A DESPERATE CONFLICT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 606, 28 October 1880, Page 2

A DESPERATE CONFLICT.

_ A most desperate pugilistic encounter, m the shape of a real prize-fight took p ace on Thursday night, in the vicinity of Christchurch. The combatants were the Ghnstchuich Chicken and the West Coast Pet, There was a large and select attendance of the "fancy," and the only thing that annoyed the onlookers was the fact that neither of the artists seemed to care about top much physic, The Chicken has gained considerable notoriety for his skill, strength, and pluck, but «- this occasion he had to succumb after the fifth ■round-to the.bullet-headed Pet, The following is an .account of the combat.:—Round 1. -rThe men advanced smiling, and immediately the Pet, by a series of well-exocute.d hand. and back' springs; threw the. Chicken into confusion/ and ere the latter could recover himself \ thY Pet threw a Buramersault on to his adversary's nose, which cdnclude'dihe'first round. .; ~\^\: r' i -..;.:.'.-■_>;■:;■:• .Round the spectators ;■ that has The men,

in dancing around one another* covered, fully an acre of ground.. At last; tlie Chicken struck out gamely, but was 'well met by the Pet, who. evaded his blow* and countered in'a manneri'most admirable, rally terminated a Mat'enjoyable round. .'■"• -■"*'..'":,>■:■■'■■."'■

Round3.—TheOhioken cahleup:with.; a"most determined onslaught/and vored to beat down the opponent, but failed; receiving the same'time a tap ia the'fbread-basket" that made him gasp.. The Pet followed up with his left, fairly lifting his opponent off his legs, and closing with him, crossbuttocked in a manner that was oharmiug to witness, "■;•: L Round 4 was short and sweet. Thef Chicken.seemed .to be rather groggy, and threw his long arms about, in a manner that was rather dangerous to the pickersup, who, however, showed ; remarkable agility in getting out of the/way... This round was concluded by the Chicken receiving a knock-down blow from the Pet, or one of the Pet's backers, Round 5 concluded, one of the hardest fought battles ever witnessed in the Colonies, The Pet, by a tapped his adversary's claret, who\,iJ . upon declined to fight further, as helni not wish to soil his white Bhirt.. The backers of the Ohioken then threw up a dirty red handkerchief in lieu of a sponge, and thus concluded a most glorious bit of sport.

The Pet's style was much admired. He is a capital hitter, his blows are as strong as an onion, and his" get away" puts one in mind of an excessively active mosquito.