BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1922, Page 3

BOXING.

NEW PLYMOUTH TOURNAMENT, I ' .« CANN BEATS WHITTOME. GOOD AMATEUR BOUTS. Patrons of boxing were well catered for by the Taranaki Boxing Association at New Plymouth on Saturday night, when the second tournament arranged by the association within a few weeks was held. The Coronation Hall was well filled, though not nearly so crowded * 3 °n the occasion of the Whitaker-Pooley fight. Mr. F. Burns, of Auckland, was again referee, and his decisions met with unanimous approval. Interest centred mainly in the professional contest between the bantams——Jerry Whittome, of Auckland, and Charlie Cann, of Wanganui for a purse of £lOO. Cann, who is the present holder of the bantam championship of New Zealand, stripped at 8 st. 9 lb, Whittome being 2 lb heavier, and both men looked fit as they entered the ring. The contest went the full 15 rounds, Cann winning on points. He is a very quick fighter, agile on his feet, and when an opportunity presented itself'was in like lightning, his blows getting home almost before one could grasp the idea that he had moved. The blows delivered, he either got away quickly or remained in to clinch, which latter habit, from a spectator’s point of view, to a certain extent marred Saturday night’s fight. Whittome adopts a different style from that of Cann. There is none of the crouching panther attitude about him, and he is more of an open fighter. Cann’s greater knowledge of ringcraft, and his speed, gained him the victory, but Whittome possesses some very useful blows and delivers them with a good deal of variety. He is quick, but not so active as Cann, and when he managed to gain a few points on Saturday night, the latter’s speed enabled him to wipe out the advantage. Each round was very much a repetition of the ones preceding. In the first three rounds Cann was using his right to advantage in infighting. As the men came to close quarters he brought it across with a swing, nearly always connecting with the head, though occasionally he varied it and got home to the body. Whittome used his left more and landed two or three goods ones to the jaw. The fourth round was a good one. Whittome led off and landed a left to the jaw, Cann getting home a little latet- with a right to the face and then a right swing to the jaw. Whittome came in and Cann tried an uppercut, but missed, Whittome dodging cleverly. There was a fairly even exchange of blows in the fifth round, while in the sixth Whittome. got home with a nice left hook to the jaw, Cann retaliating with a right swing to the same place. As the gong sounded for the eighth round both men still appeared fresh and . full of dash, and the round was very fast. Cann rushed in and connected a couple of right swings to the head, and then brought his left in to the face. Whittome landed his left, and, Cann missing with his right, got home another left. The gong sounded as each man landed a right apiece. There was nothing unusual in the remaining rounds. For a time it seemed a matter of almost blow for blow, but Cann, with his speed and his quick, dashing tactics, had the advantage. Before the professional contest was staged half-a-dozen amateur bouts of four two-minute rounds each, for medals presented by the association, were got off. There were some good displays, but, as a whole, the standard of boxing was not very high. The following are the results: THE AMATEUR BOUTS. Bantam. A. Brooking, Stratford, 8 st., beat Chas. Anderson, New Plymouth, 7 st. 1 lb. The fight went to the third round, when Anderson’s seconds threw in the towel. The boys were not evenly matched, but Anderson was very plucky and he did some useful work. Heavy-weight. E.. Webber, New Plymouth, 11 st. 1 lb, beat —. Thomas, Tataraimaka, 10 st. 6 lb. This was merely a slogging match, and very little science was shown by either man. Often it looked like a boxing school practising blow and guard Middle-weight. V. Laurent, Waitara, 11.3, beat H. Pearce, Mangatoki, 10.10. Laurent landed a right hook to the jaw in the first round, from which Pearce never properly recovered. The referee stopped the fight, awarding the victory to Laurent. Light-weight. W. G. Coates, Omata, 9 st., knocked out R. Milne, New Plymouth, 9 st. 4 lb, in the first round. Cruiser-weight. Allan Turner, Waitara, 3 st. 11 lb, met Ron. Bremuhl, New Plymouth, 3 st. 12 lb, and after a pretty little tbree-round "go” the refqree gave the decision as a draw. The kiddies were a revelation as boxers, and their blows and guards and ducking were pretty to watch. At the conclusion of the fight the association presented each with a medal/while the spectators showed their appreciation by throwing money on to the platform, wherewith the association will purchase each a trophy. Fly-weight. N. Milne, New Plymouth, 7 st. 6 lb, beat —. Bremuhl, New Plymouth, 5 st. 11 lb. This was a hastily-arranged fight, owing to the absence of Milne’s opponent. As will be obvious from the weights, the boys were not evenly matched, Milne being able to use his weight to advantage. Bremuhl, however, put up a good fight MATCHES IN AUSTRALIA. £7 Telegraph.—Press Assn—Copyright. Received Sept. 3, 5.5 p.m. Sydney, September 3. At the Stadium, Harry Collins easily defeated Hunefield (America) on 'points in twenty rounds. The American was badly punished, and although always dangerous, he never looked like a winner. Melbourne, September 3. Alf. Stewart defeated Billy McCoy in fifteen rounds. The ’latter was disqualified for palming. Dave Ross beat Jimmy Ryan in four rounds on a foul.