RING RECORDS

NZ Truth, Issue 1180, 12 July 1928, Page 12

RING RECORDS

STILL HE SUCCEEDS

But Latest Opponent Had Him Thinking (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative.) In his thirteenth professional fight, Johnnie Leckie successfully negotiated the evil number. * / /

ARCHIE HUGHES, the New South 'Wales featherweight champion, was his opponent. The visitor had Johnnie thinking fairly hard to do it.. Leckio gave the impression that he w»s not fighting up to his usual form. : ■-.'.. . ■'.._. , The reason can be found In the. fact that the further he goes, he is meeting better- class fighters. ? ; . The £70.Q house was' provided, with a- mill, at tiriies bright m Incident, though not so.scintillat&g.as some of the earlier fights of . the season. ; Hughes la the fourth fighter (and the third Australian) to go the full distance with L»eckie, and,, while being far.' from a handsome boxer, ■he is as tough a nut to crack as any ' feather-weight at present In the game — either here or m the Commonwealth. He is a similar itype to . Griffiths, with a clever duck and good smother, and sol dom throughout the contest was Leckie able to hit him cleanly. The three-minute rounds troubled Hughes, . and . this accounted for him holding a great deal. He was not- the only offender, however, as Leckie also Indulged In a little loving, though not so much as his opponent. .Hughes was cautioned by Referee Kilmartln, who was unusually tolerant m this respect. ' * The Australian fought at 8.13 and Leckie was a quarter of a pound heavier. •'-.■■ The- fight opened tamely, but m the third round Leckie .had the Sydneysider down with a smart right, to the jaw. •■'■ .".,■• ... Hughes came back fresh for the fourth, and had Leckie missing with his clever ducking. By the time the sixth round was reached Hughes had shaken off an obvious attack of nerves and was get-

ting the Dunedin boy well summed up. They exchanged heavy punishment m this session, Hughes' left keeping Leckie's. favorite right rip .to the body very quiet. Huges has a serviceable left, but. he waited patiently, and In the seventh he scored freely with It and just grazed Leckie's chin with a single fare to fairyland. .', Leckie had taken things fairly easily up to this round. When he did step on it he found it extremely difficult to penetrate his opponent's al-' most impregnable smother, while he was also invariably second m close-up exchanges. " Hughes got Into his clinches quickly and ; any punishment coming to him he took unflinchingly, while, like Leckie, he fought back each time he was hit. Leckie was alirayß carrying the fight to him, however, and up till the eleventh session he had amassed a. fair margin of points ■ m his favor. '■ The -Sydney-' aider had a good measure 'of Leckie' b capabilities by this, and by adopting a crouch. he ■ negative J Johnny's right to the ribs— usually h.s most effective weapon — while he also had Leckie missing frequently with his well-timed ducking. : . Hughes fought well under strange conditions against such a redoubtable opponent as Leckie, and, being a similar type of fighter as Griffiths, his match on Saturday night with Leckie's stable-mate should be a good draw, with the result very open. The Australian thoroughly , justified his engagement and ho doubt,' like Gillesp'ie, he will show better form m his secondNfight. «: " .' . ■•*!}■ ■■: He has never been x knocked . out and is a rugged, game fighter, well versed m the cunning of ring craft , when up against it. 1 .'