BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1036, 27 January 1911, Page 6

BOXING.

RUDD-BLACKMORE FIASCO, AUSTRALIAN WINS ON FOUL'. ONLY ONE EOUND. ;By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Napier, January 20. Hundreds of people howled with mingled disappointment and disgust when tho referee tapped Blackmore on the shoulder and dubbed him winner of the fight with Eudd. Less than three minutes had elapsed from the start when Blackmore went down and was then struck by Eudd. Blackmore and his seconds immediately claimed a foul, and tho referee stepped into the centro of the ring. After soiiib hesitation, ho then advanced to tho front of the stage and announced Blackmore the. winner. As may he judged, so brief a contest gave uo-i guide to the respective merits of the competitors. , As'tho nien entered tho ring Eudd showed several-inches taller, and looked bigger all over and stronger than his opponent. When the gong sounded, both sparred' carefully, and Blackmore several times beat Eudcl's guard, feeling his way with light.taps. Then Eudd commenced to force matters, and Blackmore slipped to the ground. Ho was quickly' on his feet, and the New Zealander again be-came-aggressive. Blackmore seemed content to guard warily, and then a blow from Eudd and an apparent slip of tho foot resulted in' the Australian again finding the boards.. He kept down; and, immediately Eudd advanced and struck him. The fiasco inevitably produced much unfavourable criticism. There were many who raised the usual cry of "fake,"'but it is not easy to believe that any sports promoters would deliberately invito their patrons to be : satisfied with one tame round. Another suggestion is that b'oth iilaekinoreV falls were made with a view to proyokc Eudd to indiscretion.

Seen, after the event,Rudd expressed the utmost indignation.with the decision. He said:"lilackmoro had his hands off the floor when I struck him. I watched for 'that, and therefore there was no foul. I will never box under the Hawke's Bay Association again." The whole affair has undoubted!v left an unpleasant- feeling amongst patrons of the sport, including hundreds who came by special train from Napier. The theatre was' packed ill every "part, and the promoters who condtiete tithe carnival under tho auspices of the Hawke's Bay Amateur Boxing Association will reap a substantial return as-tho result of. their enterprise. The, arrangements "were Well made, and the management left nothing to be desired. Mr. A. E: Gregory,'of Hastings, was a first-class referee.. <

There -were three preliminary bouts before tho big event was brought forward. In the first, "Bob" Marks (fist, lib.), a local boxer, met L, Robinson (Bst. 121b.), of Gisborne, for a purse of .£ls. This was a good contest. Robinson' showed very clover footwork,) and smart delivery of his left and right. His blows lacked force, but -he kept piling up tho points- until, in the seventh . laund, ■ Marks's seconds throw in, the towel.

The next bout, was between L. Porter (fist. 61b.'), of Wellington; and W. Crawford (fist.), for a purse of ,£ls. This provided an exceptionally fine exhibition of boxing. Crawford showed remarkable cleverness, and, although Porter forced the fighting throughout, he. could rarely land on his agile adversary. The local man tired in the last few rounds, and only Crawford's skill kent him in the ring. Just before tho tenth and last round was finished, the referee stopped the bout. Crawford was fagged out, and simply hanging.on to-.his.aggressive opponent, and tho referee awarded the honours to the Wellingtonian. ...

After twenty minutes' interval, Hansen, Waipawa (list. 81b.),,and Barrett, Napier (list. 41b.), then boxed three .rounds for a three-guinea niedal. An amusing encounter resulted in a draw;