“FIGHTING JOHNNY” AGAIN

Evening Star, Issue 19660, 13 September 1927, Page 9

“FIGHTING JOHNNY” AGAIN

LEGKIE OUTS O'COHKOR " \ A RECORD ATTENDANCE “ Fighting Johnny Leckio,” featherweight champion of Now Zealand, has been in professional boxing ranks less than sis months, but already he has created such a favorable impression that without doubt he is the best drawing card in Now Zealand to-day, and by defeating the Sydney boxer, Darby O’Connor, last night m the twelfth round of a scheduled fifteen-round contest of three minutes each for a purse of £IOO, the Dunedin boy; further enhanced his rapidly-mounting reputation. The question now being asked is Just how far Johnny Leckie will go, and after last night’s contest there are some shrewd judges of the game bold enough to assert that he will climb a good deal higher than the New Zealand honors he has already attained. _ Much interest had been manifested in his contest with O’Connor, and by 8 o’clock last night His Majesty’s Theatre was packed from top to bottom, many hundreds of fans struggling unsuccessfully to gain admittance to the crowded auditorium, which must have housed anything up to 2,000 people. Those who were fortunate enough to ;et in were not disappointed, for they vere rewarded with one of the best contests staged in Dunedin for a day. The takings amounted to £470, a record for a boxine contest in Dun-

edin. Scheduled as a feather-weight encounter, at the last minute O’Connor jumped on to the scales, and immediately leapt off, the announcement being made that he was over 9st. He was not weighed again, and forfeited £5 for failing to make the featherweight limit, the bout thus really being at catch weights. It was publicly announced that Leckie weighed 9st, and O’Connor over 9st, the Australian’s correct weight not being _ available, though ho stripped like a light-weight and seemed at least 61b heavier than the Dunedin boy. O’Connor proved to be Leckio’s hardest opponent to date, and lor Leckie to out so much heavier a man jn the twelfth round after leading by a good margin of points was no mean performance, and tends to show just how good Leckio really is. Though Leckie took the honors of about nine rounds to O’Connor’s two, one being evenly divided, the bout_ was always interesting, and tho New Zealand champion was able to take no risks with his heavier opponent, who contested every inch of tho way and showed remarkable gainoncss under very severe punishment, particularly in the eighth and twelfth rounds. Leckie’s straight work was a revelation to many of those present, and he punched effectively with both hands, but it was not only in the straight stuff that he scored, for bo unloosed some fierce hooks and uppercuts that staggered O’Connor. Honors were fairly ' even in in-fighting, though Lecliie connected the more clearly with his short-arm blows to the body. Leckie was inclined to leave himself rather often when O’Connor led his left, but for the greater part the Australian relied on his right, into which he put a good deal of venom, Leckio being able 1 to testify to the power of O’Connor’s punches. Had his left been as useful a weapon as his right, O’Connor might have pushed Leckie even'closer, O’Connor occasionally made Leckie miss, but the latter gave_ the Australian no respite, and worried him all the time.

It was an exciting battle, and both contestants received a great reception at the finish. Leckie has now won all four of his professional bouts, by the knock-out route.

Apart from a too lengthy delay between the last of the preliminaries and the professional contest, caused by the dispute in regard to O’Connor’s weight, there was not a hitch in the arrangements of the secretary (Mr H. Divers), to whom great credit is due for the wccess of the whole affair. Mr J. Kilmartin refereed the professional contest, but the boxing generally was clean, and this capable official’s duties were not as arduous as they might have been. In the amateur preliminaries, three of which were divided, Mr P. Torrie also refereed one contest, the judges being Messrs T. Gifli?s, P. Huston, and Don Paterson. The interest taken in the bout is shown by the fact that followers of boxing came from as far as Bluff to witness the contest.

