BOXING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13975, 9 August 1909, Page 2

BOXING.

TIMARU SPOUTS CLUB. The boxing competitions arranged by the Timaru Sports Club were held in the Theatre Itoyal on Saturday evening. Probably owing to it being Saturday, a night on which it is usually difficult- to get audiences, the attendance was not very large,. which was a pity, for most of the items were well worthy. of more extensive patronage, excellent bouts being fought between several of the pairs. Messrs G. Kerr and Goodwin acted as judges, Mr It. Cooke ably fitted the position .of referee, Mr E. H. Eeid officiated at the gong, while Messrs F. TVaddcl and O'Donnell did good work as secretary and steward. Quite a number of members of the Teuiuka Boxing Club came in to wateh the competition, and during the evening an announcement was made with reference to the tournament that will be held there, when the piece do resistance will be a six-round go between S. Fitzsimmons and Gillespie, the lad who made such a good showing against the Timaru boy at the last Teinuka performance. Mr Cooke also mentioned, at the request- of Mr AV. Jameson, that the ex-champion Tommy Burns, with his two sparring partners would give exlubitions in Timaru on the 13th and 14th inst.

As mentioned before, the majority of the bouts of the evening were well contested aud good to watch, the novice events providing the most excitement. The go between Seegar and Martin ended up up a way that few of the spectators would have anticipated, from the first round. Martin was getting all the best of it and had Seegar very groggy indeed from the effects of a. clinking right.to the jaw, but he failed lamentably to follow up his advantage and let Seegar recover, with the result that in the end he lost the bout. Bodsworth was too solid for Watson, who tired himself very much with ill-judged blows, only a small percentage of which landed where he intended, but the loser showed that he. was plucky and full of fight, although the referee was quite right in stopping the bout before the end of the third round. The finfial of the novices, was the one bout in regard to which the Teferee's judgment might with reason be challenged, certainly Bodsworth had received a couple of stingers and' was a little dazed, but he was very far frpm being ''out,' 1 and with a little covering up would probably have quite recovered, and the result might possibly have been different. Heggarty and Stewart's exhibition spar was clever and interesting, but the bout ,tliat was the draw of the evening, a 10-rotmd professional go between D. Brown, Ashburton, and T. Clarke, Timaru, was very disappointing. When -the men stepped into ihe ring, it was obvious that Clarke was the fitter of the' two, and when they got into action, it was seen that he was also cleverer. There is little doubt that he ' could have ended the bout in one round, but, properly enough, he took advantage <jf the first round to size up his man. The bout between Beecham and O'Hagan was perhaps the closest of the evening. Both boys put up a grand exhibition and O'Hagan's coolness stood him in good stead and he well deserved the decision, though some of Beecham's supporters in the audience did not seem to think so.

NOVICES—Four three-minute rounds. Bodsworth (Timaru) 9st 101b. v. AYatson (Tmaru) lOst 21b.—At the tap of the gong the boys got together, and after a couple of feints with the. left, Bodsworth rushed in -and had Watson giving ground and blocking for all he he was worth, till he slipped to his knees in the corner. On rising, Watosn returned his opponents rush with interest and a willing bit of in-fighting ended by Bodsworth going down. He was up again in a moment, and another hix-up ended in a clinch. The referee's call of "break" was obeyed, and at once the twain leaped at each other again, :and another wild and woolly mix-up ended up with "Watson going to the boards, from the effect of a hard right to the body. He was down for two seconds, but rose up unhurt, and they fell into clinches. In ' the excitement Bodsworth broke a rule and hit Watson in clinches, but the act escaped the referee's notice, and the gong went after a dead willing round, of which Bodsworth had the best. Round two opened a little more quietly. Bodsworth seeing an openitfg let fly a stinger at the head, but Watson ducked and countered with a hard right to the ribs. Then Watson got a bit careless and after a few ineffectual leads at his opponent, left himself very open. He chased Bodsworth half round the ring, but his quarry suddenly stopped and with a hard back hand .swing put Watson down for one. Bodsworth then settled down to do damage and hustled Watson on to the ropes and roughed him about the ring. Though exciting to watch, not much harm resulted and the lads managed to block most of the blows, but at the last Bodsworth's right connected good and solid with Watson's jaw and had him groggy. The gong prevented Bodsworth following up his advantage. Round three, saw Bodsworth piling on points; in a quick bit of work ho landed five light rights and lefts to the head and body in succession, and almost immediately after handed out a right cross that put AYatson on the canvas for seven seconds, and as he was dazed the referee stopped the fight and awarded it to Bodsworth.

