Leonard C. Bibby “The Long Counter” versus Ivor Bracknell “The Surveyor”
The Long Counter controlled the longer range and took the contest by a sixth-round stoppage. Bracknell’s measured footwork kept the opening deliberate, but Bibby’s reach made the available space difficult to recover.
Bibby was billed as “The Long Counter” for this contest. He worked from the outside behind his long lead hand, using his reach to make an opponent cross the distance.
An upstairs room with a square floor and a narrow approach to the dressing area.
Contest date: . Entry numbers identify records rather than dates.
Round by round.
Round 1
Bracknell inspected the opening distance with a long guard, unwilling to make the first large commitment. The Long Counter was similarly patient, holding his lead where it could interrupt an approach. Their initial exchanges were sparse but exact, each boxer testing where the other expected the next meeting to occur.
Round 2
Bracknell changed the apparent line of his lead and found an opening as Bibby prepared to answer the first movement. It gave him a useful passage and a reason to keep varying the approach. Bibby adjusted his feet, declining the longer reply until his position was settled again.
Round 3
Bibby began answering halfway through Bracknell’s recovery rather than waiting for a complete reset. The timing made the measured guard less comfortable. Bracknell continued to leave cleanly when he recognised the change early, but more of his attention was now being spent on getting back into shape.
Round 4
Bracknell tried to reclaim distance with a longer step and briefly made Bibby withdraw farther than intended. The success was difficult to repeat. Bibby shortened his next exit and returned the lead sooner, leaving Bracknell to make the same journey without an equally useful position at its end.
Round 5
Bibby’s patience became more pressing. He maintained the long lead and waited for Bracknell to begin an answer before adding his own. Bracknell was still attentive, but the intervals between useful replies widened. The taller boxer could now keep the work moving without being drawn beyond his preferred range.
Round 6
Bracknell attempted another change of line, but Bibby was ready to meet it and continued with a second clean answer as the guard recovered. The reply from Bracknell no longer sustained an exchange. The contest was stopped in the sixth round, with Bibby recorded as the winner.