BOXING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 150, 27 June 1931, Page 4

BOXING

DONOVAN’S VICTORY

POINTS WIN OVER THOMAS BOUT AT NEW PLYMOUTH j In a bout which held the interest of a fair attendance of spectators at the ) New Plymouth Coronation Hall on Thursday night. Tommy (Donovan (Wai tara), 9.3, obtained the verdict on , points over Joey Thomas (United States), 9.3. There were some thrilling exchanges, states the Taranaki Daily L News, notably in the seventh and the fifteenth rounds. They at once got to close quarters ami the first exchange produced short, clean punching. Thomas was on his toes awaiting the lead. As it came he left-hooked to the ribs. Donovan rushed his man to the ropes, tho outcome being a word from the referee to Donovan to “keep them up.” Donovan made the first move in the second round, scoring with, the left at 3 close quarters. He stepped away but ■ came back fast, only to run into Thomas’ left rip to the body. Donovan ducked low and Thomas, moving in, ‘ found himself balanced across the Wai- ' tara man’s shoulders. A left uppercut to Thomas was followed by a smart right to the ear. Left jolts at close quarters went to Donovan’s account. Donovan was again first to act, stabbing his left to the face. He surprised his opponent with a repeat to the face. Thomas found an opening for a left and found the ribs with a swift, short right. A powerful left hook almost rammed Donovan through the ropes, and a left, short and straight, went to the heart inside, his attempt to send the American back with a left. Thomas took the initiative and sent Donovan jigging with the finest blow of the fight up to this stage, the punch, a long raking left, landing squarely on the plexus —but Tommy was “set.” Thomas’ right glove was an obstacle to Donovan ’s attempt to left swing to the head. A left rip to the body IDonovan partly avoided, but his left lead in retaliation was beaten by Thomas’ right counter to the body. Thomas slipped and Donovan pulled the last of a trio of good blows just in time, for the American was off his feet.

Donovan opened his guard and before he could cover again Thomas was in to the body. Donovan evened in solid close work. Donovan shot his left, but inches before it landed Joey’s right sank deeply into the body. Thomas propped his left to the face, only to reel almost to the ropes from Donovan’s heavy right to the body. At ringcentre Donovan bowled his right and took still another clean body punch. Fighting Like Wildcats. The pair now fought like wildcats to the ropes, punched without thought of defence, through the ropes, - poised for a second, and crashed the feet of the ringsiders. Both were shaken by the fall. Back into the ring (Thomas being assisted by a second), they fought in terrific bursts and the crowd was in high glee at the quality of the exchanges. A pulse quickening round. The first few seconds of the eighth brought a lull after tho storm. Clean right-hander to the jaw and natty left hook sent the American back, with Donovan in close pursuit. He rushed the visitor to the ropes, but a clever flick of his glove spun Donovan and Joey was clear of danger. Thomas opened the ninth round with a smart left prop to the face. Again tho blow came but Donovan was elusive. Tn close the Waitara boxer was a bettor scorer, shortening his punches and finding the ribs and face. Thomas ’ ’ong loft swing to the body flew over Donovan’s head as he ducked. A repetition of the blow was averted by an effortless sidestep. IDonovan remembered his left, and half-a-dozen neat blows found a resting place on Joey’s face. Determination Evident. Donovan looked menacing as he came out for the tenth, but determination gave way to uncertainty as the Chicago boy straightened on his toes and stood side on with extended left. Tommy landed the left to the face twice and then found an opening for the same weapon to the body. lie flashed two lefts again to the face, but Thomas met the third with his heavy right inside, to the body. In aggressive mood Donovan went after the American—a long left and a vicious right sent, him back in jig time. Referee Perry’s solid frame proving a substantial buffer. Tommy turned swiftly, lot fly with his right, but slipped as Thomas cleverly backmoved. Donovan ducked from a vicious swing that opened the eleventh round, straightened up and poked his man off with a jarring left, to the face. Donovan tried a vicious left uppercut and Thomas emulated —both missed. In close quarters they battled, but again, as on most occasions during the bout’s progress. Donovan was the better scorer, albeit Thomas turned many a blow with clever elbow and forearm defence. Left and right hooks found the Waitara man’s chin. I,oft crossed left and both landed in I the first exchange in tho twelfth round, i Tho American was finding a way to i beat, Donovan’s left jab to the face, a tip of the head letting tho blow slip harmlessly over the shoulder. Twice Joey drew the load with a foot, shuffle and found the heart with right drives. Tn the final exchange Tommy was tho j better scorer. The “Devil’s” Round. Mid-ring exchanges opened the “devil’s” round, but neither made clean contact. Donovan forced a bout of in-fighting and sent the American aw r av with a good right, to the body. The return left swing just landed, but Donovan was far too smart to get in tho wav of the heavy right that followed Close up they battled in the fourteenth, but Thomas back-moved ’no fast to take Donovan’s left, lab to th" face. They locked heads for almost a minute, in ‘the middle of the ring in a riot of gloves, but Donovan by sheer strength was gaining lhe advantage. Donovan made a move forward but th? American back-moved am! ’I ommy *csted across his shoulder. The crowd cheered the pair into action for the final round. The pair responded. Thomas with right, and then with left, reached Donovan’s jaw. Furiously they battled, aiming blows with vicious abandon—sometimes they landed, sometimes they did not. But for sheer action the milling gripped. Tn a grandstand finish they literally hurled gloves at each other. Thomas gaining tho upper hand only to have his hard est blows offset by the spluidid evasiveness of Hip X’ew .Zealander. Done

van in the final rally chose his opportunities more shrewdly and at the round’s end was again in the ascend ancy. The verdict in Donovan’s favour was given a mixed reception. Joey Thomas and his trainer, Billy Crawford, motored through to Wellington after the fight on Thursday night. Thomas is leaving early next week on his return to America.