Boxing Standard Poor

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31767, 26 August 1968, Page 9

Boxing Standard Poor

(By Our Boxing Reporter) An exhibition bout between B. Kendall (New Zealand featherweight champion) and R. Carstairs (New Zealand light-weight champion) exposed the truly mediocre standard of the contestants for the Canterbury senior boxing titles, held at New Brighton on Saturday evening.

A crowd erf 150 saw some enthusiastic and entertaining boxing by the juniors, but none of the seniors showed themselves ready for the national championships. Canterbury could have only two contenders for the national championships at Palmerston North next month —Kendall, who won the Canterbury light-weight title unopposed; and R. Mauu, who won the middle-weignt title unopposed. Carstairs intends to turn professional. Mauu, who won the Canterbury title unopposed last season, has still to box a bout in Christchurch. He will meet G. McNamara, of Nelson, in Greymouth, and his performance there will decide whether he will represent Canterbury at the championships. Few Contenders The sad state of amateur boxing in Christchurch—and it is equally depressed throughout New Zealand apart from Auckland—was underlined when only four of the 11 senior provincial titles were contested on Saturday evening, and only two contestants entered each division.

The Canterbury champions are: R. Ash (feather-weight), D. Lash (light welter-weight), P. Hindmarsh (welter-weight) and D. Briggs (light middleweight).

Ash, aged IS, shewed game ness and a hefty right-hand punch, in beating W. Wilson. Ash. son of a merchant sea man who has boxed profes slonally, was knocked down In the first round. Wilson, a more scientific puncher, hit Ash with a well-timed right.

Ash retaliated with a furious, two-fisted onslaught that had the crowd in an uproar and Wilson covering up desperately. Ash swung stiff-arm punches from every conceivable angle through 180 degrees. In the second round, he caught Wilson on the chin with a swinging right and Wilson was knocked out cold. P. Hindmarsh boxed quite convincingly, but his opponent. G. McCosh, fought in slow motion. McCosh appeared to be boxing to an unheard waits tune—he frequently missed Hindmarsh completely with slow, deliberate punches, and completed bls punches following through into mid-air. ■out Stopped Hindmarsh hit him three times to the head, and McCosh was sagging at the knees and In a daze when the bout was stopped near the end of the first round. MeCosh, in the ring after a two-year rest, should not be allowed to box again. Briggs and G. Anderson (Ashburton) fought a bloody, slow, heavy-hitting bout. Both boxers had little or no defence, both were leaden-footed, but Briggs had a reasonably well executed right-hand punch which caused Anderson loss of blood and a painful nose over the first two rounds.

Anderson rallied gamely in the third round, hurt Briggs visibly with punches to the body and had him spitting blood with lefts to the mouth. But he could not make up the points leeway, and Briggs was a clear winner In spite of boos from the crowd which always backs the under-dog. Popular Win

I. Grant, a head shorter than his opponent and almost ludicrously shorter In the reach, scored the most popular win of the night when he stormed all over T. Woods in the fist to fist 51b division. Grant’s pluck was allied to sound, basic skills. D. Wilson, a serious, hardhitting south-paw, was the only boxer to have to fight twice during the evening. He was too strong and clever for G. Clark in the fist 61b. to fist 101 b division, but had a much harder task in beating R. Green In the final.

Wilson holds his gloves on either side of his head—resembling a radio operator with outsize earphones. But he thus exposes his chin when leading with his right, and Green hit him very hard with the best punch of the evening In the first round. Wilson > was moving In when Green jolted him to a halt with the well-timed, clean right. Wilson showed his sense by

treating Groan with much more respect, and bls courage by continuing to score with longrange punches. Green only once managed to score again with a hard right, and Wilson was a convincing winner on points. Results: Junior Routs Sst 101 b to Sst.—G. Peachy (Fldow’s gym) beat P. Morgan (Irish Youth Club) on points, spilt decision. fist to fist Sib.—l. Grant (1.Y.C.) beat T. Woods (Kingburn’s gym), t.k.o. second round. Sst 61b to fist 101 b.—D. WUson (Woolston Working Men's Club) beat G. Clark (Kingburn’s gym), t.k.o. second round; R. Green (Fldow’s gym) beat M. McKen zie (Ashburton) on points. Final Wilson beat Green on points. Sst 101 b to 6st 11b.—M. O’Donovan (1.Y.C.) beat D. Humphries (1.Y.C.) on points. Ost 61b to Sst ,111 b.—C. Wills (Ashburton) and K. Pyre (Crich ton Cobbers’ club) boxed an exhibition bout.

7st 21b to 7st 71b.—J. Mitchell (W.W.C.) beat G. Rickerbv (Crichton Cobbers’ Club) on points split decision. ~ b *° *•*-— T - Tomlinson (W.W.C.) beat P. Comber (C.C.C.) on points, split decision.

Senior Bouts Feather-weight.—R. Ash (Bell’s gym) beat W. Wilson (Linwood Boys' Club), k.o. second round. Light welter-weight.—D. Lash (W.W.C.) beat M. Fiso (Fldow’s gym) on points. — p Hindmarsh (C.C.C.) beat G. McCosh, tk.o. first round.

Light middle-weight: D. Briggs W.f.C.) beat G, Ande«on (Ashburton) on points.