During the evening the M.C. (Mr T. J- Campbell) announced that Johnny Leckie (holder) and Tommy Griffiths had been matched to meet for the feather-weight championship of New Zealand about September 24 in the Drill Hall. Further, he stated that Jimmy Carr (of Millertou) had challenged the winner of the contest between Johnny Leckie and Darby O’Connor. Mr Campbell also mentioned the success that had attended Jack Paul, the ex-Dunediu amateur, in Australia. Of three professional fights on the other side, Paul had won two by the knock-out route and one on points. He had got two more engagements to fulfill. 1

PROFESSIONAL BOUT DESCRIBED

Johnny Leckie took the ring at 9.0 and Darby O’Connor at over nine stone, it being announced that he was unable to make the feather-weight limit, and that his weight was not known, O’Connor apparently refusing to weigh in. However, the Australian not only had a big weight and roach advantage, but looked a good 61b heavier than the New Zealand featherweight champion. From the outset it was apparent that no time was to bo wasted in preliminary fencing, and the pair immediately went to close quarters, with Leckie on the offensive. He drove short lefts and rights to the ribs, and landed with left and right to the head. O’Connor was lying in wait for a chance to uppercut Leckie with his right, but the champion got back in time, though the Australian connected with short rights to the body and a straight left to the month. Leckie made his opponent miss with a right directed at the chin, and he returned the compliment by connecting with a straight right to O'Connor's chin It was Leckie’s round.

The points favored Leckie by a good margin in the second session, for the Dunedin boy showed to advantage both at long and close range. The chain piou led a straight left to the face, and connected, following up by drumming short lefts nnd nghts to the body, which sent O’Connor back against the ropes The Australian came off with a bound, but Leckie gave little ground, blocking well and hooking his left to the jaw. He stung O'Connor with a couple of straight lefts to the iaw. and look the honors of the round.. Tt. was good boxing, and the fans were getting their money’s worth even at this stage. Leckie had to work for his openings, and he made the most of his opportunities when they occurred. When O’Connor to get home with a left Leckie drove in soma hard rights to the, ribs, and followed with several snappy lefts to the head, though the Australian was smotherinewel!. -A couple of lefts to the chin drove O’Connor, into a clinch, and coming out Leckie steadied him„up with a vicious left hook to the jaw. Leeltie’s round.

O’Connor came into the picture in the fourth session, and kept Leckie off with a light left. He followed quickly by bringing his right across to Urchin, and the Dunedin boy a moment later ran into a left with his jaw. O’Connor scored with a splendidly.timed left to the mouth, hut Leckie 'wade up the leeway towards the close

of tho round, hooking both left and right to the jaw- O’Connor, however, was boxing strongly at this stage, and smashed homo a couplo of heavy rights to the jaw ft was easily O’Connor’s best round to date, and tho honors wore his by a small margin. There were willing exchanges in tho fifth round, with little between the pair. Leckie drove homo some terrific lefts to the face, but O’Connor just shook his head and was back with a straight arm right to tho body. Following a hot rally at close quarters, O’Connor connected with a right uppercut to the face, and Leckie retaliated by penetrating with a stinging left to tho face. Leckie’s round, but not by much.

Leckie was showing clear-cut superiority in straight work, and was connecting more cleanly than his opponent, who landed a left to the head at the opening of the sixth round Leckie drove a left to tho mouth and a straight arm right to the body, but a right hook just grazed O’Connor’s chin. Leckie was boxing fiercely, and drove in some telling punches with both hands, a right cross to the jaw and a left to tho mouth steadying O’Connor nfter thq raster had connected with a hard right to the chin. Leckie’s round.

The crowd got some more thrills i tho seventh round, which was a gor forerunner to the ■ clinking round f follow. Leckie bonked a left to tl jaw, and a right cross earned hii

feather-weight champion of New Zealand, who knocked Darby O’Connor out last night.

points. O’Connor was back at him, coming off the ropes to land a couple of solid rights to the chin. There was a lot of power behind this punch, but Leckie made light of it, and straight left and left hook to the jaw had O'Connor on the ropes when the round ended Honors were fairly even in this session, though the balance was on Leckic’s side. The crowd was on its feet with excitement during the eighth round, which was fought at terrific pace. Leckie not only continued to carry the fight to his opponent, hut ho dominated the session from gong to gong. Ho drove a straight left to the head and right cross to the jaw, a great rally then ensuing. It was thrilling boxing, and Leckie was shaken with a hard right to the jaw, but not for long, as he retaliated by driving a straight left to the face and staggering O’Connor with a chin-lifting right uppercut. O’Connor retreated on to the ropes, and it looked as if Leckie would effect a knock-out, the New Zealand champion raining in lefts and rights from all directions, though his timing was open to criticism. However, O’Connor weathered the tremendous punishment, and a stirring round ended with Leckie driving his opponent towards his corner with both hands. It was Leckie’s round all the way.

