THE BOXING RING

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 848, 17 December 1929, Page 15

THE BOXING RING

NOTES rROM EA.R AND NEAR

BY

"LEFT COUNTER."

FIXTURES Sarron v. Grime, Wellington, tonight. Donovan v. Crowle, New Plymouth, December 19. Morgan v. Stone, Westport, December 26. Sarron v. Grime, Auckland, December 27. Leckie v. Sarron, Napier, January 1. With his wife and mother. Jack Jones, Welsh light-weight boxer, has settled in Hawera where he will conduct.- a school and also work at his trade. Mr. Jack Watts, secretary of the Northern Association, has cabled Jack Haines, who won the middle-weight championship of Australia from Ted Monson recently, asking if he is available and willing to come to New Zealand. No reply to the cable lias been received so far, but if Haines decides to come to New Zealand he will probably be matched with Artie Hay. The bout between Pete Sarron and Jack Jones, which was to have taken place at Hawera last Tuesday evening, was cancelled owing to difference in weight. When Jones lost to Sarron in Wellington he took off a great deal of weight and was too weak to fight. Even Sarron said that Jones had not shown a sign of the form which he had displayed in Australia. Grime and Sarron Again Grime and Sarron cross gloves at Wellington tonight, and the same pair provide the entertainment at Auckland on December 27. There is so little between the pair, or there has on the three occasions on which they have met, that despite a fourth and fifth meeting a great fight between the pair is expected in both centres. On the last occasion the pair met, at Brisbane, a thrilling contest was seen, the crowd standing and cheering at the end of the bout, and there was .so little in it that the crowd hooted the decision to Sarron. Aucklander Wins R.A.F. Title The welter-weight championship of the Royal Air Force has befn won at the National Sporting Club by EnsignMajor W. E. Grant, eldest son of Mr. W. E. Grant, of Auckland. It is coincidence that where the son has just won the Air Force championship the father won the championship of England many years ago and later took his examination as a referee. The younger Grant has been in England for about nine months and in the championship he represented Digby Airdrome where he is stationed. He has accepted an invitation to box for the Royal Air Force against Cambridge University and the results of the contests should be available by next mail. Mr. Grant was selected to play for the R.A.F. football team, but he sprained an ankle and could not take part. Coached by his father, young Grant won the school boxing championship at the Napier High School and a military cadet championship at Hastings. He followed this un by winning a territorial championship at Trentham, taking the medal ior the most scientific boxer at both military tournaments.

r Matt Hatton, Auckland feather- ! weight, is now a farmer. He lias j given up his work in the city, and i realising an ambition has gone to Wai- ! uku, where he will “punch cows,” al- | though it is believed that he is still open for other punching engagements. Donovan Tackles Aussie Champion Tommy Crowle, who won the Australian feather-weight championship from Cocoa Jackson, has been secured by the Taranaki association, and is down to fight Donovan at New Plymouth on Thursday. In reply to a Northern Association inquiry, Donovan said that he was suffering from an eye injury. Whether his bout with Crowle has been postponed further, is not known, as no advice has been received. * * * The Latest from America One grows used to the quibblings of world champions when faced with the prospect of defending their titles. It has remained for Jackie Fields, welterweight champion of the world, or his manage?, to invent a new one. Fields bars southpaws. Speaking in support of the bar the manager contended that a southpaw was not ,a legitimate lighter, but a freak of the ring who made it difficult for orthodox boxers. This certainly seems a strange attitude, as there doesn’t appear to be a southpaw challenger for Fields’s title. However, he -is taking no chances. He should not have much to worry about, as really great southpaws are so few and far between that they have been practically non-existent in the history of the ring. A Leckie Trap There are two active professional members of the Leckie family in the ring at the present time—Johnny the feather king and his cousin Hector, who wears the light-weight crown. This brings about arguments when somebody starts talking about “Leckie” until, a bright mind inquires which Leckio is meant. An Australian paper fell into the trap on one occasion. The boxing writer said that it seemed as though Johnny Leckie was near the end of the road if he was not there already. A friend of his had “got the low-down on. Leckie’s latest effort over the air when Johnny tackled ‘Wildman’ Tommy Donovan in Wellington (New Zealand).’* “Sounded to me as though Leckie was taking a bad beating,” said the listener, “and the referee intervened to save him from further punishment.” It is hardly necessary to say that the Australian “Sherlock” had found a wrong' clue as Johnny has not yet fought Donovan. It was Hector Leckie Who was fighting Donovan on this occasion and he was knocked out in eight rounds. But the Australian did not know. He had probably tuned in a little late, and hearing the name Leckie, had jumped to conclusions and told a newspaper man. Perhaps it was a pardonable error but it was rather hard on Johnny.