BEATING A LEFT LEAD

Taranaki Daily News, 1 September 1930, Page 5

BEATING A LEFT LEAD

TOMMY DONOVAN CONCENTRATES It is a recognised fact that the most difficult blow to deal with in the roped arena is' a snappy straight left,, such as possessed by “Fighting Johnny Leckie. Taking a glance, through the cham- ■ pion’s record reveals quite, a fair sprinkling of knock-outs achieved with the short right, that also brought about Tommy Donovan’s downfall at Napier a few. .weeks ago. '.But while it has been Leckie’s right hand that has rendered the coup de grace it has been his superb left that has paved the way for the finishing touch. Much has been written of Gene lunney as a student of boxing and the classics. Tommy Donovan may not be a dabbler in the classics, but he most certainly is a keen student of the noble art, and in every instance in which he has twice met a class visitor his secona contest has revealed some lesson great or small, learned as the result, of a study of opposition weaknesses in the first bout. His contests with the great little American, Sarron, are striking examples of this. At New Plymouth on the occasion of their first meeting the American, with devastating body blows, almost paralysed Tommy in the seventh and final session. But this extraordinary little battler from Waitara a few hours after the contest had solved the problem! Nervousness * was replaced by extreme confidence in ;his ability to repulse the she 'k tactids of Sarron, ano. the second contest, held at Wellington, proved that he made no idle boast when he stated: ! ‘Sarron ‘will not get me that way again.” What is Donovan’s plan of campaign to beat Leckie’s straight left and smashing right? It is a well-known fact that Tommy ill. deeply engrossed in the study of ways'.and means to foij 'his famous rival. Will ponovan rely hm a back-move, to sway in again with Lft and right to J Ing face ? Will he,' Hp]ov the and undeit Rad and volley I . ■ L

hooks to the mid-riff? Upward parry and drive to the heart? The knock away with its ensuing rights to bod) and head and the left to the solar plexus? Or—maybe Tommy could with advantage listen-in to a tew ot the observations and street-corner demonstrations as to how, quite simply. Johnny can be “knocked into a cockeu hat.”