Promising Aust. Professional Will Be Lucky To Beat Ny

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30879, 12 October 1965, Page 23

Promising Aust. Professional Will Be Lucky To Beat Ny

[By Our Boxing Reporter.)

Lionel Rose, an 18-year-old Aboriginal boxer with the reputation of being the most promising professional boxer in Australia, arrived in Christchurch yesterday to fight Laurie Ny in a bantam-weight contest on Thursday.

Rose last evening sparred for three, three-minute rounds against Brian Larsen, the 22-year-old welterweight from Melbourne who will box Brian Maunsell on Thursday evening at Canterbury Court. Rose is a polished, fast, twohanded boxer, with a twoeyed stance. However, his performance on the punch-bag and in the ring showed that he is no- faster than Ny. Ny will win because of his harder-hitting, natural greater strength and, through his Lydiard-type training, his

capability for sustained, powerful attack. Larsen, in sparring, showed that he is largely a onehanded fighter, one who uses his left hand. Taller than Maunsell, he has sloping shoulders and slender but strongly muscled frame. On his display last evening, he is not as powerful a puncher as Maunsell, not as fast and with less stamina. Both Ny and Maunsell are tremendously fit because of their unremitting dedication to training. Won Eight Bouts Rose has had eight professional fights for the same number of wins, according to his trainer, J. Rennie (Melbourne). The Melbourne boxing writers, Steve Hayward and Merv. Williams, described Rose as the most promising prospect in Australian boxing after he had beaten Billy Brown, a Filippino, by a t.k.o. in the tenth of a scheduled 12-round bout at the Melbourne Festival Hall on October 1.

Brown was fighting his 50th professional bout and had never been knocked off his feet before although he had lost twice because of cuts above the eyes. “I rate Rose, even with only eight professional bouts behind him, one of the best boxers in Australia, over Rocky Gattellari, Australian fly-weight champion and challenger for the world title,” Hayward wrote. “It is doubtful whether any Australian boxer in the

last 10 years has shown such outstanding ability.” “I am going out on a limb to say that never have I seen a boy with as little experience as Lionel Rose box so brilliantly and show such promise as he did at the Festival Hall,” wrote Williams. Ten Months’ Spell Larsen has not had a fight for 10 months, according to Mr Rennie. He beat Sam Leun in Southland on points and showed a good left hand and plenty of science, according to Southland boxing writers in 1963. My prediction is that Ny

will beat Rose with more to spare than most critics say, and that Larsen will be convincingly beaten by Maunsell. Ny, if he wins, will be the number one man to meet the Australian bantam-weight title-holder, Noel Kunde, judging by the Australian boxing writers’ remarks. Australians in the last two years have under-estimated the standard of professional boxing in New Zealand. Australian boxers coming to Christchurch have thought themselves fit—but they have not reached the standard of fitness attained by Christchurch boxers.