Sands Beats Cruickshanks In Thrilling Contest

Chronicle (Levin), 17 January 1949, Page 2

Sands Beats Cruickshanks In Thrilling Contest

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( Per

WELLINGTON, Jan. 16. ; lu oue. q£ tlie most . tlirilling prof essional- bpxing contest seen for several .^ears, Alfie Saiids,.'~the. youthful 'Aus--Ir.aliauj., defeated . Tau Oniickshanks, Auckland, by a ' teclinical khockout in the • tenth round of a 12 rouud bout staged .by the . itutt Vallev Boxing Association. at Petone on fcSaturday afternoon. Cruickshanks, . wlio is professipual welterweight champion of New Zealand, made such a good showing that he was ■ ,aliead on points when the . end carue^ dramatically in the tenth rouud. There i'had bepn act'iou in everv round and the .infi'u- were..both hittiiig so liard that it was surpfising the. end. had not eome spouer. ' . . i- ln. some willing " exchanges in the tenth, Bands- feiuted with the left and then whipped over a perfectly timed right cross whicli caught Cruickshanks fiush on the jaw and dropped liim for the count of eight. Kising groggily, the New Zealander was obviously out ou liis feet aud the Australian put hiin on the cauvas again with a flurry of blows for tlie couut of niue. Cruickshanks' staggercd to his feet again only to go dowii for the tliird time. The referee, klr. Alf Cleverley, had reached the cOunt of four wheu the poliee stopp'ed the contest. A erowd of "about 1500 thoroughly enjoyed the stirling battle. • Sands sc'a'led 10.S1 and Cruickshanks : 10.1. Sands won the first round but Cruickshanks rau -up points iu the -se'eond rouud by brihging a lancelike straiglit •le'ft into play and also scoi-ing with a right -to 'the head. • '••• - The third round -Whs- a tliriller. Both men unleashed terrific rights any oue of which wouid liave" spelt cnrtaius. had they not been avoided by siuart footwork and clever - headweavihg. So it went on round after round, Both men continued to hit hard and it was onJ.y the abilitv to absorb punishment which kept the torrid encounter going. The Australian had powcr beliind his right hand and a dcvastating right chop raay also have sapped the New Zealander 's vitality as it caiue as surprise when Cruickshanks, wlio was ahcad ou points, was floored in tlie tontll round. In a prelimiuary professional welterweight contest over 10 rounds, Noel Fitzwater (Hastings) decisively outpointed Brian kracdonald (Australia). Tlie Hastings mai) proved too fast and clever for tlie Australian tliroughout.