THE BOXING RING

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 710, 9 July 1929, Page 15

THE BOXING RING

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There has been a rumour circulating the town that Johnny Leckie defeated Billy Grime at the Sydney Stadium last Saturday evening. No official confirmation has been received and inquiries to various listenersfin have failed to reveal jn the report. Entries for the Auckland amateur championships close on July 24, with the secretary of the Northern Boxing Association, Mr. J. H. Watts, at his office in Exchange Lane, Queen Street. Boys entering for the competition will be able to weigh themselves at that office. The Wellington Association has matched Cyril Hume and Syd North for July 15. North is the Sydney boxer brought to New Zealand by the Napier Association to fight Donovan. North won on a foul and his work against the much heavier Donovan has earned him a fight in Wellington. With hopes of following in the footsteps of Tom Heeney, heavyweights are coming into the limelight. Charlie Gear, a Wellington heavy, who turned professional a little time ago, has been matched, according to advice from the capital city, to fight Stewart Byrne, another ex-amateur, at New Plymouth on July 13 —the date of the Donovan-Hatton clash —in a 10rounder.

Bert Brown is completing his preparation for his fight with Bobby Delaney at Palmerston North on July 17, at Henry Donovan’s gymnasium at Parnell. Last evening he went over several fast rounds with Fred Fraei. In the hearts of New Zealand fight fans Johnny Leckie holds a firm place, but one fistic authority thinks so much of the clever little New Zealander that he has christened the latest addition to his family with the names “Johnny Leckie — —.” Three Auckland amateurs, Purdie, McLachlan and Sp.ragg, journeyed to Taumarunui to compete in a tournament there on Saturday. Purdy and McLachlan notched good wins, but Spragg was unable to compete owing to indisposition. One of the most interesting matches of the year will be decided at New Plymouth on Saturday evening, when Matt Hatton, of Auckland, and Tommy Donovan, of Waitara, will meet over 15 rounds. With Leckie absent, many

South Auckland Championships. The South Auckland amateur championships will be held at Hamilton on July 22. Entries closed last evening, but any later entries will probably be accepted. Last year some Auckland boxers made the trip to the Waikato for a final flutter before the Auckland championships the following week. Clarrie McKnight won the South Auckland championship and competed in the New Zealand meeting as a representative from that centre. Barred From Professionalism Ted Morgan, who represented New Zealand at the Olympic Games and Avon the welter-weight championship, is desirous of taking out a professional licence, but it is a moot point whether he will obtain it. The New Zealand Council look with disfavour on such applications from Olympic boxers, and a rule was drawn up prohibiting them from taking out a professional licence until a certain time after their return to New Zealand. Therefore, Morgan will probably have to wait until the allotted time has elapsed. Hay and Richards in Auckland Following the Auckland amateur championships on July 29 and 30, the Northern Association has arranged a bout between Artie Hay, Welterweight champion of New Zealand, and Billy Richards, the classy Australian welter. Richards has intimated his desire to fight in Auckland and he will sign up with the association’s agents in Sydney. It is not yet known when he will arrive in this city. Hay is willing to meet the Australian and has commenced training in his home town. Reports of Richards’s ability have been very good and it is expected that he will give Aucklanders a boxing treat. The local authority will have an option on his services and should he prove to be the goods he will be matched again. Fraei to Turn Professional Fred Fraei, the well-known Auckland amateur light-weight who has figured on many boxing programmes, has decided to join the professionals at the end of next month. Out of 60 contests, Fraei has met some of the best amateurs at his weight in the North Island, and has won 49 fights, lost 10 and drawn one. Over 20 have been won by the short route. Among those boxers he has defeated are such good performers as C. McNight, Bob Purdy, S. Fletcher, J. Rudling, M. Peryer, Joe Smith, T. Harman, R. Martin, C. Saunders and G. Forsyth. Fraei competed in the Auckland championships last year, and by not being able to make the light-weight limit, was compelled to engage in the welter division, in which he was runner-up. He will be competing in the championships this month and hopes to represent his city at the New Zealand tournament. In addition to the 60 contests in which he has engaged, he has had many bouts in the military tournaments, winning 39 on knockouts. He has held the light and welter-weight titles in the military tourneys for two years in succession and the middle and heavy-weight titles for one year. Commencing boxing at the end of 1922, Fraei won the King Country flv-weight championship in February, 1923, and the Waikato bantam-weight title the following month. If he can win his division at the forthcoming championships he should be assured of a start in the professional arena.

MATT HATTON, the clever Auckland feather-weight, who fights Tommy

consider that Donovan is the best feather-weight in the Dominion, but the Aucklander is keen to show that such is not the case. Hatton, who is finishing off his training ut the Parnell gymnasium, leaves for the South on Thursday, and will be accompanied by his trainer, Henry Donovan.

An amateur tournament will be held at Opotiki on Thursday and the following boxers have been matched. —A. Dawson (Whakatane), v. D. Miller (Opotiki); T. Kua (Opotiki), v. J. Te Papa (Waiotahi); S. Goldsmith (Waioeka), v. S. Matchitt (Opotiki); S. Wells (Opotiki). v. Ward (Gisborne); G. Lysaght (Opotiki), v. P. Warren (Opotiki); P. Edwards (Waiawa), v. S. Chalklin (Opotiki); H. Bunn (Whakatane), v. C. Parkinson (Opotiki). The star bout will be between J. Shadbolt (Auckland) and T. Mullins (Taumarunui). To Import Fighters Last year the Otago Association despatched Mr. J. Kilmartin to Australia to select boxers to meet Johnny Leckie and Tommy Griffiths. The mission was very successful as the resulting fights proved. Following this policy again, the association is sending Mr. Kilmartin to arrange for more boxers to visit Dunedin and meet Griffiths and also Leckie when he returns to the Dominion. It is believed that efforts will be made to secure Claude Wilson and Pete Sarron. A Ridiculous Proposal Now that he has defeated Ireland and won the middle-weight championship of Great Britain. Len Harvey is aiming at high game, not in his own class, but in the heavy-weight division. Ho wants to fight Phil Scott, the heavy champion. Such a match would be ridiculous in the extreme, whatever Harvey’s capabilities, and nothing would be gained by either. There is a difference of four stone between them, six inches in height and many inches in reach. Such a handicap might ruin a man like Harvey, who it is hoped to match with Mickey Walker for the middle-weight title of the world, and English critics are commenting very adversely on the proposal. Any promoter staging the bout would not increase his popularity, although he would no doubt get a crowded house.