VICTORY ON FOUL

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1930, Page 7

VICTORY ON FOUL

DONOVAN DEFEATS GRIME eleventh round decision LOW BLOW ENDS THE FIGHT. POINTS LEAD TO DONOVAN. In a sensational manner, almost as dramatic as his contest with Pete.Sarron at New Plymouth, Tommy Donovan trained the decision on a foul in the eleventh round over Australian Billy Grime at the Hawera Opera House on Thursday night. . As in that now historic contest opinion is divided, some considering the referee’s verdict in favour of Donovan justifiable while others are of opinion that the final blow was fair. It was impossible from the situation of the Press seats to judge where the blow landed, but Referee Earl Stewart had no hesitation in disqualifying Grime. The huge crowd, however, did not realise what had happened and was shouting for a verdict when the referee disappeared. With hundreds surging around the ring and in the hall the situation looked ugly until Announcer G. Meyrick explained the position. ■ Until the eleventh round the ex-triple champion of Australia had been fighting coolly and methodically against a much more vigorous opponent. Donovan had won five rounds, Grime four and one was diawn. Suddenly in the eleventh Grime changed his tactics and ripped a wicked right low to the body, Donovan immediately falling to the canvas and groaning in agony with both hands clasped around his abdomen. Subse?uently he was examined by two docors, one of whom stated that he received a slight, glancing blow in forbidden territory and that- the blow had continued upwards, ending in the region of the solar plexus. The other doctor stated that from external examination no injury was apparent but it was impossible to state, whether Donovan had been fouled or not till a few days had elapsed. HUNDREDS TURNED AWAY. In arranging such a contest the Hawera Boxing Association, the youngest body of its kind in New Zealand, accepted a big responsibility, but by taking the risk it has definitely earned the right to be classed as one of the major associations in New Zealand. Hundreds' of enthusiasts eager to witness the fight had to be turned away. Long before the appointed hour of opening the doors a huge crowd was assembled in the streets, and when admitted the police had an unenviable time in maintaining some semblance of order. So great was the rush that it became necessary to admit the crowd in. sections.’ When one section was admitted there would be a great push forward to fill the vacancy. Fortunately the crowd was good-natured,’ but in the surge the glass fronts of two show--eases and one window were broken. The contests commenced well to time and the preliminaries followed one another in quick succession. A collection taken in aid of the Poppy Day fund met with a generous response. The two opening bouts were between novices, the pupils of Jack Jones’ school being successful. The amateui lightweight champion of Taranaki, R. Christensen, New Plymouth, was dethroned by Ben John- - son’s promising pupil, F. Hutchens. The promising Hawera welterweight,. Dud. Wills, met and defeated on a technical knock-out in 1| rounds a noted Wellington amateur in Pat Leahy." The latter’s nose was broken in the first found. A special feature arranged in connection with Poppy Day did not take, place at the time arranged. It was a contest between the Gordon twins, Patea, C. and V. Gordon, each sst. s Jib. The diminutive boxers were lost in the crowd and did not fight until immediately before the professional contest. Their exhibition, which resulted in a draw, roused enthusiastic applause and a shower of money was thrown into the ring when the. referee announced his decision.

