MAHANGA BEATEN

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33191, 3 April 1973, Page 16

MAHANGA BEATEN

(N.Z. Press Association! AUCKLAND “Battling” La’Avassa, after being saved by the bell in the fourteenth round, was given a unanimous points decision over the Nsw Zealand professional middle-weight boxing champion, Kahu Mahanga, in their 15-round contest at Stanley Street tennis courts last night. Mahanga must be counted unlucky to have lost this decision, although half-way through the fight there was no doubt pc trailed La’Avassa by quite a feu points. La’Avassa, to that stage. tvafi clearly on top. and Mahanga'« nose was bleeding freely. in the final half of the contest Mahanga showed that over the earlier part of the contest lie had obviously been pacing himself, because in the fourteenth round he came alive, trappe d La’Avassa frequently against tlw* ropes and attacked him heavily with his famous lefts and rights about the jaw which would have put a lesser fighter down for the count many times.

But La’Avassa. 23 years of age and the veteran of 29 professional victories, fought his way out of trouble with splendid counter-attacks to give the fight a quality not seen for a very long time in an Auckland ring.

The fight, promoted by the South Pacific Boxing Association, was billed for the New Zealand and South Seas middle-weight championship, and carried with it an award of the Bob Jones Belt.