BOXING REFEREE’S VIEWS ON “THE IGNOBLE ART”

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28104, 20 October 1956, Page 5

BOXING REFEREE’S VIEWS ON “THE IGNOBLE ART”

Although he was not in a position to comment on boxing conditions in England and America he did not think the conditions outlined in Dr. Edith Summerskill’s book “The Ignoble Art” were true of New Zealand, said Mr E. Pocock, when referring to a review of the book which appeared on this page in “The Press” on September 22.

Mr Pocock. now a prominent referee, was for three consecutive years Canterbury middle-weight champion, and was for a further two years a Canterbury light heavy-weight champion. He started boxing at 18 and he has had 36 years’ boxing experience, during which time he has refereed both amateur and professional championships.

“Boxers in New Zealand are under strict supervision,” said Mr Pocock.

“After every professional bout the contestants are examined by a doctor and the medical report is forwarded to the New Zealand Boxing Council. If the report is favourable, they are allowed to have another bout after 14 days, but not many boxers here are fighting every two weeks,” said Mr Pocock. “Should a boxer be knocked out or injured, he is stood down until he is given a medical clearance. No bout may be conducted in New Zealand without a doctor in attendance and the police have to be present. Medical Records “Amateurs have a medical record book, which must be available at each contest.” said Mr Pocock. “Every amateur must be registered and each season he is medically examined 30 days before his first bout. He is also examined before and after each bout.” Mr Pocock does not believe that boxing is pandering to the spectators’ blood lust. Bouts in New Zealand would be stopped before they got to that stage, he said. A lot depended on matching and every care was taken to ensure that a boxer would not be hopelessly outclassed. Should this happen, however, the referee would stop the bout before the boxer was

knocked about. “I have yet to see a punch-drunk amateur,” said Mr Pocock. “If a professional showed any indication of this he would be refused further bouts.” Schoolboy boxing comes under the control of the local associations.

“We have yet to find it out,” said Mr Pocock, referring to the statement by Paul Gallico, the promoter of the Golden Gloves tournament, and quoted by Dr. Summerskill, that “most of the things said and written about boxing —that it is healthful, manly, sporting, virile, scientific and good for the development of the character and self reliance—are untrue.” Not Sadistic People did not just take up boxing to satisfy their sadistic impulses, said Mr Pocock.# Boxers out of the ring did not take advantage of their prowess—in fact they were usually just the opposite. Mr Gallico’s statement that more crooks than honest people were associated with boxipg was not true of New Zealand either, said Mr Pocock. Before any trainer could enter the ring during a contest, he had to be licensed by the council and his credentials were thoroughly checked.

He had no knowledge of the Golden Gloves tournament but it seemed fhat Mr Gallico had taken a long time to realise the deficiencies of boxing as a sport, said Mr Pocock.