PURDY DEFEATS LES MURRAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17759, 1 February 1926, Page 10

PURDY DEFEATS LES MURRAY.

CLEAN, CLEVER BOXING PLEASES DUNEDIN. rSpecial to the “ Star.") DUNEDIN, January 31. The professional boxing contest between Lps. Murray, the present lightweight champion of New Zealand, and Charles Purdy, who represented New Zealand as an amateur at the recent Olympic dairies in Paris, drew a very large crowd to Uis Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday night, the building being crammed to the door. The contest was for a purse of £2OO, on n 60-10 basis, and it went the full distance of fifteen rounds, each of three minutes. The spectators were treated to a tine exhibition of clean and clever boxing, and there wan no dissentient voice when the referee (Mr Fred Shaw) declared Purdy the winner, the decision -being received with cheers. Patrons of the fistic, art in Dunedin look forward generally to plenty of hard punching and forcing tactics In local boxing competitions, but on Saturday night they were treated to less of (hat and to more clever footwork and ducking, both men striving to score from points by scientific boxing. Murray was handicapped by the longer reach of the northern boxer, and he failed repeatedly to connect with his left leads as a result of Purdy keeping outside this method of attack. Murray was disinclined, except on occasions towards the end of the fight, to go ill and fight to the body, though he should have realised that this was the. tactics he should have employed against his very elusive opponent, who did not relish what inlighting Murray did press for. Murray. moreover, would not force matters when he had driven Purdy to the ropes, evidently fearing that his opponent might unload a surprise packet. The. Dunedin man also seldom used his solid exhibition of clever footwork, ducking this respect was most attractive. In the sixth round he opened Murray’s left eyebrow with a riplfct swing, which came down to the forehead, but the bleeding was stopped, after a round or two. Murray was very tired and jaded-, looking towards the end of the fight, and his admirers were disappointed that he did not invest more aggressiveness into his fighting in the early stages. "h. n his condition was enabling him to follow the clever nortlierncr round tinring. Purdy fought with confidence throughout, and the fair-haired Aucklander hardly bore a mark at the end of the fifteen rounds. Purdy opened the fight with a light left to the face, and Murray retaliated with a right to the body, Purdy backmoving as it landed. Purdy made Murray miss badly, and scored with a good left to the face. He made him miss again, and then both connected with lefts and rights. Purdy started the second round with a left to Murray’s face, and scored with another left, and Murray came back with a clean loft to the face. Murrav landed three times with light lefts to the face. Both men showed clever footwork and Purdy got home with a left and a right swing. Murray missed with a vicious right swing. The fight so far was not invested with aggressive tactics by either man. It. was real scientific leading and ducking. , Twice Murray.drove Purdy to the ropes at the opening of the third round. He was finding it difficult, however, to connect with a solid punch when he got him there. Purdy went to a clinch. Both scored with lefts. Purdy connected with a right swing, and met Murray’s left as his head came up after ducking. Murray followed the advantage with a right to the body, and drove Purdy again to the ropes. Purdy smothered in and faced another attack, and the audience cheered as Murray won this round easily. In the fourth round Purdy caught Murray with a left as he ducked. Purdy showed some pretty footwork, but Murray drove him to the ropes and scored with a right to the. jaw. Purdy then scored with a good left to the jaw. Murray connected to the body. Purdy scored with his good left, and then Murray got Purdy to the ropes again and hurt Purdy with a solid right to the body. Murray was leading with his deft., but could not. connect. Tie then scored with a solid left to the face. Purdy came hack with a good left and right swing to the head. Twice Purdy scored with lefts to the face, and there was not much difference in points in this round. Purdy scored freely, opening the fifth round with rights and lefts, and made Murray miss. Murray got home with a left to the face and a right to the body, but, Purdy was not there when he swung in his right again. Purdy put in some pretty ring-craft and caught Murray in the face as he came up after ducking. In the sixth round Murray tried without effect to reach Purdy with his left, but he scored twice with right swings to the body. Purdy came back with a left to the face and swung over his right to Murray’s face, cutting open his eyebrow. Purdy scored with a right, and Murray could not reach him with two lefts. Murray got the northerner to the ropes and connected with a. left to the body, Purdy replying with a left and right to the head. Purdy went into a clinch. Murray's eyebrow was bleeding. Murray scored with three left hooks to the body, hut Purdy was carefully watching this blow. and quickly back-moved. Purdy connected with a right to the body. ami both scored with lefts. Purdy fought well in the eighth round and piled up points, particularly with his left hand. Murray was not able, apparently, to keep pace with the northerner’s clever foot-work and quick hitting. Sparring in the first part of the ninth round, Purdy missed with a left hook, and so did Murray. Purdy connected with his left, and Murrav got in four times with his left to the stomach, but Purdy was always back moving as they landed. Purdy got in a solid left to the neck. Murray was not making much use of his right hand. Purdy came in for a clinch as Murray played for the body, and after some sparring Purdy scored with a left and a right. Murray was finding it hard to get home with a. solid punch. Purdy jumped in with his left ana clinched and then repeated these tactics, at d Murray rushed his opponent to the ropes, playing for the body. He also brought his left once to the jaw. Purdy made Murray miss very badly and a stentorian voice cried amidst laughter, “Can’t find him.’’ Purdy smothered as Murray went for the body. Murray again tried for the body, but he could not get to the tricky northerner. Murray connected with a solid loft rip t.o the body and Purdy connected with a left to the neck. Purdy fought, over the Dunedin man with lefts and rights. In this round Purdy put his hands low down on his stomach and looked questioningly al the referee. “Box on” called Mr Shaw. Murray was looking tired and after Purdy had gone to a clinch he scored twice with lefts to the neck, a blow which he favours. Murray again tried for the body and got Purdy on the ropes, but he was content to let bin. come off them. Purdy connected witli a left hook and Murray momentarily slipped on the rloor. Purdy was evading Murray’s attempts to get. over with body blows. Both scored with lefts. Purdy was doing well in the open fighting and Murray could not break down his defence. Purdy won the thirteenth round well, he scored nicely with lefts and just missed getting the full weight of a. right swing ori to Murray. Four times in succession the northerner reached Murray with his left. Murray was fighting to the body as the gong went.. Purdy out-boxed Murray 1u the fourteenth round and the tiring Dunedin man could not force home his attacks to the body. Twice he tried to get to close quarters, but Purdy quickly got away. Purdy was attacking hard witii 1 In the last round Purdy fought very confidently. He was quite fresh and had hardly a. noticeable mark on him. Again many of Murray’s shots missed and by quick moving Purdy missed th< full effects of the lefts which did land. The men were in a clinch as the last