BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1793, 4 July 1913, Page 8

BOXING.

HAGERTY MEETS HOCK KEYS. RESULT A DRAW. THREE THOUSAND PRESENT, An enthusiastic crowd of over 3000 people assembled in the Town Hall lost ovening to witness the fifteen-round encounter between "Hock" Keys, the veteran Australian light-weight, and Jamos Hagerty, of Timaru, the featherweight and light-weight champion of Now Zealand. Among those, on tho stags was hie Excellency the liarl of Liverpool, Opinion was very divided as to how the Timaru bulldog would fare when pushed against tho skill and reach of iv.cys. Tue contest went the full liltcea rounds, and was willing and cleau throughout. lu-iightiug monopolised a tonsiuerablc portion 01 almost every round, and Hagerty was particularly keen on getting to close quarters. Keys showed some iiashcs of his reputed brilliancy, but Eagerly fought him iron) start 10 hnish—and (with all due respect to tho moree, Mr. T. bampson) bc.it him. Keys made several spasmodic efforts to wipe oil the lead which he seemed to suspect that llagwty hold, but ho failed to maintain a the pressure. The decision —a draw—did not appear to bo well received. Keys was announced as weighing 9st. 121b., and liagcrty as ilst. bib. llio Australian had an advantage in height and reach, but Hagerty wa» tho sturdier of the pair. In the opening round Keys was reprimanded for hitting in a break-away. Hagerty was the first to score, getting m with a left wallop to the body, lie rushed Kleys to the ropes, and throughout tho round did a considerable amount of leading aud bustling.' Keys, however, was covering well. In the second round Hagerty again began aggressively, and soon landed twice to Keys's face. Keys side-stepped and let go a swift upper-out, which Hagerty just got out of the road of. . Several times bo'foro tho gong Hagerty got in with lefts 'to tho lace, none very hard. Early in Hound 3 Keys took a left in the face. Ail upper-cut by Keys missed the Timaru boy in a decisive spot, and without delay Hagerty was onco uioro busy with his left, 'flic Now Zealander continued aggressive, with Keys blocking and "taking it on tho glove 5 ' cleverly and the end of tho round was spent ii in ; tighting, during which lfagerty re ceived a good pummelling on tho bodv. Round i saw Hagerty still getting home an occasional annoying left. Halfway through the round Keys livened up, but before he had scored, Hagerty drove a hard left fairly into his face. . A short spell of aggressiveness by Keys, aud then Hngerty's quick left reached the veteran's face. Keys came at Hagerty full of fight, and drove him to the corner, and the New Zealandcr liad to cover up and smother to save.

Iveys showed to tetter advantage in liia fifth round. He neatly blocked numerous vicious lefts from liia opponent, who, however, got in a blow or two, whereas Keys failed to land anything of consequence. Early in .Round 6 tho untiring left of Hagorty found Keys's face. "Hock" sent in a couple hard to tho body, and then sparred! for u knock-out by means of a right upper-cut, but Hagerty evaded the blow. A timely duck by Hagerty got him out of trouble just on the' gong. Keys canle oil in tho seventh round obviously meaning business. He forced. Hagerty to the ropes, and got a grout deal the better of a deal of dull In-fight-ing. A clever feint, and Keys landed a beautiful right rip to the most vulnerable spot. A little later, and the shifty Keys put three straight, but not very weighty, ones on to Hagerty'3 face. An attempt by Keys to land another rip failed through Hagerty anticipating tlw move. Keys was less'.'busy /; in - the eighth round, and Hagerty expended a good deul of energy on blows that were eithor blocked, or evaded. Still, Hagerty did. all the aggressive work. No. 9 was a dull round, with Keys evading and blocking a good deal of what Hagorty sent along. Nevertheless, Hagerty got in a couple to tho facc, nuri one .hard left just too low for tho chin. Round 10 was uneventful, but in the eleventh Keys came put to fight. .Hagerty, however, steadied him with n. stinging left to tho chili. A rally by Keys, and Hagerty, somewhat bustled, got the worst of a bout of in-fighting. Hagerty's left once more landed, and no was again fore, ing the fight at the finish of the round. Just beforo the gong', Hagerty slipped' to the boards, and the crowd cheered Keys for standing off till he rose. Hagarty slipped down again at the beginning of tho twelfth round, and once more Keys was cheered for declining to take advantage of him. The' round had not progressed far before Hagerty's busy left got Keys in tho face. For the second time in the fight the boxers got entangled in one another's feet, and both went heavily to the boards. Sparring and infighting occupied the remainder of the round. Busily and brightly Keys opened round thirteen, but Hagerty refused to stay long on tho defensive, and hopped in at Keys and landed a left to the face and a right to tho body. A moment later Keys went' down, but he was up immediately, and sent in a hard right to Hagerty's face.. Lively work was interrupted through Hagerty slipping to tho floor. Ho came to grief similarly twice later in tho round. Beforo the gong, Hagerty was hard pressed. Keys's round easily. Keys landed early in Itoimd 14 with' a fine right swing, and Hagerty retaliated with a right and a left. 111 rushing Hagerty, Keys received a right swing, which was quickly followed by two lefts. The Australian, still pressing, bustled Hagerty to the ropes, and got home a couple to tho body; but beforo t.lio end of the round Hagerty was forcing tiws fighting. Tho final round was lively, but no blow of any consequence landed. Both wero anxicvus to force the pace, and little came of tho clash. When tho gong went., Hagerty was covering his face, while Keys pummelled the back of his 'head. As mentioned .above. Mr. Sampson a do eision was: "A draw." THREE AMATEUR BOUTS. SUDDEN KNOCK-OUT. The big event was precodod by thrto amateur bouts. B. Tracy (Sat. 51b.), 'Wellington, and . G. M'Niciioll (Bst. 21b.), of Ghristchurch, featherweights,- opoued the proceedings. They wore sent out on a five-round bout, but at the conclusion of Round 5, Eefereo Sampson ordered an extra round. Tho extra was decidcdly willing, but Tracy showed a general superiority. His left 'frequently looked dangerous in tile early -rounds. A welter encounter betwoen F. Flan (lOst. 41b.) and D. Ryder (lOst. 41b.), both Wellangtonians, had not gone ono round beforo a mighty right from Flau caught. Ryder square on the jaw and sout him heavily to tho boards for tho full count. In a livolv five rounds, .T. M'Morrnn (gst. 21b.), of ■Wellington, was defeated by H. W. Brice, Bst.' lib.), of Wellington. Taller and steadier, Brico held the upper hand ail through.