Games boxers to make debuts

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33391, 26 November 1973, Page 26

Games boxers to make debuts

Four boxers will make their debuts in international competition after being selected in the nine-man New Zealand team for the Commonwealth Games. They are the light-weight, R. Colley (Wellington), the light welter-weight, D. Jackson (Wellington), the middleweight, L. F. Rackley (Nelson), and the heavy-weight, F. Brown (Manawatu). The other members of the team are W. Karaitiana (Masterton). D. Jackson (Wellington), L. Reviil (Auckland), W. Byrne (Wellington) and D. Wilson (Christchurch). The nominations were announced by the chairman! of the New Zealand Boxing l

Council, Mr J. Kent (Wellington), after the final Games trials in Christchurch yesterday. The selections involve only nine of the 11 Games weight [divisions; no nominations [have been made for the light [fly-weight and fly-weight. The manager is Mr W. Scott (Wellington), and the boxers will be trained during the Games by Mr L. A. Rackley (Nelson) 'and his assistant, Mr R. Elley (Porirua). A features of the selection was that the Munich Olympic Games representative, J. Rackley (Nelson), failed to gain selection after being rated among the top two boxers in the country last year. [ In the best bout of the final trial. Rackley suffered his Third defeat this year when

he was beaten by the national welter-weight champion, R. Jackson, on a unanimous points decision. Jackson, who won a gold medal at this year’s Oceania Games, reached a vital stage of his career when he fought l the experienced Rackley, who [had moved down from the [light middle weight division [for this contest. 1 But Jackson put on the best displav, forced Rackley on to the defensive for the greater part of the three rounds, and finished a cleat points winner. Four of the judges scored in favour of Jackson, and one voted for Rackley, and Jackson greeted the decision by jumping high off the canvas and flinging an arm up high in delight. Wilson was-beaten in the

feather-weight contest by another Canterbury boxer, B. Roach, when the referee, Mr K. Walker (Hamilton), stopped the bout when Roach knocked Wilson down in the third round. But Wilson was leading the fight on points, and he gained his selection by a more scientific approach. Wilson gave away three kilograms in weight to Roach, who fought in the lightweight division at the national championships, and he was able to land many clean punches. Another Games nominee, L. Reviil, a gold medallist at the Oceania Games, met strong resistance from S. Alisala (Canterbury) in a light middle-weight bout. Reviil took some punishment in the first round, but he came back with similar aggression in the

next two rounds, and gained a unanimous points decision. The results of the final trial were:— Welter-weight.—S. Keil (Wellington) beat R. Leonard (Timaru), split decision. Bantamweight; Karaitiana beat R. Warren (Westport), majority decision. Feather-weight: Roach beat Wilson, stopped by referee. Light welter-weight: D. Jackson beat P. Gilbert (Auckland), majority decision. Light-weight.—Colley beat M. Tapatue (Auckland), majority decision. Welter-weight: R. Jackson beat J. Rackley, unanimous decision. Middle-weight: L. RackRevill beat Alisala, unanimous decision. Middle-eight: L. Rackley beat R. Pike (Queensland), unanimous decision. Light heavy-weight. — Byrne beat S. Taulapapa (Auckland), | stopped by referee. Heavyweight: Brown beat L. Taufua i (Auckland), stopped by referee. 1