Crucial Bout For Murphy, Amarfio And Association

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31121, 26 July 1966, Page 19

Crucial Bout For Murphy, Amarfio And Association

(By Our Boxing Reporter) The Ghanaian boxer, K. Amarfio, arrived in Christchurch last evening for his bout against D. Murphy, former New Zealand professional light-weight champion, at Canterbury Court on Thursday.

More than 900 of the 1500 ringside seats for the boat had been booked yesterday. Spectators will want the boxers to produce more scientific fighting and more excitement than that generated by glimpses of blows being exchanged on the Lancaster Park oval on Saturday afternoon.

chooses his opponents with an eye on the gate, and does not commit himself beyond one fight He is a hard bargainer when it comes to the purse—he stands to win £9OO if he beats Amarfio before a full house.

Thursday evening will be crucial for Murphy, who is making a come-back 14 months after he retired from the ring; for Amarfio, now aged 31, and having his fifth fight after a long lay-off in Australia; and for the Canterbury Boxing Association, hoping to make a profit after losing heavily on recent promotions.

Murphy has been training well, but cannot be ring fit and at the peak of his form as he was when he first met Amarfio. However, he is a much better boxer than Amarfio and if he can weather the opening storm the bout should be an exciting one. Paying Partnership The C.B.A. will want Murphy to win, and win well. If he does, the association will want to match him again. Biondi has already been considered as Murphy’s next opponent

But the C.BA. has done well out of Murphy, who has not fought outside Christchurch as a professional since his first two fights in Australia.

j A win for Murphy would 'suit both himself and C.B.A. las his promoter. If he can draw a full house, the partnership should continue profitably. Good boxers are very scarce in both Australia and New Zealand, and boxers who can draw big crowds are as rare as the takahe. Murphy is therefore in a very good bargaining position, and the C.B.A. executive would be well advised, from the point

Murphy had knocked up 16 consecutive wins as a professional boxer before he prematurely retired. It is two years three months since he and Amarfio fought a thrilling bout over 10 rounds, Murphy winning the closest of decisions.

Murphy Is a good businessman as well as boxer. He

Had Murphy Down Amarfio had Murphy down for a count of nine in round seven, when Murphy was saved by the bell. He knocked Murphy down again in round eight, but Murphy fought back courageously and skilfully in the last two rounds amidst pandemonium from the 4000 spectators.

The C.B.A. and spectators will want another torrid bout on Thursday—-Amarfio is still an attacking, swinging boxer who can hit hard and fast This year he has lost to C. Coscia on points, beaten G. Biondi, the Australian lightweight champion on paints, lost to K. Langford on points and beaten A. Thomas by a technical knock-out in the first round.

Amarfio may be slower than he was 27 months ago, but he is apparently just as good as ever at taking punishment without his aim to land hard punches being upset.

of view of boxing in general, to stop its quarrelling and get down to business terms with the boxers they proI mote. The C.B.A. is the only body entitled to promote boxing in the province, and its primary duty in -promoting professional bouts is to make money with which to foster amateur boxing. Murphy has done particularly well boxing in Christchurch; he has shown no desire to fight outside the city, and does not know whether he would draw as well outside Canterbury. Good Matchmaker Therefore, it is in the interest of boxing in the province for the C.B.A. to look after Murphy if he looks after it The C.B.A. president (Mr E. G. Pocock) is also the association's matchmaker. He holds an onerous position and has served boxing extremely well, at considerable cost to himself, over more than a decade. It ill behoves new members of the executive to be critical, almost abusive, in public, when promotions show a loss. All promoters have their ups and downs—the C.B.A. cannot hope to be an exception. Members of the executive have, in the past, been content to take their share of credit for successful promotions—they should be prepared to take their share of the blame for losing ones. The C.B.A. would be a weaker, more quarrelsome body, without Mr Pocock at the helm.