PURDY’S BEST FIGHT

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12620, 3 December 1926, Page 8

PURDY’S BEST FIGHT

M'CARTHY OUTPOINTED BEST EVENT OF THE SEASON NEW ZEALANDER IN A NEW LIGHT Tkevo lias been a good deal of speculation in Wellington and throughout the Dominion as to what would be the character of the meeting between Pttydy and McCarthy. Not a few were of the opinion that there would be 10 or 12 rounds of sparring and clinching, without much pep, leaving the real issue over the last three or four rounds. They were wrong and agreeably surprised, for from start to finish the match proved to be one that the patrons would not have missed for double the money. It was a fitting, a splendid termination to the season of the Wellington Boxing Association, and a credit to both winner and loser alike. Neither boxer left all the leading to the other, but Purdy was the cleverer boxer in aggTes-

lIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIII eive tactics and defence, j&nd took quite ten of the fifteen rounds. Three at least were the Australian's* who was as game a« they make them, and assimilated' punishment as well as the best. Purdy's leading was more . accurate, and while he was far from escaping all punishment, he minimised McCarthy's work by exceedingly clever elusive work, and took quite a lot of blows on his elbows or gloves, which to some of the audience appeared to reach the body. In the clinohing McCarthy did some tattoo work on Purdy's head, but it was more spectacular than anything, and did no damage. The 11th round was McCarthy's best, and 1 in this three minutes he had Purdy going round the ring at ,a good rate. In the last two rounds McCarthy made the pace very hot, but Purdy's defence stoodlbim in good stead, and when he did let go he damaged his opoonent. Purdy scaled 9st lOJlb, McCarthy 9st 10*lb. The opening exchanges were more brisk than they were expected be, and Purdy reached McCarthy's face with -three or four left jabs. In the dose work Piirdy scored, but on one break McCarthy sent the right to Purdy's left jaw. McCarthy, 'in the close work, aid a double tattoo on Purdy's head, but the blows had no power behind them. Purdy did more leading in the next round, but McCarthy took risks to get in with the left, which Purdy was too quick to allow him to land. There was a good deal of clinching. In the next round McCarthy had a damaging hit over the left eye, Purdy getting in finely with his right after making the Australian miss. In the corner, 'however, McCarthy shook Purdy with a couple of short right arm jabs but Purdy snapped tbe left to McCarthy's chin on the break-away. PURDY AGGRESSIVE , The fifth round saw the New Zealander carrying the-fight to the visitor, and he smashed the left between McCarthy's eyes to draw blood.McCarthy would not be denied, and sending tbe right to the ribs, lie followed with left and right to Purdy’s head, the New Zealander taking cover. The seventh saw Purdy making the pace greatly in advance of his previous fights in Wellington, and the straight left that he launched at McCarthy's chin often landed with telling effect. In a bout of sparring McCarthy, like lightning, shot in with right and left, scoring heavily to the body with both. In the next round, the eighth, coming out of a clinch, McCarthy took a vicious swing on the glove and sent a right hook to Purdy's iaw, but this did not appear to worry him As soon ae they closed Purdy would - bore McCarthy to the ropes. Thd first half of the ninth imiiiiimimmiiiimmiiiiiiitiismmiHmi

liiimimmiiiiiiiiiimiiimiiiiHiuiimmifi round both made it willing: McCarthy crashed the right to Purdy s nose* ana the latter showed blood for tbe .first time. A few seconds later he sot home fairly and squarely to Purdy's body with the right and the left to the jaw.- Purdy sparred for a breather, and then gave McCarthy a sharp jolt to each jaw with right ana left. The round up to now had favoured McCarthy, but crouching. Purdy, with a lightning jump, sent McCarthy staggering back. The latter came back with a right swing, which Purdy ducked, at the same time sending his right to McCarthy's ribs. McCarthy fails to even up The tenth round was a shade in favour of McCarthy, who was more successful in connecting with the right, which was always ready for an upper-cut. Purdy damaged the Australian's other eye early in the eleventh, but McCarthy came back off the ropes and 6lammed his left flush to Purdy's right eye, drawing blood, and repeated the dose almost at once. Wading into it smartly McCarthy took the rest of the round, tricking Purdy and drawing a grunt as he plant- . ed left and right in the ribs, and finishing with a clipper to the jaw. The twelfth and thirteenth 6nw both boxers ' easing a little, but when the fourteenth opened McCarthy rushed things straight away. This and ,the final round were just about the same. Time and again he rushed Purdy furiously, but the New Zealander defended cleverly against the onslaught, snapping first a single and then a double, elusive when McCarthy swung, and breaking the force of the heavy blows. At fairly regular intervals he too would let it rip for a few seconds and then close up again. .McCarthy had a lot of arrears to make Tip, but Purdy was too clever

and outboxed his opponent. Towards the end of the last round Purdy was making points rapidly till the gong went. The decision was in Purdy's favour, but both boxers received a great ovation for the splendid exhibition. THE PRELIMINARIES The first of the preliminaries was an amateur lightweight contest between D. C. Cleverley, Bst 7lb, brother of the amateur middleweight champion, and A. Hawker, Bst 2lb. Cleverley was the better better and won on points, a decision not wholly popular. J. Arbuthnot,. 9sfc* met A. Tutty, Bst 101 b, in a featherweight contest. - Tutty opened by feinting with the right and swinging with the left, rather disconcerting Arbuthnot. Tutty's left leads were swift, but by the end of the round his opponent responded gamely. In the other rounds Tutty rushed Arbuthnot to the cohners and round the ring, mostly using the left and dropping the right feint. Arbuthnot came back very pluckily and gave as much punishment as he received. The verdict went Do Arbuthnot easily on the last round. The winner was given a hearty ovation. A bantamweight contest between' F. Keith, Bst 71b, and A. White, Bst 6lb, a couple of good local lads, provided four brisk rounds. The decision on points went to Keith.

> The last of the preliminaries was an amateur heavyweight contest between R. Fitzsimmons, 12et, and V. W. Ragsdale, lib. Fitreimmons sent tbe, right twice to the jaw, and Ragsdale" went down for a count of nine and was all but out, but Ragsdale got home a heavy one later on. Both were tired boxers in the final round, where the descendant of the famous old champion nearly had his opponent out again. FjLtzsommons won on points.