ARMY BOXING

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 67, Issue 5642, 16 July 1943, Page 2

ARMY BOXING

LOCAL BOYS SUCCESS A PECULIAR DECISION Writing to a friend in Te Awamutu, Sergeant George Kay, who is now overseas, says his brigade had just completed a boxing tournament and one of the outstanding contestants was Laurie Dodd, of Te Rahu, who had been coached at the Te Awamutu Young Men’s Institute. Prior to joining the Army Dodd fought with some success in the Waikato and Auckland and in an Army tournament in Whangarei after enlisting; For the first round in the recent overseas tournament (the writer says) Laurie was matched against a fairly solid fellow who was lacking in experience, and although the bout lasted the distance his opponent was in an exhausted condition, having taken heavy punishment. For thq final ,bout Laurie stripped very nicely. The .first round opened cautiously, each, man feeling for an opening. At the gong his opponent was a shade ahead on points. The second round was in Laurie’s favour, his opponent being groggy at' the gong. Towards the end of the third round Laurie’s opponent was down for the count of nine, and then the decision came like a bombshell from the referee (the famour Tom Heeney). He raised the other fellow’s hand.' Continuing, Sergeant Kay said he could not offer any explanation for this decision—it was annoying to see the honours going to the poorer contestant. Laurie is a good clean boxer (he adds) who can pack a terrific punch; also he carries his guard well, and with a little more experience in ringcraft will make you very pleased that he was once a member of the Te Awamutu Institute school of instruction.