FIGHTERS RELUCTANT TO FACE UP TO YOUNG PERRY RACKLEY

Press, 21 July 1976, Page 22

FIGHTERS RELUCTANT TO FACE UP TO YOUNG PERRY RACKLEY

Bv

R. T. BRITTENDEN

Marking time is not an appeulmg exercise for a iti-tear-010 athlete, but that is what is happening to P-rrv Rackley, of Nelson, who might well become the best of a famous boxing family.

Perr\ Rackley finds it very hard to get a fight He fought and won on July 12; the previous one was :n months ago. And he is eager for bouts. That is natural He has alreadj won twc New Zealand amateur titles, but inevitably he is keen to make up ground on his brothers: Jeff Racklev won six national -titles — and the Jameson Belt three times — Les six. Dean five. What youngster would not want to embellish such a fine family record? It .s a remarkable list. Apan from the 19 national championships won by the boys, Jeif was a gold medal winner at the 1972 Oceania Games and since turning professional recent!v he has won all four < * his fights. Last year Dean won the light midule-vveight championships tn the nortti-east division of the London Amateur Foxing Association s tournament. A s.ster. Margaret, is a new Zealand under 18 volI e v ball representative, appearing at the 1975 Asian Games and the 1976 Oceania Games. Jeff, Les and Dean have all played Hawke Cup cricket for Nelson. Their father is a fervent cricket love., and although he hails I rem West Ham. he is a keen rugby enthusiast too. He must liave been richly rewarded by the penon nances of the sons he his trained in boxing; bat Perry is a present prob'em. He began boxmg when he was seven years old. "Normally I would not take a bov in the gymnasium until he is nine,” said Mr Les Rackley . “But he '.va with his brothers in the gym. and he has always been big and strong tor his age.” It was very hard to get a fight tor Perry, said Mr Rack.ev He had been training 11 hours a week

since January, without getting into the ring. T navel 7000 or 8000 miles a year looking for fights for him.” said his fathei. “I have taken him to tournaments nine times m the last 10 months, and he has wound up in two exhibition bouts. He is in no man’s land. A lot of boxers start later, and older boxers might not like to risk losing to him. And he can't get anyone in his own age group. They might be bigger or stronger, but they 7 might have ” had only three or four fights, and Perry has had 43.”

“I think he has the best potential of any of the boys," said Mr Rackley. “He is u harder puncher, at 16, than Jeff is now. If he has the opportunities of his brothers, I think he could be the best. But when he leaves school at the end of the year, he might concentrate on cricket and rugby. My hardest job is to keep him interested until he is 18 — the Commonwealth Games are in Edmonton in 1978.” Mr Rackley flies Jeff down to spar with Perry and they have 18 to 20 rounds a week. This, it is hoped, will help keep

Perry in trim for the New Zealand championships in Timaru in October. Mr Rackley has_ run a gymnasium for 15 years — he was an amateur boxer himself in the east end of London — and his charges have won 30 national titles. Last time he had a team of 10 lads at the championships and they won eight titles; among the winners was Barry Galbraith, who took two' titles and was the most successful junior. Mr Rackley thinks that amateur boxing in New Zealand is of good quality, but the quantity has

diminished. The introduction in 1970 of the intermediate grade has, however, helped carry boy's through- in the sport, he says. The walls of the lounge in Mr Rackley’s house are covered with framed photographs of his children in action. There is only one stranger in the lot — Roger Leonard, of Temuka, who trained with Mr Rackley and wmn the New Zealand light middleweight title last year. But no doubt room will have to be made, willingly, for some more pictures of Perry.