DEFEAT TO VICTORY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 942, 8 April 1930, Page 13

DEFEAT TO VICTORY

PAUL BEATSJED MORGAN GAME UPHILL FIGHT From on the verge of being knocked out in the first round. Jack Paul came back to nearly knock cut Ted Morgan in the 14th round, ultimately winning on points in the boxing contest at the Town Hall last evening. On the whole the fight was poor and at the end there was very little between the two It was a fight of four rounds —the Ist, 13th, 14th and 15th —but in those four rounds the spectators, of whom there was only a fair crowd, , got all the thrills of the 15 rounds of hard slugging. Morgan paid the price of allowing the fight to go on when he could have ended it in two rounds. He must have done this in order to give the spectators a run for their money, but now he will be a sorry man. The fight had only just started when a left to the ear sent Paul down. He was shaken, but was not devoid of hfs senses, for he took full advantage of the count, but looked most bewildered. At nine he climbed to his feet, only to be sent down for another nine. It looked like the end. Paul had I all the sting knock out of him and lie | bore a worried expression as he shaped | up, doing all he knew to keep Morgan !as far away as possible. And no I wonder. To be knocked down twice iin the first round is a heart-breaking ! fate. Morgan made practically no ! use of his extended right hand, but as !do most “southpaws” relied on his left. For three rounds Paul did not attempt to fight. He was too busy watching the left that was mainly instrumental in winning Morgan the amateur welter-weight championship of the world. Morgan eased the pace and took it more easily. Then Paul began to take more interest in the proceedings and tried one or two halfhearted rights and was surprised and pleased when they landed. This must bo tried again. MORGAN’S TERRIFIC LEFT Paul did so, but all the time with a wary eye on Morgan’s left. If Paul’s right was not seeking Morgan’s body it. was being used as a protection for that terrific left and only once did Morgan succeed in getting past it. That was in the third round, when a left to the head caught Paul off his balance and lifted him off his feet on to his elbow. He waited until eight had been tolled before he rose to become still more chary. Morgan did a great deal of work, and to many, especially those at the back of the ball, must have appeared to be piling up the points. But such was not the case. Paul, having taken his lesson to heart, had cast about to find a way to beat that left. Morgan set himself to let it go and this telegraphy enabled Paul to move to the left, thus either taking it on his protecting right glove or letting it pass over his shoulder. On very few occasion did Morgan score to the head or face, practically the only blows to count on the tally being lefts to the body. These were few, and Paul’s scoring blows were not remarkable for their number. And so on for seven rounds, Paul gradually regaining his confidence until in the 12th ho was making quite a respectable showing and had reduced most of his leeway of points. In this session Morgan rocked his opponent with lefts to the head, but Paul kept his feet although taking a deal of punishment. There were surprises in the “devil’s” round. Until this, both men were unmarked, Paul, despite having taken enough to keep him out of the game for keeps, being still free of blood and bruises. Morgan was unscatched. But before the round was half a minute old two lefts opened Paul’s right eye and a moment later he was bleeding from the other. Almost blinded with blood ho rubbed his eyes and jumping in sent a left which opened Morgan’s right eye. Three cut eyes in one round. Tinspectators sat up and took notice. One or two in the act of yawning closed the gaping member hurriedly. Both men looked as if they had been in a shambles when the gong clanged. MORGAN SEES IT THROUGH Opening the 14th session Paul scored with two rights to the body and as Morgan connected with a left to the body, sent in a left to the face, took a left to the head and placed a right downstairs. Morgan forced his opponent to the ropes and loosed both hand? rapidly without inflicting any damage. As they came away Paul caught Morgan momentarily off balance with a right swing to the head. Morgan went down backwards to hit liis head with a sickening force on the canvas-covered boards. The impact could bo plainly heard. At the count of five Morgan stumbled to his feet, out. His fighting instinct brought his hands up to protect his jaw and Paul flogged him round the ring, finally bringing him up on the ropes, where he plied both hands, the hemp holding tlio ex-amateur on his feet. The crowd cheered and shouted. The hall was in an uproar. The gong clanged and it was an unconscious Morgan who stumbled to his corner. During the interval the crowd at the hack charged up the hall to fill the vacant scats round the ring. The last round saw Paul doing his best to land a knock-out blow, but no, Morgan saw it out, Both were cheered lustily. Tho decision to Paul was well received, although many called for a draw. His game uphill fight had won the sympathies of the crowd. Morgan, too, got his share of the applause. There were few points separating them. Tho contest, although poor, will go clown as a fight in which gameness was tho most important feature—Paul for his brave display, and Morgan in seeing tho round out when he knew not where he was and coming up to tight the last round—both done to a turn, but game to the last. Morgan weighed lUst 221 b and Paul lOst 41b. Air. R. Meal© was the referee, Mr. F. Burns officiating in the preliminaries. AMATEUR PRELIMINARIES Seaman Taylor, list 51b, drew with J. Shadbolt, list 52,1 b, in a crude bout, marked by wrestling and roughing, but nevertheless extremely laughable. The only thing they knew was that they had two fists each and should plant them on each other in some way or other. _„ w - Hogg, Sst 31b beat C. Hill, 8s t bib after four rounds of good boxing without thrills. J. Brentnai], Sst 91b' knocked out W. Smith, lOst 41b in the second round. After a good first round Brentnali opened the second by shooting a short right that spelt the end. Smith took counts of three, four and two. and came up again, but.the referee stepped in save a brave boy from useless punishment. R. Purdie, Sst 12Jlb, New Zealand bantam-weight champion, defeated H Johns, 9st 111 b, feather-weight chain, pion of Jvew Zealand. The first round went to Purdie mainly by good rights to the head, Johns proving very shiftv in a fast rally in the next, Johns’ scored two to one and’ had Purdie entering tip. Purdie slipped and Johns 9'’\Y m ,f A movc<l back - « "'as John’s thc . margin. There was some tine tallies in the third and fourth booed’ the decision t 0 p urdie being