HIGH STANDARD ANTICIPATED

Evening Star, Issue 22143, 25 September 1935, Page 15

HIGH STANDARD ANTICIPATED

H.2. BDXiHG CHAMPIONSHIPS THOROUGHLY REPRESENTATIVE TOURNAMENT

[By Hooker.]

The New Zealand • amateur boxing championships at His Majesty’s Theatre next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will be one of the most representative fixtures held among the amateurs in recent years, for in addition to the tact that a splendid entry of 73 nohiinations has been received no fewer than 18 affiliated associations are sending teams, including the “ baby ” of them all, the Ilakaia Association, which came into being only this year, but which has already shown itself to be a live and enterprising body. One cannot help noticing on glancing through the list of entrants that there are far more experienced boxers taking part than usual, due no doubt to the policy of associations in concentrating more largely in the depression period on amateurs, and each night of the tournament should result in some stirring contests which will do much to restore boxing in Otago to its old level. . The 0.8. A. has arrangements practically completed for the staging of the tournament, which should mark a milestone in its history. The fly-weight division, more than any other probably, provides upsets on occasion, and five entrants have come forward this year, the name of the Taranaki nominee having yet to be forwarded.

The title-holder, R. Boyle, of Hawke’s Bay, will be here in defence of his crown, and while he will he strongly favoured Otago supporters are pinning their faith on Billy Drew, who has had plenty of championship experience and is a fast puncher and shifty boy. Drew has heaps of courage, and if he rids himself of his habit of hitting with the inside of the glove he will give the best of them strong opposition. L. Larsen, member of well-known Wellington boxing family, is expected to shape well, and Auckland and Taranaki will also be represented.

J. Cadwallader, of Wairarapa, who won both New Zealand and Australasian titles last year, is not entered in defence of the_ bantam-weight championship, for which there will be six contenders. L. Greaney, of Otago, is a strong and forceful fighter for a ban-tam-weight, and has a good left hand, and if he gets into his stride from the start should do well. • His erstwhile opponent, D. A. Leyden, is carrying North Otago’s colours. M'Kay, from Hawke’s Bay. who is entered in both bantam and feather classes, is probably identical’with the boy who won the flyweight title in 1933. Wellington is represented b-y J. Parker, who is said to have come on apace this year, and Ashburton fias S. Guthrie. Auckland’s contertder being K. Moran. The feather-weTg'ht class is an exceptionally strong one. and some of the best boxing of the tournament is invariably seen in this division. Taranaki’s representative has not been named, but it is almost sure to be C Gordon, who won the New Zealand and Australasian titles last year. If anv competitor lowers Gordon’s colours he should be the ultimate winner of the class. Gordon is spoken of as a prospective Olympic representative. He hails from Patea, and his brilliant career stamps ihm as one of the best amateurs the Dominion has had. He is 19 years of age, and has been boxing four years. He won the New Zealand fly-weight title in 1932, and the following year injured a hand and Had a nb broken in his first bout _in the national tournament, in which he met with his first defeat in 17 bouts. Last year he not only won the New Zealand feather-weight championship, but allso gained the Jamieson Beit for the most scientific boxer, his victims including Billy Aitken and A 1 Stock, both of whom are now professionals. At Invercargill in October he scored a comfortable win on points over J. Moore (New South Wales) to take tho Australasian title after a brilliant display. He has shown farther improvement this _ year, and though he has been fighting against heavier men all tho while, he has beaten some of New (iest light-weights. He has _ added hitting power to his former science, and has a punch in either hand. In nearly 40 bouts he has been beaten only three times.

