Eight Boxers To Defend Titles

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30541, 9 September 1964, Page 19

Eight Boxers To Defend Titles

(Xew Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 8. Certainly eight, possibly nine, of New Zealand’s 10 amateur boxing champions will defend their titles in the national championships to be held in Wellington this month.

One of them is the British Empire welter-weight titleholder, W. Coe, who will try to prove that his Olympic omission is not the beginning of a downhill road by seeking his sixth consecutive New Zealand title. This would make him corecord holder with the former West Coast middle-weight, M. Tuck.

The other champions competing are: Middle-weight, T. Dunn (Wellington); flyweight, B. Kendall (Canterbury); bantam-weight, J. Wills (Ashburton); featherweight, G. Turori (Auckland); light-weight, M. Santes (Auckland); light heavy-weight, B. Johnstone (Canterbury); heavy-weight, W. Kini (Auckland).

The Oamaru light middleweight champion, M. Emerson, may defend his title, but as yet there has been no entry from his association, said the chairman of the Wellington Association (Mr B. F. O’Brien) today. The light welter-weight champion, B. Maunsell (Oamaru), will not be enter-

ing because of his Olympic selection, said Mr O’Brien. Boxers with good chances of taking a title are T. O’Donnell (Canterbury), who was New Zealand’s only winner against Japan last March, and the former Australian and New Zealand light heavyweight champion, J. Syren (Nelson). Entries include those from 16 major associations, and three or four more associations, including Otago and Southland, are expected to enter early this week after the completion of their provincial championships.