TOMMY FAIRHALL

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20503, 22 August 1936, Page 16

TOMMY FAIRHALL

NOTABLE CAREER Interesting Review When Tommy Fairhall, who now resides in Timaru, met the noted Englishman, Ernie Izzard, at the Sydney Stadium, on June 2, 1928, he was returning to boxing after a long spell from the game, and he put up an excellent performance in beating the Englishman writes Hooker in the Dunedin “Star.” It was Izzard’s first defeat in Australia, and Fairhall, who weighed 9.9 to Izzard’s 9.7!. forced the fighting all the way. He began with a surprising rush which almost bore Izzard off his feet, swinging' lefts to the body and rights to the jaw. This may have affected Izzard, but throughout the fight he showed, for a boxer of his ‘undoubted ability, extra-

ordinarily little initiative. He rarely attacked, and when he did he did not follow up.

Fairhall, on the other hand, pressed on every time he had an advantage. ’ For a few rounds after the first two, i Izzard looked as if he were going to ' win well, for he met a lot of Fairhall’s I rushes with good counters, and “claim--1 ing” his arms often successfully, he prevented the Australian doing much scoring.

Over the last half-dozen rounds, however. Fairhall, though palpably tired, did a lot of scoring with drives to the body and hooks and swings to the head, while Izzard did practically nothing. In the last round Fairhall made an astounding burst for one so I tired, and fighting the Englishman round the ring, and scoring a number of punches, he put the issue beyond doubt.

After Fairhall kayoed Larry Avera a couple of months later at the Stadium, the American’s manager said: “That guy is a much better fighter than Australians credit him with

being. In America he’d be a sensation.”

First punch in this fight “killed” any hopes Avera had of beating Fairhall. Fairhall came out of his comer fighting, essayed a right swing, and connected up on Avera’s head. The punch dazed Avera, and thereafter he was merely a target for Fairhall. During the first two rounds Avera was on the floor six times. Referee Joe Wallis stopped the slaughter early in the third. Half an hour after the fight Avera was still in a state of semi-conscious-ness. The American could not recall one incident of the contest. Fairhall’s relentless attack never enabled Avera to recover from the effects of the first vital punch. Ex-English Champion Beaten A fortnight later came one of the most important fights of Fairhall’s career—his bout with the one-time English champion. Harry Mason. A leading Australian commentator said after that contest: “There are those who will tell you now that Harry Mason can’t fight. Don’t believe it—he can. “Because he was whacked in masterly manner at the Stadium on Saturday night, and failed to produce such form that proved him the great fighter his boosting made him out to be, shouldn’t be taken as any criterion that he is a false alarm. For that would be detracting from the merit of Fairhall’s win. This writer made no bones about the contention that Fairhall had been a sadly underestimated gloveman by many. Most times when he won a fight

the opposition was looked upon as below par; but that would not do as an excuse for Mason’s defeat. Mason had a genuine record, proved himself a good fighter, but against Fairhall struck a better one than himself. The Australian placed himself on top in the argument with an artistic piece of work in the first round. Mason was making what little fighting was being done, and, moving in early in the session, he tried to place | a hard right to the body. Quicker than a flash Fairhall whipped his own right across, and, beating Mason to the punch, clipped him on the jaw and dropped him for “eight.” It was beautiful work, and the sensational suddenness of it had the crowd on tiptoes. From then on Tommy held the upper hand. As usual, he did things that no other fighter could do and get away with, but the more unorthodox anything he attempted the more success- • ful it seemed to be. He clouted Mason with wild-looking but accur- | ately-placed right hands, looped the loop and couldn’t miss the visitor, led right hands at the body and scored with them, and took risks that showed his confidence in himself wasn’t misplaced.

Mason was anything but a passive resister while all this was going on. Strong on defence, the Englishman tied Fairhall up a lot in close, and often showed up in flashes of pretty work. That he lasted through 15 hard-fought rounds so well showed that there was little wrong with Mason’s condition.

In equally sensational manner as the first time Mason was dropped again in the last round. Two seconds before the final bell Tommy connected with a right and transformed the opposition to a dizzy heap.

Mason climbed shakily to his feet a couple of seconds after the bell rang, but he immediately collapsed on the ropes, and would have been a certain case for the count but for the bell coming to his rescue. .

