Pugilism.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 22, 2 August 1887, Page 4

Pugilism.

RICHARDSON V. MATTHEWS.

The novel spectacle of two outsiders fighting for the championship of New Zealand attracted a very large audience to the Opera House on July 20th. The Competitors were Eichard Matthews, the present holder of the championship, and J. C. Richardson, of Australia, and the stakes were £lOO. The men had previously met in Auckland, when after a rather unsatisfactory contest, Matthews was awarded tbe fight. Consequently the match, as a deciding one, had additional interest, The first hour’s entertainment was made up of sets-to by local boxers, and at 9 o'clock the two principals in the match of the evening entered the ring, Matthews being attended by W. Murphy, and Bichardson by J, Cohen. Mr C. Dwyer was appointed referee, The two men, when they shook hands, appeared to be well matched, for Matthews’ height was counteracted by Bichardson’s thickness, and sturdiness of build, and, as it subsequently appeared, his activity. In the first round Matthews at once started his favorite style of warfare, namely, heavy hitting. Richardson, however, was fore-warned and consequently fore-armed; and the agility with which he eluded his opponent’s heavy left-handers was surprising. These tactics he pursued with complete success through the round. In the second round some close fighting resulted in favor of Richardson, who got Matthews on the ropes in the corner, and there punished him a little. This rather emboldened him,

and he acted more on the aggressive, countering smartly, until the fifth round, in which there was some very severe fighting, Richardson getting a good deal the worst of it. After this the fighting was all of the same desorption. Richardson having tired himself by running away from his opponent, was fain to stand up to his man, which he did with a very had grace. He managed to escape punishment generally by clinching and wrestling, for which he was repeatedly censured by the referee. In the ninth and tenth rounds Matthews got several heavy left-handers home, to escape one of which Richardson laid down. Meantime Richardson continued to clinch (for which he was frequently hissed and hooted by the audience) and in the eleventh round Mr Dwyer, the referee, awarded the fight to Matthews, remarking, as he did so, that he had given Richardson a great many chances. The decision was a popular one, for sympathy had all along been with Matthews, but the general feeling on the match was that it was not at all a satisfactory affair—N.Z. Times.