Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Tuesday 26 November 1929

Boxing Strategy.
Crossley Shows Himself a Master of It.
Lessons for Moody.
“Cruiser” Championship Brought to Mexborough.

Harry Crossley (Mexborough) is the new British light-heavy-weight champion and holder of the Lord Lonsdale Belt. He secured those honours by a very wide margin of points in his 15-rounds bout with Frank Moody (Pontypridd), the holder, at the Stadium Club, Holborn, last night.

Long before the last gong sounded, the verdict seemed foregone conclusion. I should say that after the tenth round Moody’s sole chance of retaining his laurels was a knock-out, and, it proved, he never seemed capable of administering it. Crossley had dictated how the bout should go, and his policy bore rich fruit.

Let me explain. Some critics will say that was a tame bout. Certainly there were few hair-raising episodes in it, but to the keen student of the art Crossley’s victory was that of a master of ring strategy. His Welsh opponent was a croucher who depended on vicious left and right hooks intended for the jaw—a very dangerous man with counter shots had they landed. But to show those at his best he must have opponent willing to force the fight and make a vital miss.

Crossley’s Policy.

Crossley wound not force the fight last night. On the contrary it was his policy to make the other man do the forcing, and Moody, jumping in with left and right hooks for the chin, was made to miss times out of number. All he got for his trouble from the Yorkshireman, whose upright, English stance was in marked contrast to the stooping attitude of his opponent, were good, flush, straight lefts on the nose and chin.

Close on 21 years ago “ Iron ’’ Hague won the British heavy-weight championship in one round from Gunner Moir. His famous “Mary Ann” —that right-hand wallop of his—did the trick.

Now we have another pride of Mexborough. The manner of his winning a title is as different ink from water when it is compared with Hague’s. But for all that, Crossley’s display last night was the acme of cleverness. He had not to extend himself. He who aims at securing a knock-out victory invariably leaves himself open to the knock-out himself Harry was not prepared to do that, and who can blame him ? No boxing enthusiast can forget that Moody not very long ago created one of the biggest sensations in boxing by stopping the great Tommy Milligan inside one round.

Lefts Keep Moody Away.

Crossley spent most of the time in the middle of the ring, backing slightly, and flashing out a left hand that would credit to Phil Scott. That meant, of course, that Moody had to take the outside berth. The Yorkshireman’s intention was to get his rival going round in big circles and tire himself out. Moody did tire, too. And he was sorely perplexed, judging by the wrinkles which showed in his brow after only a round or two had gone. As he came forward to the attack he was caught by flush, point-scoring lefts, so that he fain had to rush dose in and lean on his man. In the fourth session the referee twice cautioned Crossley for alleged holding with his right arm and glove, but it was not Crossley’s fault all. It was patent to many the ringsiders that Moody was trying the “old soldier’s trick —holding Crossley’s arm tucked away under his armpit.

As a matter of fact the Welshman had almost winded himself in the middle of the round by rushing in and slashing a left hook at his rival’s head, which, had it connected, would assuredly have knocked him through the ropes and over a row of chairs. That attempt and miss, as the Yorkshireman sharply withdrew his chin, drew forth the one involuntary “Oh’’ of the match.

Crowd Favours Crossley.

The referee came round to warn Crossley again in the rest between the sessions, but the crowd tumbled to Moody’s plan of leaning in the fifth round, and there wore cries all round the ring. Stand away, Moody and Stand up, Moody.” Crossley went nearest to a knock-out victory in the seventh round, when, after pumping a number of straight lefts to the Welshman’s hose, he changed his feet like lightning and flashed a right cross at his opponent’s chin.’ Moody divined the intention in trice, and, slipped to his left knee, Crossby’s glove swept across his mouth. That was a very near thing Round after round Crossley won with his splendid straight left, and in round after round Moody hurled himself at his man and hit thin air with those danger-laden hooks of his. That is not to say that the Welshman never connected, but Crossley, taking the fight all through, landed at least four blows to his opponent’s one. Never have I seen the Mexborough man so cool and confident as he was in this great ordeal last night. Moody’s old fashioned ways of holding Crossley’s forearm in his armpit, and bearing his weight on his opponent, called in its turn for reprimand from the referee in the ninth round. The crowd were very pleased at this ofificial intervention, judging from the applause which it evoked.

Long Odds Laid on Moody.

In vain did Moody rush in during the last two rounds and strive to land a knock-out. Let me say that he was vastly fitter than on the occasion last June, when Pierre Gandon beat him hopelessly at Manchester, yet only got a draw. Moody had trained hard for five and a half weeks for this contest, and had had nearly all the champions in Wales his sparring partners, including Dick Power, who once beat Crossley at Southampton; but it was all to no purpose.

Before the contest a battalion of Welshmen were talking of 3 to 1 on Moody winning by a knock-out. Their tune had changed to “evens” at the tenth session, however, for they saw that Moody could not reach his man, and when the 15 rounds had sped by they went home with wry faces, for youth, with a set plan, had made their veteran box on lines quite foreign to him, and he had been lost at it.

The announcement that Crossley had won on points was greeted by a spontaneous burst of hand clapping. I saw him later, and he was hardly marked, except for a cut inside the lower lip. Harry is very shy fellow, and would say nothing except that he was very glad to have won. and that Moody had tested him well. His manager, Mr. “Billy” Bridgewater, was elated, however. “Harry won every round,” he said, and that is a fact.