No sooner were the preliminaries dispensed with than Billy Grime, attended by the ex-lightweight champion of RVales, Jack Jones, made hie appearance. Donovan followed in charge of Argils McGregor. The Auckland professional, Glen Leslie, who is to meet Johnny Leckie at Napier next month, was present and was introduced to the audience. GRIME’S UNORTHODOX STYLE. The weights were announced as Grime 9.4, Donovan 9.3. The Australian was about two inches taller and had a much longer reach than his opponent. Throughout the contest Donovan was on the aggressive and earned many points for his forcing tactics. But he found Grime awkward to hit, his style being puzzling and his sudden right counters distasteful. The Australian showed himself as a ring freak, his very unorthodox methods being his greatest asset. # At the outset Donovan bounced across the ring feeling for Grime with his straight left, a weapon which the Australian easily avoided. However, Donovan fooled his opponent in presenting a bare left side, and he then slammed a right hook to Grime’s ribs, connecting fas the Australian straightened up with a straight left to the face and another right hook to the body. Grime crouched lower and still lower until his right hand was only an inch or two from the canvas and his left extended straight before him. Suddenly he straightened and jolted Donovan with a double left to the face. The Waitara boxer closed and swung a left to Grime’s body, receiving a terrific ri"ht drive to the heart as he did so. Jn’ close the Australian was claiming Donovan’s left glove and jabbing to head body with his own left When free Donovan jabbed the Australian with two lefts to the head, another Inft hook sending Grime to his knees. Honours went to Donovan. Standing off coolly in the second Grime let the New Zealander make the pace while he was content to block and counter at every opportunity. Willing to force the fight Donovan stepped in°but was made to miss and received a stinging right drive to the heart, a blow which sent him to his heels. He was soon back fighting with greater vim and landed two straight lefts to Grime's head. The Australian again went into a crouch and shot out a right which landed on Dondvan’s throat. Donovan replied with a right to the body which twiing Grime to the canvas. A left

uppercut made the Australian straighten but as he did so ho hooked a wicked left to the solar plexus which made his opponent grimace. When in close Grime jolted a right to Donovan’s head and the old gash over the Waitara boxer’s eye was re-opened but did not bleed. Roused by the blow Donovan rushed, but in close Grime worked his head so that his opponent’s jolts swept harmlessly past his cars and shoulders. Grime suddenly straightened and took sessional points with a snappy left uppercut to the jaw. CROWD WILDLY EXCITED. The crowd was by now becoming wildly excited and the sound of the gong was barely audible. The unorthodoxy of the Australian was puzzling to his opponent and contrary to expectations Grime was willing to mix matters and always looked dangerous. He kept Donovan off with an extended left in the third round and as Donovan ducked to <ret in close jabbed him with that weapon to the head. Donovan took the blows and forced his way in, slamming a right hook to the body which Grime did not like. The Australian was warned for holding but continued to clinch and rip up a right to the body when the opportunity was presented. This blow worried Donovan and he tried ineffectually to block it with his right forearm, meanwhile jabbing at the Australian’s bobbing head. Donovan was forcing the pace but raised a laugh when he missed by feet with two vicious right hooks to the head. A two-handed battery made Grime give ground and Donovan connected with a left hook to the head. Grime earned a slight margin of pointe in thia round. Renewing the attack with an effortless concentration that seemed momentarily to dishearten Jiis opponent, Donovan opened the fourth with a right hook to the ribs and a straight left to the Australian’s ear. Grime, crouched low, ducked and swayed, endeavouring to keep his man off, but stopped another left jolt to-the jaw. He countered with a right swing which Donovan neatly avoided, but as he was straightening he was hit with a left hook to the jaw and a right uppercut to the chest. Donovan again cleverly evaded the following right cross to the point and the round ended with points in his favour. The Australian worked hard for his points in the fifth session and seemed to be warming up to his task. He still fought coolly and confidently while his opponent adopted rasher methods. Donovan forced Grime to the ropes by sheer strength, but his blows, taken on the gloves and arms, were being wasted. Donovan .moved his right glove and the Australian’s fist found his heart. Again Grime was forced to retreat and in sliding clear of the ropes slipped to the canvas. The Australian did not waste a blow and as Donovan rushed in with flailing arms Grime delivered another shattering right drive to the heart, the whole of his Ost. 41b. being behind the blow. Donovan was shaken and visibly affected, but he closed and claimed the deadly hand. A left hook bruised Donovan’s right eye and both eyes became puffed and swollen, his left trickling blood. The Waitara boxer again attempted to close with his man but stopped another right drive to the body. The round was Grime’s. DONOVAN GAINS POINTS. While Grime continued to time every blow to perfection, his ’ opportunities were limited in the sixth round and Donovan took sessional honours. He opened by landing with a stinging right hook to the Australian’s ear and by following up with two light lefts to the point. Crouching low Grime waved his extended left straight in front and searched for an opening for his right. Donovan was wary and wo ’ld not give his opponent an opportunity to deliver it. He continued to use a straight left but experienced difficulty in getting past Grime’s long arm. When he did the pair clinched and the referee’s “Break! break! break!” became monotonous. The first indication that Grime had a deadly body blow in his left came at the opening of the seventh round when he feinted for the head and then hooked his left to the solar plexus, Donovan was fortunate that he was back-moving at the time. The Waitara. boxer immediately attempted to retaliate but Grime evaded two right hooks to the head and countered with a straight left to Donovan’s jaw. A wild right swing was easily dodged by Grime, who bouncC'’ back, swung his right low down to Donovan’s stomach and jolted the .Waitara man with a left hook to the jaw. Both missed with right uppercuts, but Donovan connected with a stinging right .chopped to his opponent’s head. The round was Grime’s.

