BOXING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1350, 9 March 1916, Page 4

BOXING

HEAVYWEIGHT DARCY KNOCKS HARDWICK OUT. A FAST BOUT. Les Darcy’s entry into the heavyweight class at the Stadium was all his best friends m ght have desired, and everything the most regular patrons of boxing contests anticipated. I do not think anybody having knowledge of the fighting power of the two men (Harold Hardwick was Darcy’s opponent) thought the examateur champion had even a reasonable chance of defeating Australia’s premier middleweight, who would appear to only need the opportunity to prove himself the greatest list. 61b. boxer the world knows anything about (remarks W. F. Corbett in the Sydney “Sun.” The end was a technical knock-out. Soon after the seventh round started Darcy landed a left hook on the jaw, and before Hardwick could quite recover himself —while he was stooping slightly with his head leaning to the right near his own corner —Darcy whipped a right over and chopped it downward, making contact with his adversary’s ear. The weight of ihe punch felled Hardwick, but he was rising as the gong clanged two. He was certainly dazed, otherwise he must have taken the full benefit of the 10 seconds respite the law allows. They charged at each other, and Darcy put his right into action again, with a similar result. This time Hardwick rose immediately, only to be swept off his feet once again. Still his pluck and determination remained so strong that he had begun to straighten himself to the perpendicular when the towel fluttered from his corner. For a moment or two the beaten man appeared to not quite realise what had happened. He made as if to continue battling till his seconds entered the ring and escorted him to the chair which he had just left, probably never suspecting that the conclusion was so near. DARCY’S LOSS. Darcy won the battle in great style. He whirled about his man, and walloped him like the strong fighting machine he undoubtedly is, but Darcy suffered a loss which could hardly have been pleasant, though he did look round at his corner during several seconds subsequently sporting a smile the while that fairly beamed.

Midway through the fourth round something happened, how will be mentioned further on. Two of Darcy’s incisor teeth clattered the boards close to his angle. He had spat them out. Judging by the careless way in which he treated the occurrence, and the fact that no blood could be seen, a visit to his dentist will remedy the shortage in very brief time, and leave him no worse than he was before. HARDWICK WEIGHTY. The weights were announced: — Hardwick, 12st. 81b.; Darcy, list. lb. The heavier lad looked to be more liberally clothed with t.ssue than I have before seen him. Had the question been put to me before the announcer spoke I would certainly have guessed that he did not pull the beam at less than 13st. Not for a long time has Darcy fought before so small a crowd; but as it was it could not be referred to as a poor house. Perhaps three or foui- thousand people passed through the gates. Mr. Fred. Baker acted as referee, owing to the fact that the regular official, Mr. Arthur Scott, was Hardwick’s tutor, and has been his coach right through his career as an amateur and professional. It is generally understood that Hardwick may not figure again as a principal in a boxing contest. He gave the professional game a trial at the instance of Mr. Baker and other friends, and w.ll probably now settle down as a professional accountant, having passed the qualifying examination. Harold Hardwick is not rugged enough, nor is combativeness sufficiently pronounced in his temperament to justify continuance in pugilism. Gameness he has and to spare; also skill quite as good as that of the majority of boxers before the public at the moment; but the other essentials mentioned are absolutely necessary towards complete success. DARCY’S ATTACK. Darcy’s attack was too persistent, too vigorous, and too fast to be successfully combated by the man in opposition. This however notwithstanding Hardwick demonstrated fine skill in evasion at times, particularly by taking not a few blows —which might have wrought material harm —on the move, and so nullifying, or at least lessening, their effect. But this baffling never caused Darcy’s vimful rushes and hammering to slacken. He went on and on again to such an ex-

tent that Hardwick found it expedient to clinch more frequently than is his habit; and though the crowd, while yelling “Break them, Baker!” which cry was heard frequently, and from hundreds of throats, apparently looked upon Hardwick as the offender. He did not always sin alone. Darcy, in his desire to keep the taller and longer man as close to him as possible, would hang on too, and occasionally he went suspiciously close to holding and hitting without, perhaps, intending to so seriously transgress. His left would rest over Hardwick’s shoulder, while he drove his right to the left kidney, a spot which Darcy made a special mark of, forgetful, no doubt, that, though not barred, all blows landed on any part of the back of the body are, or should be, ignore ! by the referee. GOOD BOXING WORK. Hardwick placed some nice blows, but not many of them were weighty. He varied his work nicely as often as the contest permitted, which was not by any means frequently. Hooks and crosses were shown by him, also left jabs and stabs. There was a time when, while the pair were hooked up, each pummelled the other’s ribs with the right until the referee sundered them. Darcy frequently followed up a left jab with a right cross, and while some of those efforts must have been harmful to Hardwick, he, as I have already stated, managed to shift just in time to receive the blow on the move. That is the game of the skilful opponent. The nearer he can be to the deliverer of a punch, when the effort has been made, the better; because he can then attack his adversary on the moment, and so have a better chance of catching him unawares. Never once did Hardwick look like having a chance of winning, but he responded to the pace set by his adversary, and pluckily hit back without fear, and only now and again without judgment. At close quarters Darcy would, here and there, whip his left up to the jaw three or four times in succession, and rise on the toes of both feet the while, as if to impart added force to the delivery. The first good punch in the fourth round was Hardwick’s nicely-judged left jab to the throat. Then Darcy drove a weighty left to the body and a right to the ribs. Immediately Hardwick stepped up with a solid blow —a right uppercut to the chin. Then they scuffled a bit right across the ring. It was here that those teeth were detached.