BOXINS CHAMPIONSHIP

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 72, 18 December 1920, Page 12

BOXINS CHAMPIONSHIP

COOK BEATS LLOYD

A FIFTEEN-ROUND CONTEST

Heavy-weight boxing contests aro a rarity here, i*.sui when they nro si they ns it rulo me slow ami unintcresrtng. This cannot Ijo said, however, of the contest at tlu\ Town Hall last: cvcui iif; arranged by tho lioxinij Association !xrtweuu Albert Lloyd (Australasian hcavy-wight: (•liainpion) ami Ueorgc Cook (challenger for the titlo). It is a iong time indeed since, a more vigorous lioul: between big men was SQen here, ami tile large audience present had.lts, full share of sensation. Lloyd's weight, was announced as 12st. 101b„ and Cook's 'is I.lst. Lloyd had aii advantage in height and reach, but made little use of this. For the greater part of lhe t content he wju3 content to act on the defensive, in whieli rolf) iie, at times' yhowed cleverness. Cook, on the other hand. from gong to gong wa.s on 1 the attack. Tieis one of the most aggressive lighters we: have seen here, and it is remarkable, inview of the pace lie set throughout, how he sustained his vigour light up to the finish. As is customary nowadays in professional contests, there was a great, deal of. clinching and-ill-lighting, in which Cook was the more successful, but his most.-deadly, blow—a, vicious upiierc.iit— was on most occasions/ successfully evaded by Lloyd. In several rounds Ilia audience were worked- up to a high state of excitement, notably in the tenth round, when Lloyd went to the boards from a nasty back-hand swing, which caught him partly olf his balance.. On this occasion lie took the count to six, and twice in later rounds lie was in distress, bill weathered the s-orm gamely. Though Cook had by far the' greatest number of: points to li.is credit for blows that .got' home, he was made to miss .frequently,-, and in the end there was not so much between-the two men in tlic" matter of points as-the. nature-of the contest might BUggest. Coo); is a fighter and Lloyd a boxer, and the boxer was not quite clever., enough to outpoint, the. - figlitcr. That about sums lip tlio'position. Cook frequently offended in tho clinches by using his head under his opponent's .chin. Llo.vd helped'to balance accounts by hitting while holding his opponents glove, looked-under his arm.-Llo.vd. .had the List, of the 3, 7j 9,' an- 14th, rounds while matters were about even in "the 2, (1. 8, and 13th, Cook more than holding his own in the 1, 4 5, 10, 11, 12,' and 13th. At the close of tho 15th ■ round Lloyd was undergoing" a torrid tims, and the gong must have brought p. welcome relief.

The Contest From "fpcoiuls out," Cook pressed mid in the first round his opponent-did not benefit from the heavy work that was forced upon liiin. Clinches were fre-, quent. and ns-the rule of-tile-clean-break was insisted on. somo clever work by. both men was witnessed. Cook sot Home somo fine blows to the kidneys. In the sccond round Cook pressed for in-lieht- : inj?,- and his left hooks, with an occasional .straijrht . one were- things to be it'clconed with.' Ho punished' Lloyd severely in this .round!'''netting in two clever right hooks to the ear jiisfc before the roiir fioiinded.. Cook went for his opponent';! body in tho. next.l-onnd, and made somothinif of his short viehts and upporcuts, tho nmjoritj r ..of which (rot homo on Llovd. Llo.vd canio to tho fore with a Rood left that stopped his opponent's onslaught. . Clinching was frequent in this 'round. Lloyd's right stood him in Rood stead in the next: round,. and his clever feinting eluded -a couple of dajicefous-lookinj? upporcuts with a Lit of a wild swing about them. At- the end of the round Llo.vd got in a good one with his _ rifrlit, and Cook camo back- ready to mix it as tho gohg .eounded. The fifth round started oil. well with Coot continuing to give his. opporiont no respite'. Clinching was tin. rule, and -towards the end of the round it came a, little tiresome. Llo.vd made his mark with two clover right-arm iabs, followed by a fine ono-'to Cook's face. A. hard Tight niuV : loft from Lloyd damped some of Cook's'enthusiasm''for the mo-: ment, and when'lie opened ui) again wild swinging'lost lijni seyeral chances. Tli^s. was Lloyd's riiund'frriih''tlife;6iitSetj TliQr sevbntli round- commenced '.MR ,; ii -bad' tniss by one of Cook's jippercuts, .giviiiß Lloyd a chance for a right, wliicli hcj Utiiised. ■ As. tho gong sounded Lloyd 'missed another one. • llie eigljui round was uninteresting, the only outstanding feature being a fine left tliafn Lloyd got on to Cook's chin. A bunch of iabs'on the side of L'nyd's head broke a clinch in the ninth, but'the other man-did not take enough caro, and missed would have liocn a splendid . right. Lloyd was not to be denied, :nnd : a . stinging right to tho sido of Cook's'Jiead set that boxer thinking. Another good one by Lloyd—a straight left to tho point of Ins opponent's jaw, was followed by a. wild rush by Cook, that failed.

