N.Z. BOXING TITLES

Southland Times, Issue 23922, 14 September 1939, Page 7

N.Z. BOXING TITLES

TOURNAMENT IN INVERCARGILL

Dramatic Finishes In Some Bouts

SEMIFINALS AND FINALS REACHED

EXKIGHT, OF SOUTHLAND KNOCKS OUT BRANCH

Some dramatic finishes 'were seen in the New Zealand amateur boxing championships which were continued in the Civic Theatre yesterday afternoon and evening. The boxing was of a much higher standard than on the previous night, and there was no doubt that many of the contests were well within national championship class. The biggest surprise of the evening was the sudden end to the bout between J. Enright, of Southland, and the Auckland boxer, R. Branch, in the semifinals of the middleweights. It was expected that this would provide the outstanding engagement of the tournament, and when the contestants entered the ring the atmosphere was tense with excitement. A few seconds later Branch was being taken out of the ring. Enright had connected with a short right cross to the jaw, and Branch went down for the count of nine, rose dazedly to his feet, and collapsed through the ropes. It was a perfectly timed knockout. There were some good bouts in the heavyweight and light-heavyweight divisions. D. Mullett, of Wellington, gave away eight pounds to P. Schimanski, of Taranaki, and made a keen fight of it. This Was the first fight on the programme in the evening, and set a fairly high standard which was well maintained in the othe; bouts. Schimanski met D. Anderson, the Southlander, in the semi-final of this class, and Anderson won on points. Anderson will meet C. Marsh, of Greymouth, in the final tonight, Marsh having beaten R. Withell, the Ashburton boxer. In the semi-final of the welterweight class D. Coughlan (Manawatu) was knocked out by W. Little, of Auckland. Some of the Aucklanders showed up very well, and were evidently very fit. They seemed to fight best when the odds were against them, aqd often turned the tables in the last round.

There was an extraordinary incident in the lightweight class in the afternoon. D. McGirr, of Christchurch, met S. Morris, of Wairarapa, and was awarded the decision after a bout in which Morris appeared to have held the upper hand all the way. Later in the evening it was officially reported to the Press that the decision had been reversed, as there had been a misunderstanding on the part of the judges over the names of the contestants. The announcer had called McGirr’s name, which was .'landed to him on the judges’ slips, and the referee, who had his back to him, did not hear the announcement. However, the issue as it turned out was not a very big one, as both boxers were incapacitated after the fight and will take no further part in the championships.

The flyweight contests between T. Hoggarth, of Greymouth, and Worth, of Auckland, and between A. Cameron, the Southland boxer nominated by Rakaia, and B. Maddern, of Taranaki, were also highlights of the evening. Hoggarth w'T meet Maddern in the final tonight. Finals will also be fought in the bantamweight between J. Jenkinsi of Auckland, and H. Foote, of Wellington, in the welterweight be- ; tween D. Heeney, of Gisborne, and W. Little, of Auckland, in the middleweight between W. Enright, of Southland,_ and R. Tonks, of Ashburton, in the lightheavyweight between D. Rollenson, of Auckland and R. Withell, of Ashburton, and in the heavyweight between D. Anderson, of Southland, and C. Marsh, of Greymouth. The following are the results of yesterday's bouts: — FLYWEIGHT B. Maddern (Taranaki) 8.0 beat W. Drew (Otago) 7.12£ on points. Both boys boxed cautiously for a start, and Maddern connected in the infighting with some nice right hooks to the body and the head. Drew came in well with both hands and inflicted punishment to ’ Maddern’s head. The Otago boy was shooting out a swift left to which Maddern retaliated with some swinging blows which, although they connected, did little damage. Maddern came in fighting strongly in the last round and drove his man to the ropes. Drew fought a good defensive fight, but was fairly slow, and his timing was not as sound as it might have been. C. Worth (Auckland) 7.10 J beat G. Hastings (Manawatu) 7.12 on a technical knock-out.

Worth scored well with a gopd straight left, but Hastings had the better of the infighting in the first round. He was, however, inclined to hold too much. There were some solid exchanges in the second round, and just before the gong went Worth came out punching hard to the head with both hands, and nearly knocked his man out. Hastings was hanging groggily to the ropes and was just saved by the gong. He had not properly recovered when the third round began and a few moments later the fight was stopped. A. Cameron (Rakaia) 7.11 J beat C. Larsen (Wellington) 7.12 on a knock-out.

