Triumphant night for boxers

Press, 6 September 1989, Page 32

Triumphant night for boxers

By

JOHN COFFEY

Peter Bell, the Canterbury trainer, had only one moment of real concern during a triumphant finals night at the New Zealand amateur boxing championships at Karaka, near Auckland, last week.

“I had just climbed down from the ring arid turned around to see Michael (Bell) on the ground. It was less than 10 seconds into the fight,” said Mr Bell.

But Mr Bell’s nephew had the courage and skills to lift himself from the canvas, survive a standing eight-count and a firstround battering to eventually retain his middleweight title by a comfortable points margin and add the prestigious Jameson Belt to his list of achievements.

"Michael was very sick in the first round,” said Mr Bell. “But he boxed beautifully in the second and went on to win clearly. "It was a great achievement to get off the floor and recover from the

shots he took from that guy (Bob Gasio, of Auckland). Michael’s combination punches enabled him to take control,” said Mr Bell.

The Canterbury trainer felt that two of his other charges, Dean Calvert and Danny Morris, must also have earned Jameson Belt consideration.

Calvert beat the highly regarded Nuku Wood (Kaeo) on points for his first senior lightweight championship, and Morris stopped Harry Minnis (Wanganui) only 20 seconds into the welterweight final after having had much the better of a preliminary bout against an old rival, Barry Galbraith (Nelson). Canterbury’s memorable evening had started with Colin Adamson’s 3-2 majority points bantamweight win at the expense of Danny Masterton (Auckland), and was com-

pleted by Michael Kenny’s unanimous victory over Peau La Mauga (Auckland) in the super heavy weight final.

“I said before we went north that Canterbury could win five titles. But to actually see it happen was beyond my wildest dreams,” said Mr Bell. “Colin (Adamson) kicked it off with a terrific fight against Masterton, who had beaten him in the Games trials at Timaru. Colin really showed what he could do, and he’s got to be looked at for the Commonwealth Games after performing right up to his best,” he said.

“There was a magic touch to Dean (Calvert’s) win over Wood, an 18-year-old boy performing the way he did.

“Dean’s stamina and timing were, excellent and he punched with power. How Wood, got up after

being knocked over in the second round beats me. “On occasions Dean’s inexperience showed through and for a little while he went right-hand mad. But he recovered his composure and his defence was so good that he would not have worn three or four punches in the whole fight,” said Mr Bell.

A title was Morris’s for the taking once he had eliminated Galbraith. The Canterbury welterweight has twice gained revenge for the decision taken off him by Galbraith early this season. A firm left hook, and a followthrough with his right hand, put paid to Minnis’s aspirations. In only his second bout in five years, Kenny convinced Mr Bell that he has strong claims to a Games medal.

“The rough edges were there because Kenny had

only one week sparring and then one week of serious training after his university exams,” said Mr Bell. “But he dropped the guy (La Mauga) with a left hook in the first round, his timing is steadily coming back, and he was not affected by taking a couple of hard ones. “After another couple of fights he’ll be in contention for a Games medal,” he said. While he was content for his boxers to bask in the glory, the results were much to the credit of Mr Bell.

Three of the champions, Bell, Calvert and Morris, were from his own gymnasium — a converted garage — and Kenny trained with Mr Bell when he decided to make a comeback. Adamson, from Woolston Working Men’s Club, also did some fine tuning for the national tournament at the gymnasium which can now claim to be the most successful in New Zealand.