Opotiki Boxing

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 57, 18 June 1948, Page 5

Opotiki Boxing

H. CANDY WINS DULL STAR BOUT (Special to Beacon) OPOTIKI, June 17. At the first Boxing Tournament of the season held under the auspices of the Opotiki Boxing Association in the Regent Hall on Wednesday evening, there was a poor response from the public and the boxing was not up to the usual standard. H. Candy, Whakatane, won Mr R. Mcllwraith’s special trophy for the big bout of the night against T. Martin, Rotorua, in a dull and disappointing four rounds. First bout was a welterweight contest between P. Edwards (Opotiki) 10.2 and Candy (Whakatane) 10.3. There was very little in the first two rounds, but the final saw both boys forcing matters, for Edwards to get the decision. Second bout was a paperweight of 3 la minute rounds. H. Mokomoko (Opotiki) 6.8 v A. Wright Mt. Maunganui) 6.4. The final round saw the Opotiki boy doing most of the leading to get a points decision. Flyweight J. Curtis (Opotiki) 7.8 and T. Hunt, (Taneatua) 7.10 fought 3 2-minute rounds. Curtis was declared the winner in a good exhibition for novices. The Bantamweight contest between B. Williams (Opotiki) 8.7 and J. Crawford (Mt Maunganui) 8.2 opened well with Crawford gaining a slight lead. The final round was a good exhibition, with both scoring freely, and a draw was the result. In the next bout, a Flyweight contest between A. Mayer (Taneatua) 6.8 and I. McKenzie (Whakatane) 6.10, the first round saw the latter gain a slight lead, but McKenzie maintained his lead to get the decision. Middleweights, W. Lingman (Opotiki) 10.12 and N. Crawford 10.12 (Katikati) fought 3 2-minute rounds. The first round opened with both boys mixing it, for Crawford to gain a’lead, which he held throughout, to get the decision in one of the best bouts of the evening. In the next Middleweight bout, C. Edwards (Opotiki) 10.13 beat J. Davidson (Rotorua) 10.6, Edwards getting a lucky decision. Paperweight, I. Curtis (Opotiki) 6.7 met J. McCormick (Whakatane) 6.11 in 3 Ig-minute rounds for a draw. Lightweights D. Blugum (Katikati) 9.4 and S. Wright (Mt Maunganui) 9.3 staged a willing bout, the final round of which was the best of the evening neither giving way. Blugum got the verdict. Midgets J. Foy (Opotiki) 5.10 and J. Trigg (Rotorua) 6.0 fought 3 laminute rounds. Foy got a rather lucky decision. At Catchweights J. Lowe (Whakatane) 10.8 met G. McCardle (Mt Maunganui) 9.9 in 3 2-minute rounds. The first round was even. The second was in favour of Lowe, but McCardle showed skill in getting out of trouble. The final was quite good for Lowe to get the decision which received a mixed reception. In the last bout Middleweight H. Candy (Whakatane) 11.6 met T. Martin (Rotorua) 11.7 in 4 2-min-L'.ts rounds. The first round looked to--.be only a spar.. The second was similar. The third saw a tapping contest and it seemed at one time .it was more of a hugging competiiion. The final round saw the audience getting indignant and although Candy got the decision, “no contest 7 ’ would probably have been a popular verdict.