, 1923-03-08
Well, friends, the argument seems

wen, lTlenQS, tne argument SeellS
to be settled-Nobe won.
Last Friday night Tony Diana and
Nobe Ayala met in ten fast and
furious rounds. There was action
and blood ~aplenty, no foul tactics
and clean breaking in the clinches,
Arch Smertz, the widely known
referee from the Salt Lake City was
on the job every second of the battle
and so thorough were his instruc-
tions to the two fighters that there
was not an infringement of the Mar
Quis of Q~ueensberry rules during
the entire fracus. Smertz is physical
director and instructor for the Com
mercial Club of Salt Lake City and
If he can instruct a class as we'll as
he can direct a fight the Utah City
certainly has one fine instructor. The
Fire Department used good judg-
ment when they selected the Utah
man for the third place in the ring
and it is hoped hat he may be OBJ
tanned for the next bout.
Having had our say on the merits
of the referee we must now come to
the events of the evening:
Usually the preliminaries to a box
ing exhibition are tame, stalling, at
fairs fastened to the front end of
a boxing program to take up time
and bring the fans into the house
early.
Such was far from being the case
last Friday night. A couple of the
preliminaries. altho short, had fully
as much action as the main event
and that is saying a lot.
The first affair of the evening
was three one minute rounds be-
tween Johnnie Hays and Zeke Fer
guson. These two youthful boxers
exhibited an astonishing amount of
science for boys so young and, Of
course, we're determined In their eff
forts to put each other away.
The first round was even-with
neither lad having the shade. The
second round perhaps favored Fergu-
son while the Hays boy came back
strong in the third and last session
and evened up matters. The bout
was rightly declared a draw.
The next battle to take place was
between Fitzgerald and Needhan.
The bout was scheduled to last four
two minute rounds but Mr.. Fftz-
gerald had other plans. He knock
ed out Needhan in the third frame.
The Fitzgerald = Needhan affair
was one of those good old fashioned
smuggling matches, altho both boys
showed, by the way the handled
themselves. that they had been in
the squared ring before. Fitzgerald
packed a wicked punch while Need
han wasn't so poor at hat job him
self. Fitzgerald. however, proved
too much for his opponent and the
referee. w. +. Daley. stopt the
slaughter in the third round, when
Needhan, exhausted and driven into
his W corner by the terrific punch
es from Fitzgerald became little
more than a human punching bag for
his antagonist.
The next event, between Wilbur
Brown. OF Rawlins. and Young
Gomez OF Saratoga. altho slated for
five two-minute rounds. did not last
h first two. With the exception
OF the first half OF the first round,
Brown had things pretty much his
W way with the boy from Sara
toga.
Brown certainly has a wicked
wallup at his command and further
more has considerable speed. Gomez
in his four short minutes In the
ring. altho willing to trade blows.
received many more than he landed.
The end came in the second round
when Brown. after battering Gomez
into a corner OF the ring, knocked
him through the ropes
The final and main event OF the
evening SOC developed into a swat
ting fest between Tony and Nobe.
II was n good fight from start to
finish and the $50 or more fight
fans. who came out last Friday to
see the big bout. were not disappoint-
nd In thnir nnti,tpattA - .z.l--
first class scrap.
Altho Tony seemed able to alb
sorb all the punishment Nobe could
deliver. and that was considerable.
Nobe was rlrhtfully declared winner
by the two judges. Walter Smith and
w. ]. Brown. Tony's face was the
principle target for Nobe's blows and
that gentleman landed at frequent
Intervals In nearly every round. Tony
was strongest in tho first. sixth and
ninth rounds and at these periods
gave fully as many blows M he re-
ceived. In the final round, too, he
was going strong but Nobe should
be given credit for having the shade
in this session.
Both Tony and Nobe were
TO rush matters and each took the
ens at every opportunity. Tony
was wild In many of his blows and
Nobe frequently played safe by
covering up after n well directed
blow to his opponents head. Nobe's
style OF defense seemed to be be-
yond solving by Tony while the lat
tcr's style OF offensc gave Nobe
many opportunities to land.
Last Friday Ia the second time
Nobc has been rendered tho decision
over Tony tho first fight taking
place in this city last October.
Tho success OF tho boxing card
last Friday evening was further aid
90 by the Rawlips Band. several
numbers being rendered by that wei,
known musical organization during