Brutal Sustained Slugging Match

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31136, 12 August 1966, Page 14

Brutal Sustained Slugging Match

One brutal, sustained slugging match was greeted by continual cheering, but otherwise the Canterbury amateur boxing association championships raised only desultory cries of encouragement from an audience of 250 in the Civic Theatre last evening. The over-all standard of boxing was poor, some of the contestants punching like girls throwing stones. The referee stopped the contest in 10 seconds in one bout, and in nine seconds in another. The most popular winner was the new fly-weight champion, C. Plowman, a 16-year-old, red-haired apprentice jockey from the stable (boxing) of C. Murfitt, having his first senior bout. Plowman, who won a New Zealand junior boxing title in 1964, displayed pluck and a good straight left to beat P. Harnett, aged 26, who showed ail the tricks and mannerisms of a professional pug, but no punches. R. Carstairs won the bantamweight title, but his opponent, shorter in stature and reach, found horrible holes in Carstairs’ defence. Carstairs won by brute strength as much as superior skill —and his punching was floppy.

E. Hart won the featherweight title against a game but obvious learner-boxer from Cheviot. F. McGlinchey round-

arm punched his opponent out of the fight in nine seconds to take the light-weight title and. again, looked a good prospect for a national title. The tight welter-weight division provided the best boxing. D. Ney lon and J. Shaw both boxed with skill, Neylon winning because he could hit harder with his right. Brutality Shown The brutality of boxing was disclosed in an ugly display of power punching and poor defence between two hard punchers, L. Johnson (Ashburton) and G. McCosh (Christchurch) Johnson used his left hand very skilfully and heavily to land hooks and straight punches on McCosh’s face with sickening regularity over the first two rounds. McCosh absorbed the punishment and retaliated with hard right swings and hooks. Johnson won a split decis?on and the right to meet Neylon in the final. He fought brave y and well, but Neylon was too strong for him. Results: Fly-weight.—C. Plowman (Murfitt’s Gym.) beat P. Harnett (Fidow’s Gym.), on points. Bantam-weight.—R. Carstairs (Linwood Boys' Club) beat J. Quinn (Crichton Cobbers), r.s.c. in round three. * Feather-weight. E. Hart (Crichton Cobbers) beat P. Trainor (Cheviot), on points. Light-weight.—F. McGlinchey (Crichton Cobbers) beat R. Thompson (Fidow’s Gym.), r.s.c. in round one. Light Welter-weight.—G. McCosh (Fidow’s Gym.) beat W. Hastings (Crichton Cobbers), r.s.c. in round two: D. Neylon (Linwood Boys’ Club) beat J. Shaw (Papanui Sports Club), on points. Semi-final: L. Johnson (Ashburton) beat McCosh, on points, split decision. Final: Neylon beat Johnson, on points. Welter-weight. G. Sandry (Timaru) beat R. Williams (Crichton Cobbers), on points: G. Perham (McKinley’s Gym.) beat L. Tautl (St. Anne’s), r.s.c. in round one. Final: Sandrey beat Perham, on points, split decision. Light Middle-weight.—T. Godkin (Timaru) beat T. Downes (Crichton Cobbers), on points, split decision. Middle-weight.—K. Mathews (St. Anne’s) beat A. Simpson (Fidow’s Gym), on points.