BOXERS STAGE A NIGHT OF THRILLS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 185, 6 August 1931, Page 6

BOXERS STAGE A NIGHT OF THRILLS.

NATIONAL TOURNAMENT BEGINS AT ASHBURTON. (Special to the “ Star.”) ASHBURTON, August 6. Ashburton is revelling in the glory of fame. Upon the Mid-Canterbury capital the eyes of every important city and town from Invercargill to Auckland are turned, for it is at Ashburton that the annual New Zealand Amateur Boxing Championships tournament is being held. It commenced last night, will go on this afternoon, to-night and to-morrow night. Ashburton would like it tc go on forever, for the trade stimulus that has followed in the wake of the Doxers has come to the town like manna from the skies. Thus do boxers play their part in the scheme of things economic. One good turn deserves another and on this principle about 1000 residents of Ashburton last night left the warmth of their firesides to sit in the cold at the Tancred Street Stadium to support the boxers on the opening night of their tournament. If it was cold when everybody had found seats, the boxers soon warmed things up. One to Napier. Bennie, of Napier, and Simonsen, of Marlborough, two light-weights, set the ball rolling. There was an earthquake in province a short time ago and Bennie appeared to have acquired some of its power, for Simonsen found him quite unmanageable. Bennie was most upsetting to Marlborough’s hopes and after a turbulent three rounds he went on his way leaving someone else to clear away the wreckage, just like an earthquake does. Next came Cree, of Ashburton, and Ennis, of Timaru. If Cree had been asked to walk into a revolving aeroplane propellor he would have met an almost similar fate as he did when he faced Ennis. The Timaru man whirled both arms at Cree, who, on encountering many heavy blows, was steadied up and forced to accept defeat. Kelly (Southland) and Candy (Manawatu) gave a star turn, Kelly seeing most of them. Candy showed that he could hit hard with both hands and Kelly had not the stamina to hold out against him. He was a very tired man when the bell brought him relief. The K.O. Method. The first featherweight bout came next. Drieberg (Napier) took exactly twenty' seconds to knock out Rayrner (Marlborough). The centre of the disturbance this time was Rayner’s solar plexus. Timaru got a shock in the next bout, Murphy of that town being beaten by Franklin (Gisborne) on a technical knock-out in the second round. Franklin hit powerfully with both hands, sending the Timaru man down twice before the referee stopped the fight.

Hogg (Napier) and M’Mahon (Taihape) were the first welter-weights to be announced. They treated the crowd to a torrid three rounds of hard hitting, .sometimes at each other and sometimes at the thin air. Hogg found his left useful in battering M’Mahon’s nose in the final round and won the bout. More Thrills. Painter, an Auckland heavy-weight, took very little time to dispose of Schumanski, of Timaru, gaining a technical knock-out when the bout had progressed half-way'. Two middleweights. Croft (Grey'mouth) and Strickland (Wellington) were then seen in a toe-to-toe battle, which provided the crowd with a thrill a second. Croft was the stronger and better, earning the decision. Davey, who for many years had been bantam-weight champion of Canterbury', met his match in Warne, a promising y'oungster from Manawatu. Davey had Warne rocking in the first round when he landed his right heavily to the jaw, but in the second and final rounds Warne worked an inspired left to bruise and batter the Canterbury champion’s nose and face. He won a popular victory. With the light-heavy'-weights coming into action at this stage the crowd got ready for the thrills of the evening and were not disappointed. Tierney, of Marlborough, lasted half a round against Cossill, of Manawatu, Cossill knocking him out. “A Hard Go.” Next came Lister (Greymouth) and Strickland (Masterton). Skin and hair flew in this open order, go-as-you-please affair. Lister was wont to rip into his man with both hands, regardless of expense to himself. Strickland showed that he was willing to mix it, and to some purpose the pair slapped and banged at each other the while they became smeared with one another’s blood. “Glorious!” the crowd summed it up. Lister won. A reversion to the light-weights saw Moulin, of Christchurch, cleverly outbox Hutchison, of Hawke's Bay. Moulin’s dancing feet many times took him away from trouble and his quick left and one-two punch were often used to pile up points. Something different was in store when the programme switched suddenly back to the heavies. Humorous Turn.

It was a most enlivening tumbling turn between Aultey (Ashburton) and Croft (Grey'mouth). Aultey, a huge man of 13st 71b, towered above the stockily built Croft, who turns the scale at list 131bs, and in preparing to smite him tumbled over on to the canvas, Croft taking a neat header intothe pit of Aultey’s stomach. Another fall in this fashion and then a third had the crowd roaring with delight, for it was very funny. When they were not flopping about the ring the two men were busy in a stand-up combat in which each showered terrific blows upon the ether. Croft was given the decision. Raines, of Christchurch and V. Lutterel, of Hawke’s Bay, brought matters down to more like normal in the next heavy-weight bout, which Raines won mainly' due to the proper use of a straight left. Another turn in the programme brought the featherweights back. Hawes, of Christchurch, and C. Buckley, of Otago, were seen in one of the best bouts of the night. Hawes was aggressive throughout, connecting with both hands to the face and body'. Buckley stood up to the heavy punishment and found time to give some in return. Hawes shaded him slightly' all along the line and gained a popular decision.

Purdie’s Display.

The featherweight title holder, Purdie, of Auckland, appeared next, fighting Richardson of Wellington. The bout seemed to be full of puzzles for Richardson. At the beginning he was quite worried as to how he could hit the elusive Purdie and at the finish lie was even more worried, wondering how he could prevent Purdie from hitting him. Purdie’s display was easily the prettiest of the evening.

“ Break, break, break.” This-line is not cribbed from Tennyson. It is really' the cry' of the referee to Burke (Southland) and Forward (Christchurch). These fellotvs clinched so much that the crowd implored them to kiss and be friends. It was now after eleven o’clock, but the crowd was ready for more. The remaining bouts, however, produced

neither thrill nor laugh, but were of a steady average. Taken all through the preliminaries were ©f a good standard and gave the promise of some rattling fine contests to come. (Results of the bouts appear on page 11.)