DONOVAN AND BLAY

Evening Post, Issue 51, 2 March 1931, Page 11

DONOVAN AND BLAY

MATCH DECLAFtED A DRAW

(By "The Post's" Spocial Reporter.)

Tommy Donovan, Taraiiaki. featherweight, maintained his record of being Unbeaten in New Plymouth, when-he: drew with Bobby Blay at';. Western , Park on Saturday night. ■ To speak paradoxically, Donovan vras both lucky and unlucky •in this. 'Tactics' adopted by; him merited his .disqualification or, at. least, an insistence by the referee that ■he should discontinue them. Neither of these steps were taken, and. the bout going the .full dis-: tanee of- fifteen rounds, ..it seemed : that Donovan' had ■ an' edge on his ppppnent at the finish.. Holding, elbowing, palmiiig, butting, and wrestling were ithe.■prominent features of a bout in direct, contrast to what the two provided ■ in- Wellington when they met for the. first time.: :.The rules at tin'ies were absolutely ignored, and the referee'sl admonitions equally .'unheeded, l^rom : the 'first'gong_ Donovan commenced to. hold- and claim' Blay1 in a. flagrant '•..maiiner, and, the,; Australian finding that Donovan was. "getting away with it" retaliated in;kind,.the. crowd., being then treated to an;exhibition of rough boxing. Several-times ;Blay threw Donovan to. the ground, and once both boys, went sprawling out of the, ring: —X ■■.;. ■ ' '; ;_ ; ; The bout was held in the open1 air inthe natural amphitheatre 'at- Western 'Park. ■;■■'■ Weather conditions were . wellhigh perfect, 'and theV.Taranaki Boxing Association were rewarded with a "house"' which paid a .total "of over, £600 for admission. '/;.' :;;. ■■":''.■■i ■'.-'' -v: ' ■■ ' DONOVAN'S TACTICS^ :-.f i Throughout his boxing career Donovanhas shown 'a marked ability to sum up his opponent, land,1: as a. consequence, .he has .never been beaten twice-by tbe/same .boy.'Jn'sviewVof this.it-was'only to be expected '.thhtMie. would; change his, tactics ;o£: the; 'Wellingtou: bout in which he received a severe lacing.- On' Saturday - nigM he ; set out:?to crowd .tie"Australian all ths .time. After leading- j or drawing' His opponent's lead1 the Tnranaki-boy would get right in on top of Blay; in this way trying to, prevent the Australian from haying any room toi work in. The idea was good, but Donovan's "execution of it was far from that, for once'in close he 'persistently.held on, with one or,both hands. '-'As early..as "the second .:rdimd . he,, was. warned ;that. .he would be'disqualified 'if he .held, but: he 'cbritihue'd 'to 'bffeiid: "i For: the .first- .'few rounds. Bla'y.guffered'this'.without any .attempt at-retaliation^ but as Donovan co.ntinued;tb hold- his afms:and body, the Australian: smarted to palmj use his elbows, and occasionally -butt with hie head;; There was:,little; variety ;,in the-: boxing,; each round being similar to the .previous one, most: of \the! work! was ; done'in:'; close,1 .the boys here-fighting, apparently, to their, own rules. '■.' ;''.'.•';''"■'.''-.',' ;■:■,'■;■ ;. ■':, "■' ; TUGpiNG AND WRESTt.I NG. YBoth ': weighed::Sst 21b. v.There; jwas a' long wait before Blay: made; his appqarance,'" quickly .-followed.by, the ,lpeal boy.; "Pour 'tiriiesi'in the "first two rounds, Dprio;) van was warned, for, holding/-:.; He .quickly took'the'figlit::to ; the":Austra.lian,.who, was content :to try with his uppercuts; ,'.Dono-: van kept right after his,:man and; fought, well,; but he held' round after, rpund;, ■; In the" little ,open,:wo"rk: there: was '.the Taraiiaki .boxer ,used' a: nice left Jliobk":to:;the head and body. Therecould be nP'-doubt that .DonPvan: was-trying1 to bustle IJlay out:.of ■ the 'fight,;but thei Australian..; re-, mairied cool and' scored well- with-upper-.cuts. > Byi.the: seyenth'.round "bpth, boys seemed to have, decided ;to: fight according to theiriown; ideas,: and therei was: a lot of hugging and wrestling'.1; The .eighth: open: ed sensationally,. Blay catching Donovan With a beautiful punch -to the s,olar jplexus and sending his down for eight.' .Donovan was;, hurt -. but;' he fought -back ■ gamely on rising .and; landed to the body.: Another warning was,.:issued-: to Donovan, an!'the next round, but it .did -not- have, any effect,! and the boys continued, with tfeeir illegal methods. , 'Several--timesI"during the fight, Donovan, for 'various 'reasons','.offered' his, handy but the: Australiau- refused ;to accept it. Blay, too; was warned for :sbme ■pi..life- work; but, like Donovan, he made n*b'noticeable;efforts^ ;tb'T)ut''ma'tters,i'ight;: ; ■'. -r^- A;- slight( lead. *.: -.::.- '■,]■■■ Up. to the tenth round Donovan had been 'doirig most of the 'leading, but; in the Eleventh:■ with- ; Blay now v ! moving; in constantly^ the Taranaki; boy held back, and after drawing, his opponent's lead cut loose ibbth,''hands to. force his way in ..close agairii : Blay's bibeking'was good, though, and Donovan had a hard job to penetrate the defence. He seemed'to.be more concerned, .-however,, in ; bustling the , Australian and thus save,himself frpin punishment. Nevertheless Donovan seemed to have a ;slight, lead.: on points .at; this stage.,.-.,.;-VVi. ■.•.'■"■■■'■■;.-;'. ';':■■.'/■. '.'■■ '•■.'"..■.»;,' ■.■'■ Tlie next ifbur founds were:.fpught fier.bely ■ with the' boys roughing it a good deal. Neither Would give: way to the other, and some: willing exchanges, occurred,- but the contest.;could be; in. no ■ way .compared with ;the:J Wellington1 'encounteiv;: 'The decision of a draw iijet with a mixed reception. Altogether it was a most unsatisfaetpry contest.,,;;;::; :lpi..'".'■■ ■: ■--■■■ ' .-Mr. Alan Maxwell was the referee. ~,: : Piior to the main bout Allen Whitlow and Billy Rittenhouse (his manager) who had come from Wellington with the,secr9tary of the Wellington ißoxing Association iYMr.- W. G-;; Talbot) were: ..introduced. Other Wellington ■ officials to witness the boiit, were Mr. G.,'Aldridge .(secretary-'pf the New Zealand Boxing Council),: and Mr; Earl: Stewart."-;-v :■;;'.:' ;;•;■; ■■"; ■;' '