Topsy-turvy Boxing

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31412, 4 July 1967, Page 17

Topsy-turvy Boxing

(By Our Bating Reporter) The New Zealand amateur boxing feather-weight champion, B. Kendall, will fight as a light-weight in the South Island team to meet the Australian team at Invercargill on July 17.

Nine days later, Kendall, chosen by the Boxing Council selectors, will fight as a feather-weight in the New Zealand team to meet the Australians at Wellington. In the New Zealand side, B. Cumming (Westport) who has not been selected in the South Island team, will .box as a light-weight. Not Picked

R. Carstairs, the national bantam-weight champion, has not been picked for either the South Island or New Zealand team. Carstairs has been fighting as a feather-weight and was beaten by D. Enright (Southland) for the featherweight berth in the South Island team.

But Enright has not been chosen as the feather-weight in the New Zealand team, the national selectors moving Kendall down from light-weight to feather.

R. Redden (Wellington), who is now well above the bantam-weight limit (Bst 61b 7oz) has been chosen as the boxer to represent New Zealand in the bantam-weight division in the test against the Australians. Carstairs is now well above the bantam-weight limit. He

beat Redden for the title last year.

The position seems topsyturvy, and would appear like a scene from Alice in Wonderland—with Kendall fighting the Australian lightweight representative and then taking on the featherweight champion—were it not widely recognised that Kendall can easily make the feather-weight limit (Bst 131 b lloz). It is not known if Cumming can drop from the light-weight division (9st 61b 4oz limit) to feather-weight. Kendall wants to fight in the light-weight division in the Canterbury and New Zealand championships, in August and September. Carstairs wants to fight in the feather-weight division in the two championships.

The Boxing Council wants those chosen for the New Zealand team against the Australians to have as many bouts as possible before the “test”. Logical Bout

A logical bout would be between Cumming and Kendall. Cumming’s trainer, Mr K. Martini, asked that Kendall box Cumming at the Ashburton association’s tournament next Saturday. Cumming was at Blackball, but not boxing. Kendall’s trainer, Mr W. Darrel, said he was willing but could not make any commitment until it was approved by the Canterbury Boxing Association.

The C.B.A. gave its approval but the Westport Boxing Association subsequently decided that Cumming should fight Kendall in Westport, or not at all. The W.B.A. has an amateur

tournament on July 13, and Carstairs could box Redden then, giving Redden a warmup fight. But, since Redden has been chosen as bantamweight for the New Zealand team, the W.B.A. does not appear so interested in a [matching between Carstairs and Redden. May Miss In the event, Carstairs, unless he is Invited by the Auckland Boxing Association to take part in an invitation tournament against the Australians, will miss boxing against the visiting team.

Kendall will have three rounds at the Ashburton tournament against W. Sweeney, fight the Australian light-weight at Invercargill and be well warmed-up for his “test” appearance in Wellington. It does not seem likely that Cumming or Redden will have any warm-up bouts at all—certainly none that will extend them.