O'Connor benefited from the spell, and came up looking comparatively fresh, though it was evident that both boys were feeling the strain imposed by the hotly contested eighth round. Things were quieter in the ninth, Leckie being content to score with an occasional left to the mouth and right hook to the jaw. O’Connor came to close quarters, and this time had the better of in-fighting. Leckie had slightly the better of a quiet round. Honors were divided in the tenth round, O’Connor beginning well by driving a straight left to the face and short rights to the body. Leckie fought back in vigorous fashion, and landed a right uppercut and straight left to tho face. O’Connor endeavored to get into a clinch, but Leckie staggered him with left and right, a warm exchange, in which Leckie connected the more cleanly of the pair, ending tho session. The eleventh was also close, and O’Connor seemed to have made a good recovery from tho battering he had received in tho eighth. Still, tho Australian was relying mainly on his right, whereas Leckie was connecting repeatedly with both hands, and by no means gently. The Australian drove a couple of smashing rights to the jaw, but Leckie retaliated with straight left and right swing to the head. O’Connor went to close quarters, and hooked a couple of rights to tho chin, close fighting ensuing, with honors fairly easy, though O’Connor may have had a shade the better of tho round.

The pace was still a clinker when the twelfth round began, with Leckie on tho offensive. Ho led a left and connected, O’Connor getting home with a righ tcounter. Leckie drove short arm blows to the body with both hands, and had the better of in-fight-ing, during which a strong right to the face floored O’Connor for the count of seven. Ho was up, merely shaken, but Leckie, profiting from his experience four rounds earlier, stood_ off and drove in straight lefts and rights to the head, which put the Australian down for another eight. lie reeled on to the ropes in the face of the twohanded tornado, and a right cross to the iaw floored him for six. He scrambled up, but, gone though he was, he was obviously game, but a straight left to the jaw stretched him out. The referee did not bother to count, but crowned Leckie the winner, amid deafening cheering. Leckie was chaired from the ring, and the loser also came in for loud applause for Ins game and willing display. THE PRELIMINARIES.

The best preliminary of the evening was that in which A. Howe (9.0) defeated T. W. Webber (8.12) after a well-contested bout, though it eouid not be said that either participant in this six-round bout of two minutes each gave a very outstanding display of boxing. There was little in the opening round, honors being fairly easy. During the next two rounds Rowe scored frequently with a solid left to the face and short rights to the body, Webber landing with an occasional right swing. Both men missed a lot over the latter half of the journey, but Webber fared the worse in this respect, wild swings and uppercuts being wasted on the air. There wore some exciting exchanges, Webber connecting with an occasional straight left and a strong right swing, Rowe’s long left being his principal asset, though he also drove • some telling rights to the body. Superiority in the straight work and his useful left got Rowe the decision, both boys being loudly applauded for their willingness to mix it.

“ Can you Charleston? ” was the pert remark made by one spectator during the progress of the four-round contest of three minutes each between F. Hood (9.0) and P. Rowe (8.12), and it just about summed up the activities of this budding pair of novices, for this was a poor bout, even if it did improve a little towards the finish. The pair circled round each other like more or less graceful ducks during the first two ■ounds, and for anything there was in it Hood took the points by connecting with a good left to the mouth and a right swung to the head, which made Rowe stagger. -Matters were a little more interesting in the third round,

but tho boxing was crude, though Hood displayed some style, and employed a useful leit, and by virtue of doing most of the leading Hood won. C Buckley (8.12) was too experienced for G. Hart (8.13), and, though this contest of four three-minute rounds did not result in a particularly classy exposition of the noble art, it afforded the crowd a good deal of amusement, and was certainly willing enough, though both hoys wasted a good deal of their energies in the air. Buckley indulged in a good deal of flashy stuff, but he made his opponent miss fairly often, and when Hart was tiring over the latter stages of the bout, Buckley began to employ a solid left hand in straight work, also connecting wuth a right. Hart scored well during the first tw r o rounds with a straight loft and a right cross, while he also landed loft and. right hooks to the ehin; but he tired towards the ' finish, though much laughter was caused when he pushed Buckley through the rbpes in the fourth round Buckley got the verdict.