The fight had hardly begun when Cameron knocked his man out with a hard left hook to the jaw, Larsen going down for the count. SEMI-FINALS

B. Maddern (Taranaki) 8.0 beat A. Cameron (Rakaia) 7.11 J on points.

Maddern led with a right hook to the ribs, and a moment later scored with two left hooks to the jaw. Both boys boxed cautiously and only about half a dozen blows were exchanged in the first round. Cameron had hardly got going. They began to mix. it in the second round but Maddern still had the better of the exchanges, gaining points with a damaging right hook. Cameron began to make a fight of it in the last round and shook his man with a hard right to the jaw. Maddern boxed more cautiously for a while, but was well ahead on points. T. Hoggarth (Greymouth) 7.13 beat C. Worth (Auckland) 7.10 i on points. Worth had a great advantage in his reach and poked out a leisurely left, but Hoggarth went for the infighting and got under his guard, beating a tattoo' on Worth’s ribs with both hands. Hdggarth came in close with some swinging rights in the second round and Worth was taking punishment on his jaw. He was not making the best use of his long reach, and should have been able to keep the Greymouth boy off. > Hoggarth came at his man like a tiger in the last round, landing a quick succession of right swings to the jaw. Worth came back in the same style and

the fight was very willing for a while, but towards the end Hoggarth had liis man rattled. BANTAMWEIGHT J. Jenkins (Auckland) 8.4 beat T. Hoggarth (Greymouth) 8.4 on a foul Both boys began well, Jenkins using a beautiful straight left and Hoggarth coming in with both hands. Hoggarth was warned for hitting his opponent when he was down and a few moments later when he repeated his offence he was disqualified. Actually Jenkins was on one knee on each occasion and it certainly did not appear that Hoggarth’s offence was deliberate. H. Foote (Wellington) 8.5 beat L. Salmon (Southland) 8.4 on points Salmon flicked out a strong straight left, following it up with a right cross. Foote also connected with a long left to the mouth. Salmon began more cautiously than he did in his bout on the first night, but did not overlook his opportunities. Foote came in strongly in the second round, and beat Salmon to the punch on several occasions. He also used a long left well from a crouching position. There were some fast exchanges in the last round, both boys punching hard and taking punishment There was only a narrow margin between them. FEATHERWEIGHT M. Parr (Otago) 8.12 beat R. Davis (Waipukurau) 8.13 on points. Davis connected well with a left rip to the ribs, and a moment later stabbed out a vicious right to the body. These had the effect of slowing Parr up for a moment or two. Parr had the advantage of reach and whipped out a good left at times, but did not make the best use of it. Davis wisely confined his attentions to his opponent’s body, and was doing a fair amount of damage. Parr _ connected with a beautiful uppercut in the second round, but seemed to lack the confidence to follow up his advantages, and Davis was making the fight all the way. Davis had his man beaten with smart footwork, and was making him miss badly at times. Davis was beating Parr to the punch all the time, and was landing some good left hooks. Nevertheless the decision went to Parr and received a mixed reception. A. Byrne (Hutt Valley) B.IOJ beat L. Parsons (Manawatu) 8.11 on points. The bout opened with some hard infighting in which Byrne came out slightly the better. Byrne was fighting well with both hands, and though he missed at times he connected more often than Parsons. Byrne hammered away, with heavy artillery at Parsons’s ribs in the second round, but Parsons fought back gamely and got past his opponent’s guard several times with some good punches to the face, which just about evened the points. When the round ended he was fighting strongly. There were some solid exchanges in the last round, but both boys were swinging wildly. Byrne was connecting more frequently with some good left jabs to the face.

L. Pennington (Auckland) 8.13 beat W. Brown (Southland) 8.9 on points.

There was little between the two in the first round. They boxed well, Brown ducking cleverly under the Aucklander’s punches, and landing an occasional left to the jaw followed by a right cross. Pennington led with a fast left which gained him points. Brown took a good one on the chin in the second round which jolted his head back. The Aucklander was fighting strongly and forcing his opponent against the ropes, but Brown was by no means flustered. Brown appeared to be spent in the third round, however, and was hanging on a good deal, while Pennington seemed as fresh as when he started. G. Thomas (Taranaki) 8.12 beat T. Baty (Gisborne) 8.12 on points.

