THE BOXING CHAMPIONSHIPS.

NZ Truth, Issue 59, 4 August 1906, Page 4

THE BOXING CHAMPIONSHIPS.

On Thursday and Friday next the patrons of the sport of boxing will have an opportunity of witnessing the Championships contest for the whole of New Zealand. This is the first time the New Zealand Championships have been held m Wellington, and if last year's local championship meeting can be taken as any criterion of the popularity of amateur boxiing the controlling body will have no cause to complain of the patronage extended bv;th,e public. It is not so very many years ago that boxing was at a very low ebb m New Zealand. Professionalism had given rise to many disgraceful exhibitions. Bettinn- was the leading feature of every bic contest and "schlienter" fights became so numerous that all the true lovers of the sport gave it up m disgust. Professionalism had killed itself and the unsavory smell it left behind was sufficient to keep amateurism m the back ground for some time. There were several gentlemen, however, who were determined that the sport should not die, and particularly amongst these was Mr Atack, of the N.Z. Boxing Association; By sticking to their guns, and fostering the little talent then m the field, these "•entlemen are to-day rewarded by the. fine annual exhibitions given m each of the four principal cities, and the knowledge that New Zealand amateurs can hold their own with the amateurs of any of the Australian States. But the fact that the sport has once again been made popular and that hundreds of young fellows indulge m the manh r art as a means of recreation and .heal Hi giving exercise is not the only point on which the various Box-

ins Associations can congratulate themselves. The cleanliness of the sport as it is conducted at the present time is the achievement of which they have the most reason to be proud. The last two tournaments promoted by the Wellington Boxing Association were particularly marked for the absence of anything even suggesting crooked practice. The contests were all well and thoroughly fought out. the winner every time clearly getting the verdict on his merits. This is undoubtedly due to the care the Association's officials have taken to suppress betting at the ringside : and discourage contestants whose records are not perfectly clean. In fighting down the prejudice that exists amongst a certain portion of the community against boxing as a sport, the Boxing Association have had a very hard row to hoe, particularly as the conduct of many of the boxers of the past gave the public good cause to doubt the possibility of the sport ever being put upon a proper footing again, but that they have thoroughly succeeded, the success of recent tournaments amply proves. We trust that the coming meeting will have the effect of further popularising the sport and adding materially to the coffers and. credit of the -controlling bbdv.