Bout Between Fighter And Boxer-Singer

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30146, 1 June 1963, Page 9

Bout Between Fighter And Boxer-Singer

A tearaway fighter whose ■** main tactic is to dispose of his opponent by knocking him out in the opening rounds will meet a boxer with an excellent defence and strong counter-punch at .Canterbury Court on Thursday evening. The fighter, at present rated as the No. 3 professional feather-weight in Australia, is Pasquale Curcio. Of Italian birth and upbringing, 23-year-old Curcio has had 40 bouts as a professional, most of them in the Melbourne stadium. He has the true Italian temperament—volatile, with big, generous gestures, and he reacts quickly to applause or boos from the

crowd Hard-hitting and bustling, he has proved a real crowd-pleaser in Australia. He will be fighting ■s a light-weight on Thursday evening. Dion Murphy, the cleancut, 22-year-old Christchurch light-weight, will be making his first appearance as a professional in his home town when he steps into the ring to box Curcio. Murphy, because of his quick footwork, fast blocking and hard eounterpunchmg. and his thorough sportsmanship, was a warm favourite as an amateur in Canterbury for several years.

He fought 46 bouts as an amateur, was a Canterbury champion twice, and New Zealand light-weight champion before he turned professional last year. He had one professional bout, winning it. in the North Island, before he went to Australia to win three more bouts in a row.

The contrast in styles should make the bout an extremely interesting one and Murphy who has seen Curcio boxing in Melbourne. knows that it will be no walk-over Murphy is fighting fit. eager to get back in the ring and he came through his Australian bouts unscathed. Murphy for the last four years has been much in demand as a pop singer in cabarets and restaurants. His excellent defence in boxing has left his face unmarked —an important factor in his singing career.

"I won't be singing for my supper against Curcio—it will be much harder than that. The difference between amateur and professional boxing can be only realised when you are in the ring with the money at stake,” he commented this week. Murphy, a modest, likeable young man, has no illusions about the game. “You have to know when to give it away—and that applies to every sport. You don’t see nearly as many punch-drunk boxers here as you do in some overseas countries. "Boxing is particularly well controlled in New Zealand. The medical inspections and compulsory spells after getting a hiding are excellent safeguards for contestants.”