded house to-night. This was McEwan’s first fight in defence of the title since he won it 12 months ago in a bout with Les Adams (Invercargill). McEwan scaled 11.6 and Lowe 11.4 J.

It was a fair fight with little action until the later rounds when Lowe, who left himself very open in his endeavours to connect with a left hook, chased McEwan and finally put enough weight behind a punch to drop the champion. McEwan dropped heavily and struck his head a hard bump on the canvas. He rose just on “ten,” but the referee refused to let him carry on and crowned Lowe.

The new champion deserved his victory. He fought confidently throughout and connected sufficiently cleanly to give him a good lead of points. He rarely used his right and frequently found McEwan’s arms and gloves a bar to points. McEwan had matters practically all his own way in close and on the ropes he frequently connected with his left, but failed in not keeping on top of his man. Lowe several times rocked McEwan with his left to the jaw and if he has possessed any real punching power at all, must have ended the bout several rounds earlier. Beyond boxing confidently he did not show any outstanding ability for a champion. The first few rounds were very quiet. Lowe was the aggressor, however, and shaded McEwan except in rope work and infighting. Lowe strove hard to land with his left, but McEwan’s back moving puzzled him and he frequently beat the air. In the fourth round, the first real action was witnessed, Lowe going after his man and connecting cleanly with lefts to the head. McEwan protected his body and outwitted Lowe in defence.

In the fifth round Lowe got McEwan flush to the chin and McEwan retaliated with good two handed work which sent Lowe back to the ropes. Both boys mixed it freely with Lowe punching the harder, but having little effect on McEwan. Lowe definitely took the lead in the sixth, but McEwan came back, in the seventh and won on aggressiveness. Lowe shaped poorly in the infighting, McEwan taking all the points in close and on the ropes. In the eleventh Lowe dropped McEwan for one with a right to the jaw. McEwan was groggy and was lucky to weather the round. The fight was clean but very tame at times. In the twelfth round McEwan rushed Lowe to the ropes and rattled him with a two handed attack to the head. Lowe recovered and retaliated. McEwan came again and made a good round of it—the best of the fight. Lowe continued with the greatest confidence and stood off and slung lefts to the head and body. He had McEwan beaten at long range. The fourteenth and final saw Lowe rush in and halfway through drop his opponent with a left to the chin. Mr J. Kilmartin refereed.

WIN FOR RAY NICOL BILLY SULLIVAN DEFEATED. (Per United Press Association.) Hastings, June 12. In a good fast professional contest for the New Zealand light heavy championship, Ray Nicol (12st 71bs) of Invercargill retained his title at Hastings to-night, defeating Billy Sullivan (12st 6Slbs) of Hastings, on points. The champion shaded his opponent in the majority of the fifteen rounds, Sullivan tiring badly from the tenth.