Rayner Too Fast For Sharpe

Camp News (Northern Command), Volume 1, Issue 20, 13 September 1940, Page 6

Rayner Too Fast For Sharpe

KNOCK IN SECOND ROUND The fair-sized crowd which attended at the Town Hall. Wellington, on Saturday night to see the 12-rounds professional boxing contest between Clarrie Rayner, Blenheim, and Jackie Sharpe, of the Royal Air Force, did not get much for their money, as Rayner, after having all the better of the opening round, put the R.A.F. man on the canvas for the full count halfway through the second round. The early finish did not come as a surprise, as Sharpe, at 9.9, was carrying too much condition round the waistline, whereas Rayner, who was lib. less, looked trained to. the minute. Hopping about on his toes, Rayner was too fast for his opponent in the opening round, and placed no fewer than five straight lefts flush to the face. Early in the second round, Sharpe scored with a solid left rip to the body but Rayner again found his face with a straight left. The Blenheim man followed this up with a left hook to the side of the head, and then dashed in to land a perfectly-timed left rip to the body, which caused Sharpe to. crumple up on the mat to take the full count. So effective was the blow that it was some minutes before his seconds could get their man on his feet again. This seems to be Rayner’s year, as he has already beaten Young Gildo (twice), and Johnny Hutchinson this season. lie certainly shaped well on Saturday night. Amateurs Redeem Programme. The disappointment felt at the onesided nature of the professional contest was redeemed by the brilliant form shown in the teams’'match between the pick of) Auckland and Wellington boxers. Auckland was represented by a team of youthful boxers under the veteran, E. Donovan, boxing instructor at the Auckland Fire Brigade gymnasium. The baby of .the visiting team was L. Salmon, who is only 16, and the veteran of the side was R. Nixon, who is 22. J. Jenkins is 17 years of age, and Underwood, King and Almao 18. \ The amateur match resulted in honours being easy, as both sides scored three wins, but the honours were with Auckland, as the visitors, in most of the bouts, were asked to concede a good deal in weight, the climax coming when R. Nixon had to concede J. Imlach no less than 111 b. '