1939-03-06 — Page 25

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THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 6, 1939.

FIGHT OF THE CENTURY

Eric Boon Retains

His British Light-Weight Boxing Championship

VITAL EIGHTH ROUND BLOW: DANAHAR'S COURAGE

BLIN

(By AIR MAIL)

LIND in one eye, hair tousled, a slight trickle of blood coming from his nose, but beaming with joy, Eric Boon marched triumphantly from the ring at Harringay Arena on February 23, still light-weight champion of Great Britain, after one of the greatest Øghts in history. The referee had mercifully stopped. his fight against Arthur Danahar in the 14th round, after Danahar had been down nine times, and had only just risen from a count of nine.

Never again will the great audience which packed the Arena see a finer demonstration of courage than that provided by Boon and Danahar. The champion's left eye had been closely early in the third round-just as had happened in his fight against Crowley- but he overcame the handicap and punched his way to a glorious victory.

As for Danahar, mere words of

praise seem paltry. He took a COLONY TENNIS beating such as few men have

received, and to his everlasting CHAMPIONSHIPS

credit he was still on his feet

at the end. Memorable and tre- START TO-DAY

mendous was the battle provided by these youths → Boon 19 and Danahar 20.

‘A GOLDEN PUNCH ·

Eric Boon, of Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, retained his lightweight championship of Great Britain at Harringay Arena on February 23, by defeating the challenger, Arthur Danahar, of Bethnal Green, Lon don. The referee stopped the fight in the 14th round, Danahar had: been down twelve times,Photo shows Danahar misses with a left- swing, but is seen bringing his right uppercut into action. Danahar for the Orst 8 rounds gave the champion a real boxing lesson, but Boon had the staying power and this undoubtably - gave him the fight. (Copyright, Fox).

Cricket

(Continued from Page 23)

ball to hit, the mere fact that he

Outstanding match in to-day's was a left-hander appeared to put Colony Lawn Tennis Champion-both Lee and Goodwin, Kowloon's of the 22 added for the third wie- ships which commence on the opening bowlers off their stride. ket and sent up his 50 scored in

.C.C. courts is the Open Doubles The result was that Lee never

about 90 minutes. encounter between Wong Shlu-wing bowled more Ineffectively than he and Luk-Ding-cheung and J. W. did on this occasion and not till his

Would Not Wear Leonard and George Choa.

later spell did Goodwin ever look The remainder of the innings, To-day's programme is as

From the eighth roan onwards Boon hit Danahar times without number, but he could not knock out the gallant challenger. The fight justified all the high things expected of it. Boon won because he was stronger, and also be- cause he has that golden punch which makes a champion--and keeps bimon, follows: his throne.

Danahar need not be disheartened. He gave a magnificent display of box- ing in the first half of the fight, and when he has had more experience he will undoubtedly go a long way. He was given a splendid reception for his great fight as he made his way to the dressing room, although he left too early to hear the tribute Boòn paid to him over the microphone from the ring. I met a gamer boy than Danahar. I now hope I shall go on and win the

"Never," Boon told the crowd, "have

world championship." :

TO-DAY

fol-like taking wickets.

T

has already been described. Ander J. Gosano was unfortunate to son and Mackay had been intent be given out to a catch at the wic-on-wearing down Gosano and ket and I thought that Rodrigues Ozorio, actually the only two dan- might have had a bit more joss gerous bowlers on the side. Un- A. R. Kitchell v. Chan Kam-moon with his 1.b.w. E. L. Gosano was fortunately for their schemes, T. C. Monaghan v. Tsoi Ping-fan brilliantly taken in the gully by neither would wear and were bowl- (2), C. R. Bux v Ng Kam-choung (3), Kenneth Baxter. who gave one of ing just as effectively in the last K. M. Lee v. I. M. A. Razack (6), A- his best fielding displays for some half hour as they were in the first!

Remedios v. Luk Chun-cheong (7).time, while Ernie Fincher's catch

V.

Open Singles (First Round)

Open Doubles (First Round)

I thought Goodwin might have Lui Kwai-fan and Chan Chi-keung at cover to dismiss Soares was gone in earlier in an effort to hit Lim Thian Tet and Stephen Wong well-judged effort and made up to a couple of fours and I felt that Chen Weng Shiu-wing and Luk Ding a certain extent for a let-off he Burnett's hitting, would have been cheung v. J. W. Leonard and George Choa (8), L. and B. Agafuroff v. Paul gave the same batsman early in his distinctly useful Kong and B. Szeto-(5),

innings.

stages.

After a cautions start, Danahar had begun to get on top with his superior boxing skill. His left hand, which in the first two rounds. Boon had easily avoided, thereafter was prodding the champion's head and by the eighth In all, Danahar was down nine times round Danahar had achieved his object-eight times for a count of nine, and in keeping Boon out, and it seemed once for a count of two. that he would go on to score a points

win.

