Five international boxers seek same amateur title

Press, 30 August 1985, Page 20

Five international boxers seek same amateur title

By

JOHN COFFEY

There is no doubting the quality of the senior entries for the New Zealand amateur boxing championships in Christchurch next week. Sixteen, or more than half, of the competitors have fought for their country within the last three years.

The proportion would _ have been even greater, but' the recent national representatives, Jimmy Peau (Auckland Trainers, heavyweight) and Raeli Raeli (Auckland Trainers, light heavyweight), were withdrawn because no others nominated in their divisions.

A similar problem might lead to Steven Howard (Hutt Valley, light flyweight) and Shane Buckley (Auckland Trainers, bantamweight) winning their titles by default. Howard was the sole entrant for the lightest of all classes, and Buckley was left on his own when Richard Pitman (Hutt Valley) was switched to the featherweight ranks. However, the inclusion of Pitman among the 57kg contenders ensures an already attractive division of having even more lustre. All five boxers — Darren Nicol (Central North Island), Billy Meehan (Manawatu), Johnny Wallace (Southland), Peter Warren (Canterbury) and Pitman — have worn their country’s colours in combat. Meehan is the defending champion, emerging as a 3-2 majority points winner at Wallace’s expense in Rotorua last year. Since then Meehan claimed a

bronze medal at the Australia Games before being superseded in the New Zealand squad by Wallace, who went on to become Oceania champion in Melbourne last May. That success by Wallace completed a “full hand” of Oceania medals for the featherweight rivals. Meehan had a collection of two silvers and a bronze (as well as having been runnerup in the 1983 Commonwealth tournament) from earlier campaigns, and Nicol (twice), Pitman and Warren were bronze medallists at Oceania level. The sturdy Warren, who

recently transferred from Bluff to Christchurch, has a background of Commonwealth Games experience and a last-start win over Eldon Clifton (Otago) as a lightweight to support his claims. Pitman is effectively going up in class, after conceding a 4-1 majority verdict to Buckley in the 1984 bantamweight final.

Clifton is included with two other New Zealand representatives, Colin Hunia (Central North Island) and Clive Bishop (Canterbury), and the well-performed Monty Sewpersad (Fiordland) in the lightweight section.

A knock-out victory over Warren at Rotorua 12 months ago and his ranking as the present lightweight international entitle Hunia to favouritism.

If supporters of the very capable Canterbury light welterweight, Lance Austin, were heartened to hear there were only two others in his division their heelclicking would have ended on learning the identities of his opponents. The confrontation between Barry Galbraith (Nelson) and Apelu loane (Hutt Valley) promises to be one of the week’s highlights. loane last fought for New Zealand at Brisbane in the 1982 Commonwealth Games, and he and his handlers have spent much of their time sparring verbally with officials since. Last year loane donned the singlet of his native Western Samoa at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles and had the distinction of advancing to the second round.

Three years ago when loane was a gold medallist at the Oceania contest in Auckland, Galbraith was his understudy in the B team. The next year Galbraith was the runner-up in the corresponding event at Sydney, and in the last few months he has boxed for New Zealand at the Australia Games, the Oceania tournament (bronze) and against Yugoslavia. His showdown with loane — in defence of the title won by Galbraith at Rotorua —

should have special appeal. Keith Bullock (Wellington, welterweight) and Rocky Auimatagi (Auckland, light middleweight) need to top their classes to confirm recent national selections. Bullock is expected to keep his title; Auimatagi has five challengers, even after the withdrawal of Kevin Rickerby (Canterbury). The most serious threat to Auimatagi’s chances is the 1984 runner-up, Steven Nicol (Manawatu). Auimatagi’s brother, Robert, is pitted against his fellow New Zealand team member, Tom Fusitua (Auckland Trainers), and three other middleweights. On the basis that Fusitua’s silver medal was one step higher than Auimatagi’s bronze at the last Oceania conflict, the odds increase against the brothers completing a double. Although Rickerby’s loss in quick order to Bullock last week-end forced him out, Canterbury’s representation has increased by one. Joe Feavai has been added to the list of senior middleweights, and Karl Blythe is to box in the junior 48kg division.'

The 111 entries in the three age groups require a programme of 78 bouts. Preliminary rounds have been scheduled from Tuesday to Thursday nights, the junior finals will be on Friday evening, and the championships end with the senior and intermediate finals the next night.