BOXING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 7 August 1929, Page 7

BOXING

LECKIE BACK IN DOMINION

HIS OPINION OF TOUR

COMING FIGHTS IN NEW ZEALAND

(By Telogrnph-Spejoial to "The Mail")

AUCKLAND, 6th August, Unseated except for a slight mark over his right eye, Johnnie Leekie, feather-weight boxing champion of New Zealand, returned to Auckland by the Ulimaroa from Sydney this afternoon. Leekie, who was accompanied by his wife, is fit and well, and is anxious to get into the ring again in Nqw Zealand. Questioned as to tho financial success of his trip, Leckio said he had neither made nor lost money. From tho point of view of experience his trip had boen highly valuable and he had no regrets that he went over.

Leekie had five.matches under an.engagement to Stadiums Ltd. Tfie first time up lie knocked 6ut Billy Grime, a feat that Fidel la Burba- was unable to accomplish; Two points wins over Claude Wilson, an American fighter with a good reputation, followed, and then he registered a victory over Pete Sarron, A return match was arranged between Leekie and Sarron, and in this contest the New Zealandcr was knocked out for the first time in liis life. "In my second fight with Sarron I couldn't 'do anything right. My arms were heavy and I was as dead as nails. I could see what to do but was unable to do it," said Leekie in speaking of his fight. "Sarron caught me a hard punch light on the point with his right when I was coming out of a clinch in the second round, and it was that punch that took the steam out of me. When the bell rang I went to a neutral corner and couldn't understand where my seconds had gone. In my dazed condition I thought that my trainer must have got disgusted and left," smiled Leekie. "Sarron is not much of a boxer but is a hard little fighter with a punch in either hand. When ho hits he usually brings the heel of the glovo or laces into play. Personally I think that when I took the ring for my second fight against him I was overtrained. The week before I,was in perfect condition, but unfortunately , the match was postponed for seven days." Of tho boxing game in Australia Leekie said that at present it was at a low ebb and he was afraid that it was slipping. Poor fights, ho thought, were tho causo of tho trouble.

Leekie will probably go south, on Thursday night. He has an engagement in New Zealand about the end of the moiith and another two weeks later, while in addition he has matches at Palmerston North and Napieri Later he hopes to make another appearance at Auckland.

With regard to his suggested trip to America Leekie, who is not looking after his own interests, is still undecided. He has three offers to go to the States, including one for • three, fights with a guarantee of £250 each in addition to expenses. On the same steamer as Johnnie Leekie; there arrived to-day an American junior light weight boxer who has come to New Zealand at the invitation of tho Otago Boxing Association. He* is Sammy Shack, whose record shows 125 wins for some 150 fights. Shack, who came over with Mr Jack Kilmartin, the wellknown boxing enthusiast, had three matches in Australia,.but was unable to score a win, losing to Grime, Delaney, and Jackson. ;The American has been irt the game for ten years, and has the imputation of being an entertaining fighter.- ''.