BOXING.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 301, 20 December 1926, Page 9

BOXING.

TE AROHA ASSOCIATION. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) TE AROHA. Saturday. A general meeting of the Te Aroha Boxing Association was held on Friday evening, for. the express purpose of considering a notice of motion dealing with the form the nest tourney should take. Mr. J. Hepburn presided. Mr. Morrison said that as the notice of motion came from him. it was necessary to explain the motive that prompted it. Whenever the present association had put a professional bout on their programme the tourney had been a success, but the last one, which was purely an amateur one, was not a success, although the standard of boxing had been excellent. If they decided not to have a professional bout, then the association must be prepared to go back to their amateur status, but they had sufficient evidence by the attendance at the last tourney, that is is the professional contest that attracts the general public. Several members spoke strongly in favour of the professional bout being placed on the programme. The president said that in the earlier days in Te Aroha amateur tournaments had been a pronounced success, but the introduction of the professional bout on their programme had sounded the death knell of amateurism. Professionalism had killed amateurism wherever it had been introduced, and he had fought against the introduction of it at Te Aroha. However, professionalism had Deen introduced, and a place would have to be found for it on the next programme. At this stage, the tourney secretary (Mr. T. Turner) stated Loverldge was prepared to fight for the association if a suitable bout could be arranged. It was finally decided that a professional contest be placed on the next programme, to take place probably in February next.