The points could not be separated in the eighth, the aggressiveness of Donovan being nullified by the evaaiveness of his opponent. Grime landed a light left to the head and a hard right to the body, while Donovan pounded the Australian with rights to the body. A right hook to the jaw rattled the fireman, but he came back with two straight leftfl, Grime evening matters by hooking hifl right to the point and jolting his opponent with a straight left to tlie head. Donovan landed a left, to the body, Grime replying with left and right to the head. AGGRESSIVE TACTICS. The ninth and tenth rounds ended in favour of the fireman, whose aggressive methods won him the points. He commenced the ninth by landing a left to the body and a.brace of straight lefts to the head, while he made Grime miss with a right hook. He ignored the hard right drive to the heart in this round and began a sustained two-handed battery that swept the Australian along the ropes and around the ring. Donovan’s straight left was shooting out with ramrod-like precision and he once rushed Grime off his feet, both falling heavily to the canvas. When “corners” sounded Donovan for the first time during the contest made use of the towelswinger. Similar work was seen in the tenth, but the intentions of Grime were obvious. He was content to block anything dangerous and allow his opponent °to push him about the ring. But Donovan showed no signa of tiring and kept jabbing straight lefts at the elusive head of his opponent and slammin<r right hooks to the body. On occasions he was made to miss badly, but he was always willing to force the pace. Moving with beautiful freedom and arace, Grime weaved under Donovan’6 flailinw arms at the commencement of the sensational eleventh, rammed his left to Donovan’s chest and clinched, working his right to his opponent’s ribs. Two hard rights to the jaw worried the Waitara boxer and ho held. When the pair were parted Grime steathily moved in again and drove a terrific right over Donovan's heart. The blow shook Donovan, who again held and Referee Stewart worked overtime in breaking the pair. Grime worked his man to a neu-

