BOXING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 439, 3 December 1930, Page 4

BOXING

"THE MARQUIS.",

It’s just as well for sonic sports to have an “off” season regulariy, for the rest enables those wL participate to come up as fresh as ever, while supporters are also to the fore with re-

newed keenness. Thus it is that there will be interest in the announcement that, alter a spell from activities for a considerable time, the V. anganui Boxing Association announces that a meeting will be held to-morrow night for the purpose of discussing arranging a professional bout, during February pre.■•rably, whivh should provide a raceweek attraction. It is anticipated that the suggestion will be fully discussed anu it is hoped that satisfactory arrangements can be made in the direction ui obtaining a suitable match. Leckie and Donovan. On •Saturday u giil at Napier, Tommy Dunovan and Johnny Leckie met ia their third encounter, the featherweight line being at stake this time. Leckie had managed to take off several pounds to rfca.e at 9st., while Donovan had also to take off weight to make half a pound less. Donovan looked to have much better condition than the champion. He bounced round in his corner with surprising vigour, which he maintained throughout the 15 rounds that, were to follow. It was at Napier that Leckie stopped the Waitara boy, but in a return bout at. N<‘w Plymouth a couple of months ago, Donovan improved on his first performance to draw with the champion. Now Donovan has gone one better and holds the title. Leckie, it is stated, will not fight featherweight again. As an exhibition, the fight was disappointing when compared with their last battle in Napier. There was far too much in fighting which spoiled the I possibilities of a first-class display. Indeed, the pair gave the impression that in their three lights this year they have learnt practically all there is to learn about one another’s tactics. Each seein- • to know every method the other was likely to employ and to have developed a defence to meet it. Off to Suva

T. Dovi, New Zealand University welterweight champion, jiassed through Wellington last week on his way to bu\a, where he intends to spend ths Uhrsimas vacat’on.

Donovan Honoured Undoubtedly Tommy Donovan hat been the means of putting the Taranaki Boxing Association on its financial feet during the last few years and neither Donovan nor the association has forgotten what they have done for each other’s benefit. Members of th« executive of the Taranaki Association gave another instance of their appreciation of IDonovan’s services the other day when they presented the popular Waitara boy with a framed illuminated enlargement of a pohtograph taken, during the first fight between the Taranaki boxer and Pete Sarron at New Plymou ’i incidentally the finest open-air boxing contest in New Zealand. Mcrgan Well

After a short trip Io Gisborne, Tod Morgan has now settled down to steady training for his coming bout with Tommy Fairhall next Tuesday night. Ted works out at both the Commnity Club and Tim Tracy’s gymnasium and he is rapidly getting into tip-top shape. Realising that this is his big chance, the Olympic title-holder is not going to throw it away through lack of physical fitness. Gone Home Having no further fights in view, Norman Gillespie, left Wellington for Sydney by the Ulimaroa last Friday. The Australian lightweight champion travelled alone, his trainer Sammy Chapman, staying behind to look after the interests of the youthful Lew Edwards. Gillespie had three fights while in the Dominion, losing to Leckie and Donovan and boating Hrctor Leckie on a technical knock out.

Edwards Popular The services of the Australian featherweight, Lew Edwards, are now being eagerly sought after aud the youthful boxer is likely to bo kept busy for the next few months. There is very little prospect of his appearing in Wellington before Christmas, but as soon as the American importations begin to arrive early in the New Year ,it is certain that Edwards will be asked to meet them.

Baby Snatching Louis Guittcrez signed Kid Chocolate up when Chocolate was ten years of age and started him boxing. A report from Cuba comes through that Guitt rez has indue- ' the parents of Peter Martinez, seven years of ago to sign a life contract for the boy to start boxing when he is nine* That’s snatching ’em from the cradle, says an exchange. Faiirhall Arrives

Another step towards the revival of boxing in this country was made last week, when on Tuesday the Australian welterweight champion, Tommy hall, stepped off the Ulimaroa. To ft Wellington writer tho champion expressed himself as being in the best of shape for his coming bout with Morgan and certainly Fairhall looked as if it would take very little work to get him at his bestFirst coming here in 1923, this will be Fairhall’s fourth visit to New Zealand. Unbeaten on his first trip, th. Australian boy returned the next year and then again in 1928. Out of twelve contests he has had in New Zealand Fairhall has only been beaten twice, once by Charlie I’urdy and again by Havila’h Urcn in the Opera House, Wellington- The Australian champion has indeed r fine record, both here and in Australia and his assiduous attention to training and general clean living still enables him, as was mentioned in this column a few weeks ago, to more than hold his own with tho best of hie weight. Fairhall is far from being the veteran that is generally supposed, for, although ho has been fighting for a considerable time, he is not yet 30. As a matter of fact, the champion was 29 on the day he landed here. He has been b ing for thirteen years and has met and beaten the best in Australia and. New Zealand in that time. Carrying f punch in both hands the Australian a shrewd, wily fighter and, given tW opportunity, can always be relied upon to put the type of fight which pleases the crowd.

Once again the well-known trainer Jack Donnelly, who has more, or less dropped out of the game for some time past, is looking after Fairhall, and it is a combination that has proved very successful in tho past.