PROFESSIONAL BOXING

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1928, Page 6

PROFESSIONAL BOXING

GREEN DEFEATS GRIFFITHS. AUSTRALIAN'S GREAT SPEEU/. Napier, Oct. 3. In a fast aud open bbxing contest of 6 rounds Teddy Green (Australia) scored a narrow victory on points over Tomniy Griffiths (Dunedin) this evening. The Australian, in the opening rounds, made the pace fast and piled on points through superior footwork and ringcraft. However, Griffiths, using a more solid punch than is usual with him, sized him up as the fight went on and made up much of leeway. Toward tho close Griffiths was fighting splendidly and nearly secured a draw. Green eviIdently found Griffiths’ advantage in weight a handicap for he tired considerably and finished not nearly as fresh as the Dunedin boxer. The fight opened quietly. Green scored with two pretty lefts and danced away to evade punishment. He showed amazing speed. Tlie Australian again exploited the left to the face in the second round with considerable success, Griffiths failing to stop several nasty little jabs. Once in the third round Green caught Griffiths with bent knees and snapped in a biting left to the face. The fourth found tho Dunedin man on the defence, Green scoring with blows to the head. He broke ground with such rapidity and neatness that Griffiths was unable to retaliate. Griffitlas made Green’s ribs the target for four solid punches when the fifth round opened and followed with two short arm jabs to the The pace slackened slightly in the sixth session, but the two were boxing as hard as ever in the seventh. Green whipped in a left to the face, but as ho turned to avoid retaliation, Uriffitho caught him smartly on the side of tho face and knocked him to the ropes. Green bounced out and bustled his. man with smart rights to the head. Griffiths took his punishment well. In the eighth round he found a mark for more than one left to the solar plexus and steadied Green considerably. In the ninth Green connected with half-arm punches to the head, Griffiths driving him off with hard body blow deliveries as the gong sounded. . Green made his customary rush in the next round and went flush into a straight left that sent him to the boards. He was up without a count, but a few, seconds later was again shaken with a well-aimed left. Fighting with confidence the Dunedin boxer gave away nothing. In the eleventh round he found Green’s body repeatedly with smarting lefts, Green showing the effects of the punishment. Griffiths took the fight to the enemy’s camp and Green had tho worst of two smart exchanges in the 13th round. Griffiths improved his position by holding Green off and punching his body. With one round to go, Green livened up temporarily, but missed frequently. Griffiths snapped in three rights to the body. He had all the better of the final rounk hut the Australian had enough points in hand to gain him the decision, which was well received.