OPPONENT FOR DONOVAN

Taranaki Daily News, 12 November 1929, Page 5

OPPONENT FOR DONOVAN

TO-MORROW’S CONTEST. In securing 4;he DonOvan-Doble return bout the Taranaki Association _is to be congratulated on its enterprise and initiative, for undoubtedly after the great exhibition given by these boxers in Wellington recently the association is giving. enthusiasts the best .that is offering; 0 a bout, in fact, which several other associations have been frantically endeavouring to arrange. In ringcraft Donovan at Wellington met his superior in the trimly , built Doble. Even in the latter rounds when the effect of the hard fight was beginning to tell its tale Doble was still Donovan’s superior in generalship and clever counter-punching, the Waitara man prevailing in sheer fighting ability alone. And when the decision was rendered : what an outcry. The house was fifty-fifty in its summing up of the merits of the pair, and while a portion stood by the.referee, equally as many asked, “Whaffor,” and with much emphasis. . However, the controversy, most bitter in the Capital City, will receive its quietus to-morrow night, when the vexed question of who is the better, Donovan, the Fighting Fireman (who

has yet, with the exception of one occasion when he breached the. rules, to drop a decision as a professional), or Doble. (whose performances in the Australian ring suggests he, with Tommy Crowle, is second only to Billy Grime at his weight), will be settled one way or the other. • Heavy bookings assure the success of the tournament, which includes six bouts by leading Taranaki amateurs. Country patrons especially would be well advised to ring Collier’s and reserve to avoid the trip to town and possible disappointment. NOTED AUSTRALIAN BOXER. Tommy Doble, the young Australian featherweight who put up such a great performance against the Waitara fighter, Tommy Donovan, in Wellington a few days ago, arrived in New Plymouth last night in jorder to fight a return bout to-morrow- evening at the Opera House. Doble, who is accompanied by his sparring partner, J. Jones, a very promising Welsh lightweight, was met at the train by Messrs. J. Garcia and E. J. Carr, chairman and secretary of the Taranaki Boxing Association, and taken to the association's office, where he met the members of the committee. Doble, who is a quiet, unassuming lad, is in the pink of condition. He considers he will strip fitter than he did for his last bout, when he had landed in New Zealand c’aly two or three days. He is confident of turning the tables in the return bout. It was his original intention to return home last Friday and he had booked his passage, but he was able to secure a week’s extra leave from his employers to enable him to accede to the request of the Taranaki association, and he will now leave on his return by the Ulimaroa next Friday. Both Doble and Jones are delighted with the scenery met with in New Zealand and are enthusiastic regarding the hospitality that has been extended to them They were fortunate m securing viws ’of Mt. Egmont on the train journey and cannot speak too highly of it. Doble was particularly struck with the ateht as it was his first view of snow. A splendid set of preliminaries has been arranged, as a glance at the following will show:— R. Furze (Tikorangi) v. A. Duggan (Hawcra). F Fenton v. F. Hutchens (Eltham). B* Turner (Waitara) v. S. Brereton (New Plymouth). C. Talbot (Eltham) v. J. Hudson (Okato). . B. Goodwin (Oakura) v. A. Furze (Tikorangi). ’ The meeting of Duggan and lurze should be a big draw as a pipe-opener for the principal event.