B O X I N G

The boxing team of the United States Naval Air Station came through in excellent style Friday night, July 18, at the regular Smoker in town Hall, Corpus Christi. The Navy boys performed in six of the eight bouts and they received only one setback in all eight battles. The one licking resulted when Ensign Bernard Mitchell, instructor at the Station, attempted to slug it out with Byrl Clayton, classy 159-pounder of Corpus Christi, in the third bout of the program. The fight was stopped in the opening round after Mitchell was downed for the second time.

The outstanding battle on the card found Bernard “Jack” Fernandez, 147-pound Navy whirlwind, flattening out the pride of Corpus Christi, Manny Gonzales, in two rounds. Fernandez, fighting from a crouch with a devastating left hook and a murderous right, dropped his foe with the first punch he threw – a left hook flush on the jaw – and the battle was as good as won then and there. Only Gonzales’ gameness enabled him to weather the initial stanza. Fernandez crossed a right to Gonzales’ ear early in the second round, and the Corpus Christi fighter went down for the count of nine. Then a flurry of rights thrown by the Navy battler a few second later finished Gonzales.

The opening bout on the program found W. B. Harold of the Navy spotting Jack Powers of the Marines 31 pounds in weight and a tremendous reach, and then whipping him in three rounds. The decision was close with Harold’s aggressiveness and occasional hard rights gaining him the nod of the judges.

Joe Martin and Shelton Gero, both of the Navy; hooked up in the second encounter, and both earned a draw after three rounds of leather throwing.

Two more sailors clashed in the fourth bout with Harry Brannan gaining a hairline decision over Harry Helback. Both came in weighing 139 pounds. This bout furnished the most action of the night as both boys mixed it up repeatedly. Brannan’s closing rush enabled him to grab the decision.

Dave “Dive Bomber” Bollingham gave the Navy its fifth triumph as he completely outclassed Carlos Sanchez in all three rounds. Bollingham consistently kept a stiff left jab in the Mexican’s face, and he scored additional points with several smashing overhand rights.

The other bouts found Louis Dorey, Corpus Christi favorite, giving Pete Rodriguez a KO in the second round of their three rounder, and Walter Potter, Marine battler, losing a close decision to Jesse Peralez in three heats. Potter, the aggressor throughout, and fouled in the third round, appeared to at least have earned the draw.