Maunsell’s Points Win Clear-Cut, Unanimous

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31018, 25 March 1966, Page 14

Maunsell’s Points Win Clear-Cut, Unanimous

Brian Maunsell, the New Zealand light-weight champion, out-boxed, out-fought and out-pointed Jimmy Fields, the Negro from California, in a professional 10-round contest before a crowd of 1800 at Canterbury Court last evening.

Maunsell used a straight left to score points and left hooks and right jabs to punish Fields. Fields, crouching, and swinging with both hands, punched harder over the first seven rounds. However, he missed frequently and Maunsell blocked many of his blows.

The fight really came to life in the last two rounds. In the ninth, Fields punched fast and hard to have Maunsell retreating fast. Fields scored with three good left hooks to the head and two hard left rips to the body. Rapid Left Punches

Then Maunsell came back to score a bewildering number of straight lefts to the face. The two bored in. Maunsell took some hard body blows but hooked hard and steadily with both hands on to Field’s face. Fields was bleeding at the nose and above his right eye. Fields again had Maunsell on the retreat at the opening of the final round, but Maunsell blocked many of his swings. Then Maunsell moved back on to the attack and scored with heavy left hooks to the head and one hard right cross that shook Fields. Fields landed a solid right body blow that stopped Maunsell, but the New Zealand champion, picked up the attack first and scored with left jabs and hooks. All For Maunsell The crowd was in a frenzy. Maunsell, in the first real slogging of the match, was on top and Fields took severe punishment. The judges all found for Maunsell. Mr M. V. Drury gave Maunsell four rounds, Fields three and three even. Mr S. C. Ashton seven rounds to Maunsell, two to Fields and one even. Mr C. Wellman four to Maunsell, one to Fields and five even. “You can quote me as saying you would have to knock Maunsell out to draw here,” Field’s handler, Mr T. Mitchell, of Wellington, shouted in annoyance to the

press bench when the verdict was given. He demanded to see the judges’ cards and snorted and danced in derision at them.

The fight followed the same pattern from the opening bell. Fields, with gloves held low, shuffled forwards, swinging long punches all the time.

He weaved and ducked on defence, but was prepared to take Maunsell’s straight left on his face and head to get into position to land his left and right swings. He also used a left rip to the body—his most effective punch on the night Sharpened Punching

Maunsell, on the retreat most of the bout used his straight left to probe at the

Fields’ face. From round five on, Maunsell sharpened up his punching. He hit hard with his left book, and put much more power in his straight left. Maunsell occasionally tried for a hard right cross but missed frequently. He seldom tried to punch Fields on the body, but held his own in the in-fighting. Fields was cautioned by the referee (Mr N. Fisher) for punching low on three occasions and twice for hitting with his left glove open. It was not a rousing bout, apart from the last two rounds, but Maunsell was clearly the superior boxer and Fields did not have the strength nor punch to knock him out