POLICE BAN BOXING IN HOTELS

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33035, 30 September 1972, Page 18

POLICE BAN BOXING IN HOTELS

(By our boxing reporter) The Commissioner of Police (Mr W. H. A. Sharp) has ruled out all boxing bouts on licensed premises. In a telephone interview from Wellington last evening, he said that the policy decision had been made because of the “potential for problems” involved in mixing fight fans and drink.

Under the Police Offences Act, boxing and wrestling bouts in New Zealand may only he held under a police permit. The police may lay down conditions for a permit, and may refuse a permit for a stated reason.

Mr Sharp said the police policy had always been to give permits for boxing tournaments to boxing associations affiliated to the New Zealand Boxing Council, or to bodies approved by the Boxing Council or affiliated boxing associations. “The policy on boxing permits has not generally arisen since I have been Commissioner,” he said. “It will be noted that recently we decided to relax the police policy in regard to wrestling tournaments to allow women wrestlers. “ONE OR TWO DOUBTS” “We have had one or two doubts about professional boxing matches being promoted on licensed premises, and have been aware of the potential for problems. Spectators at big fights, and close decisions, get over-enthusias-tic on premises where liquor is forbidden.

“The police policy now is that no permit will be given for boxing, amateur or professional, on licensed premises anywhere in New Zealand.”

Mr Sharp said that no private person would be given a police permit to promote a professional boxing bout in New Zealand — not even for a world title bout. Boxing associations would be the only bodies to obtain permits. PRESIDENT’S REACTION The president of the Canterbury Boxing Association (Mr E. G. Pocock) said last evening that he had been as-

tounded at the police decision to reverse its policy. The C.B.A. had held two professional bouts in the Aranui Motor Lodge Hotel, and the behaviour of both boxers and spectators had been exemplary, he said. “We have had no trouble. Police officers were there,

and after both tournaments congratulated us on the way things had been run. The police policy decision will be raised at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Boxing Association in Nelson next week,” Mr Pocock said. “I will be seeing the officer in charge of the Christchurch Police District (Chief Super-

intendent G. Tait) on my return from Nelson.

“It seems strange to reverse a policy on ‘potential’ trouble; there has been no trouble in Christchurch. Spectators have behaved just as though they were at a tennis match, or a picnic,” Mr Pocock said. The two bouts in the Aranui Motor Lodge Hotel have been nothing to write home about; neither the standard of boxing nor the closeness of the bouts has raised much applause—certainly only a modicum of cheering. The first bout attracted about 250 patrons, and the second 150. BOYS OF 10

One aspect has been the age of boxers in the amateur preliminaries—some of the boys have been aged only nine or 10, and the great majority under 18. The licensing laws say that nobody under 20 shall be entitled to drink on licensed premises; and that entertainers on licensed premises must be aged at least 18. The boxers can only be classed as entertainers, and those present have paid to watch them. The atmosphere during the bouts in Christchurch on licensed premises has been strangely subdued—the plush surroundings, the civilised drinking conditions seem to have awed the more raucous of the patrons. However, the sight of small boys boxing before drinking patrons in a cloud of cigarette smoke has brought unease to some patrons. The small boys are “shooed away” after their bouts and cannot stay to see the professionals fight. SHADES OF ROME? The spectacle of professional boxers pounding each other for money and to entertain drinking watchers, to some has recalled Christians being thrown to the lions in Roman arenas.

But then, boxing is the last of the truly gladiatorial sports in New Zealand. It may be only a coincidence, but the police decision to ban boxing in pubs has been made soon after the Santos-Tetteh bout with its unfortunate ending—accompanied by an ugly crowd incident.

N.Z. offer.—The New’ Zealand Government is prepared to contribute $U5320,000 (about $NZ278,000) over five years to a United Nations environmental fund, the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Sir Keith Holyoake) announced during the general debate of the United Nations General Asembly.—New York, Sept. 29.