BOXING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19032, 9 June 1924, Page 2

BOXING

WANGANUI CHAMHONW

Considerable interest attached to th* Wanganui amateur boxing championship tournament conducted in the Drill Hall on Saturday night and a large crowd of fight "fans"' assembled to urge the contestants to PUt forth their best endeavours. The local Association, and especially the energetic secretary (Mr. A. GMackay) are to be complimented upon the manner in which they had all arrangements in connection with the fixture in hand, for the lengthy and attractive programme was got otf expeditiously without a -hitch. The tourney proved a success in every respect, although some of the boys who stepped jntp the square ring,, should never have been asked to do so. All through a true sporting spirit was noticeable amongst the competitors, and the majority of the bouts held the interest of the assemblage, although several of them were far from being scientific. Mr. E. Breed was the referee, and his decisions ware quickly given; and met with the approval of the crowd. Mr. W. Tuck was an efficient timekeeper. The preliminary bouts were of three two-minutes duration, while the finals went an extra round,' The results are as follows: BANTAM WEIGHTS.

C. Hosting (7.8) gained the decision oyer I. Freitas (8.2) after a willing bout. The latter forced the fight practically throughout, but ho occasionally missed badly. On the other hand his opponent—although he gave way to Frietas’ somewhat blind rushes—fought deliberately, and connected to advantage frequently. FEATHERWEIGHTS. R. Howe, Wanganui, (8.6) looked as though he meant business when he stepped into the ring against A. Shirtcliff, (Patea), (8.12). The round opened with both men moving cautiously, <and then Howe "sailed in.” He landed the Patea man on the point with a straight right, and he rocked for a second, and went to the boards for six. Shirtcliffe rose gamely, but was immediately knocked down again. Again he got to his feet and dazedly faced the music. Howe was proceeding to administer the knockout, when the fight was stopped at the request of a tramway guard in uniform,

R. Forward, Wanganui, (8.11) was pitted against E. Chisell, Patea, 8.9. The bout was characterised by the Patea boy’s wild and uneffeetive rushes in an endeavour to cripple his opponent’s defence, However, these tactics availed him little, for he was repeatedly confronted with Forward’s lefts and rights to the head. The first round was fairly evenly contested. although Forward scored heavily in the second and final rounds, the aspirant for boxing honours bearing signs of his gruelling. The decision in favour of the Wanganuite was well received. Final.—R. Forward met R. Howe in the final, and the decision in favour of the former was a rather doubtful one. Howe lost no time when onee in the ring, and opened up his account with a stinging right to the jaw. The contestants clinched repeatedly in the fighting that followed, Forward scoring with his body punches. Howe was pretty with his footwork, and after he had connected with his right and left was quick to get out of the danger zone. Forward’s lengthy reach was a continual source of annoyance to his opponent, who ran into it on numerous occasions. Honours were fairly even when the boys faced each other for the last time, but Howe got into trouble by running into his opponent’s left which landed again and again persistently. The round was Forward’s but it was questionable if be should have got the fight. LIGHT-WEIGHTS. The matching of W. Grace, Wanganui, (9.10), against B. Marsh. Tayforth, (9.4) provided nothing more than a fiasco, and the latter hardly landed a blow that counted during the three rounds. Grace was aggresive throughout and repeatedly broke through his opponent’s weak guard. However, the Tayforth boy possessed one good quality—gameness—and despite his severe beating, always came up smiling, looking for more fight. Grace treated the matter lightly, but when he endeavoured to finish the matter the crowd called for him to go easy. The decision from the first round was a foregone conclusion.

Final:—Gray won his fight with Giles in fine style, and showed that he is a much improved boxer. Both men fought rather recklessly at the commencement, Giles particularly missing in an unforgivable manner. In the second round Gray fought with more caution, but in one rush he was caught a glancing blow and crashed to the board. He was up immediately fighting as strenuously as ever. The points were fairly evenly balanced up till the third round, when Gray scored with his rights' and lefts to the point in quick eucession. He was occasionally stopped with his opponent's-- somewhat wild swings to the head. Giles was made to miss badly in the deciding round, and Gray was awarded the fight. MIDDLE-WEIGHT. Colston, Wanganui, (11.3), defeated Jarvis, Patea, (11.1)/, after a n interesting and willing encounter. The boxers wasted no time in getting to business, and immediately after the crash of the gong matters waxed fast and furiously. Jarvis was more aggresive than the local boy in the first round, but he did not have matters all bia own way, for Colson retaliated with stinging blows to the point and body. When the contestants rose for the second round honours were even, but the Patea man rushed in looking for a knock out, landing several straight lefts to the jaw. Colston fought back in great

style, and there was little to pick and choose between the contestants ■ up till this stage. The final round opened in a similar manner to the initial one, but the Wanganui man piled up points in the exchanges by connecting to advantage with his lefts and rights. He won the round and fight, and the decision was a popular one. The Patea man had too much condition on him, and showed signs of tiring at the end of the bout. Vernon (11.2), and Barry (11), were evenly matched the decision going to the former after a keen contest Vernon forced the fight throughout and seemed - to prefer work at close range. Barry was cool and resourceful, and what blows he landed were well timed. However, he lost points, and the fight, through not going for his man. Final —Vernon gained the decision over Colston in a fairly even contest. The first round went to the latter, but his opponent equalised matters in the second round. The latter piled up points in the third and fourth rounds, using his left with telling effect. He was much moreaggressive than his opponent and deserved the decision.

WELTER-WEIGHTS. T Quirke (10.8) displaying some of his old form when he met P. Corliss (10.5). At the inception Quirke rushed in and for a brief period the men fought at close range. Quirke in the fighting that followed used his right and left effectively in the in fighting, while his defence was fairly solid. However he did "not have matters all his own way, and Corliss fought back furiously, connecting frequently to head and body. Quirke severely punished his opponent in the last two rounds, and brought blood t his face. The decision in favour of the heavier map was well deserved. Final:—ln the fight between T. Quirke and J. Lockett, the former proved himself to be the better man. In the first round Lockett tried to rush his man off his feet, and as a result was made to miss in a ridiculous manner. Quirke brought him up with a jolt with his left and upper-cuts at elose range. In the succeeding rounds the man clinched repeatedly, Quirke scoring heavily with body pifnehes. Lockett was the more agressive throughout, but Quirke was unquestionably the superior boxer of the two. The decision which went to the latter was well received. EXHIBITION BOUT. In an exhibition bout .1. . Lockett (10.3), proved himself too superior for G. Giles (9.9) Lockett forefd the fight and connected nicely w?h his right and left. Poti) boxers mixed it well, and liaif a decision been given it would undoubtedly have gone in favour of the heavier man.