LECKIE HAS TO SPELL

NZ Truth, Issue 1199, 22 November 1928, Page 12

LECKIE HAS TO SPELL

Injury To Right Hand Causes Inconvenience Just when everybody was getting 1 all hot and bothered over Johnnie Leckie's trip to America, "N.Z. Truth" announced that the jaunt was very much m the air. • ; ,

THAT was good news, for New Zealand is not at' all keen to lose Johnnie, and w.hen his engagements with Whybrow- and McAlister were made known there was general applause. But at' the week-end a spanner was thrown into the works. Came the news that Johnnie had injured a hand and that he would not be able to fight for three months. Palmerston, with its date on November 28— against Harry Whybrow. — was very m*uch upset, and so was Wellington, which had imported Billy .McAlister to meet theDunedin boy on December 10. But Leckie was out, and out on doctor's orders, too. "Truth,';', knowing the great Interest taken m Leckie,. got m touch with a good friend m Dunedin— one who can speak with authority — and his reply is sufficient to^ indicate that Leckie is well out, for the- time* being. Johnnie has ; sustained injuries to the third knuckle on the right hand, it being displaced.

In addition, there is swelling at the back of the same hand, below the wrist. v The doctor advised Leckie to submit the hand to treatment and give it a rest for three months. ; Though the.injury is enough to stop Johnnie from '"kinging 1 " his opponents, it is not ttiat bad that he cannot keep at his occupation — that of a* plasterer. In passing, it may be mentioned ,that m Leckie's last fight his punching was very poorly executed, and, at the time, a well-known official said to "Ti;uth" that Johnnie was landing his punches m just the right way to injure his hands. That break only refers to the Radford fight m Christchurch — m previous Leckie was a mo del puncher. It is given out, unofficially, that Leckie may be able to return to the game m January. The sooner the better, but he is not wanted back till his hand is absolutely right' again.