Victory for Speed

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 548, 28 December 1928, Page 10

Victory for Speed

McINNES GAINS VERDICT

Scots Fight Like Demons

IX a tremendous, hard-hitting contest at the Auckland Town Hall last night. Tommy Melnnes ran hi* score to four straight wins on end by taking a decision from Lacliie Macdonald by the narrowest possible margin. It was tierce and merciless milling all the way, both men fighting like demons, with congealed blood and sweat dripping from their gleaming, punch-battered bodies

The two presented an abrupt con- ; trast in their corners Mclnnes, modelled like a Greek god. but hairycliested and swarthy of visage; Macdonald, cast on leaner lines, with long, gorilla-like arms, wearing the familiar “All Black” trunks, with embossed fern leaf. Throughout the light. Macdonald fought and rested'in his corner with Sphinx-like mein, grimly oblivious to his surroundings. Mclnnes, on the other hand, was quicker to register emotion, and once when he appealed for a foul, he let out a yell that could be heard above the roar of a seething auditorium. The story of Macdonald’s early superiority started in the first round, when the lean Southerner lumped out of his corner and drove a terrific right hand punch to Melnnes’s midriff, the curly-haired Scot wincing with the pain of the blow. Mclnnes covered up instinctively, and for the five rounds the points margin was 15 per cent, in Macdonald’s favour. MACDONALD’S EYE OPENED Quicker and smarter at close quarters, Mclnnes concentrated with short, savage punches on Macdonald’s head, and in the seventh round opened up an old cut over the Timaru man's eye in a terrible, smashing onset in the far corner. Dripping with blood, and fighting back with cold fury. Macdonald went back to his corner for first aid. The sickening smell of collodion came from Macdonald’s corner at the seventh interval, and in the next round Macdonald let drive with a low-set punch which grazed the top of Melnnes’s trunks, and drew from the Scot an agonised howl of protest. Referee Meale ordered the pair to tox on, and while Mclnnes was still registering his disapproval, Macdonald battered him on to the ropes under a hurricane of right and left swings, striving desperately for a knock-out. Mclnnes rose to it like a champion in the middle stagey of the fight, steadily regained his lost ground, and won the eleventh round so decisively that he had Macdonald reeling dazedly on the ropes, punch-drunk and almost battered to a standstill. Macdonald showed all his old invincible fighting spirit in the 12th and 13th, plunging in with his famous forward drive and slugging grimly at Mclnnes’s body. The latter fought back viciously with short, sharp left jabs, and incessantly tried to uppercut his man. The closing stages of the fight were fought at a terrific pace. Macdonald bored in at the start of the 14th, staggered his man with a smashing right swing to the heart, and hurled Mclnnes back on the ropes under a torrent of blows. WHIRLWIND LAST ROUND The pair were as near to even as they could possibly be on points at the start of the 15th and final session. A handshake and a smile, indicative of the magnificent sporting spirit in which the bout was fought, preceded the last stanza. Pandemonium broke loose at the first blow, and for 180 seconds a roar of cheering swept the building, rising and falling like the boom of surf on a rocky coast, as first one man and then the other smashed home with telling effect. Mclnnes made the pace a cracker, driving in close with short, sharp punches to head and body. Both men were trying desperately to land a knock-out, Mclnnes with a deadly right upper-cut and Macdonald with a right swing, but there were more punches missed and more points lost when the end came. So close had the fight been from start to finish that a hush swept the building at the finish. There was a sudden burst of cheering when Announcer Dervan swung round in the direction of Mclnnes’s corner, and pandemonium broke loose when the decision was announced. Many thought Macdonald had just got there, but the combined result of the two fights, making it a “fifty fifty” break between the pair on their two appearances in Auckland, was popularly receivedSuperior speed won the fight for Mclnnes. Constantly on the move from start to finish, the Scot allowed few of Macdonald’s long

range blows to land at fu'l strength and he excelled in the close work with short, sharp half-arm jolts. Macdonald was a little slow after his long spell, but fought a magnificent battle.

AFTER THE CONTEST

VIEWS OF THE BOXERS Seen after the fight. Macdonald appeared in bad shape. The old wound over his left eye had been opened and the doctor wanted to stitch it. Macdonald, however, would not allow him. Macdonald said his old injury had been opened by a butt from Mclnnes’g head. He claimed that Mclnnes had used his head on several occasions, and he wanted to light Mclnnes again. Mclnnes said that Macdonald had not been too careful in his methods, and said that he had been hit low in the eighth round. He was quite satisfied with the fight and the decision.

GOOD AMATEUR BOUTS

N.Z. CHAMPION DEFEATED A good programme of amateur bouts was staged in support of the main bout. The contest between Urquhart and Karim was the best amateur bout of the evening, • Karim beating the New Zealand feather-weight champion after a hard struggle. Mr. F. Burns was the referee. T. Mulls, 7st 101 b. beat T. Reid. 7st 9Mb. —This was a fast and interesting bout. Mulls getting the verdict bv

virtue of his cleaner hitting. Reid spoilt his chances by over-use of his right hand, missing with it much more than he connected.

A. Karim. 9st 61b, beat L. Urquhart, 9st 21b. —Both boys fought a great four-round fight and received an ovation. The first round was poor, but in the second Karim had Urquhart groggy, but failed to follow' up quickly enough. Urquhart was warned for holding. Urquhart was aggressive in the third, but Karim was an elusive target. Both scored well with solid punches. The last round was hardfouglit all the way, hard blows with both hands being exchanged. The decision in Karims favour was very popular. R. Fraei. 9st. beat C. Moran, Bst 91b. —The bout was marred by “flashiness,” but both boys improved in the final round, little separating the pair at the end. W. McLean, 11st 41b, beat A. Shadbolt, lOst 111b.—Tlie first three rounds were similar* McLean hitting his opponent heavily. Shadbolt. however, dodged cleverly and improved considerably in the last round. McLean had a shade in his favour and received the deoisoin.