Feast After Famine: Turned Down Fighters

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31003, 8 March 1966, Page 19

Feast After Famine: Turned Down Fighters

From a famine of opponents for its local professional boxers last December, the Canterbury Boxing Association is now progressing towards a feast of fisticuffs.

With boxers under contract to come to New Zealand from the United Kingdom, the C.B.A. president and matchmaker (Mr E. G. Pocock) has had to refuse an offer from Australia. Already signed up is Ebe Mensar, a Ghanaian boxer who has been fighting in the United Kingdom. He has agreed to box three bouts in New Zealand and his first opponent will be the New Zealand lightweight champion, Brian Maunsell. However, Maunsell may first fight J. Fields, a Californian Negro, who last night was boxing Manoel Santos, of Auckland, in Wellington. The C.B.A. had Brian Maunsell there to watch the bout. If Fields measures up to Santos, Maunsell will fight him. In exchange, if Mensah proves a good opponent for Maunsell, the Wellington Boxing Association will put on a bout between Santos and Mensah. It will cost tne C.B.A, £4OO in air fares alone to bring Mensah to New Zealand. The W.B.A. will help in expenses if it promotes a Mensah-San-tos bout. The third bout for Mensah

has yet to be arranged, but his opponent could be Dion Murphy who is planning a come-back. Murphy, last evening, said he suspected he could be the “third man” for Mensah. Next in the line-up for a

three-fight visit to Christchurch is Jamaican Walter Hines, another light-weight who has done very well in Great Britain. Mr M. V. Drury, a wellknown Canterbury referee and judge, was authorised by Mr Palmer to make the offer on his behalf. Mr Drury said that Mr Palmer could send over Kimpo Amarfio and Billy Brown to fight Brian Maunsell and Laurie Ny on March 24. Mr Palmer also said he could send over Johnny Famechon and Carmelo Coscia. Toro George, of Auckland, may fight Coscia in Melbourne in the near future. “The offer came too late,” Mr Pocock said last evening. “I had already entered into a contract with Mensah on behalf of the C.B.A. and negotiations are well advanced with Hines and at least one other boxer from Britain or Europe. “The C.B.A. will, of course, be very pleased to consider offers of suitable boxers from Australia to fight here later in the season.”