GOOD START

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 630, 5 April 1929, Page 7

GOOD START

Johnny Leckie Opens Sydney Campaign BIG TASK AHEAD The success of Johnny Leckie. in winning his first fight in Australia by defeating such an experienced fighter as Billy Grime, has delighted followers of the sport in New Zealand, and it is with confidence that they believe this , country has found a champion worthy of the name to uphold its boxing traditions and to bring back fresh laurels to the Dominion. NEVERTHELESS. New Zealand’s A-l feather-weight champion has a hard row to hoe before he can be definitely established as a potential world’s champoin. His first Australian victory does not necesarily mean that he wlil win the remainder of his bouts in that country or in any other country in which he may fight. Grime was the holder of three Australian titles when he visited this country en rout© to America, but ho did not live tip to expectations when he reached the Mecca of pugilists, and although he considered he received a hard deal in some of his bouts, it is now evident that he was not classy enough to get anywhere near the top flight. His defeats by La Barba and

Leckie show that he has nearly j reached the end of his career as a j champion, and, although he may fight : for years to come, it is extremely un- 1 likely that he will again hold sway as . he did in the past. DANGEROUS COMPARISONS The fact that La Barba only defeated Grime on points whereas Leckie succeeded in scoring a technical knockout victory has lead many to contend that, could they have met. the New _ Zealander would have been La Barba's master, but it has been found in the past that it is dangerous and uncertain to calculate in this way, and the chances are that Leckie would not have been as successful as he was against Grime. There is such a thing as giving a promising boy too hard a task and in some ways it is for the best that Leckie did not have the chance of meeting La Barba. A great deal of the success of a promising boy depends on his trainer. Leckie owes his success in the past, not only to his own ability, but in a still larger way to his uncle and trainer, Archie Leckie, who is one of the most capable trainer-seconds in New Zealand. Archie has gone to Australia with his charge, and presumably will manage the champion all the way through. Should Leckie acquit j himself well in Australia and decide to go to England or America, he would be well advised, however, to have an additional adviser, accustomed to local conditions and with foreign experience as well, to assist him. In this respect the case of Tom Heeney may be cited. In New Zealand, Australia and England Heeney was just a plodding fighter, but on , reaching America he was a different man altogether. Trained in the way which Americans have reduced to a fine art, and admirably managed, he j

won through to the first flight, and to the position of the second best heavyweight in the world. Since his vis:: to Xew Zealand he has not upheld his reputation, but such occurrences aiv frequent in the boxing game. IS HE ANOTHER MURPHY? With Beckie in the picture, however, it appears that the standard of New Zealand’s champions of the past—Boh Fitzsimmons and Billy Murphy, among others —will be upheld. Such confidence may be misplaced, but as far as Xew Zealand boxing is concerned. Leckie is the man of the moment and the Dominion's hopes are centred on him. It is possible that Deckie may go n«> further than Charlie Purdy, who. when he made his first appearance in the boxing ring at the Auckland Town Hall, made the fans sit up and look and ask each other the why and wherefore, and to broadcast that Auckland had found a fistic marvel. Purdy went from success to success, and It was Xew Zealand’s first boxing representative at the Olympic Games. TTwent within an ace of securing the amateur championship of the world at liis weight, and on returning joined up , with the professionals. He has no* been as successful as it was predicted | he would be, but he makes good money , and engages the best boxers who come I to the Antipodes. But he Is no longer i a likely world-beater. Many unusual and queer things hap pen in boxing circles, and in boxing rings, and Leckie may do as well as, or better than Heenev has done in the past; or he may get no further tha:i Purdy; but Xew Zealand fans are hop ing that he will bring home not only the Australian or any other “bacon but that of the world. —G. H. MONKS