Canterbury Welter Not Good Enough In Titles

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30558, 29 September 1964, Page 19

Canterbury Welter Not Good Enough In Titles

C.Vcte Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 28. The light welter-weight boxer, W. Graham, of Wellington, may have overcome his biggest hurdle on the way to a New Zealand title. In the first session of the national championships at the Wellington Town Hall today he took a points decision from Auckland’s A. Manukao.

Graham could well have made the title liis with tills win, for the strongly-built Aucklander was regarded as his most likely stumbling block.

lie had to work hard for his win, but he responded vigorously to punishment and made the fight safe with a sustained attack in the last round.

The experienced New Zealand representative, I. Woodham (Hawke’s Bay), hardly raised a sweat in a gym-like workout for less than a round. His feather-weight opponent, J. McGrory (Manawatu) was not up to the class and the referee stopped the fight in the first round. After a splendid lightweight fight between two crisp punching boys, C. Young (Wellington) beat W. Eckhold (Otago) on points. The bout was notable for Young's first-rate combination punching and Eckhold’s twofisted short punching attacks. Both scored well, but Young was the more versatile.

Southland’s welter-weight, E. Buchanan, punched his way to such a substantial lead over the first two rounds

that a good final round was not enough for D. Davis (Canterbury). The vigour and frequency of Buchanan’s punching and a comparative lack of skilled defence by Davis was the story of the first two rounds. SHEEHAN WINS

Ashburton’s willowy welter, K. Sheehan, outboxed J. Fatu (Hamilton). Fatu relied solely on a king-hit to do the job, but Sheehan was much too clever and punched precisely. After appearing to have the measure of his man, the Wellington light-weight, G. Clifford, took a beautiful right to the head in the last round from R. Humberstone (Hamilton). Clifford took an eight count, but was in no condition to continue. Humberstone had carried the fight to Clifford in the last round and it was a perfectly judged punch that finished the bout.

In a mauling light heavyweight bout, D. Day (Wellington) won on a split decision over S. Siu (Manawatu). Siu started strongly with a barrage of heavy punches, but Day settled into a steady groove, more skilled at in-fighting, to take the decision.

The second light-heavy bout was rather an inept display which wound up in a prolonged flurry of punches, with L. Pyle (Wellington) a

more successful flurrier than G. Newport (Taranaki). Results were:— Feather-weight.—l. Woodham (Hawke’s Bay) beat J. McGrory (Manawatu). Referee stopped fight, first round. Light-weight.—C. Young (Wellington) beat W. Eckhold (Otago), on points. Light Welter-weight.—W. Graham (Wellington) beat O. Manukao (Auckland), on points. Welter-weight.—E. Buchanan (Southland) beat D. Davis (Canterbury), on points; K. Sheehan (Ashburton) beat J. Fatu (Hamilton). on points. Light Middle-weight.—R. Humberstone (Hamilton) beat G. Clifford (Wellington). Referee stopped fight, third round. Light Heavy-weight.—D. Day (Wellington) beat S. Siu (Manawatu), on points, split decision; L. Pyle (Wellington) beat G. Newport (Taranaki), on points.