J Cook in the Ascondancy. With m'oro than half the specified contest over. Coot was showing more _ aiidmore, that his blows would decido thine.?. A left that had n etiiiß in it sent Lloyd down, but ho was up again like a (lash, in the tenth round, nnd foilsrliT, jumcly, though not showing his oppontot's .dash. Tho gong sounded with Cook iust finishing a hnrd rfclit uupercut which found its destination'. Coot opened fiercely in the eloventh;' and had Lloyd with his back to the ropt'3. Ho dodged a nasty one from Lloyd by 1 clever footwork, nnd returned a good one, which • was similarly dodged by his 'opponent. In this round Cook was doing great work with his uppercuts. Llo.vd set things going in tho twelfth, and got ono to Cook's jaw, but missed tho .ensuing right 'hoot and Cook, with a clever right, sunt him down for four. The round ended with both boxers hard at it. . 11l tho' thirteenth lourid, Cook, c'omiDcncilis in his usual manner, clinched, but an attempt >at ia Tight hook di« iot" reach Lloyd, who returned in kind. At 'this stage Cook .used a back-handed "sham- • rock" blow, which wfts ' followed by ' a warning from the roJereo. Before tho gong ;■ sounded Lloyd had plhiited a good 0110 :011 Cook s nose. Lxcitqiiieiit was ipiiso as the gong sounded for tlie thirteenth round, as both; boxers were showing Signs of weakening;, Cook being tho fitter o£ tho two. Lloyd qui) 0 bucked up, and . ; got a. few . good hits home,-a hook to the cilun ■•'being especially "ood Cook missed some upper-ciuk 'Towards tho end of tho round Cook showed that lie was tho better fighter. _ Ilie last round opened with. Cook sending a hard straight left .home, and for a moment tho fighting was brisk. Ho just cuugM the edge of. Lloyd's pw with his right, and was pending 111 a batch ot. iabs to the head when tlio final gong founded. The verdict was in lavour of Cook. ..... The Preliminaries.

Threo excellent amateur l>out3 interested tho spectators before the biff contest. 0. Peurce, 7«t- '13{1b., v. A. Tracey. Ssl:. 41b In tliis feather-weight contest,, which did-not lnsrl.a wliole irond, Penwe, although' the shorter, easily outclassed Ins opponent, and sent him to t'lio count with a hard couple on the neck, Imcey Koine down twice." ■" J Kiisterholtz, Bst. 21b., v. W. Denmark, 7st. 131b. In flhis bout Denmark was quite* outclassed,-anil was 100-slow in getting lo work, although lie toolc a consitlemble amount of punishment well. IJis opponent, a elovei', boxer, wlio.se footwork ia excellent, distinguished himself at. the lasU contests in Wellington. P. JL'Gregor v. E.'A. papier A good denl of interest was centred in .this light* weight bout, which was a spcciall return nmfch "between the two boxers/M faregor haviiiK beaten-his opponent. However, tilings were (Tifferontl last evening, nuil in the third 1 round, after a.good deal of hard fighting,.Napier,sent the liltlo man down for the count Willi a swinging up- ' I'ho judges-were Messrs. P. W. Woods and A.' W. Tress.'

Tiiwniics'. ii j.' istoß. 2 r D -. 1 ! nid : : 3: F ' °Th P e r i>rara won at tho aniiunl stliletlo anil swimmin"; sports were also presented. Uuiitlmied on pago 16. !

A mccliiw oi :11m A. W. Hose Mcrnw- ■ ini CommiHco was held .vostorday ajtornoon at Jfnstei'ton, the Mayor (Mr A\. 11. .raek?<m) .presidinK., Mr, G. K. bvkes.' Jl P was nraoiiß those present. - Sunis totalling ovor .€3OO wero handed in by i the. canvassing committee.