FALSE SECURITY

"NEVER IN ANY DOUBT”. 'Boon's grandfather was with the champion as he sat on the bench in

Valuable Stand

in the

Post-Mortem

the

There was

later

When wickets were falling fast,

usual post-mortem P. M. N. da Silva and Willie Reed both played invaluable innings. Ernie Fincher had held Soares.

in the pavilion after the game. If

chances and later when

if J. Gosano. and Rodrigues had

Defending stoutly they zorio hit took no

if Beltrão had if Mackay if Goodwin

if Robin-

ing with fine spirit, but he was lured fight. "I was never in any doubt about vanced to 123, one that had not ap-caught Anderson

The challenger had also been fight-his dressingroom and talked of the one or two, the total had been' ad not lost their wickets so unfor-`

tunately into a false sense of security in the it," said Boon. "I knew I was getting peared" possible earlier. eighth round. Boon had deliberately him in the end.. Danaher was really

had been run out slackened off his attack, and let Dana-plucky, and he gave me a great fight successful bowler making full use son had appealed to Tinker Lee,

B. D. Lay was easily the most had gone in earlier "I did my best, and, after all, a man.

har come to him.

Suddenly the champion changed can't do more than that," said Dana- of a fiery wicket and keeping an his fellow umpire, when Goodwin's the course of the fight with one har. "I would dearly love to meet excellent length. Kowloon's ground snick through the slips in the dramatic right hand punch to the Boon again, because I think that I am fielding was good and very little jaw. This staggered Danahar. Be-a better boxer than he is”.

fore he could regain his balance Both Boon and Danahar were inside was given away.

second-last over was not signalled as the four Lee maintained it

Boon flashed in another right to the the light-weight limit of 9 st. 9 lbs, at; Starting their innings shortly should have been!;

However, my summary is this; if

SCHOOLS HOCKEY TEAM

chin, and this time Danshar recled the weigh-in earlier yesterday, Boon after four, Kowloon lost Teddy and fell on his knees for a count of scaling 9 st. 8% lbs., and Danahar Fincher who opened confidently, either team had won it would not -ntao. A rain of blows put him down st. 81⁄4 lbs. ... for another nine before the bell, Tho champion arrived at Harringay within 15 minutes, but Anderson In the following round, Danahar two hours before the contest was ex- and Mackay, taking no chances have been a fair result on the -nearly carnod disqualification. Boon pected to start, and in this way he whatever, stayed together for the

day's play and I think that every- -went through the ropes and down on outwitted those ticketless admirers who next hour. Rodrigues had his field one who saw the game or played in one knee. Danahar caught him awaited about the entrances for a

It will agree with me! -glancing blow, but the referee merely glimpse of the two fighters.

well placed and with every man on cautioned him. „

Mounted police helped to control the his toes, runs were extraordinarily AN OMINOUS SIGN:

hugo crowds outside before the fight. hard to secure. Danahar, his strength sapped by Twelve thousand ticket holders passed Before he had reached double- those two terrific blows in the eighth through the turnstiles, and the crowd

The following players will represent round, cried gamely to fight back, but was a record for an indoor fight bo figures, Anderson was badly drop the Combined Schoole XI in a friend. ped behind the wicket by Beltrao, ly hockey game against the Nomads in the eleventh he was down again at tween light weights in this country. the bell. Danahar had a tonic before

standing back off Gosano and some on the Radio Sports ground on March he went up for the twelfth round, but

time later, Mackay was fortunate 11 at 8.80 p.m.- it was of little avail. Twice in this

in not being run out when he was A. Odell (C.B.S.); K. Mohammed -round he was down for nine, and threo times he was floored for more counts

unexpectedly sent back by Ander (Q.C.) and H. Mendonca (L.S.C.); F. Reis (L.S.C.), W. Pryda (C.B,S.), and of nine in the thirteenth round,

son and fell in turning.

R. Chang (D.B.8.); R. Castro (LS.C.), K. Singh (8.J.C.), G. Singh (Q.C.), A. P. Silva (L.8.C.) and P. Kult (1.5.0.),

SWITZERLAND WINS ICE HOCKEY CHAMMONSHIP.

Basle, To-day..

It seemed then that Mr. Barrington Dalby, the referce, had half a mind to stop the fight, but Danahar came up|- Switzerland won the European for the fourteenth, only to be sent Ice Hockey Championship in beat down once more, and this time, after ing Czecho-Slovakia by two goals he had risen at nine, the referee decid to nil in their final replay, Swit ed to intervene, sending Danaher back to his corner, and declaring Boon the gotland scored in the second and

third periods. Router

winner.

After he had been at the wicket for about an hour and 15 minutes, Mackay returned one tamely to Soares at short mid-off. His 36 had been scored out of 88.

Joined by E. F. Fincher, Ander son opened up and scored 18 out

Lendon, Saturday Joe Davis" boat Sidney Smith 48 frames to 20 in the final of the world snooker th him which he ham field The zuler