Class is represented in the featherweight brigade for Johnny Richmond, the Otago representative, won the New Zealand! fly-weight title in 1928, and is the veteran of them all so far as experience goes, having given several good performances in the bantamweight class. If he is able to stay the pace of the hard fights he will have, he should do well. W. Hawes (Greymonth) is a brother of Percy Hawes, who won the amateur featherweight championship in 1932 and later became professional champion when he beat Johnny Leokie at Dunedin. W. Hawes won the Australasian title in 1933, bub has not held the New Zealand championship. P. Kelly is a former Auckland bantam-weight champion, and the other contestants include Jimmy Craik (North Otago), who has previonsily represented Otago ; G. Marshall (Wellington) ; R. Baker (Southland)'; R. Aitkeu (Wairarapa); and J. Mitchell (Rakaia). The light-weight title will not be defended by W. Hogg, the New Zealand and Australasian champion, but Christchurch supporters are confident that they have a worthy successor in N. Fisher, who has been unbeaten this season. Ho will have some good men to meet, however, and Auckland is sending Bob M'Laehlan, who was run-ner-up to Hogg in the provincial title last year and is a former Auckland title 'holder. Dunedin fistic followers know from experience that 0, R. Spencer, of Southland, has considerable fistic ability, and N. Jenkiu, of North Otago displayed his wares recently when he gave a pretty display to beat last year’s Otago champion Jim Ramsay, who will again bo on hand. Ramsay has the right temperament for championship boxing, and his previous exj>erience will stand to him. He is a smart boxer, and his supporters expect him to do well, H. Dunn will represent Wellington, and the others are Bob Goughian (a Manawatu fighter with a good record who has not done much in the last couple of years), M'lnnes (Hawke’s Bay), Wilson (Marion), and a Taranaki fighter to be named. The welter-weight class has drawn the largest entry of the tournament, 14 nominations being made. W. G. Parris, who won at Hastings last year, is not defending, but Wellington has a good substitute in T, Arbuthnot, who

is well spoken of and who defeated Parris in the Wellington championships. The hardest man to beat wjll probably prove to be W. Purdie, who did not box last year. Purdie won the New Zealand and Australasian titles in 1933, and has only to reproduce his former brilliant form to keep all his opponents busy. Interest wul attach to the showings of D. Heeney, a member of the well-known Gisborne fighting family to which Tom Heeney brought world-wide renown. Dunedin fight followers formed a high opinion of S. Jenkin, the Oamaru boy, and as L. Hoad beat him in the North Otago championships, the latter must be a boy well above the ordinary. Hoad will represent North Otago and Jenkin Timaru. J. Reidy, of Southland, showed impressive form a year or two ago, and piled up a good record of knock-outs in a row, and if he displays the same form liere will be well in the firing line. A. D. Wheeler (Otago) has a wallop, but is lacking in experience. The others are Wilson (Marton), T. Carroll (Wairarapa), Davis (Hawke’s Bay), G. V. Cooke (Te Aroha), W. Hawkins (Greymonth). C. Hopkins (Manawatu), and C. Elsmore borough), some of whom no doubt will help to make things very interesting. W. Howson (Greymonth) is the holder of New Zealand and Australasian championships, and he will defend his middle-weight crown, while he is also entered in the light heavy-weight class.. There wifi be opposition from 10 entrants in this division, and a boy who has developed corisiderably this year is George Low, of Canterbury. A former champion of Christchurch Boys’ High School, lie is a sound boxer and has beaten Ken Giles (who will represent Timaru) and T; Lister (who is the Ashburton contender). Low is an exNew Zealand back stroke swimming champion, and a fine type of young sportsman. G. M‘Kay will represent Southland, R. Reid Wellington, T. M'Cord Wairarapa, and Cowan.Hawke’s Bay. . C. S. Farmer, of Te Aroha, is the Soutli Auckland champion, and M. O’Connell, of North Otago, is wellknown here. He is a former Otago champion, ami was beaten in a close fight by “ Snowy ” Olsen, the Otago veteran, recently. Olsen will represent Otago ’ and O’Connell North Otago. O’Connell beat Don Stirling when the latter was an amateur. Olsen has been in the game for many years, ami took part in one of the preliminaries to the Sarron-Donovan fight at Dunedin. From Marlborough comes 11. Morrighan. The light heavy-weight and heavyweight classes are a more representative lot than usual, and 10 men will contest the light-heavy division, including G. Muir, of Southland, who took part in the Australasian championships last year. P. Brant, the Timaru fighter, with many good performances to his credit, is entered in both light-heavy and Heavy-weight classes, and Muir is likewise. W. M. Lister (Rakaia) should lie a worth-while opponent, for he has beaten, among others, A. J. Bourne (last year’s New Zealand heavy-weight champion). The others battling it out are J. Jones (Wellington), P. Sheehan (Ashburton), Cowan (Hawke’s Bay), E. Cleverley (Otago), a Taranaki fighter to be named, and H. E. Neale (Auckland), who won the New Zealand middle-weight title in 1933. Neale will certainly be hard to beat.

The Christchurch man, Bourne, is not defending the heavy-weight title, but Auckland is sending D. Lindesay, who represented New Zealand at the Australasian championships in 1933. R. J. Rains (Rakaia), P. Brant (Timaru), P. vSheehan (Ashburton), and G, Muir (Southland) should all provide good milling, and the issue is likely to bo fairly open.