Is Placid pondering another title bid?

Press, 20 July 1984, Page 17

Is Placid pondering another title bid?

JOHN COFFEY

The great imponderable of the Canterbury amateur boxing championships is whether Avon Placid will defend his title at the Richmond Working Men’s Club on Sunday afternoon. Placid is Canterbury’s most inactive registered boxer, and in recent seasons has limited his participation to provincial championship day.

The lack of regular ringwork, and the very few training appearances Placid makes at the Crichton Cobbers club, never seems to affect his sharpness, and his annual contests are

invariably winning ones. But this time there is even more uncertainty whether the elusive Placid will be present when the weigh-ins are held on Sunday morning. Among his other sporting interests is rugby league, and the second test between Great Britain and New Zealand at the Show Grounds will divide his loyalties. The actual championship draw cannot be made until the entrants have been on the scales, but matched bouts will be arranged for those who are unopposed in their divisions. Paul Graham (Barry’sMonier), who represented New Zealand against Northern Ireland earlier this year, Kevin Rickerby

(Bell’s-Kearns Motors), Lance Austin (Richmond W.M.C.) Ron Tulano (Papanui), Fred Faavise (Barry’sMonier) and Danny Morris (Richmond W.M.C.) are experienced fighters expected to seek titles. Two successful juniors from the Woolston WJM.C., Dean Calvert and Colin Adamson, completed their preparations with victories at Temuka last Sunday. The championships will precede the selection of the Canterbury team to travel to the national tournament at Rotorua next month. That, in turn will be the platform for contenders to press for places in the New Zealand team to box at the Australian Summer Games next January and February.