BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 August 1922, Page 8

BOXING.

NEW PLYMOUTH TOURNAMENT. WHITAKER DEFEATS POOLEY. GOOD AMATEUR. ROUTS. . Patrons of boxing wore well catered for at the Coronation Hall, New Plymouth, on Saturday night, when the Taranaki Boxing Association’s tournament was held. The association is to be congratulated on the programme it had arranged. Interest was mainly centred around the heavy-weight professional contest between Cyril Whitaker, of Wellington, and Albert Pooley, of Auckland, but the five amateur bouts staged provoked a considerable amount of enthusiasm and some good boxing was witnessed. A feature of the evening was the splendid sporting spirit evinced not only by the two professionals but by all the other competitors, and it. speaks well for the tone of the association. There was none of that feeling of win at any cost which sometimes mars public contests. and the conduct of the competitors and of the public left no room for criticism. The “house” was reported to be one of the largest under the auspices of the 'Taranaki Association, and the various officials are to be commended on the promptitude with which they brought on the bouts and the manner in Which they arranged for the accommodation of the spectators. An invitation had been extended to the Auckland footballers and to the Taranaki team, and both were greeted with an ovation on their arrival. Mr. Frank Burns, of Auckland, was referee, and his decisions met with the approval of all present. Following are a few particulars of the amateur bouts, all of four two-minute rounds. FLYWEIGHT. (Gold medal presented by Mt. W. Graham,) This was rather a pretty little fight, between Collins, 7.5, and Chflds, 7.11, both of Stratford. Both boys boxed well, but are inclined to stand off a bit. When they did come to blows, however, they were both fairly aggressive, and in the third round Collins managed to get home a couple of good rights to tlie face, followed by another right and left to the same place. The decision went to Collins, and there is no doubt that his work was much neater and cleverer than that of his opponent. BANTAM. (Gold medal presented by Mr. R. Barlow.) This contest was between Dudding, 8.2, of Stratford, and Fletcher, 7.8, of New Plymouth, and resulted in a draw. Fletcher was much smaller than Dudding, but Is possessed of very useful straight lefts, with which he scored repeatedly. He lacked stamina, however, and after piling up a few points at the commencement of each round adopted a defensive attitude for the remainder, when Dudding managed to equalise. The second round was easily ■Dudding’s, when he landed in a good left to the jaw and several blows from both gloves to the body. The association decided to present each bBy with a gold medal. HEAVY-WEIGHT. (Gold medal presented by Mr. E. Whittle.) In this bout E. Webber, 11.10, of New PlyTnouth, met McGuire, 11.8, of Auroa. The decision went to McGuire, the referee stopping the fight in the fourth round, when McGuire had his opponent in a corner and was driving home blow after blow against a weak guard. Webber has a straight left, which would be dangerous If he could get home with some sting. McGuire depended mainly on his right’, and in every round he was successful 'An making it connect with Webber’s face. Both men were allowing signs of punishment when the referee stepped’ in. (Gold medal presented by Mr. F. Faber.) The second heavy-weight amateur contest was between Miller, 12.0, of Riverlea, and P. Webber, 12.13, of New Plymouth. Mills piled up points in the first two rounds, and though Webber brightened up in the third and fourth rounds he was too far behind. In the third round he was the most aggressive, and he forced the fighting, driving home at least one good left hard to the jaw. In the fourth round both men were tiring, but, as the gong sounded. Mills was poking in his left to advantage. MILLER, 10.10, v. LOVERIDGE, 9.9. (Gold medal presented by Mr. E. Heel.) These men had entered for the welter and light-weights, respectively, but as their opponents had failed to pass the doctor, the association arranged a special bout.. Miller obviously had the advantage of weight, but Loveridge seldom gave him a chance to use it. though there was a fair amount of clinching. Loveridge has a good straight left, but he is apt to swing it a trifle and it does not always land home effectively. Miller used his right to the body, and in the first round it looked rather dangerous. Loveridge did most of his scoring in the last two rounds, when he used his left more capably than in the first two. He is a game fighter, and his win was very popular. WHITAKER v. POOLEY. FIGHT LASTS FIFTEEN ROUNDS. As soon as the amateur bouts were completed, the professional contest between Whitaker and Pooley was brought on. There was only a pound differenece in the two men, Whitaker stripping at 12.2 and Pooley at 12.1. I Doth men looked in the pink of condition and appeared quite fit at the end of the last round. They were perfectly matched as regards height and build, but Whitaker is the more clever boxer, and it is safe to say that he took 13 out of the 15 rounds. Right- through Whitaker got home with his left to the jaw, frequently three or four blows in succession, alternating at times with rights and lefts. As the contest proceeded it became obvious that Pooley’s onlychance lay in obtaining a knock-out, and from the eleventh round on he tried it with a right upper-cut. Had he connected he might have come out on top, as a considerable amount of sting was put into the blows; but Whitaker seemed to be able to get out of the road easily enough. The eleventh round could probably be given to Pooley, and it was perhaps the best round of the contest. He was using his right to advantage, and though Whitaker was again successful with his left, Pooley got home some good blows. Each round, however, was very similar to those preceding It, and at no time was there any sensational fighting. As an exhibition of boxing, nevertheless, it was a good one. After the ninth round it became obvious that Pooley’s only chance lay in getting home a knock-out. He still appeared quite fresh, and it is possible that he may have been holding himself in with that possibility in inind. He became a little--more aggressive, though neither man was putting a great deal of sting Into his blows. Whitaker appeared to be. leaving himself open in the twelfth round, when he was using his left, but Pooley seemed unable to take advantage. The thirteenth round was a solid one, with some close infighting. The fourteenth was fast and even. The fifteenth, and last, round saw both men still fit, and it was a good wind up. Whitaker led off with lefts and rights to the face, and Pooley put in a strong upper-cut, which was just dodged in time. Just before the gong went Whitaker got home with a left and a right to the jaw. Mr. Burns’ award to Whitaker was greeted with applause. MATCH AT MILLERTON. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Westport, Last Night. At Millerton, last evening, Jimmy Carr beat Benny Biddulph (Tasmania) on points, in a 15-round professional boxing contest, for a purse of £lOO. MATCHES IN AUSTRALIA. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Aug. 13, 5.5 p.m. Sydney, August 13. At the Stadium, last night, after a great battle between two bantams, Larry Gordonwmwi, *-* a, - t

in the, seventeenth roimd. and declared Gordon the winner. The fighting was clever and the punishment severe throughout.' Waters collapsed after being knocked out in the last round, and had to be carried from the ring. Melbourne, August 13. Spargo quite outclassed Kramer in a tenround match, the referee- stopping the fight in the ninth round.