BOXING SHOW-DOWN Africans seem sure to dominate finals

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33448, 1 February 1974, Page 8

BOXING SHOW-DOWN Africans seem sure to dominate finals

I By

MILTON HAYES)

African countries seem certain to dominate the finals session of the Games boxing at Canterbury Court tonight.

While they may not carry off eight gold medals—as was' the ease in Edinburgh in 1970—the Africans have already shown their superiority by providing 13 of the 22 boxers to contest the 11 finals.

Four of the bouts tonight will be all-Africa affairs. Only two of the finals will not involve Africans. The fly-weight gold medal will be contested by j Chandra Narayanan (India) and David Larmour (Northern Ireland), and in the light heavy-weight division Billy Knight (England) is scheduled to meet i Bill Byrne, the only New ' Zealander to reach the finals. There was bad news from the New Zealand camp yesterday when it was disclosed that Byrne, an Upper Hutt Post Office lineman, might not be able to fight in his final. Byrne received a deep ( gash over the bone area above his left eye as he was out-pointing the 1972 Olympic bronze medallist, Isaac Ikhuoria (Nigeria) in their semi-final on Wednesday evening. The cut was described yesterday by the New Zea- , land boxing team manager (Mr Les Rackley) as a “particularly nasty” one. Mr Rackley expressed grave: doubts that Byrne would be| passed medically fit for the final. “Under normal circum-i stances a cut such as the I

one Bill has would require five or six stitches, perhaps more,” said Mr Rackley. “He has also been in considerable pain from bruising to his ribs received in the fight with Ikhuoria,” Byrne has been given pain-killing injections for his rib injuries by the New Zealand team doctor. He will have to pass a medical examination at the weigh-in this morning before being allowed to go into the ring against Knight. “Personally, I think his ribs should be strapped up,” said Mr Rackley. “I would much rather Bill came out of these Games as an unbeaten silver medallist than as a silver medallist who was stopped in the first round of the final. That could happen if Knight were to work on the cut.” The Nigerian heavyweight, Fatal Ayinia will have the chance to add to| the light heavy-weight gold' medal he won in 1970 when he meets the West Indiesborn English representative, Neville Meade, in the final of that division tonight. Power punching Ayinia showed his punching power in the semifinals when he felled the defending heavy-weight champion, Benson Masanda (Uganda) twice on the way

ito ms win inside two rounds. Meade can be expected to let the Nigerian carry the fight to him and to keep on the move, relying mainlv on his left jab for points. Such tactics saw Meade to victory against the big-punching .Canadian. Carroll Morgan, earlier in the Games, i The St Vincent southpaw, 'Frankie Lucas will be looking to give his country a I perfect record for the Games when he meets the Zambian, (Julius Luipa in the middleweight final, Lucas is the only competitor in Christchurch representing the Caribbean. Lucas, aged 20. is the English amateur middleweight champion. He has already proved one point at the Games by beating in the j semi-finals Carl Speare, the | man whom the English seilectors preferred as their (middle-weight. Hard-pressed Alex Harrison (Scotland) the rugged fighter who outpointed the New Zealand hope Lance Revill, in the semi-finals, may be hardpressed to beat the Zambian, Lotti Mwale, for the light middle-weight gold medal. Mwale recorded two wins inside the distance with his powerful punching before beating in the semi-final Robert Davies (England), the boxer thought by many to be the one to beat.

The classy Welshman, Errol McKenzie will meet a rugged, aggressive fighter, Obisia Nwakpa (Nigeria) in the welter-weight final. McKenzie, a tall fighter with a copy-book left jab, has a good "chance of beating the Nigerian, particularly if he can dictate the terms.

Highlight The Nigerian light-weight, Kayin Amah, has been one of the more impressive boxers at the Games, and his battle with Ayub Kalule, one of the four Ugandans contesting the finals, should be a highlight of the evening. Both men are strong and aggressive, Amah having a particularly strong left hand. The broad-shouldered Nigerian, Eddie Ndukwu, and Shadrack Odhiambo (Uganda), who will meet in the feather-weight division, are both tough in-fighters, and their clash is likely to be a case of the survival of the most rugged.

Pat Cowdell will be giving away inches in height to Ali Rojo (Uganda) in the ban-tam-weight final, and unless Cowdell can bustle the Ugandan, his reach disadvantage may be a deciding factor. Fly-weight r The experienced Indian, Narayanan, may prove too clever for the aggressive and tough little Irishman. Larmour, in the battle for the fly-weight honours. Narayanan, after looking a compact and skilled boxer in his first two Games bouts, changed tactics completelv and out-punched the Ugandan, John Byaruhanga, in the semi-finals. James Odwori (Uganda) and Stephen Muchoki (Kenya) can be expected to provide a lively opening to the session when they meet in the light fly-weight final. Both are “walk-up” fighters, with Odwori having what may prove a vital reach advantage.