RING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20267, 9 August 1937, Page 2

RING CHAMPIONSHIPS

BRIGHT BOXING. WAIKATO TITLEB DECIDED. SOME PROMISING CONTENDERS. The contenders for the Waikato amateur boxing championship honours met in the Theatre Royal on Saturday evening and every bout was marked by hard, clean hitting, and no 6mall degree of ring-craft, so that the large audience was well satisfied. I't was one of the brightest programmes staged by the Hamilton Boxing Association for some time. There was a large entry and the preliminary bouts were decided during the afternoon. Semi-finals and finals completed the tournament in the evening. There were several surprises in the early bouts. Two of the biggest recorded "in boxing circles in the Dominion for many years came when Hughie Sheridan, the Auckland bantam-weight idol, was beaten on points by C. Worth for the fly-weight title, and Percy Kelly, one of New Zealand's most promising youngsters In the light-weight division, was defeated by D. J. Graig, a newcomer to „ the Hamilton ring from Te Awamutu. He lost on points to J. D. Mead in the final. Sheridan later won the bantam title in a decisive manner. In every way the carnival was a great success. New Champions. The titles for the 1937 season were as follows: Paper-weight: N. Wakefield (Auckland), 7.4. Fly-weight: E. Adams (Te Awamutu), 7.13. Bantam-weight: H. Sheridan (Auckland), 7.12. Feather-weight: B. McKay (Auckland), 9.0. Welter-weight: W. Purdie (Auckland), 10.2. Light-weight: J. Duncan (Frankton), 9.8. Middle-weight: V. Caltaux (Auokland), 10.5. Light-heavy-weight: R. E. j Sharpe (Auckland), 11.11. Heavy-weight: W. Goodwin (Te Mata), 14.0. The Final Bouts. Both contestants for the light- ( heavy-weight title, R. E. Sharpe . (Auckland), 11-.11, and iB. Fisher (Frankton), 12.3, hit hard from the outset, but Sharpe’s punches were 1 the better directed and his heavy blows to the head had Fisher fatigued at the end of the round. Sharpe, however, had taken a deal of punishment. When the seoond round opened Sharpe had the better of a period of In-flghting, but later Fisher connected with long-range hooks, both right and left. With a right hook Sharpe dropped Fisher Just as the round ended with Sharpe piling on points. Fisher used l his left to better advantage In the final round and hooked well with the right. The referee was continually breaking the pair. Sharpe Who was Milting cleverly, had Fisher swinging wildly, but he fought back well. Sharpe won on points. Paper-weights Meet. Speed and aggression marked the jpening of the paper-weight final between M. Paterson, Frankton (7.4), and K. Wakefield, Auokland (7.4), both boys scoring with lefts and rights. Wakefield was more direct in his hitting, but the Frankton boxer used a two-handed attack to advantage, with the result that the first round was even. The pace slackened in the seoond round but there was still determined fighting with Wakefield timing his blows well. Leading with the left , and packing with the right, Wakefield j had Paterson defending as the round j ended. Good footwork marked attack at the outset of the final round. I Paterson applied with hard hooks at this stage, but he was not as scientific as the Auckland contender. Fly-weight. There was little hitting at the outset of the fly-weight final as both contestants were showing good footwork. C. Worth (Auckland), 7.9, was waiting his time and took most of E. Adams’ (Auckland), 7,13, punches on the glove. A strong attack to the'body and good j In-fightlng opened the second round j Adams was doing the leading for the ! most part. With a stinging left and right Adams scored early In the final session and followed with several telling lefts to the jaw. He kept up the attack and took the decision on points. The Welter-weights. Covering up well on defence and then hitting well, W. Purdie (Auckland), 11.2, scored in the first round over O. Elliott (Frankton), 10.5. There was hard fighting in the close work but Elliott missed several times in the longer range work. Both were boxing well. • Elliott’s left told at the outset of , the second round, but Purdie scored In the close work. As the round proceeded Purdie launched heavily to his opponent’s body. In the last round Purdie scored with vigorous upper-cuts, hut Adams Boored with straight lefts. Purdie was attacking as the bout ended In his favour on points, after a good contest. E. J. Schonau (Hamilton), 8.12, used his right well but R. McKay (Auckland), 9.0, came with both fists in tlie early part of the feather-weight, final. McKay, with pretty footwork, landed lefts and rights ns the round ended. Watching his opportunity, McKay came to pierce his opponent’s defence, but Schonau was fighting well. The Auckland boxer was adding points throughout the second round. McKay covered up cleverly in the final round hut Schonau was still mixing the fighting. Throughout the boxing was strenuous and skilful. McKay winning on points. A Hard Hitter. Fighting for the light-weight title .or the first, time, D. J. Craig ,Tc Awamuty). 9.9, showed good style and a powerful punch In the final against J. Duncan Frankton'. 9.8. From the outset both men mixed it well. Duncan was slightly the more aggressive, but he did not have matters his own way In fighting with a wilt on the second round saw Craig tradthg punch for punch. There was a deal of clinching as the round ended. Cl nehing continued in the last round .uni the referee broke the pair often. In the long range work

