Morris has chance to reinforce Games bid

Press, 29 July 1989, Page 84

Morris has chance to reinforce Games bid

By

JOHN COFFEY

Rankings in the hotlycontested welterweight division will be clarified when the Commonwealth Games amateur boxing trials continue at the Aorangi Stadium, Timaru, this evening. The national titleholder, Solio Figota (Auckland), will come up against the menacing Danny Morris (Canterbury) in a clhsh which promises to overshadow even the three trans-Tas-man bouts on the programme. Still in contention, in spite of recent results, is the experienced Barry Galbraith (Nelson), who fights a Southlander, Tuna Vili, at Timaru. Morris lost to Galbraith early this season before emphatically gaining his revenge. The Nelson boxer then troubled Figota at the first Games trials in Tauranga, more strenuously than Figota’s 5-0 points decision suggests. But Peter Bell, Morris’ trainer, is not looking beyond the showdown with Figota. “There’s ho doubt that Figota is the guy to beat for the Games nomination. He’s a shrewd boxer,

and a very good puncher.” . However, Mr Bell is heartened, by the continued high standard shown by- Morris, whose recent win in Tahiti was his eighth from nine appearances this season. There are five other trials, the three trans-Tas-man matchings and five preliminary bouts on the bill. , A .lack of suitable opponents in this country persuaded officials to look to Australian rivals for the probable Games selections, Michael Bell (Canterbury) and Andy Creery

(Morrinsville), and the promising youngster, David Tua (Auckland). Bell was a double winner in Tahiti, though influenza has disrupted his preparation for the middleweight contest with Gary Large. From New South Wales, Large is only 20 years of age but can count a 70 per cent winning record from about 100 fights. A light middleweight, Creery did not step into a ring for the first time until he was 23 years of age. Now 28, Creery has been quite outstanding in the last two seasons and has the chance to further enhance his reputation against Abbel Parker this evening. A remarkably mature 16-year-old light heavyweight, Tua has already competed in Australia and Tahiti and meets the New South Wales Golden Gloves champion, Rudy Delmonte. Two other Canterbury boxers have bouts arranged. Colin Adamson faces a tough assignment in a' late start for the season against Danny Masterton (Auckland), who is just back from the to Tahiti, and Danny

Campbell has been pitted against the Auckland super heavyweight, Teou Laumauga. “The intention is to get the top contenders up against each other more often,” said a New Zealland selector, Peter Leonard, of the trial series. “That will avoid situations such as relying on one bout at the national championships, where one boxer might have had a favourable draw or won a 3-2 split decision. This way we have form to look back on,” he said. The trial bouts are.— Bantamweight, Danny Masterton (Auckland), v. Colin Adamson (Canterbury); lightweight, David Wickenden (Auckland) v. Trevor Shailer (Palmerston North); light welterweight, Nuku Wood (Auckland) v. Malta Rasmussen (Auckland); welterweight, Barry Galbraith (Nelson) v. Tuna Vili (Invercargill); super heavyweight, Teou Laumauga (Auckland) v. Danny Campbell (Canterbury); welterweight, Solio Figota (Auckland) v. Danny Morris (Canterbury); light heavyweight, David Tua (Auckland) v. Rudy Delmonte (Australia); light middleweight, Andy Creery (Morrinsville) v. Abbel Parker (Australia); middleweight Michael Bell (Canterbury) v. Gary Large (Australia). $