SARRON’S DEFEAT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 76, 17 March 1930, Page 8

SARRON’S DEFEAT

DONOVAN WINS ON FOUL WINNER DOWN THRICE IN FINAL ROUND. RETURN MATCH ARRANGED FOR WELLINGTON.

(Special to “Tribune.”) New Plymouth, March 17,

Before a huge crowd at Western Park open air stadium, Pete Sarron, of Alabama. U.S.A., with vicious left rips to the solar plexus and right books to the jaw in round seven, reduced Tommy Donovan, of Waitara, to such a state that victory seemed assured. He then delivered a blow to the nape of the neck which the referee ruled illegal. Donovan was toughness personified, for the first blow to the body that upset him in the seventh round would have dropped an average boxer for the full count. But not so Donovan. Twice more he was sent to the canvas only to rise and bravely face the music; but the hail of blows had him toppling when Sarron landed the heavy right that caused him to lie ruled out. The American wept bitterly and almost immediately left the ring. The contest proved Sarron a master fighter Never before has Donovan been opposed by one who so cleverly varied his tactics and the Waitara man was in a state of almost continuous perplexity. Vicious punching and a wide repertoire of blows and strategies are at the American’s command and on Saturday he made full use of them. Sarron’s footwork is such that no matter what happens he is always in a position to counter in a flash and with vim. Nevertheless, Donovan gave a fine display against his doughty opponent, and this despite the fact that his weight proved he was not at his best. DONOVAN LACKED SNAP. At the commencement Donovan appeared overawed by the importance of the occasion but later settled down to give a hectic account of himself. Donovan appeared to lack the snap and fire he has shown in earlier bouts but, of course, a possible explanation is that he was only as good as the opposition allowed him to be. The Waitara man lost the first, second and third rounds, broke even on the fourth, won the fifth and sixth and was battered about in the seventh, but probably the gong would have saved him from the count. THE PAIR REMATCHED. The pair have been rematched, the bout to take place at Wellington on March 29 and if it proves as hard and fast as the first meeting it will be a great battle. The announcer, Mr. Stainton, having informed all and sundry that the weights were Sarron 9st. }lb., Donovan 8«t. lllbs., the referee, Mr. Dick Meale, took control, informing the boxers what was required of them. Attending Sarron in his corner were Lou Bloom and Billy Crawford, while Angus McGregor and Bill Easton were in the opposite angle. ROUND ONE. With the gong Donovan was first to the ring centre and stepped in to land a light left to the face but in a flash the American’s gloves were shooting in to the body and head. The round-arm body punching of Donovan was outscored completely by the short-arm punching of Sarron, who had the inside running. Donovan went in and was short with a left and slipped to the mat. By good luck, however, Donovan avoided a powerful hook and hooked his own right above, but the Yankee was on the qui vive. The round of hard battling was in Sarron’s favour. FIRST BLOOD TO SARRON. Round two opened in whirlwind fashion with the honours to Sarron in some close exchanges. Donovan ventured a mild left and was crossed heavily with the right, Sarron gaining “first blood’’ from the mouth. Again the American proved the superior in infighting and Donovan back-pedalled from a barrage of lefts and rights that drove him to his corner, where the gong failed to stay the savage attack of Sarron and the referee was forced to step in. The crowd, which was in an uproar at the fast exchanges almost throughout, voiced its disapproval. The third session saw Donovan place a neat left to the face but Sarron more than balanced matters in a close-up that followed a feint with the left and Donovap shot through a right that landed at midsection and the crowd roared with delight. Tit for tat with lefts favoured Donovan, his blow being hard enough to draw blood from Pete’s nose. Sarron’s last-minute rally ended with a low left as the gong sounded, closing a round hut slightly in favour of Donovan, who was shaping more confidently. SARRON ON HIS HEELS. In round four Tommy stood Sarron on his heels with a brace of stiff lefts to the head, to one of which Sarron replied with a good left uppercut and then a short right to the heart as Donovan stepped in—a good blow. A straight left went to Donovan's account but before he could get clear the American’s right crossed to the jaw. Level pegging. The fifth round saw Donovan fighting in great style and throughout the round he forced the pace and got homo with clever lefts to the head and right hooks to the slats. Sarron’s retaliation consisted of left hooks to the jaw but they were scarcely sufficient to split honours. PETE WARNED. Sixth round: Donovan back-moved dangerous uppercuts and then Referee Meale admonished “One more time and out,” as Sarron ripped a blow that landed near the groin. Donovan again got home with a pair of hard lefts to the American's body and then shot over a right to the jaw, Sarron fighting back and notching points with both hands to the head. The fireman finished the round by shooting a left to the ribs and a hard right hook to the hood, and the round was his.

THE FATEFUL SEVENTH

In the seventh and final round both were swinging wild blows, one of which caused the referee to admonish Sarron. Donovan scored with -a good double left to the head and they clinched. Donovan tore in fiercely after the break and the American met him with a left rip, picked up from low down, and the punch caught Donovan squarely on the plexus to send him down for three. The American repeated the punch when Donovan rose. The hlow almost paralysed him; he sagged, but roee at eight and again the deadly loft rip found the body and it looked like the finish. But by a superhuman effort the Waitara man regained his feet. Punches rained on him from all angles and he was falling when Sarron brought down the terrific right to the back of the neck that ended the contest. The cheers from the crowd were intermingled with hoots and the decision was more or less heatedly debated bv fans for some time before they finally dispersed.