Auckland Leading Boxing Province

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30560, 1 October 1964, Page 18

Auckland Leading Boxing Province

<Hcw Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, September 30. Auckland is New Zealand’s top boxing province. After a first-rate final night to the New Zealand championships at Wellington. Auckland beat Wellington by 10 points.

The points for the Earl Stewart Memorial Shield were:—Auckland 45. Wellington 35, Canterbury 25.

An Aucklander. M. Santos, won the coveted Jameson trophy for the most scientific boxer of the championships. The Parker Memorial trophy for the best loser went to L. Ny, of Canterbury. Wellington took the Treston Shield for the association winning most matches throughout the championships. Auckland tied with Wellington on 13 points but as winner of the Earl Stewart Memorial Shield it was not eligible for the other trophy. The 16-year-old Wellington boxer, W. Graham, was awarded the Bill O'Connor Memorial Cup as the youngest to win a title. Fly-wetght The Canterbury youngster, R. Carstairs, opened with vigorous enthusiasm against W. Young (Auckland) in the fly-weight final, but the mature, experienced Auckland boxer, punching straighter and with rather more authority, kept himself in front going into the last round.

The little Canterbury man was a courageous terrier who kept throwing punches

throughout the last round. He lost the decision hut won a giant ovation from the crowd. Bantam-weight The bantam-weight final was all Canterbury, between Ny, a New Zealand representative, and B. Kendall, last year's fly-weight champion. Kendall boxed beautifully on the retreat in the first round but in the second Ny launched a two-fisted hooking barrage to the head. He hit Kendall freely but had less steatn in the third, and Kendall again scored well. The split decision to Kendall was very close and could have gone the other way. Feather-weight Two aggressive featherweights, T. George (Auckland) and I. Woodham (Hawke’s Bay) gave the championships a grand flnale. Woodham had an edge in the first round but George dominated the second with a twofisted attack that had Woodham distressed. Woodham came back with an inspiring rally in the last and outscored George in the early and middle stages. At the finish both boys were dog tired, but George had just earned the title.

Light-weight Santos retained his lightweight title decisively. He stalked his young Wellington opponent, P. Domney, landing heavily to the head with an especially good left hook. Santos won in the second round when the referee stopped the fight. Light Welter-weight The 16-year-old Graham fought an even first round again J. Wray (Wellington! but started to assert himself in the second. He anticipated Wray's punches cleverly in the third, counter punched crisply and opened a cut over Wray’s left eye. Wray rallied well but Graham was seldom out of control. Welter-Weight The Empire welter-weight champion, W. Coe (Wellington), let his left do most of the work against the bustling Auckland boxer. F. Bruno. He took an unanmious decision over an opponent who came through the fight with great credit. Light Middle-Weight There was internal warfare in the O’Donnell clan for the light middle-weight title Terry O'Donnell (Canterbury) had enough in hand over Les O’Donnell (Southland) to withstand a non-stop third round rally and finish a points winner. It was one of the most gruelling bouts of the championships.

Middle-Weight P. Bell (Greymouth), who had already toppled the middle-weight title-holder, T. Dunn, was getting his vicious right through to R. Skuse when the tall Gisborne southpaw hit him with a glorious left hand in the third round. Bell went down and rose shakily as the referee counted to eight. Skuse moved in, able to pick his punches, and the referee stopped it. The crowd roared in disapproval and Bell’s trainer ordered him from the ring before the verdict was announced.

However, Bell had looked open to Skuse’s attack at that stage and had still not recovered from the punch that put him down. Light Heavy-Weight

The two Wellington light heavy-weights, D. Day and L. Pyle, sharpened up after a mauling first round and it was Day who scored persistently to Pyle's head. The pattern continued into the third, and although Day was inclined to hold, there w>as no doubt about his substantial points margin at the finish. Heavy-Weight

The reigning heavy-weight champion, W. Kini (Auckland), kept on top of W. Finau (Wellington) and his sustained effort and ability to string his punches together never allowed Finau to settle into his naturally attacking groove. It was the best New Zealand heavy-weight final for several years. Results:— Flv-welght.—W. Young (Auckland) beat R. Carstairs (Canterbury), on points. Bantam-weight: B. Kendall (Canterbury) beat L. Ny (Canterbury), on a split decision. Light Heavy-weight.—D. Day (Wellington) beat L. Pyle (Wellington), on points. Light Welter-weight. —W. Graham (Wellington) beat J. Wray (Wellington), on points. Heavy-weight.—w. Kfnl (Auckland) beat W. Finau (Wellington), on points. Light-weight. M. Santos (Auckland) beat P. Domney (Wellington), referee stopped I tight in second round. | Welter-weight.—W. Coe fWel llngton) beat F. Bruno (Auckland), on points. ! Middle-weight —R. Skuse (Gisborne) beat P. Bell (Grey mouth), referee stopped Pght in I third round. I Light Middle-weight.—T. O'Donnell (Canterbury) beat L. O'Donnell (Southland), on points. I Feather-weight. —T. George I (Auckland) beat I. Woodham I (Hawke's Bay), on points.