THE RING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 105, 28 July 1892, Page 2

THE RING.

Saxon and O’Brien for On Monday evening at the Zealandia Rink Saxon attempted to knock out O’Brien in eight rounds for a purse of /'io. There was a large attendance of spectators, who waited with exemplary patience until ten minutes past nine, when proceedings opened with a brace of preliminary skirmishes. Thornton and Bartley boxed three lively and even rounds, exchanging some warm ones and being well pumped at the conclusion. Next little Barney Donovan and Anderson — a bigger lad —tried conclusions for three rounds. The small ’un stuck manfully to his work, and both boys won loud applause for a merry and plucky go, m which bellows were considerably out of repair when time was called. At 20 to 10 p.m* Saxon stepped into the ring with his attendants the Burns brothers, and was shortly followed by O’Brien with R. Brown and Pickering as seconds. Both men looked in good condition, and the event showed the fact, as not a drop of claret flowed, save from the boils on O’Brien’s right fore-arm, from which the sticking-plaster partly peeled off during the contest. The weights of the men are stated to be Saxon gst i2lb, O’Brien just under gst. Some discussion about the gloves was settled by Saxon conceding rhe choice to O’Brien, and the police approving of both sets, O’Brien decided that the larger gloves should be used. Mr. R. Sandall was at once accepted by both parties as referee, and his brother Ted held the watch. At 10 minutes to 10 the men were ordered to “ shake hands,” and the fight began. First round. —After an unusually long wait for an opening Saxon got in a straight left hand facer, but O’Brien showed good generalship and fought carefully, clinching repeatedly. Saxon got in several facers, but the round ended without much damage to either man. Second round. —Saxon warmed up a bit, but did not yet seem to realise that he was fighting a knock out battle. Some warmish counters and exchanges were in favour of the big ’un, but the little one was not idle and still went in for clinching. When time was called Saxon looked much the fresher of the two, O’Brien appearing a bit baked. Third round. —Saxon at once started to force matters, and got in a couple of stingers on the visage. O’Brien dodged well and was lively on his pins, but Saxon, not to be denied, rushed him up to the ropes and put in a floorer. O’Brien took his 10 seconds, but was immediately floored again. Saxon still forced the pace and fought his man all over the ring inflicting severe punishment. O’Brien, however, stuck manfully to his work, but did not look like lasting much longer. Fourth round. —Saxon quickly jammed O’Brien against the ropes and got in several hot ones, but O’Brien dodged and countered with skill and effect. Saxon, still forcing, got in more hot ones on his opponent’s head and face, and forced O’Brien on his knees, where the latter took his ten seconds. Just before the round ended O’Brien delighted his backers by landing a good one on the jaw. Fifth round. —O’Brien came up with a determined look, but the pace had begun to tell upon him After an exchange and a clinch Saxon visited the little one with a series of stingers, before which he went down and had his 10 seconds. Saxon still pegged away, and O’Brien dodged well, narrowly escaping a vicious righthand swing. Saxon, however, got in several good ; ones, and time was very welcome to O’Brien, whose fore-arm was bleeding from the cause mentioned above. Sixth round.—Saxon began operations at once, but received a stinger on the throat and retaliated with a floorer, O’Brien taking his ten seconds. A lot of clinching followed, and Saxon again floored his opponent, who fell through the ropes and took his 1 o seconds. Saxon

continued to inflict some hot pepper, but O’Brien got in several good returns.

Seventh round. —Saxon went for his man at once, and O’Brien was down four times in speedy succession, the last being a floorer. Of course the little one’s game was to get as many losec spells as he could, but on some occasions he sailed suspiciously near the wind going down without much apparent occasion. Rallying after the last ten seconds O’Brien stuck up a bit, and some hard slogging was exchanged, of which the bigger man had much the best. When the round ended it was a moot point as to whether O’Brien could stay another. Eighth and last round. —O’Brien went down at once before a severe onslaught, and had his ten seconds. On rising Saxon fought him all round the ring and O’Brien was down again and took his ten seconds, and another one immediately after. Saxon then got in some hot ones all on face and head, and O’Brien again went down. A sort of race round the ring followed, O’Brien showing good sprinting powers. Saxon again forced his opponent on his knees and O’Brien had another spell. Some rather hot exchanges followed and time was called. Remarks. —Saxon is evidently a novice at the knock-out game. He should have gone for his man at once and forced the pace from start to finish. O’Brien, although not well and suffering from boils, stuck to his work with great coolness and pluck. Some spectators, notwithstanding the nature of a knock-out contest, seemed to find fault with the referee and O’Brien’s tastics. Dick Sandall however knows what he is about, and although O’Brien certainly took every license which the rules permit, the referee’s decisions were justified. Saxon finished quite fresh, but O’Brien was fairly done and could hardly have endured another round. Were the contest to be repeated, Saxon’s experience would probably ensure a different result.

