BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 11, 1 June 1914, Page 7

BOXING.

THE WAXGANUI TOURXAMEXT. (By "Moturoa.") Eace week in Wanganui would be incomplete .without the excellently-man-aged and pleasure-giving boxing tournaments put on by the Wanganui Amateur Boxing Association, and last week's tourney was well up to the high standard maintained in recent years, lion. Secretary Corby extends the glad hand to visiting sportsmen, and his Association stands for clean sport. Thus it was with all joy that "Moturoa" grabbed his writing pad and tripped gaily to the scene of pugnacity.

The Opera House looked as full as a, weil-fed bookmaker as .this scribe slipped into his seat, and 'hostilities were about to begin, Mr Bakewell, who holds down a big job in the Bank of New Zealand, was—for the first time I 'believe—officiating as referee, and after he had got wise to the intricacies of the game he looked like a man who would make good. The ring-side (bristled with John Hopß, Pressmen, crack jocksters and one slightly inebriated gentleman —a select company I wote! Like the early cock that crows in the morn and opens another day, the bantams opened the ball. A youth bearing the classical name of Venus made an opponent turn up his toes in less than two rounds, and, his opponent meeting with an accident, Venus gained fresh laurels.

There was nothing doing in the lightweight class. A ladylike display between Stafford and Winchcombe saw these gentlemen "shaping up" about ten yards apart. Sarcastic yells to break were unavailing, and as both had mislaid their range-finders there was no damage. Just before the fight fans indignation sizzled over, Stafford's knees went "crook" and a more or less white towel fluttered in from his corner. A clever boxer named Dawson then put 'cm up with Winchcombe. Round one was good, Dawson monopolising the science, but Winchcombe supplying the "MIT." Cong! and to it again—and then! Winchcombe (who wouldn't hurt a fly in his previous bout) upended Dawson with a, beauty on the point, and the referee carefully measured off lOscc, and Dawson still slept soundly. Feathers flew in the feather-weight class. Potter, an aggressive-looking youngster with an undershot jaw, rushed into an opponent naflied Watkins and proceeded to alter his facial adornments. "In the hand of the Potter," came to mind, but was cut short when Watkins, whose principal characteristics were a lovely hair-parting, a surprised expression, and the alertness of a half-back, retaliated briskly with straight lefts to the jaw, and things grew exciting. Rounds two and three saw Potter attempting to turn his opponent into pressed beef, or orange marmalade, or something, and Watkins'hair grew wildly disordered, his nose blushed furiously, and his anxiety to avoid the fate of the cow which gazes sadly on the Bovril bottle became more pronounced. Excited with success, Potter hustled his man to the ropes and in the ensuing unplensanlrics was twice cautioned. Round four found Potter still forcing matters, though Watkins fought back pluckily and used his head (what time Potter wasn't using it himself), and when the gong went there was not a great deal between them-. "Watkin.s the winner 1 ," was greeted with cheers (and cuss .words and other things), and i|t certainly lobtad as if the verdict was not in accordance with the two tons of evidence supplied. What promised to be a great scrap was the middle-weight "go" between two well known pugs—"Dummy" Hogan and J. Jacksioni. 'Hoglan at once became aggressive, but Peter Jackson's namesake was no mug, and every moment of the first round vjas full of biff, intended manslaughter and sudden death. Jackson's left optic rose like Mount Egmont as the result of a violent intro- i duetion to Ilogan's right, and the round was Hogan'6. The second was slower. Jackson did most of the fighting, but Hogan's "smother" was too good. When the bell sounded Jackson relaxed his pugnacious attitude, and "Dummy" (who evidently did not hear the gong) put in a right to the solar plexus. Jackson claimed a foul, and a medico hacking him up, a good fight was cut off short in his favor.

In the welter class R. Gray, who had a pull in tile weights, put it all over E. Oallaghan. The latter was always in trouble, and after reposing on the good, hard floor a couple of times, finally took up a sleeping attitude for more than the prescribed 10 sec., and Gray won. The contest of the evening was the return battle between .J. Collcrton (12.2) and P. Gould (liaO). When these two "heavies" clashed recently, Collcrton got the decision on points, but Gould knows more about the game now, and a meeting between the pair s'htoufd always- be worth watching. Both got to business as if, it was a four furlong flutter, and the crowd stood up and yelled itself hoarse as the pair landed wallop for wallop. Footwork was good, but use of the arms in defence, was altogether lacking. Collcrton landed most blows, (but Gould's "cracks" were like the crack of doom, or an earthquake in Sicily. Still, Collcrton was piling up points. Bound two was just as furious, Collcrton getting home some hefty uppercuts, and both looked as damp and blown as wet footballs when the gong went. The severe pace told in the 'third round, but the blows rained in, only lacking in force. Collcrton, with a stinging upper cut, sent his opponent's head back, and the crowd went wild. As Collcrton rushed in to finish his man the excitement swelled up and ran over, the inebriated gentleman (mentioned above) leaning over the ropes and yelling to Collcrton to "up him!" But Gould smothered up and saw it out. Round five saw Gould fighting stronger, and Collerton's nose and seeing apparatus looking as if an elephant had kicked them. Collcrton was losing strength fast, and the gong came as a welcome break to him. Collcrton had not fully recovered when he stopped forward for the sixth. A straight right put him down for "seven," and on rising another of the same brand made him hit the boards as if a carcase of beef had suddenly dropped out of its hook. The referee, like the town clock which ''counts us out" of the pub at 10 p.m., did his duty, and all was confusion, cheers, counter-cheer.?, congratulations, and a ruslh: for iihe Inst %is. As T. departed I saw one of Gould's fondest admirers kiss him on the Ibrow. The inebriated gentleman reckoned it a "i'ottcn" fight. Ho had lost two bob on it. and (he pubs were, shut!