BOXING SURPRISE

Hokitika Guardian, 2 October 1931, Page 6

BOXING SURPRISE

HAROLD THOMAS KNOCKED OUT.

MOTUEKA TOURNEY,

The tournament staged by the Motueka Boxing Association on Saturday night proved one of the most succe*sful ever held there, the house being packed to capacity.

The surprise of the evening was the defeat of Harold Thomas, ol Wellington, New, Zealand amateur lightweight champion, by Val Borcovsky, of Murchison. The first round was very even, and in the second Thomas put his opponent down for a count of three. In the third round, Borcovsky caught Thomas napping, and landed a beautiful right hook which caught the Wellington champion flush on the point, and pnt him down for the full count. Thomas was the better boxer, and was unlucky to be caught napping. If he had not taken matters so easily in the second round, there might have been a different story to tell. Val Borcovsky, who is a grafter all the way, sailed into Thomas right from the start, and realising the Wellingtonian’s prowess as a scientific boxer, prob. ably thought his best chances lay in making the bout as rough as pcs-ible. So well did he succeed that the first round ended in his favour. His experience of the first-round caused Thomas to open out, anfi he was intent on getting his man. With clean and lightning lefts and rights to the body Thomas severely punished the Murchison hoy, who went down half-way through for a count of three. He was caught again with a right, which would have floored the average man; but, seeking a clinch, made a rapid recovery. In the third round Thomas set to work with rights to the body, and connected with a left and right to the jaw, which told sadly on his opponent. His efforts, however, to secure a conclusion, were futile, for Borcovsky rushed the champion and pushed out a left to the face. Thomas, evidently thinking Borcovsky was all in, prepared to send in a right to theheart; but the latter, getting the range with his left, swung an inside right to

Thomas’s jaw, and the Wellingtonian went down like a log. In his excitement Borcovsky stood oyer his opponent for a few seconds before retiring to the corner, and thus lost time. On the count of eight Thomas partly rose, but the effort was beyond him, and he again sagged to the floor. It was truly a dramatic conclusion to the bout of the evening. Borcovsky scaled 9st. 61b., and Thomas 9st- 101 b.

Borcovsky is a rugged fighter, and the return match between the pair at Blenheim on October 24th should arouse great interest, and prove which is the better man.