AMATEURS’ NIGHT OUT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 917, 10 March 1930, Page 11

AMATEURS’ NIGHT OUT

BOXING CONTESTS TONIGHT GOOD PROGRAMME ARRANGED an all-amateur boxing tournament, excluding the annual championships, will be staged in Auckland. The contests will take place at the Town Hall this The poor class of the professionals in New Zealand today and the prohibition on importations caused by the limitation on purses, has hampered the Northern Boxing Association in its endeavours to provide good boxing for the Auckland public. It was therefore decided to try something new and the high standard of amateur boxing prompted the holding of this allamateur tourney. The programme which has been arof much better entertainment than would be the case had a mediocre professional match been arranged, and deserves patronage by those who like to see lively contests The programme includes eight bouts, made up of three six-round contests and five four-round fights, which will be fought over two-minute rounds. Bv reducing the time it is expected that speedy fights will be seen. Care has been taken in arranging the bouts, boys being selected whose styles of fighting are on the same lines, it being the association’s belief that thereby fast, clever contests will be provided. The six-round bouts will be between Johns, the New Zealand feather-weight champion, and Collins, Gregory and Lindesay, and Smith and Manson. The Johns-Collins bout should provide a good contest, as both lads are clever. Gregory hails from Gisborne and is a welter-weight with an excellent record. His opponent is well known in the Auckland ring. Manson and Smith should give one of the best displays of the evening. In his last few lights Manson has shown improved form and Smith, a Takapuna boy of considerable promise, should make him fight hard to win. In the four-round bouts Martin, who fought well in the Auckland championships, will mix with Conniee, the veteran light-weight, who still fights well. Bob Purdie, New Zealand ban-tam-weight champion, will be seen in action against Spragg, that pleasing little tiger of a feather-weight who never fails to put up a good fight, in what should be the best fight on the programme. Galt and Slade are the light-heavy-weights, and the fourth bout will be between two novices, McKee and Boag. "With this attractive programme there is little fear that a most entertaining evening’s sport will be witnessed.