BOXING

Southland Times, Issue 22293, 7 April 1934, Page 15

BOXING

(By

“Clinch.”)

Two heavyweight contests at Invercargill on April 18. Ray Nicol will again try conclusions with Harry Lister. Maurice Strickland will oppose Billy Sullivan.

It should be a great night. The Nev/ Zealand amateur championships will be held at Hastings on September 19, 20 and 21.

Billy Sullivan has been doing some solid pick and shovel work in search of gold at Round Hill and should be very fit when he steps out against Strickland. Maurice Strickland as the 1932 amateur heavyweight champion won very favourable comment. His experience and success in Australia must have greatly improved him and the public should see something well worth while on April 18. He is a great believer in winning by the short route. Concerning Strickland the New Zealand Sportsman had the following paragraph: The big fellow has returned home in order to fulfil a three-fight contract with the Southland Boxing Association. Down in Invercargill the fans have gone heavyweight crazy and the timely advent of Strickland should serve to add zest to the already keen enthusiasm displayed by the far-south boxing bleachers. Strickland is the goods; of that there is no doubt, so line ’em up, Southland—yes Nicol, Singleton, Campbell, Sullivan, and any others—and Maurie will make ’em work overtime. In Australia, Strickland had something like nine professional fights for nine victories, eight of which have been won per K.O. Maurice, who weighs round about 13.4, is a distinct heavyweight prospect, and, if properly handled, should soar to great heights in the game. Wait and see!

At Napier on Monday Donovan meets Franklin and Hurne meets Knuckey. On April 14 Hurne and Rayner meet at Blenheim.

An involuntary skid out of all immediate fight plans, and hopes, was nearly taken by Ambrose Palmer while on his roadwork early one morning during the week (stated the Sydney Sun of March 22) As a matter of fact, he did actually skid, but he is all right. It happened in this way. Palmer was out on an asphalt road, with his father, who produced a soft ball, which Ambrose commenced to kick and mark in Australian Rules fashion. He also ran and wheeled and was soon some distance ahead of his father. Suddenly however, his feet slid from under him, and he crashed on the road, lying there motionless, his head only inches from impact with the hard surface. Anxiously his father ran to him, but nothing more serious had happened to Ambrose than that he was winded by the ponderous bump. After a while he was as agile as ever, but the ball has been eliminated from his future road work activities. It’s a dangerous diversion. George Cook deposited £lOO to fight Len Harvey for the British headweight championship. Harvey replied: “I am going to be kept busy defending my titles but not against Cook. There are many young fighters with greater claims to meet me.” Cook says that if Harvey sticks to his refusal to meet him, he will challenge either Don McCorkindale or Petersen.

With two urgent radio calls unanswered, fears are entertained, following the recent gale in the north, for- the safety of the South African boxer, Barney Kieswetter, who, with another Sou*h African visitor, Captain Scott Proctor, put out a fortnight ago in a motor launch from Cairns for a month’s cruise. Before leaving Kieswetter telegraphed to his Brisbane representative, Mr Pat Hill, that he would write within a few days, but no letter has been received. Kieswetter, in addition to having negotiations for future fights on his hands, was expecting mail from South Africa. It is possible that the launch was swept out to sea and that they are now sheltering in an out-of-the-way refuge. SECOND AT FAULT. A duel with rapier and broadsword—both thrust or wielded, I would say in the manner you and I would expect if we were to witness combat with such contrasting weapons—was the interesting manner in which the engagement at the Stadium, between Lenny and Townsend, impressed me (wrote W. F. Corbett in the Sydney Sun). Lenny’s principal second, Harry Gordon, entered the ring before the tenth round had concluded, and, the referee, in his discretion, penalized the boxer— Lenny I mean—who had been slashed, hacked and harried and was on the threshold of oblivion. Unfortunately, as it transpired, Lenny must stand convicted of the pugilistic transgression committed by the head man in his corner. Gazing at the clock and mobilizing his reserves, Townsend launched an annihilating attack. It was unquestionably zero hour. Lenny’s neck was rolled, distorted, on the top rope, one moment; he was staggering under withering fire the next, he fell, inevitably, across the lower rope. Eight high notes was the metallic accompaniment of the bell. But they were two counts of “four,” almost imperceptible in the pause, while Lenny rose from the lower rope and collapsed again. Meanv/hile Gordon provided an anti-climax by entering the ring. The referee acted absolutely within his authority—his power of discretion —but I do not think that in such a circumstance the boxer should be punished. The second, not the fighter, was at fault. Harry Gordon informed me, subsequently, that he mistook a stroke of the gong for the signal concluding the round. It was a vigorous victory for Townsend, who, however, should have been reprimanded for employing his head. Nevertheless I do not think Lenny suffered greatly in prestige, for he gave a splendid exhibition of resourceful boxing and frequent deft and stinging use of the straight left. His slipping of blows to the head was splendid, but some, particularly those which he “evaded” by accepting them on the back of the neck, wrought ultimate damage.