BOXING TOURNAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 245, 9 October 1908, Page 3

BOXING TOURNAMENT.

IARANAKI DEFEATS MANAWATU. a ®'®J aranaki Boxi «g Association held * ucc f , ful tournament at the iheatru Royal last night. The itton.l £ the province anrt h I " u ' u of siwr%SHs «-! fSJgsssf ]«ist round av«is foiifrht n i k gppss frequently U Lh S ° andtl,«rewasT,o su^icio t^ fo " "'<■ only match where one man had 35 "£ tar! h 3TI fpifi'-'l his acknawlndo. - meat of the others superiority early m the but all the otln,s W t° a finish m the allotted six rounds. The fnV th S ° me 0f U,e com P»titors «P»et the arrangements at the start and caused about fifteen minutes' Sv any con' 61 'n" 6 Were ao lvaits °f ~ ras «gwthiwcthat

Tint w 1 . SllOUld not have been given au opportunity, f,, f ™ !?' reached thc wcreiary J'. K. 7,1 I be ™ Printed, and Nightingale and Cole objected to his entry being accepted, since they had been matched on tSi e bills. Mr. J. j Stagpoole was the referee, and Mr! J." ' n . , acte(l as t'mekeeper. The seeretanal arrangements were carried out 7 ' lr - A - C. -Maxwell. Mr. James' orchestra supplied musie throughout the evening. featherweights. Crawford (Manawatu), 9.4, v . Lovegrow (Xew Plymouth), 8.9, This was a brief contest, the visitor having the o er man entirely at his mercy, anil the referee interfered in the second v- I ',' ; , Ja , ra€ . 3 . < B - 13 ) boxed a bit with Nisbet, but this was only an easy-going spar The final was fought" later, Urawford meeting James Th«

od to be a one-sided match, the Palmerston man having tile advantage of reaeh, age, and experience. He put his best work into the opening round, but only on one or two occasions afterwards ~h . e . "PPear to extend himself. His exhibition of body -hits was the best oi the evening. Now and again James,' who did most of the leading and fought plnckilv throughout, would get in a snn.y|, straight, but for wry one he ivcrryed a couple baok. He is as jet, a new ehuni in "tiie ring, and is a promising youth, able to take any amount of punishment, particularly about the body. Crawford was a.dju<igea the winacr.

HEAVYAVEIGHTS. Nightingale (Kawera), 12.4, beat Cole (Manawatu), 12.12. This was the finest bout of the evening, the referee declaring it to be one of the best he had seen in the Dominion. Xightindale ted from tie start with powerful right jabs and right savings on to his opponent's jaw, Cole returning occasionally, but not making a great effort to evade me. onslaught, and shielding lis face with Iris arms. He was frequently on the ropes, in the second round Nightindale was sent to the sawdust by a swift lent, and just afterwards Cole plumped two solid punches on his body. Then the Hawera man sailed in with Ibis head hits, forcing his man on to the ropes. In this and the next round Cole continued to take his punishment head down, but opportunities for' body hits seemed neglected. TJip fourth was more even, Cole landing a few straights, but the hitting was wild at times. Towards the end of the fifth Cole freshened up) and got in some nice left swings. In the sixth and final round Nightindalc had much the better of it. landing his face hits and catching Cole onee or twice about the bod?, but on the wholfc body hits were neglected.

WELTER WEIGHTS. Stvele (Taranaki), 10.13%, beat Williams, 10.9. The first three rounds were very even, but the fourth was a little in favor of Steel.-. Williams was getting in to Steele's body with his shoulder, but did little damage. Steele guarding cleverly. In the fifth Williams danced about the ring a lot, but Steele's few straight lefts told. The last round was a triumph of coolness and science over excitement. Williams opened furiously, bm Steele guarded effectually, and soon had his man running round the ring, and he got home on the Manawatu man's jaw and throat repeatedly with straight hitting with either hand. He came off ah easy winner.

BANTAMS. ' J. O'Brien (Taranaki), 8.4. beat Watkins (Manawatu), 8.8. O'Brien liad the advantage of reach. The first three rounds were not exciting, ending in favor of O'Brien. Watkins clinched frequently to escape O'Brien's powerful kft swings, and this made the rounds on the slow side. In the fourth Watkins kept his distance better, and there wwre some sharp exchanges of -short hits, O'Brien possessing the better guard. In the fifth Watkins repeatedly rushed his face on to O'Brien's straights, and finished by resorting to clinches. The sixth round he opened with powerful right and left swings on O'Brien's jaw, but at the end he was receiving punishment from straight lefts and half-arm hits. NOVICE. Tlie medical examination weeded out fill the novices but Thomas (Waitara) and Power (Okato). in tie first round Thomas went at it hard, but there was 'little science. In the second Tower returned with interest, and caught the Waitara man several times about the "face, until Thomas gave up feebly, and Pouvr was declared the winner. Power's right and left swings were tuo good, landing on Thomas' jaw repcatedlv, and knocking him out. It was a willing "go," but the winner had by far the better condition. OTHER BOUTS.

A. Maxwell (New Plymouth), 9.10, and Thomas (Waitara), 9.12, had en- | tered for one contest, but \reight was , aea'inst them, and a match was arVariged for tliem. Five rounds went fairly evenly, the Waitara man doing most of the leading. In the sixth what little difference thvre was ltetween the two was in Maxwell's favor. His strai"ht lefts were solid, but they frequent I v went wide. It was a willing Encounter. The two little lads who have earned fame as the James Bros., »ave a delightful exhibition of fearless and trickv boxing, with a tiny brother as referee. TJiov were" undoubtedly a credit to their tVitor. and the bout was loudly applauded.