BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 January 1922, Page 6

BOXING.

N.Z. BANTAM CHAMPIONSHIP. GOOD BOUTS AT STRATFORD. The crowd which attended the Stratford Town Hall on Tuesday evening was treated to a really first-class evening’s boxing. The big fight, in which Charlie Cann, of Wanganui, beat Harry Gunn, of Timaru, for the bantam champion ship of New Zealand and a purse of £lOO. was a good fight throughout, and the amateur bouts were also worth seeing.

Harry Gunn (Timaru) beat Charlie Cann (Wanganui) in a previous fight, but he had to reduce in order to get down to the required weight, and this undoubtedly weakened him. Both men stripped at Bst. 4|lbs, and both entered the ring looking very fit. Throughout the fight Cann did the forcing and insisted on getting to close quarters, where he was the better man. Gunn, who appeared to be reserving his strength, scored at out-fighting, and with his clever evading made Cann miss badly several times.

The fight opened briskly both sparring for ati opening and getting home some good punches. From the start Cann gave evidence of his cleverness at in-fighting. In the third round Gunn scored with a good right to the body and a good right cross. There was a good deal of hard hitting by both in round four, and Cann, in coming out of a clinch, got a cut under the right eye. which bled slightly. Gunn was scoring with swings and leads and clever evading. Round seven was very willing and both men were spoken to by the referee, who remarked, “You are both using your heads on each other.” Cann missed badly several times, but he scored in the ninth round, in which, there was willing slogging by both. Cann opened the twelfth round with a fierce assault and scored in some clever infighting. Gunn was holding a lot in the last three or four rounds and the pace was evidently telling on him, but he fought a hard battle until the final gong, when the decision was awarded Cann. AMATEUR BOUTS.

The amateurs were a bright and willing lot of lads, and all were out for business. The bouts were all of four rounds, with the exception of that between I. Brooking and R. Dudding, in which the referee ordered an extra round.

The first fight was between Carryer. Ost 3|lbs, and E. Dudding (Stratford), Bst 11 fibs. Carryer was faster and landed home with more punches and the decision went to him. Dudding showed that he was able to take a lot of punishment, without being troubled and returned a lot of what he received. Both boys appeared for the first time and they showed promise of better things.

Con Coulton (Te Wera), lOst Slbs, was too strong for Joe Millar (Midhirst), lOst 2111)3. but the latter put up a very plucky fight and there was some very solid hitting on both sides. Coulton’s win was received with enthusiastic applause. Teddy Stewart (Wanganui) 7st Oi lbs, showed that he was quite as clever as he was cracked up to be, but he had to go hard to beat R. Childs (Stratford), 7st 21bs. There was very little to choose between the two and they put up a fast snappy exhibition. Stewart did more leading than the Stratford boy. and gained the decision. Arthur Duggan (Normanby) lOst lbs, was giving away a stone weight to R. Fitzsimmons (Matapu), list 61bs, and he started out as if to polish off the big fellow in the first round. Fitzsimmon took several hard ones very calmly, and the second round was an exceedingly slow one. Duggan must have regained his wind when the third round started, and he did all the forcing for the last two rounds and gained a papular win. The fight between the two Stratford boys. I. Brooking, "st 13Jlbs, and R. Dudding, 7st lOlbs, was expected to be a good one as the two had previously fought a draw at Eltham. The bout was up to expectations and the referee ordered an extra round. Both lads were mixing it. but Brooking showed perhaps more science and gained the verdict, after a very even, willing fight, in which there was very little to choose between the two.-

Mr. Tim Tracey, of Wellington, carried out the duties of referee in a very able manner. ,