GLOVED GLADIATORS

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 179, 30 August 1929, Page 13

GLOVED GLADIATORS

s ' TOPICS OE THE RING. LECKIE'S PROGRAMME

(Notes by "Uppercut",)

By tlie.. time these notes are read, the 1929 New Zealand amateur championships will be in tlieir final stages. This year Hawke's Bay has only two representatives seeking honours, the paii* bemg the Hastings lads, Les Knuckey and Pcrcy Hntchison. Both are entries in the bantam class and both have had previous experience of New Zealand amateur championship bouts, Knuckey last year being beaten m tbe semi-final of liis class. How the pair will fare" this year, depends on the class of this year's champions, and. if they are up to the nsual high standard, both Hastings fcoys are going to find the going a bit hard. A little less "class" Eowever, gives them. both a *air chance of at least getting near the'finals. In any case, both will carry plenty of good wishes from Hawke's Bay. * * *

LECKIE'S PROGRAMME.

If eyerything went to schedule, Johnnie Leckie should, have met Sammy Shack at Dunedin on Thursday night." It is reported that Leckie intends to settle in the North Island, but so far there is nothing definite in regard to this. In the meantime Leckie has quite a lieavv programme ahead of him. In addition to his outing this week, he is booked for a match in Dunedin on September 12 and another in Palmerston North about the 20th. FolJowing this, he is due in Aucklnad, where he is matched for September 80, and then he is due to appear in Napier on October 12. •J; 5!' ^

OPPONENTS NOT NAMED

His opponents in these matches have not yet been ramed. The Napier Association is hopeful of getting Tommy Donovan into the ring with him at Napier, and it is now known that Leckie's last conqueror, Pete Sari-on has agreed to conie to New Zealand, so it can be taken for granted that these will be two of his opponents. .

'K THE "SPLIT" POSITION.

In a statement made in "Wellington, Leckie denies that there was any trouble which caused liis "split" with his cousin Archie, as his manager. The "split" came through a personal desire to manage and train liimself until he was convinced that a managertrainer was necessary. He denied ■that his trainiug had heen interfered wjth by Mrs Leckie, as had been insinuated, but he added significantly that •"'she at least attended to niy wounds after mv 6econd fight with Sarron, when others had neglected me." ^ rk

HAY TO MEET PURDY.

On September 9, Artie Hay is scheduled to meet Charlie Purdy at Auckland, and judging by pasb encoun-

ters, this should be an interesting oattle. Purdy appears to have struck rather a lean patch lately, for followuig his two knock-out defeats at the hands of Haneock, he went down on points last week to Tommy Fairhall. Perliaps a speil in New Zealand will make a big difference to him.

BANTAM CHAMPION .

Reference to Hay recalls the fact that. recent ^Australian flies, in reportmg on Vic. White's trip to New Zealand, mentions that White defeated Artie Hay, bantam champion of New Zealand. No doubt Hay would be surprised to leani that he was the Pominion's bantam champion, but he would be more surprised still to know that he was defeated by the little Vic-tcj-ian. White had only one contest in New Zealand, when he defeated Cyril Hurne, and even Hurne wasn't the bantam champion.

CARROLUS GOOD WIN.

Jack Oarroll, the Australian crack, who was in New Zealand a few months back, scored a great win when he accoianted for the Englishman, Ben Marshall. Marshali's record showed "27 contests for 27 wms, but he had a bad time of it when he met Carroll, and ihe referee stopped the scrap in the Lenth round.

PUT TO SLEEP.

Jim Cotterell, the Wellington boxer, llad a try-out at Ashburton on Friday iast, with Hector Leckie. The result was disastrous for Cotterell, who took ohe count in the fifth session. Leckie has evidently improved since his last contest in Napier, or elso Cotterell aoes not carry much quality.

* -fi NOT TAKING RISKS.

Ted Morgan has not yet sufficiently iecovered from his influenza attack to fulfil liis programme in Wellington oil September 16. He is prettv well right, but is not taking any risks until he can step out at liis best.

LOOKING FOR FIGHTS.

Tommy Griffuhs is still hunting for opponents, but unless he can get set with Shack at Dunedin he is going to flnd it hard. His Australian defeats Upset him badly as far as future matches are concerned. & i A

BANTAM CROWN.

It is generaliy undei-stood that the JEnglish bantam champion, Teddy Baldock, will shortly be scrapping, either m New York or London for the world's bantam crown. His opponent will be the American, A1 Brown, who was awarded the crown when both "Kid" Chocolate and Fidel La Barba failed to make the bantam limit of 8.6.