The Melbourne Sportsman, with ommendable enterprise, had a special account of the Goddard — McAuliffe fight cabled to it from San Francisco, where the contest eventuated on June 30. The contest was for a purse of £l,OO0 —/800 to the winner and to the loser. The Australian had his brother Herbert behind him, while McAuliffe was looked after by Greggains, his trainer. The Sportsman's correspondent cables that “ the match was a desperate one right from the start. McAuliffe,.who was the favourite in the betting, towered like a giant above the Australian. Though the odds were on McAuliffe, Goddard had a host, of friends. McAuliffe appeared, for the first round, to have the best of it, Goddard being very awkward in his style. The spectators, however, were surprised to note that one or two heavy blows McAuliffe got in failed to make much impression. In the second and third rounds the Australian pulled himself together, and got in some telling work. Several times he landed heavily on McAuliffe’s body. With a swinging back-handed blow, too, he reached McAuliffe’s face. In the fifth round there was a yell as McAuliffe smashed Goddard full in the face, bringing the blood and sending the recipient staggering back. But Goddard came up fresh and strong, and from that out had all the best of it. McAuliffe stuck to his work pluckily, but was severely punished. The final rounds saw McAuliffe very weak, and at last he was unable to come to time.” The same paper supplies the following particulars of Goddard’s career : —“ He was born at Pyramul, N.S.W., on Nov. 25, 1863. His first boxing was done at Foley’s while he was storekeeping. During this time he had no regular lessons, just taking exercise with Peter Jackson, Tom Taylor, and others of less note. He had lots of turn-ups in N.S.W., but mostly fist fights. In all of these he came out on top. His first match for a stake was with Ned Rjan, £?■s a-side and a purse. He beat Ryan badly in three rounds. He made a match with Mullins, of Tasmania, the best of eight rounds, but got through with him in a couple of minutes. Goddard subsequently went to Broken Hill to box Owen Sullivan to a finish for £ 100 and the Barrier Championship. He beat Sullivan in 11 rounds, knocking him clean out. Next made a match with Jem Fogarty, the Sydney middle-weight, the best of eight rounds. Fogarty stayed four rounds, and then turned it up. The same night, and on the same stage he disposed of W. Buck in a couple of rounds. On the 26th November, at Broken Hill, he met Charley Dunn for £lOO a-side, and beat him in 13 rounds. Was matched to box;

Owen Sullivan again, this time in Adelaide, on igth December, when a draw was boxed. Beat Luke Keegan in eight ronnds at the Crystal Palace on 2nd June, rBgo. Beat Mick Dooley in 21 rounds, Sydney Amateur Gymnastic Club, 25th June, iBgo. Boxed a draw with Peter Jackson, eight rounds, Crystal Palace, Richmond, 20th October, iBgo. Beat Joe Choynski in four rounds for /350, Sydney Athletic Club, nth Feb., 1891. Beat Tom Lees at Charters Towers for /4.00. Beat Joe Choynski in three and a-half rounds for/400 and the championship, Melbourne Athletic Club, 20th July, 1891. Made an eight round draw with Tom Lees, Crystal Palace, Richmond, 1891, Beat Jack Ashton, eight rounds, Crystal Palace, Richmond, 1891. Beat Ned Ryan, four rounds, Melbourne Athletic Club, /150, January, 1892. Beat Joe McAuliffe, 15 rounds, £l,OOO, California Athletic Club, 30th June, 1892, His measurements are:— Height, 6ft in his stockings ; weight, in condition, ijst; chest, 40m ; forearm, biceps, in ; calf, thigh, 24m.