In The Boxing Ring SHOWED HIS WARES

NZ Truth, Issue 1216, 21 March 1929, Page 18

In The Boxing Ring SHOWED HIS WARES

La Barba Makes Cats' Meat Of Smith IS INDEED A CHAMHON (By Cable From "N.Z. Truth V Special Sydney. Representative.) Fidel La Barba decisively accounted for Willie Smith m their second fight at the Stadium on Saturday night. - "'

LA' BARBA was. on top all the time and ;, punished f Smith severely, ! especially towards the finish. This came m the twelfth round when Referee Joe Wallis stopped the fight after Smith had .been knocked down for nine. Smith did the best work in ' the fourth and fifth rounds, when he carried the fighting to La Barba, and had Fidel rattled. i He then faded away and was knocked down twice m the seventh for counts of one and nine. He was m a bad way from then to the end.

He took a terrible beating m the eighth, but kept to his feet until the tenth.. . In the eleventh, Smith was dropped again, this time for nine and was badly battered m the twelfth. A right to the body, followed by a vicious left underneath, dropped him for the last time before the bout was stopped. La Barba's superiority was m evidence from the very start, and though i a big 'majority were m sympathy with Smith they had to acclaim the winner the champion he is. • The fight will probably be La Barba's last m this country.