BOXING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3615, 19 March 1927, Page 4

BOXING.

McTIGUE’S GAMENESS. CONTEST WITH SHARKEY. NEW YORK, March 4. The fight last night between Jack Sharkey (13.8) and Mike McTigue (12.2), in a semi-final of Tex Rickard s elimination tournament, was a most strenuous contest. As cabled earlier, Sharkey won by a technical knock-out in the 12th round. The crowd was wildly excited towards the end. A glancing right from Sharkey landed on McTigue’s face, smashing a tooth and breaking a blood vessel inside the cheek. Blood gushed in a steady stream from McTigue’s mouth. He remained on his feet, and though reeling from the blows of his opponent, and blood from his face bespattered him to tho waist, he battled on. “STOP THE FIGHT!” The crowd, alarmed by the blood, yelled to stop the fight. The referee intervened, and awarded the fight to Sharkey 2min. 9sec. after the 12th round had started. Estimated at 14,000, the spectators rose and cheered the loseras he left the ring. McTigue was 191 b. lighter and many years older than the Boston sailor, who is a Lithuanian. McTigue had staged a great come-back for a mail in the Jate thirties, and sporting editors unite in giving him great credit for his remarkable showing, and use the term lion-liearted in referring to him. Probably, but for the haemorrhage, McTigue would have gone the fiiteen rounds, but it was Sharkey’s fight. The Boston man won seven rounds to McTigue’s three, while one was even. Sharkey has an aggressive style, and a strong 'left liook, but he showed little that was of real championship calibre, WHAT OF DEMPSEY? Two rugged Boston heavy-weights, Jack Sharkey and Jimmy Maloney, topped all other aspirants for the right to a championship fight against Genu Tenney. One or both may meet Jack Dempsey before Labour Day if the former "champion elects to enter the elimination finals. It is, however, very questionable whether lie will.