Thomas led with a right cross and concentrated on this type ’of punch for a while, but later varied his style to meet a two-handed attack by Baty. Thomas retreated in the opening of the second round from a swift attack by Baty, staving him. off with a good straight left which his opponent was unable to sidestep. Baty was still the aggressor in the last round, but the Taranaki man stood off and boxed him, shooting out a long left and placing his blows well with both hands. LIGHTWEIGHT S. Morris (Wairarapa) 9.7 beat D. McGirr (Christchurch) 9.2 on points. The bout opened with a brisk exchange, and Morris connected well with a left hook to the jaw which jolted his opponent McGirr went down for eight, although it was more a case of taking advantage of the spell than of being unable to rise. Morris was punching hard with both hands, and timing his blows better than McGirr. Although McGirr was fighting well and connecting occasionally with a good straight left the Wairarapa boy was beating him to the punch. McGirr took some staggering rights to the jaw in the last round, although Morris was not having the fight altogether his own way, and was stopping a few with both hands to the jaw. Both boys were nearly done when the bout ended, though they were fighting doggedly. H. Calder (Southland) 9.6 J beat G. Bridge (Wellington) 9.6 on points.

Both boys were fairly fast on their feet, and Calder connected well with a fast straight left vzhich carried the full weight of his shoulder behind it. Calder’s straight left was worrying his opponent a lot in the second round, but Bridge forced a rally and carried his man to the ropes where he landed some fast blows with both hands. Calder maintained his aggressive tactics in the third round, and won by a comfortable margin.

T. Dunn (Hutt Valley) 9.8 beat H. Mclvor (Auckland) on points.

Mclvor sent out a beautiful straight left, making the most of his short reach. He followed it with some solid righthand punches to the head and the body. Dunn did not appear to be able to take advantage of his superior reach, and Mclvor frequently got under his blows and landed some telling punches. Mclvor stopped some punishing blows in the second round and was thrown against the ropes by a clean punch to the mouth. He recovered * quickly, however, and there were some willing exchanges. Dunn was fighting more strongly in this round, but his opponent was by no means asleep and scored well with both hands. Dunn drove his opponent to the ropes at the beginning of the last round with some good long-range blows, but Mclvor fought back strongly and pounded heavily at Dunn’s solar plexus with his solid right hand. Mclvor also landed two or three right crosses to the jaw, but it was Dunn’s long-range fighting that won him the bout.

J. P. Musson (Ashburton) 9.7 beat G. Toon (Waipukurau) 9.7 on points. Both boys danced about and punched tentatively at each other in the first round, although Musson connected with a left and a right early in the round and sent his man to the canvas. The second round was much more willing, with Musson carrying the fight to his opponent, and flicking out a straight left. Toon took the initiative early in the last round, and Musson retreated from a long-range barrage, but connected with some good counter-blows, and then returned to the attack with

some hard punches to the body. He won by a fair margin. WELTERWEIGHT

W. Little (Auckland) 10.5 beat B. Fairbrother (Hutt Valley) 10.1 on points.

Little made the pace and came in with both hands, but stopped some beautiful left rips to the body and head. Fairbrother got his man against the ropes and punished him severely until the referee ordered them to break. Little fought blindly, boring in with both hands. He made an astonishing recovery in the second round, however, keeping his head up and going for his man with both hands and flooring him for eight. The fortunes changed from that moment and though Fairbrother fought back he was badly shaken and took a lot more punishment. The Aucklander came in determined to make an end of it in the last round but got reckless and stopped some hard blows to the face. Fairbrother rallied well and drove his man against the ropes, both exchanging punches. It was a good, hard fought bout.

D. Heeney (Gisborne) 10.4 beat L. Huzziff (Taranaki) 10.6 on points

Some solid punching marked the opening of the first round, but both boys lacked speed. Heeney’s footwork was good, but he had a peculiar habit of pushing both hands out simultaneously. Neither man was timing his blows very well, and there was a lot of wasted energy. Huzziff landed a hard right cross, and then drove Heeney to the ropes, the latter fighting back and countering effectively. In the last round Heeney scored with a few hard right crosses to the jaw. It was not a very attractive bout to watch, as neither man threw a straight punch. W. Little (Auckland) 10.5 beat D. Coughlan (Manawatu) 10.2 on a knock-

This bout opened at a fast clip, and there were some swift rallies in the clinches. Coughlan was doing some good work with a right-cross, but a few moments after the start stopped a right swing which put him out for the count. MIDDLEWEIGHT SEMI-FINALS W. Enright (Southland) 10.13 J beat R. Branch (Auckland) 11.3 on a knockout. This fight did not last more than five seconds. Enright sent a magnificent right hook to Branch’s jaw, and the Aucklander went to the canvas like a log. He made a gallant effort to rise, but fell through the ropes and the fight was over. There were only about two blows in it.

LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT SEMI-FINALS R. Withell (Ashburton) 12.5 beat T. O’Gorman (Westport) 12.3 on points. Withell had the better of the opening exchanges, making excellent use of a lightning left. Both boys were smart in their footwork, and their defence was fairly sound, particularly in back moving. There was some heavy in-fighting in the second round and O’Gorman pounded his man into the corner. Withell ducked cleverly, however, and landed some solid blows. O’Gorman came back at him with both hands going like flails, and had his own way for a while, but Withell landed some hard ones to the head which slowed him up for a moment. Both boys traded punches, and fought strongly all through the second round. In the last round O’Gorman came in with a straight left, to which Withell countered with a right cross. O'Gorman was doing good work with his left when the bout ended, but was unable to make up lost ground.

T. Rollenson (Auckland) 12.2 beat D. Anderson (Southland) 12.0 on points. The first round was fairly colourless, and neither seemed to be putting his best into his efforts. Anderson was doing most of the hitting, however, and was connecting cleanly. The second round was much more lively and Anderson punished his man with some devastating right-hand punches to the jaw, which he varied by a right uppercut. Rollenson was driven to the ropes and only the fact that he came boring into his opponent saved him from what seemed a certain knock-out, Anderson being unable to push him off to deliver the coup de grace. Rollenson had recovered when the last round opened and made the pace for a while, Anderson showed signs of tiring and stopped some straight lefts. The Auckland boy was going well when the fight ended, and his win was a popular one. HEAVYWEIGHT P. Schimanski (Taranaki) 13.7 beat D. Mullett (Wellington) 12.9 on points Schimanski connected first with a terrific right cross and then carried his man against the ropes by sheer weight, and swung viciously with both hands. Mullett failed to make proper use of his straight left which would have beatenmany of Schimanski’s wild swings. Schimanski’s blows were as easy to predict as an imminent rain shower, and Mullett ducked out of his way a good deal, and landed some effective lefts to the jaw. Schimanski’s strength, however, was a great asset to him, and ■what blows he did land shook his opponent badly. Mullett fought a courageous battle, and in the last round was connecting with some well-timed right hooks to the head. There were some ringing exchanges and Schimanski gained the decision by virtue of his superior strength. A. Lucas (Hawke’s Bay) 12.13 J beat W. R. Kemp (Auckland) 13.1 on a knock-out

Kemp used a good straight left which Lucas countered at times with a right cross. The first round was a fairly tame affair compared with the previous clash. Lucas landed a hard right to the solar plexus in the second round and followed it with a right to the jaw. Kemp was badly shaken and Lucas came in strongly with both hands, finally knocking his man out for the count with a terrific right cross to the jaw. Lucas had to be taken back to his comer, but made a quick recovery. SEMI-FINALS D. Anderson (Southland) 13.0 beat P. Schimanski (Taranaki) 13.3 on points. Schimanski came in with his right chop to the jaw but Anderson’s defence was sound and the Southlander landed some good right swings. There was some solid infighting in the second round, Anderson connecting with some hard punches to the head with both hands. Anderson found it difficult to hold his heavier opponent off in the last round, but boxed him scientifically and gained a well-earned decision.

A. Lucas (Hawke’s Bay) 12.13 J beat C. .Marsh (Greymouth) 13.0 on points.

Lucas connected with a left hook to the jaw, after which there were some brisk exchanges with little between the contestants. Both were punching hard to the body in the infighting, but there was a good deal of holding. Lucas scored with some solid body rips in the second round and his opponent stepped in at times with a straight left and a right cross. Lucas ran into one right hander and went over in the corner,’but was up again almost immediately. Both were punching cleanly in the last round varying their blows to the head and body and making an attractive fight of it. Lucas was fairly well spent when the gong went.