HAGERTY WINS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2171, 9 June 1914, Page 6

HAGERTY WINS

[ O'GRADY QUITS IN TWELFTH | ROUND AUSTRALIAN SOUNDLY BEATEN EXCELLENT AMATEUR BOUTS Hagerty is still light-weight champion of New Zealand. Ho proved conclusively last night'that O'Grady, the Victorian, who camo here with a reputation from Victoria to box a. match with liim, has no claim whatever to the honour. The bout was scheduled as a fifteen-round affair, but in the twelfth round O'Grady's seconds, who could no longer by that timo be blind to the fact tliat their man was beaten and in soro distress, threw in the towel. The weights as declared gave tho Timaru boy an advantago of one pound in weight—ost. 91b. against his opponent's 9st. 81b. Hagerty's ring anco and his ring method need no description. Ho is a solidly-built, short, well-furnished light-weight, short of limb, but fast, resourceful, and aggressive. O'Grady is inches taller, well covered on tho shoulders, but spare and fragilo below. No two men more dissimilar in physique could havo been' matched.

Perhaps it was this difference in height, making necessary greater differences in stylo that puzzled tho Australian. "Certain it is:that O'Grady never onco looked a winner, and he could not claim to have a lead on points in more than three of the eleven rounds. Ho showed several flashy, clevc-r tricks, notably one of poking a left on to his opponent's face two or three times in rapid succession, while he himself ran ■sideways. It was a clever manoeuvre, in winch he showed the greatest skill, but on the occasions on which Hagerty's ever-ready smother did not save him ho showed the most utter disregard for the. taps. They were l not loaded, and after a time O'Grady became too worried to think about them.

The man with tho really dangerous left was Hagerty; AVith incrediblo swiftness he would rush O'Grady time after time and nearly always he slapped that very busy left over to the region of O'Grady's jaw. Often and often tho Australian took the blow on his forearm, or kept his chin out of thp way so that the blow fell fairly harmlessly on his breast-bone, but still very often the blow found its . mark and his head was pushed back. Like a terrier Hagerty- kept up this very same method of attack, with occasional variations in the preliminary feints and shuffles for tho opening. Ho must have hit with the left with varying degrees of force, in the region of chin and throat at least fifty times in the elovert rounds. More than half of the blows were partly blocked, but tho rest went on, and the continuous relentless battering wore down thoAustralian. But it was in the clinches that Hagerty did most of his damage. There he would rip right or left or both to tho body, and lie was apparently always ready to shoot either hand up to the -face. It was with one of these blows 'that, in the. eleventh round, he gave O'Grady the blow which shocked' him so badly that ho staggered to bis corner sadly distressed. He was littlo better when the gong signalled tho opening of tho twelfth, and ;a;ismart' right to 'the jaw sent him ■reeling across tho ring. Hagerty was merciful, otherwise tho ending of the business w : ould havo been sudden and sharp at that moment, and, seeing their man's sorry plight-, O'Grady's seconds decided , to -quit. The crowd of 3000 people in tho hall cheered the winner lustily. Hagerty's aggressive persistence had seemed good to them; ■ After the affray, O'Grady walked over to the auditorium side of the-roped enclosure, and said, "I sprained my ankle in the second round, but'lie is"a good boy all tho same." .It appears ..that one of O'Grady's ankles was. slightly sprained, but it is impossible to believe that this accounted altogether for his failure. The New Zealand boy was faster and more resourceful. Hagerty's work when they wero at closo quarters was immeasurably superior, and by his speed and power, combined,'with his better defence for the vulnerable parts, he was always tho more dangerous. At any timo in tho battle a points decision must have been in favour of Hagerty. O'Grady fought gamely throughout, and was heartily cheered at the close of the contest.

THE PRELIMINARIES. ■ . Threo amateur preliminary bouts were decided.' and every ono of the three was 'excellent: Following are details of those 'events: — L. Thompson, Bst. 41b., beat B. Tracy, 'Bst. 41b. , . These boys had to box an extra Tound, but in this Thompson was unlucky, for he certainly should have had tho decision at the end of tho third. Ho began. slowly, and Tracy probably was credited, with a small lead in points on the first round. In the second, Thompson held his own, and in the third he won quite easily, beating Tracy to the punch nearly always, and outboxing him generally. He was fit, and therefore able to stand the extra touik!,"" so that ho did not suffer defeat, but still further showed his superiority. J. Hunter, lOst. 41b.. beat J. Smith, lOst. ■ ' Smith was .the winner of the lightweight championship, and Hunter of the. welter-weight championship at tho .recent tourney. After the first • few nervous seconds, Hunter very eai'ly established the fact that in skill he was Smith's master. The only question then was whether he would be able to keep out of tho way of Smith's smashing right. The right landed once, a painful body blow. As the rounds progressed, and Hunter, landing his lolt, with an occasional right to follow it, every few seconds, drove Smith's head badk quite frequently. Smith's blows began to bo a great deal less vimfiil.. Hunter won cvory. round easily. ■J. W. Oliver (Cross Creek), Bst. 121b., beat E. Leary, 9st. . Learv set out to finish tho bout in short order, and rushed Oliver all over ring. Incidentally he rushed into trouble. He'could not got through Oliver's smother, and Oliver found time to jolt Learv once or twice sufficiently hard to shako him badly. The Cross Creek boy punished Loary severely in the second round. In the third he tired badly, and.had to do his best to beat Learv off. Leary also was at the last gasp of exhaustion.