BOXING.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3407, 11 February 1920, Page 6

BOXING.

CLABBY BEATS TRACEY.

At the Hamilton tournament on Saturday, the long—talked-of boxing contest between Clabby and Tracey eventwazted, the former winning decisively. \Vith ‘the! feather-weight contest over, the way was cleared for the big event. of the evening. Tracey, with the renowned Duke Mullins and H. Donovan in attendance, being first into .thc

ring, to be .followc-€fTmmediatcly after

by Clabby, attended by his trainerInanager, T. Cnbitf, and H. Urquhart. Tracey had some Gffficulty in getting on «the gloves handed - him, «and another pair ‘was tried, but these were Worse,‘and the original pair were used. He complained that they were a. bit too short, preventing his hand closing properly, ‘but got them on all right. The weights were given, Tracey 12.7, and Clabby 11.4, and as they came together it was evident that both men had put plenty of work into their‘ training efforts. ‘

Shaping up in the first round, Tracey towered over the American, and Tracey, leading with 3 light left, Clabby immediately got in close, and it was apparent that the tall Australian would have no chance at infighting. He scored freely on Trace,y’s body‘ with both hands, with an occasional loop the loop to the face. Breaking clear Tracey got home with a straight left, and then with both hands to the head.’ Clabby rushed, and swinging a solid sight, failed to connect, "the impetus turning him right round, but Tracey did not follow him up. '

Clabby came in fast in the second round, ripping his left to the body from short range, but ‘Tracey fought back and Inixed_it well, the exchange being even. Clabby going to his corner had a nasty cut over his left eye, which bled freely. Tracey opened the third‘! by scoring with both hallds,’and then got home a. heavy right to the body, but once in close Clabby dealt out am lot of punishment. and forcing Tracey’ to the ropes scored freely, it being his best round so far. ‘

Collodion was freely used in Clab--by’s corner (hiring the nli:lute’s rest, and when they eame together for the fourth the bleeding froin the wound over the eye haul practically stopped. Clabby forced the pace, his‘ sho1"t~ arm punches to the body and his fine Work in the clinches having‘ 'l‘r:leey defending for the most part. The Australian was not altogether idle, and uppercut Clabby, but it had not enough power to do much damage, and the round was Clabby’s. ‘Tracey kept .pushing in a light left to the face at the opening of the ‘fifth, and then got home from a’ heavy right to the side of the head, but Clabby appeared to pay little attention to his punislinlent, and working in ‘close ripped in repeated lofts‘ to the stomach and ribs, and they were both fighting hard at thogong. The sixth and seventh saw Clabby continue his fine wvork in the infighting, scoring freely with both hamls to the body and head, jabbing 'l‘ra(:e_v in the face and body, and though ’L‘l'acey was fighting back in good style, the American had it on him, and he was bleeding freely from the mouth, and Wore an anxious lcok for the first time when they went to their corners. '

Clabby forced the pace in the eighth, l and ripping in a left to the body, swung a heavy right to the heagl,\ Traceyficried to keep oif his Opponexft by jabbing him with his left, evidently trying to open the wound over his eye again, hut Clabby kept boring in, hull‘ Tracey had to take a lot of punish-J ment, which he did Without fiinching. Tracey helcfl his own at long-range fighting, and soon after the commencement of the ninth got home with a right to the head, but it was toovhigh up, and Clabby came in again, to score’ repeatedly with jabs to both body and head. Clabby came fast. from his comer in the tenth, and junipiiiglligii, popped a. left into Tracey’s face. Clabby boring in, again hooked his left. to the stomach, which seemed a trifle low, and caused Tracey to remark_. “a little higher. Jim,~"'Tracey scored with his left to the face twice in succession, but missed with the riglit, and Clabby smiled. _

"The eleventh saw Tracey acting entirely on the defensive, and Clabby kept him moving round the ring, punishing him with both hands, Tm-. cey going to his corner bleeding freely from the mouth. Tracey came up strong for the twelfth, but ‘was again receivcr-general. In the ‘thirteenth Clabby set '3 very fast pace, and ripping in a left to the body sent in a. heavy right. to the head, too high up tc- be efi’ective. Tricey just failed to get the point with a right uppercut, and Clabby continued to do the bulk of the punching, "the pair wrestling a little too much.

Tmeey got out of danger cleverly at the opening of the fourteenth, land was pleasing the specta'tors by his game display, for Clabby_ was punishing him severely, especially on the body. Shaking hands for the final three minutes, Clabby forced the pace for the “K 0.,” but though Tracey slipped to one knee in his corner, it was from the wet canvas, and he was pp again immediately, and though

showing signs of the stxtugglt‘/, Cl‘«lbb.\’ could not. administer a deciding‘ blow, and the bell rang as the last blO\V Of the fight landed on Tracey ’s right eye, leuttingy it zqross the eyebrow, and Clabby was the winner, both men being ~’lolldl3' applauded. It was an interesting contest. but Clabby alw'a._Vs had the upper hand, and he was seen to more advantage, than against Pooley, hi.s' infighting being a revelation. ’l‘l'aeey never looked to have a winning ('hallce, but gave a game .dispFlay, taking? -a tremv;-nfl.ous amount of punishment 011 the body and face.

The cut over Clnbby’s eye necessitated three stitches after the fight, while it was necessary to put one in

’J?l"3.ce_v ’s injury.