tral corner. He appeared to suddenly change bis stance, leading with a right and suddenly whipping a left hook: to the body. His back was towards the Press table and it was impossible to see where the blow landed. Donovan immediately fell down and lay groaning on the canvas with his hands clasped across his abdomen. Pandemonium reigned amongst the crowd. The din was deafening. The referee waved Grime to his corner and walked across and raised Donovan. Grime again walked into the ring centre, but was again waved back by the referee, who yelled, “You’re out, Grime, you’re out.” Those in the ringside seats surged around the ring. The referee left the ring. The crowd in the body of the hall was milling in the aisles and yelling for a decision. Anxious officials and the police were walking hurriedly to and fro and order was only momentarily, observed when Announcer G. E. Meyrick raised his hand and announced the verdict. Cheers and “boos” again broke out, but eventually the hall was cleared arid the inquests continued outside. THE PRELIMINARY BOUTS. < Featherweight. R. Hartley (Ohangai) 9.0 J, defeated C. Thomas (Eltham), 8.11, on points. Though lighter Thomas had the advantage "of height and reach and met his opponent’s opening rush with straight lefts and rights. Hartley proved very wame and endeavoured to keep the bout close, landing solidly to the body. He showed clever footwork, too. The second round opened at a fast pace, each scoring to the face. Hartley swung one that would have ended the fight, but Thomas ducked cleverly. A willing if somewhat unscientific mix-up kept the crowd in great humour for the balance of the second round. The final round saw Hartly aggressive and score heavily with the right, causing Thomas to smother. Thomas poked out a left' that landed, but Hartley went in solidly and had the better of the fight to secure the verdict. Middleweight. T. Smith (Hawera) il.lj, defeated McTaggart (Manutahi). The bout opened quietly. Each man showed good footwork and clever evasion, particularly on the part of McTaggart when Smith shot up a nasty uppercut. The second round was brighter. McTaggart suddenly stopped in the middle of some breezy back-pedalling to shoot in a left and right and had little troubling in evading his opponent's return, though just on the close Smith sent him to the boards with a left. The third round saw McTaggart still the more aggressive, Smith being content to use his extra reach to poke out a left that frequently scored. Towards the close McTaggart landed a solid left which roused '"’Smith out of his lethargy, and he used both hands, sending in some wild swings. Smith received the verdict. Lightweight. F. Hutchens (Eltham) 9.13, defeated L. Christiansen (New Plymouth) 9.13, on points. This proved a willing fight. Both were clever two-handed fighters. Hutchens was the more aggressive and in the first round went in to score despite the efforts of Christiansen to keep the fight open. A lively mix-up saw the latter get home with his left. The second round opened with a willing encounter, Hutchens getting close despite a vigorous shower of blows from his opponent. In the breakaway Hutchens landed heavily with the left. Christiansen asserted himself and, cleverly evading Hutchens’ rush, shot in the left. Hutchens, however, got busy with both hands, Christiansen showing r<-ood defence. The final round saw each epar for an opening, and then Christiansen led. Some close work followed in which each showed cleverness. Hutchens, still the aggressor, landed two solid lefts to the face, but a little later Christiansen sent in a neat uppercut, followed by a couple of lefts. Hutchens cLverly evaded and came in with a rattle to have the better of a willing bout and gain a well-deserved verdict. L. Murray (Eltham) 9.5, defeated S. Cavanagh (Hawera) 8.11, on pointe. Cavanagh, as usual, with his tricky footwork kept his opponent guessing for a while, but after the first minute Murray landed heavily to the face and body, though Cavanagh’s style of suddenly hopping in nonplussed him a little. The sccond°round opened Similarly and then Murray, becoming aggressive, compelled Cavanagh to hang on to save. The third round opened very willingly, the pair mixing it for the first 30 seconds. Then followed a period of evasion until Murray suddenly swung a vicious uppercut right from the floor. Cavanagh back-moved. In the final stages Murray sent home an occasional blow despite Cavanagh's evasiveness. Welterweight.

D. Willis (Hawera) 10.12, defeated Pat Leahy (Wellington) I' 1 !, on a technical knock-out in the second round. Wills, who is a powerful two-handed fighter, was all over the Wellington lad in the opening stages, landing a veritable battery of blows with both hands to the face, and it looked as if Leahy must go down. However, the Wellington lad, by hanging on, weathered the storm, occasionally shooting out a left, but the honours of the round were all with the Hawera man. Leahy resumed very confidently and shot out his right, but Wills went in determinedly and drove him to the boards. On his feet again Leahy received another battery from his. determined opponent and was sent down again with a straight left to the chin. He was very groggy and Referee Stewart awarded the bout to Wills, who should go far in the game. Featherweight.

B. Turner (Waitara) 9.0, defeated C. Talbot (Eltham) 8.9 J, by a technical knock-out in the third round. This was a very willing bout in which each displayed science. After sparring for an opening Talbot flashed in his left and a neat rally followed. Turner darted in and flashed in several blows with both hands in quick succession. The closing stages saw another lively rally with honours even. In the second round Turner at once took the fight to his opponent, who endeavoured to beat him off, but the Waitara lad worked in close and scored to the body. Each made the other miss badly and then Talbot landed a right to the body. Turner retaliated with solid lefts to the face and in a willing mix-up on the gong Talbot scored to the face. The final round opened full of vim, each mixing it freely and giving and taking in good style. Talbot landed heavily to the face but Turner went in like a tiger and landed several rights to the face, sending Talbot to the boards for five. On resuming the Eltham lad was again sent down and as he rose very groggily the referee awarded the bout to Turner, who was very aggressive throughout and continued to show improvement.