BOXING.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 November 1925, Page 4

BOXING.

- [Australia &. N.Z. Cable Association.] SYDNEY. Xov. 22. Paul Demsky at the Stadium boat Adriano. The referee stopped the fight Hi the lltli. round. In the lightweight championship of New South Wales at Newcastle. Jones defeated Love in thirteen rounds. The latter skied the towci, I! BIS A XL. Xov. 22. In a boxing contest Ackworth heat Murphy oil points. MELBOURNE. Xov. 22. At the Stadium. Stewart (Victoria! beat Parker (New Zealand). The fight was stopped in the fifteenth round. BOXING MATCH UPROAR. LONDON. Sept. 24. At Belle Vue Garden-. Manchester, last night, amid scenes of the wildest excitement and with a free light occurring at the ringside during the progress of the final round, Len Johnson, the coloured Manchester middleweight boxer, defeated Roland Todd, of Doncaster, on points in a 15-rounds contest and thereby set up an almost indisputable claim to be regarded as middle-weight champion of Great Britain .

For 14 rounds there was nothing save noise and excited cheering; then, midway in the loth round, two distracted men forced their way to the ringside, fell over Johnson’s seconds, and instantly precipitated a scene that for a moment or so had all the elements of a riot. KNOCKED DOWN. One of the men. swinging his arms, fell foul of another iit a front-row ringside seat. This latter at once arose and tpiite coolly levelled t-he interrupter with a blow straight to the point of the jaw. The stricken man fell helplessly and immediately there was a scurrying and a struggling as the spectators dived for safety. Fortunately, and as though by magic, a mimljer of uniformed constables jumped into! action, and the two men who had caused the commotion—one as blissfully unconscious of wlmt was happening as though he had been chloroformed - were uncerenionionsly buudlod out to the rainy outdoors. Mr Eugene Cprri's decision in favour of Johnson was badly received. The reason is hard to find—if one forgets I the partisanship—for except for a few

rounds in the early part of the fight Todd was always in the position of one labouring against the odds. He was heavily handicapped hv a left eye which bled profusely from the filth round onwards. OLD AND WEARY. Had the bout gone HO rounds he would have l>cen knocked out. Todd was an old and wearied veteran when the hell rang for the last time. "When Todd first won his championship his sole asset was defence. That facility has now gone, lie has descended to'the level of a common pugilist.

Johnson, the coffee-coloured Negro, is just a clever boxer with a natural aptitude for his trade. If he had been cautioned HO times for illegally using his head he would have had no cause lor complaint. Recause of his colour he can never he a recognised champion of Cl rent Britain, bill for the next few years lie will he able to defeat any middle-weight Lonsdale Bell holder. Mrs Roland Todd, who took a seat dnirng a preliminary light, left lnifore the big contest. She was wise. Sue was spared the spectacle of her has band’s eclipse.