BOOST FOR BOXING? Wulf v. Opetaia for light heavy-weight title

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32587, 22 April 1971, Page 32

BOOST FOR BOXING? Wulf v. Opetaia for light heavy-weight title

(By otir boxing reporter)

Eddie Wulf, aged 25, and Ralph Opetaia, aged 24, will fight for the New Zealand professional light heavyweight boxing title at Canterbury Court this evening—for a purse of $6OO, and for far more.

The winner will take $360; and if the fight is a good one it should help the sport regain its feet. There is no profit and not much entertainment in professional boxing in New Zealand at present.

Wulf must be favoured to win. Both boxers are from Auckland, Wulf having been bom in Western Samoa, and Opetaia being of Rarotongan-Samoan birth. Both played in the same Rugby league club. The light heavy-weight title has been vacant for about 10 years, and was last fought for between two other Island boxers, J. Nomura and E. Nikora, Nikora being the winner. Both were also from Auckland.

Wulf and Opetaia are evenly matched. They are about the same height and weight, with Wulf looking stronger about the shoulders and with hands like miniature concrete

mixers. Opetaia has worked as a concrete labourer for the last three years, and his sloping shoulders could indicate both speed and strength.

League prospect

Wulf is a prospect as a wing in the New Zealand league team to tour Britain and should be selected for the Auckland team against the Rest of New Zealand on May 8. He is hard, fit and fast and reckons that his league prospects have kept him very much in training.

Opetaia gave up league some years ago, as he thinks league and boxing do not mix —punches are illegal in league.

Wulf has been a New Zealand and Australasian amateur boxing champion and has had 11 professional fights for only one loss. Opetaia has won no New Zealand amateur title. He has fought six professional bouts for two wins and four losses —two of the losses to Wulf.

Neither has fought over IS

3min rounds, the scheduled length of the bout this evening. Both claim that they are extremely fit. Both think the bout will not last 15 rounds. Both keen to win Seldom in New Zealand boxing has a professional bout between Pacific Islanders been a good fight to watch; but both men are keen to win the title because they want the purse, and the chance of more money in future bouts.

New Zealand professional boxing is not in good health. The Canterbury Boxing Association’s finances are in a similar state.

It must be hoped that both boxers turn on a hard-hitting, scientific display for the sake of themselves, the spectators, and the Canterbury and New Zealand Boxing Associations.