BOXING

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19759, 28 March 1934, Page 11

BOXING

LEN HARVEY’S TRIPLE CROWN DID HE BEAT GAINS? (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, February 14. Len Harvey’s star is clearly in the ascendant. At the Albert Hall he defeated Larry Gains for the British Empire heavy-weight championship. He received the verdict on points after 15 rather moderate rounds, in which the intellectual, rather than the physical, side of the art was predominThe verdict was not to everybody’s liking, and many thought that Gains had done enough to win by a fair margin. . , . , The negro, with his superior height, reach and weight, did not make nearly enough of these advantages. He fought on too wary lines. Like Petersen, Gains will surely feel himself entitled to a return contest. In the meantime Harvey is the Kingpin of the big fellows. He holds the British cruiser and heavyweight titles and the British Empire championship as well and his country is proud of him. His sudden rise to the highest fistic elements in the last six months is indeed a romance of ne It was very obvious early on that it was to be a battle of wits. Three right-handers enabled Harvey to register the honours of a very undistinguished first round. Towards the end of the second round Harvey's nose was bleeding slightly, and in the third round, which went in Gains’ favour, the black fighter, nettled by some persistent holding, wrestled his man to the floor. Harvey’s Dash. It was noticeable that Harvey did most of the retreating, but he once went hot-foot across the ring after Gains, who had much ado to dodge a smashing right just as he reached the ropes. In the fifth round the exchanges were so tame that the spectators began to clap ironically, but Gains got home with a nasty right to the ribs which made the British champion glad to hold on. With a third of the fight gone there was a show of points in favour of Gains, whose superior weight certainly told in the clinches. It was a colourless fight, however, and Jack Petersen’s father, who was an interested spectator at the ringside, must have thought how differently his son would have managed things. In the seventh round some damaging work was done by Gains, who was quick to profit by a miss on Harvey’s part with a right to jump 'in and smash his own right to the head and, of course, supplement it with another body punch or two. In the eighth Harvey slipped down, and when he got up three well-aimed lefts to the nose caused a smear of blood to appear all round his face. Still, there was very little for the spectators to enthuse over. In Gain’s corner it was felt that he needed to put a little more pep into his work, if he wanted to make his fight sure. Harvey was applauded for beating his man to it on the break, but the holding on both sides was now very decided. Gains and His Seconds. Before Gains came up for the eleventh round he received peremptory advice from his corner to go in and do something, but Harvey was very tenacious, and once with a clever wriggle he caused Gains to swerve round into a most undignified position with his back to him. It was Harvey who came out in a threatening fashion for the 12th round, but a left to his chin rather cooled his ardour. When Gains tried to fight back, Harvey, quick opportunist that he was, slammed over the right to the head, and another round went in front of the challenger. Very Little In It. With three rounds to go there could not be very much in it and Harvey, taking the initiative, scored two splendid rights with a fire that surprised everybody. He continued the aggression and three times beat his man with left leads. Gains hesitated between leading and countering and at close quarters he found himself very much tied up by Harvey, to whom the honours of the 13th round were also accorded. Gains hooked a double of lefts home, but for a man with scales advantage of nearly three stone he was curiously loath to force the issue, which was now trembling in the balance. He got a right to the body and won the fourteenth round on a slight balance. But although he appeared to win the chief points in the final round, the verdict went to Harvey. “Thought Gains Won.”

Almost to the end it appeared to be Gain’s fight and, as will be seen in the principal reports of the fight, Fred Dartnell, sporting editor of “The News Chronicle," thought Gains won. George Cook, who was one of the spectators, said: “I think the referee was wrong. Larry Gains certainly won that fight.”

Mrs Harvey was at the ringside, and immediately her husband was acclaimed the victor she jumped up the steps leading to the ring, put her arms round his neck, and kissed him.

Gains said afterwards: ‘I have the greatest respect for British referees, In spite of that respect, I think a wrong decision was given to-night. I chased Harvey all round the ring during almost every round.”