Below-Standard Bouts In Olympic Trials

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31681, 17 May 1968, Page 12

Below-Standard Bouts In Olympic Trials

(By Our Boxing Reporter)

Three trial bouts for the boxing team to go to the Olympic Games produced a disappointing standard at Canterbury Court last evening. None of the six boxers were near Olympic standard, and three of them were not even fit.

R. Redden (Wellington) beat R. Carstairs (Canterbury), S. Nomura (Southland) defeated E. Manuello (Auckland), and F. Etuati (Auckland) beat G. Streeter (Southland). The bout between the contenders for the featherweight berth, Redden and Carstairs (both over-weight at 9st 21b), was an untidy, mauling affair. Redden was faster on his feet and the speedier puncher, and he won the first round, scoring well with light left leads and hard lefts to the body. SLUGGISH START Carstairs, who seemed very sluggish at the start, speeded up in the second round, and scored with some hard straight lefts and heavy right crosses. But he slowed half way through the round, and Redden came back with right rips to the body. The round was marred by frequent clinches, in which both boxers wrestled more than they boxed. Redden scored freely in the third round, moving very well and making a tiring Carstairs miss badly. However, both boxers showed a sad lack of skill at in-fighting and frequently were entangled in clinches. Nomura beat Manuello in the welter-weight contest on a split decision. Nomura has fast reflexes, good footwork and a good defence, but he had no set plan of attack. The sturdier Manuello. slower to the punch, attacked throughout the first round and scored with solid

rights. Nomura made Manuello miss on many occasions but did no attacking himself. NOMURA TIRED Nomura was the aggressor in the second round, scoring with clean, hard punches. He landed rips to the body with both hands, and left jabs and right hooks to the head. He took the round but tired badly in the third, in which Manuello scored with straight punches. But Nomura had a slight edge.

Etuati and Streeter provided the most exciting and best boxing of the trials, in their light middle-weight bout. Etuati, clever at ducking and dodging, but with footwoork that frequently put him off balance, took the first round, a quick and raking left worrying Streeter as the latter bore in ponderously. In the second round, Streeter landed several hard right crosses and caught Etuati with two straight lefts. Etuati replied with an exlosive right swing, but after Streeter went down when he missed badly with a hard right punch, Etuati was cautioned by the referee (Mr M. V. Drury) for trying to strike his opponent before he had regained his feet. Etuati was cautioned again for punching to the back of Streeter’s head. Both boxers took some hard blows but it was Streeter’s round.

Etuati landed two hard swings to Streeter’s head at the opening of the third round, took a straight left when going in, and scored with several long lefts. Both boxers were slowed to a standstill; they leaned against each other, taking turns to punch tiredly, and were at a standstill when the bell went. Etuati won a split decision. The bout between G. McNamara (Nelson) and R. Mauu (Canterbury) was cancelled because the New Zealand Boxing Association had failed to return Mauu’s medical record book, which it had taken away when Mauu was suspended early last season. Junior Bouts D. Wilson (Woolston Working Men’s Club) beat B. Bright (Nelson) on points. W. Becroft (Woolston Working Men’s Club beat K. Pyne (Crichton Cobbers’ Club) on points. J. Rackley (Nelson) beat W. Wilson (Linwood Boys’ Club) on points. J. Mitchell (Woolston Working Men’s Club) beat L. Rackley (Nelson) on points, split decision. R. Penn (Fidow’s) beat G. Bright (Nelson). Bantamweight.—T. Tomlinson (Woolston Working Men’s Club) beat P. Comber (Crichton Cobbers’ Club) on points, split decision. Light-heavyweight.—A. Mitchell (McKinley’s Gym) beat S. Tui (Fidow’s Gym) on points. Welter-weight.—P. Hindmarsh (Crichton Cobbers’ Club) beat J. Williams (Nelson) on points. The referees were Messrs Drury and J. M. Shields, and the judges were Messrs Shields. C. Knowles, C. Wellman and T. Wildes.