ROUND BY ROUND

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 50, 31 March 1930, Page 8

ROUND BY ROUND

Per Press Association.

EVEN BATTLING THROUGHOUT. Both Men Cheered By Crowd,

' WELLINGTON, Saturday. Tommy Donovan defeated Pete Sarron on points in a fifteen rounds professional boxing contest at Kilbirnie Stadium this afternoon. There were about 17,000 people present. The crowd was pleasecf with the men's display and the decision of the referee, Mr Earl Stewart, met with general agreement, although "the men were evenly matched. There was bright sunshine and a cool breeze. The weights were announced as follows : — Sarron 9st. Ub., Donovan 9st. The first round opened with a flurry cf blows and Sarron slipped' to -tlie fioor. Sarron came over with a rigbt

that sent Donovan down, but be was up in an instant. The fi^hting was full of incident and both seemed very 0eager. ... * . . . .Second' Round : , Sarron- slipped in and hooked his left -Donovan's head. . Sarron cut loose with both hands ' to the body and Donovan, replied with a couple' of snappy punches to the solar plexus. • Round Three: Donovan sprang in and Sarron slipped as the New Zealander sent over a left. Donovan slipped a moment later when Sarron rusfied in and both fell to the fioor. Donovan was now very confident and whenever there was the semblanee of an opening he was not afraid to go in. Round Four: Sarron repeatedly crouched neariy to the fioor, seeking an ^opening for an upper cut, but Donovan blocked. In this round Donovan was the aggrtessor, and aroused his supportevs by crowding Sarron to the ropes and tearing in with both hands. Sarron allowed Donovan to*do the atta'cking. • * In the fifth Sarron appeared to be clapping on the pace,/ He punished Donovan severely aboui the hody, and the New Zealander .was slowing iip when the round ended: Up to date Sarron _ always seemed to have something in reserve, while Donovan was fullv extended. In the sixth Sarron commenced to take the lead in the iu-fighting. Donovan's eye was bleeding profusely, but he siill was fighting strongly. 1 So far there had been no suspicion of unfair punches on the part of the American. There was little incident in round seven. *

In the eightli there were frequent houts of vigorous in-figliting in which Sarron was the heavier puncher, The round ended with the honours even. Ninth Round : There was a good deal of long range fighting in which both were missi'ng frequently. In fact there was little olean hitting throughout .the round, although it was fast. Round Ten : Donovan roused . the epectators by landing a' left swing to tbe side of the head, and, therfe was great excitenient during a fierce exchange of punches in Donovan's corner which was interruj&ted by tbe gong. Round Eleven : The crowd, surprised "at Donovan's showing, wei-e clieering him. Sarron then came in cutting viciously with both hands to the solar plexus, * and Donovan hun,S on until the referee broke them. He seemed unable to cope with the attack. Round Twelve: Sarron appeared to he a little anxious and was again nutting on II- sprint, but Donovan three times drove him off with heantiful lefts to the face. Sarron landed one low during an exciting bout of in-fighting. So far it had heen fairlv even. Thirteenth Round: Donovan sent Sarron back with a straight left: Sarron missed with a vicious uppercut just hefore the gong. v Tn 'the fourteerrth Donovan's croueh was worrying Sarron, -for the nnggety New Zealander presented few opetiings. They were going as well now "as at the heginning. Donovan was now making the pace, and he followed Up with a left to the hody. It was vig-

orous going. _ Round Fifteen : The crowd were on their feet as both men tore in-. It was a great finish to a strenuous contest. At the gong Donovan was declared fche winner. They carried him out of ihe ring shoulder high. Both men received a. great ovation. A return was made to the system of the referee being 'the sole judge of the contestants, there being no official judges outside the ring and all referee's decisions were accepted by the spectators without the slightest apparen't dissent. THE REFEREE SPEAKS. At the conclusion of the contest, Mr Earl Stewart, who acted as referee spoke a few words over the microphone. "We have just witnessed a close, a very, very close contest, with the margin of points wavering round by round, first in favour of one and then in favour of the other," said Mr Stewart. What surprised me most of all," he continued, "was the manner in which Donovan fought back ait close

quarters. He outfougbt Sarron -in this department and on many occasions, Sarron . was forced to give ground before the onslaughts of . this little .'fireman champion from "Waitara. He excelled himself and fighting at his natural weight had a lot to do with his wirining .the. contest. 'Donovan throughout was coufideuce personified and I cougratulate all those who were able to be preseut to witness one of the best contests in the history of the New Zealand ring." WAS IT THE BUDDHA? Mr George Aldridge, late of Napier, who described. the contest over 'the air, at the conclusion, mentioned that there were liundreds and liundreds of people present from Taranaki. "I see a lot of people here from Hawke's Bay, too. Th'ere's Mr Tom Heath, of Napier. He's holdmg-up a Buddha which he sent into the ring with Donovan, and he's claiming that it was the Buddha which made Donovan win." Mr Aldridge mentioned that the special trains from New Plymouth *and Napier which joined up at Palmerston North carried over 1000 people tb Wellington to see the contest.