Nikora Retires, Money Was Not Enough

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30941, 23 December 1965, Page 15

Nikora Retires, Money Was Not Enough

(Neto Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND.

Dissatisfaction at the purse he received in his last fight in Auckland against the American Negro, Clarence James, was one of the main causes of the retirement yesterday of the New Zealand middle-weight champion, Earl Nikora.

The boxer’s manager, Mr Wally Baker, said that the fight, in which Nikora had been beaten by a technical knockout, was deserving of a bigger loser’s purse.

“Earl and I were both very disappointed and this definitely helped spark his retirement.

“Ours was the main bout and yet the loser got less than the winner of the preliminary between Tuna Scanlan and Roberto Pena. “Without Earl’s fight the one between Scanlan and Pena would not have drawn anywhere near the same crowd. Hardest Fight “He put on a brave show in the most torrid and hardest fight of his life, and if this was the treatment he was going to get he thought he might as well throw it in.” The gate from the fight, at

Carlaw Park earlier this month, netted about £3OOO, said Mr Baker. One-third was taken by the Auckland Boxing Association, with each fight receiving £lOOO. The winner-loser percentage was 60-40. “We feel our bout should have got 60 per cent of the £2000,” said Mr Baker. “It was just not a fair deal.” The 26-year-old Nikora, who will now devote all his time to his Otorohanga dairy farm of just over 180 acres, is estimated to have earned more than £lO,OOO in five years as a professional boxer.

The 25-year-old “man of courage,” as he is known to thousands of New Zealand fight fans, had promised his wife, and made it his New Year’s resolution never to fight in a professional ring again.

He made this decision on the advice of his own doctor and in the face of increasing commitments on his 191-acre dairy farm. “I would have liked to have given Tuna Scanlan one more crack at the title, just to prove he is further over the hill than people reckon I am. “But I have made my decision and am calling it a day,” said the veteran of more than 40 professional bouts. For a short while he held the Empire middle-weight championship, winning the vacant title by beating Scanlan.

He lost it in his first title defence, to the present holder, Gomeo Brennan, of the Bahamas.

Cup-Tie Winner. — West Ham United beat Cardiff City, 5-2. in their English League Cup soccer semi-final first-leg match on Tuesday.