GOOD BOXING SHOW

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 20, 24 July 1945, Page 6

GOOD BOXING SHOW

FOOTE OUTPOINTS WOODS

Taken all through, the boxing programme staged in the Wellington Town Hall last night was one of the best of the season. An excellent series of amateur contests in which local boys were matched with selected opponents from Wairarapa, Marlborough, and Hawke's Bay was followed by a grand bout between two Wellington professionals. In the amateur section T. Fox, the Wellington junior middleweight champion, scored a meritorious but narrow victory over Noel Dornan, Hastings, who was seconded by his trainer, Maurice Strickland, and then Bob Goslin, the young knock-out artist, found himself unable to flatten P. Ham (Blenheim), though he received the verdict. ■'~ ~"*■,, In the main bout Harold Foote, New Zealand amateur bantamweight champion before the war, outpointed Noel Woods, Wellington's junior lightweight champion last year, who was having his third professional engagement. Woods took the ring at 9st ll£lb, 2£lb over the .lightweight limit, while Foote, at 9st 21b, was just out of the feather class. Foote, however, made light of the weight discrepancy, showing all his accustomed speed and skill in giving his 18-year-old opponent a boxing lesson, particularly in the use of a right-hand rip to the body. This blow had a great deal of sting in it and put Woods down for a count of seven just before the end of the third round. Later in the bout Woods went down again just as the gong sounded, but he was always ready, to come back for more and was constantly trying to pin a heavy punch on to Foote. # . He met with little success until ]ust before the end of the ninth round when Foote walked into a right-hander that crashed into his face and. spun him round. Woods could do little to follow up the advantage in that round and the shifty Foote also managed to safeguard himself in the final round, in which both were very tired, and were also liberally covered with blood from their bleeding noses. It was a stirring finish to a well-fought bout and the crowd showed its appreciation of the efforts of both boys. The verdict in favour of Foote was the only possible one, though Woods had good cause to feel satisfied with his performance. The referee was Mr. P. Stone and the judges were Captain C. J. H. Davidson and Mr. W. P. Sommerville. AMATEUR PRELIMINARIES. ■H. Hoffman (Hedberg's), 9st 131b, beat S. Gospondlvich (Wairsrapa), Ost 101b, on points. Hoffman not only had the weight advantage but also outranged his opponent and made the most of it. He used a jabbing straight left and a righ uppercut against an opponent who kept boring in head first. F Tucker (Wairarapa), Sst olb, beat J. O'Leary (Boys' Institute),-9st 101b, wh|> was ucable to come out for a third round owing to a damaged right hand. TJp till then O Leary had been well on top, hitting very fast and using a heavily-loaded right cross. . T. Jury (Wairarapa), lOst 121b, beat T. Parata(Forirua), list 51b, on points. Against an older opponent, one who was eager to hit with both hands, Jury boxed coolly and kept to a sound orthodox style, using his left well. He deserved the decision, even if it was close. • T. Fox (Boys' Institute), list 31b, beat N. Dornan (Hastings), lOst 131b, on points. It was a great bout, fought over,four rounds. Fox boxed even better than he did last week and repeatedly shook Dornan with his twofisted barrage. However, the Hastings boy proved able to absorb any amount of punishment and also did quite a bit of scoring. R. Goslin (Matthews), Bst 101b, beat P. Ham (Blenheim), Sst 91b, on points. Goslin put I the visitor down three times for short:, counts but could not knock him out. The only times Ham found his opponent within range was when Goslin jumped inMo let fly with his left swing to the head. The decision had a mixed reception.

Mr. E. Morgan was the referee,

MATCHES AT AUCKLAND

AUCKLAND, July 23,

Two professional boxing contests were held tonight, the principal one, a welterwelghtvbout of 10 three-minute rounds between Percy Kelly (Auckland), 9st 101b, and Alf McMullan (Wellington), Ost 9%1b, went the full distance and was won on points by Kelly. In a professional preliminary Eric O'Neill (Auckland), list slb, beat Johnny Kitchen (Auckland), list 61b, on points at the end of six rounds.

BOLGER OUTPOINTS WRIGHT

DUNEDIN, This Day,

In the hardest fight of the local season, Laurie Bolger, of Mataura, lOst 6^,11), outpointed Ken Wright, Timaru, lOst 6%1b, in a professional welterweight contest over 12 three-minute rounds in tho Town Hall last night. The attendance numbered over 3000.

Wright had the better of the first two round?, but Bolger"'launched a barrage of punches in the third and fourth rounds, In each of which Wright was down for.counts of eight. Wright made a great recovery, but Bolger's bodypunching slowed him down, and in tho closing rounds Bolger dealt out fairly heavy punishment, though Wright was still lighting back at the end.