Scanlan Takes Empire Title On Split Decision

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30391, 16 March 1964, Page 12

Scanlan Takes Empire Title On Split Decision

(Neu? Zealand Press

AUCKLAND, March 15.

Tuna Scanlan, of Auckland, became the British I Bmpire middle-weight boxing champion at Carlaw 1 ark on Saturda night. He beat the title-holder, Gomeo Brennan, of the W est Indies, on points over 15 rounds.

It was a split decision for Scanlan, a 29-year-old Samoan-born prison warder, One judge had Brennan, who is a Negro from Bimini, in the Bahamas, ahead by two points but the other judge and the referee had Scanlan well ahead. Scanlan entered the ring at list 2jlb and Brennan 21b heavier.

At the words from the announcer—“and the referee has named the new British Empire middle-weight chain-

pion”—more than 9000 spectators screamed with excitement. At the end of the contest, one judge, Mr F. A. Pearcey, had Brennan ahead by -89 points to 287. Mr R. Lyall, on the other hand, made Scanlan the win"er by a S ' n ° f 16 POints-294 to 2/8. Crowd Hushed

When the announcement of the different findings of the judges had been greeted with acclaim or dismay, the crowd

hushed in expectancy as the announcer went through the ritual of consulting the card of the referee, Mr E. C. Armishaw. At his statement that his finding was for Scanlan by 289 to 277, the cheers drowned out the groans. The reactions were various. Many persons at the ringside were positive Brennan had won decisively. Brennan and his trainer, Mr I. Kline, shook, warmly enough, the- hand of the man whose verdict had parted them from an important title. Scanlan said later that he was a little surprised to find himself awarded the bout. “He hurt me only once," Scanlan said, “with a left and a right, high up. He is not as good a boxer as Mick Leahy and not as hard a puncher as ‘Jolting’ Johnny Smith”—two prominent fighters whom Scanlan has defeated in the past. “He Hurt Me”

“Did he hurt me?" Brennan said after the fight. "Of course he hurt me. Man, I was in a fight.

“As soon as I heard it was a split decision I knew we were gone,” said Kline. “These things happen with a home-town decision. “But 1 make no complaint whatever. I insisted from the beginning that we should have local officials and as far as I am concerned they performed their job firstclass.

“I am very disappointed, but I sure would not say we were robbed. It’s simply an honest difference of opinion. I thought my boy had won. I never hustled him at any stage. They thought he had lost. That’s that.

“I’ll say this: I have never been better treated anywhere than in Auckland. Gomeo and I can say nothing but the best, the very best, about New Zealand.”

Brennan, fighting on a guarantee, will receive £l5OO, plus £lOOO for expenses. Scanlan will receive about £6OO. Scanlan, who was naturalised as a New Zealander last week, has been a warder at Mount Eden Gaol for 13 months. He is the father of five children, the eldest aged five—but his wife was too nervous to be at the fight.