A couple of months after this contest Fairhall tripped across the Tasman to meet Charlie Purdy at Wellington, being outpointed over 15 rounds, but defeating Reg Trowern just on three weeks later. This was his third match with Purdy, the first, In 1927, a,t Melbourne, ending in a draw, and the second, at Leichardt the same year, being won by Fairhall. Before

! going to Wellington he had twice beaten Reg Trowern. He met Trowern altogether five times, and won each match. Purdy he met six times for four wins, a loss, and a draw. On his return from the Wellington trip Fairhall met the American Jack Sparr, but he was far from being the fighter he was before he went to New Zealand, and his work lacked sting, Sparr running out winner on points. Tommy was going to give the game best, but the lure of the ring proved

too much for him, and after a spell of six months he showed better form than ever to score a sensational points victory over the Welshman Billy Thomas. Fairhall surprised critics by his whirlwind attack, and in the first round he had Thomas down twice. The Welshman recovered well, and, outboxing Fairhall, led at the end of the sixth round. In the ninth round Fairhall’s body punching took effect, and Thomas was down again and had a nasty cut over his left eye. Thomas was down in the tenth, but resumed the offensive in the eleventh, and had Fairhall nearly out with a right to the solar plexus.Fairhall tired towards the end. but staged a grandstand finish, punishing Thomas severely in the last two sessions. After beating Charlie Purdy at Leichardt, Fairhall met Wally Hancock on the occasion of the opening of the new Leichardt Stadium. The decision in favour of Hancock caused much astonishment, for, though giving away nearly half a stone in weight, Fairhall forced the fighting almost always and also did the cleaner work, knocking his man to one knee in the second round. Hancock’s left hook wase noted for its potency, but Fairhall took many of them flush on the chin, and came back in session seven to open Wally’s left eyebrow. The further the fight went on the stronger Fairhall slammed away, and most of the onlookers thought he had won decisively.

Fairhall wins Australian Title Two bouts followed with “Bluey” Jones, Fairhall winning the first on points, and the return was a draw’. He drew with Hancock on January 17, 1930, and then on March 7 came his battle with Wally Hancock for the w’elter-weight championship of Australia, which had been held previously by Jack Carroll (who is the champion to-day and who is now a contender for the world’s title. The bout w r as rather disappointing, Fairhall and Hancock both boxing below’ form. Fairhall, who was giving aw’ay 71b. convinced early. He kept his left hand busy, and rattled it on

Hancock's jaw and ribs. Inclined at first to be stand-offish, Fairhall later went in and had his opponent very sick at times. The fourth round opened sensationally when Hancock sprang from his comer across Fairhall, and commenced to lash out. Fairhall cleverly avoided danger, and danced out into the centre of the ring. He finished much on the offensive. Hancock improved in the following round. He forced the fight, and despite tw’o beautiful lefts to the jaw by Fairhall, countered smartly with snappy rights that caused his opponent a lot of bother. The champion often hit space, due

i to Fairhall’s eluseiveness, and failed lin the in-fighting. Fairhall gained j confidence as he went, and despite a good showing by Hancock in the fourteenth Fairhall finished much the | better and deserved the decision, the • huge crowd of 4000 standing and • cheering the decision for some minutes. ! .Four weeks later. Fairhall outpointed ■ the Australian light-weight champion, Norman Gillespie, who had previously worn the feather-weight crown and who is well remembered in Dunedin for his great battle with Johnny Leckie. then at the top of his form. The match between Fairhall and Gillespie was over two-minute rounds, and a writer remarked: “Matches in which champions protect their titles by hiding behind two-minute rounds have long ceased to interest the public.” The fight was fair, and Fairhall, who | did not lose more than five rounds, ; won comfortably though he was knocked down in the last round. In two further bouts with Bluey Jones (ex-Australian light-weight champion). Fairhall drew both, but the second battle should have gone to Fairhall. Fairhall kayoed Billy Richards in the fourth round of a thrilling con- | test while it lasted, disposed of Len I White in 13 rounds after a hard-hitting contest, and retained his title against Wally Hancock.

Russ Critcher beat him on Nevember 7, 1930. and the following month Fairhall paid another visit to New Zealand, being outpointed by Ted Morgan at Wellington, and reversing the result at Westport by kayoing Morgan in 13 rounds. During the next year. Fairhall beat Trowern twice, Purdy twice, and knocked Fred Parker in five rounds in Timaru and Ted Morgan at Dunedin. Tommy gave the ring best in 1932 after losing on points to Jimmy Kelso at Leichardt Stadium, the decision causing a good deal of surprise. The Australian has been domiciled in Timaru for some years now. and is as keen on the boxing game as ever. He has refereed a number of professional contests, and has proved himself a first-class official.