j CUBAN VICTOR BOOED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 671, 24 May 1929, Page 15

j CUBAN VICTOR BOOED

CHOCOLATE DEFEATS ! LA BARBA BOXERS IN HARD TUSSLE f Australian and JV.Z. Press Association ) NEW YORK, Wednesday. In a boxing contest between two j bantam-weights, La Barba, 12011 b: ' (America), and Chocolate, 1211 b | (Cuba), the latter won a majority de- \ \ Oision after 10 rounds." It was j thought that if both men made llSlb, j | the Boxing Commission might pro-! I claim the winner the cliam- 1 \ pion, as that class is now without a i : leader. I In the first round, after prelimin- ] j ary clinching, La Barba drove the ! Cuban to the ropes and was a little ahead in a rapid exchange of blows. In the second Chocolate drove a fusillade of rights and a left to the head without return, but the American drove the Cuban to the ropes, finding his opponent’s face and body with both hands and particularly a hard left to the head. It was La Barba’s round. In the third Chocolate opened with both fists, making La Barba give ground. They then exchanged hard blows, the American landing five lefts I to the body and head without return j and putting Chocolate on his heels | with a left. It was La Barba’s round. AMERICAN’S GOOD RALLY ! Chocolate launched a double-handed j attack in the fourth, shaking the Cali- ! fornian with rights and lefts to the I face, which shbwed the marks of the j blows. | The referee warned the Californian jto keep his blows higher. This was | Chocolate’s round. The fifth was even, j both men boxing rather carefully, j The sixth round was a furious tussle, particularly at the end. at close | quarters. The Californian had the | Cuban retreating for a time and then Chocolate nearly knocked his opponent j down with a hard right to the face, I which caught La Barba off his balance, Chocolate won the round. In the seventh La Barba was in distress and fell into clinches. The Cuban was too slow in following up his advantage and the American shook off his lethargy and assumed the offensive. He soon had the Cuban on the ropes, where he punished him. This was La Barba’s round. DECISION UNPOPULAR Chocolate showed clear superiority throughout the eighth round. His left jabs and two uppercuts to his opponent’s chin gave him the lead. In the ninth Chocolate started a wild atattack, jarring La Barba with lefts to the head, which distressed the American. It was Chocolate's round. In the 10th Chocolate continued a jabbing attack, which proved effective. Although toward the end of the round the American forced the fighting in a sensational manner, it was Chocolate’s round. The decision was unpopular, the crowd booing Chocolate. It transpires that the decision was not unanimous. The referee and one of the judges gave their decision to Chocolate, but the second judge picked La Barba. I