Seegar (Timaru) 9st 101b. v. Martin (Ashburton) 9st 13ib.—Seegar started off as though he was going to finish matters right away, but Martin stood him off and some quick-time rushing about ended in both boys collapsing in the corner. After a few exchanges in which neither lad had much the advantage, Seegar inserted his left into Martin's face and put him down, ana then fell on liim. AVhen they got going again two or three good rallies eventuated and the round ended with little to choose. On resuming Seegar lot drive for the jaw with the left and missed but connected up with a hard right to the kidneys. Just as he was netting awav. Martin got in a beauty on the iaw that rocked Seegar's beat, back and 'arred liim considerably it was at this point that Martin threw away his chance. He had his opponent „ ro gfrv and dazed, but instead ot keeping cool and handing out the sleeping draught, he fooled around and witn everf second Seegar was recovering fast and in a mix up, connected up with a marvellously lucky on Martin's point, that put the Asliourtonite down for eight. Seegar tried to finish matters in the rally that rollowed. but Martin covered up and got away, ana was saved by the gong. In round three Seegar attacked savagely and with a hot punch put his man down for seven, and on his rising repeated the dosfl, when the referee stopped in and av. ardcd the fight to Soegar. .. n .„ rt i l Novice final.—Seegar y. Komw.i tli This bout was short and sharp. Sw--.r ar ru-i.'-d and vamed blows upon Bodsworth. ending up by putting Ins man down heavily in In* corner tor nine with a hot right to the y.»v. >" sooner was Bosworth up than Se.-uar was at him again, and dropped him once more, whereupon the rotcrree stopped the fight and gave r-,er-gar the decision. . ...„.-», EXHIBITION .-PAH. Heggarty Sst 131b v. Stewart Bst 41h rounds. —These two champion Timaru lads gave an excellent exhibition spar, both showing

heaps of science and speed, and at uie conclusion the audience showed Us api>rccialion-of their worK Uy hearty applause. LIGHT WEIGHTS-

O'Hagan lU.st, 41b (Timaru)- v. Bcecliam 10st 21b (Timaru). Six tnree-nimute rounds. —Alter tlio custoniary iiand-sliaKe. tlio pair procceiKd wanly* to woik. Beecham led, ami " coupu; of neutral exchanges lollowed, which ended by Beccnam upper-cutting O'Hagan, i\ no* ivi.aliat.cd Willi a couple of beauties to tne neck. Beechum swung with the li-ii. O'Hagan Uuckeu, and planted a light right to the buu.v. in trying to evade which iseecha.ui slipped and came to his knees. Some interesting exchanges followed ana the round ended, il anything, siigluly in o'Hagau : s favour. On resuming. Beecham tried to mix things up, bi... O'Hagan blocked we'll. There \yus nothing much in it, with the exception that four or live times in quick succession Beechaiu planted his left lightly on v) Hagan's face. Watcliing his opportunity, O'Hagan clipped Beeclnu,. with the right and floored him lor six. On rising beecham hung on a bit, ano the round ended witn him keeping away, O'Hagan making no attempt to get* in. The third round saw lireworks, O'Hagan rushed a mix-up ended in a clinch, and the perlorniance was repeated. O'liagau i;r-h connected up with a hard right to the stomach and ducked Beechani's swing, which would have causeu trouuic ji~~> it- arrived. lieechani then cowreu up and 'DroKo ground, out u ttagan Allowed nun up, crosseu mm m._jaw and puncned him in me Kiune..., ljoechani iviahuuug Midi a siiai,.n lelt orive m mo lace. U iw 0 «" uuckeu uoeeham's swing lor me i-f. and they clinched, jjevcham iali..ig heavily on ins Knees, wiiciu ne iiajvu tor tnre'e. O'Magan, Keeping very cool, enued up the round with a liai... right tu tne mouth. In the loi.ivuround Beecnam notched some points lo his credit by a series ol -hgiu oiows on O llagan s face, lollowmg it- up with a resounding drive m 1.110 riu.T. bo tar O llagan looked as if he was m a trance, uut the last wck woiie him up, aim lie got Hi a right to tne Head and left to the' mark, aud enueu 0y tlivppmg Jjee.chum lor lour. lleechaiH aroac a lilt wild, and swung viciously at Jus man, who cooii.i ducked" everything. The first thing j ....jian did in the fifth rounu was i... floor liis opponent, witn a clip on the jaw, and alter sparring a bit a mix-up ensued, in which Beeciiam more than held his own. The last round saw both lads very active and willing, and both mixed it- up well, rousing the audience to enthusiasm, but O'Hagan had got too far ahead to lose on anything but a knock-out, which Beecham did not have about him. O'Hagan won. The winner was trained by K. Best, ami Bcecliam by J., l-'itzsimmons. • PHOFESSIOXAi. CONTEST. D. Brown (Ashburton) list oil) v. T. Clarke (TimanO list lib. Ten three-minute rounds. —After sparring round for an opening, a few exchanges resulted in a mix-up and clinch, of which Clarke had the best. Some heavv ltodv blows had Brown on the retreat, and Clarke ended up by flooring Brown in his corner with a heavy left to the jaw. The gong saved him. The second round was all Clarke's He followed his man round, hitting where and when he liked, and a clip on the point settled the visitor, who did not seem sorry to hear the referee's count reach ten.