a Graig was the better but Dunoan C scored in the in-fighting. Craig was 1 aggressive In the last round but could C not get up to Duncan In points, and e lost the bout. t A Great Bput. 6 There was a whirlwind opening of the middle-weight title bout between 8 J. Beaton (Waiklno), 11.6, and V. Cal- c taux (Auckland), 10.5, and the latter, giving away over a stone In weight, f led all the time to make a good round. C Ducking cleverly, Caltaux avoided ( a lot of punishment in the second IN round and occasionally he came In to 2 hook a heavy one to Beaton’s head. Beaton’s punches missed often, but the ti ones which connected had weight. v Near the end of the round Beaton went y down for the count of three, then Caltaux rushed Beaton through the ropes for the count of five, the gong saving the position. ti Beaton came back fresh for the final a session, tout under a barrage went v down for nine. In the final minute n Caltaux fought in great style to take 3 the deolslon easily. Both fighters were badly fatigued after a sterling q contest. There was only one bout for the ® heavy-weight title, the oontest between B. Fisher, of Frankton (12.3), r! and W. Goodwin, Te Alata (14.0), ' which opened quietly, but towards the a end of the first round there was an t exchange of heavy punching. In the r second round Fisher hit hard but t fighting flat-footed he was more eas- t ily knocked off his balance. With a powerfully straight left Goodwin a floored Fisher for the full count, to gain the title. c The Bantams. The bantam-weight finalists, M. Sheridan (8.12) and I. Clarke (8.6), 1 provided a bright conclusion to the ( programme. In the first round Sheri- t dan dropped Clarke for the count of s I eight twice and then rushed in to ob- c j tain a knock-out with a straight right. < Semi-finals. ( The semi-final bouts in the even- * ing resulted as follows: Bantam-weight: H. Sheridan (Auck- 1 land), 7.12, beat B. O’Brien (Hamil- < ion), 8.6, on points; I. Glarke (Hamil- < ton), 8.6, defeated B. Dreaver (Auck- i land), 8.5, the bout being stopped in the first round. Fly-weight: E. Adams (Te Awamutu), 7.13, beat P. Rogers (Auckland), 7.13, on points. Middle-weight: J. Beaton (Waikino), 11.6, beat R. Lomas (Hamilton), ! 11.5, on points. Welter-weight: W. Purdie (Auckland), 10.2, beat V. Caltaux (Auckland), 10.5, on points. Feather-weight: B. McKay (Auckland), 9.0, heat E. Black (Auckland), 9.0, on points. •Light-weight: J. Duncan (Frankto»), 9.7, beat W. R. McDonald (Auckland), 9.7, and D. .T. Craig (Te Awamutu). 9.9, beat L. G. Donaldson (Auckland), 9.8, on points. The Early Rounds. Following were the results of pre- , llmlnary bouts staged on Saturday a fternoon:— Fly-weight : C. Worth heat H. Sheridan. Feather-weight: B. McKay heat G. Todd E. Schonau heat D. Jones. Bantam-weight: I. Clark heat A. l’atman; B. Dreaver heat R. Killeen. Leight-weight-: L. G. Donaldson beat A. Brovvnson ; D. J. Graig beat P. Kelly; G. Hubbard beat M. Donovan- 1 J. Duncan beat G. Hubbard. J Welter-weight: <». Elliott heat A. • Pooley; V. Caltaux heat W. Thompson; J. Rowlands heat It. Shephard; J. Agnew heat. G. Turvey; W. Purdie beat F.. Win tie. Middle-weight: A. McDonald heat J I.oflus: R. Lomas boat R. Wales; J Beaton beat E. R. Carter; V. Caltaux beat \. McDonald. Light-heavy-weight: R. E. Sharpe heal C. Carter. The referees were Messrs. N. Vernall. F. Williams and Nelson Mc-