BOXING

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 48, 26 February 1927, Page 23

BOXING

By "Aeneas." AMATEUR CONTROL

CONTROVERSY RAGES

THE NEW ZEALAND UNION

As was to be expected, "Cestus," tho writer of the boxing column'iii the "Chris^church fetal" and the champion of the nebulous New Zealand Boxmg Union, has something to say on the decision of the International Federation of Amateur Boxing in admitting the Now Zealand Boxing Association to membership. He says:—"A Press Association message from Wellington'reports that the New Zealand Boxing: Association has been gi anted affiliation by the International Fedeiation, md that the association will be the 'only body recognised as governing boxing in this country by all nations affiliated thereto.' To those identified with the formation of the New Zealand -Amateur Boxing Union, the news is somewhat belated. For some considerable

lirno they have been expecting the announcement. It would have ' been strange indeed had the New Zcilana Boxing Association, on learning that the movement foi tho lemoval of anidteui bo\mg fiom professional control had passed from the s»ago of being moiely a movement by a 'handiul ot disgruntled individuals > '%(, on s w}iicl\ was <i toice that had—fiom its' point of mow—to Lc fought, to quote a prominent member of an affiliated- 'body, not made a move to obtain recognition. That the international Federation should grant affiliation to the New Zealand Eo\mg Association is not a m.ttter for the slightest concern on the part of those ■« ho ai c cognisant of tho po sition The federation could only havo turned down the application on the giound that the New Zealand Assoeia tion promoted pioiessional fights as well as amatem competitions, and that being an am.iteui oiganisation, it could not recognise a body whifln. assopiitjed itself ivith p'lofessioLal iiromotions. That, no doubt, would have been its de cision weie it awaio of the fact tint an amateui oiganisation is m exist ence in New Zealand, and as allied to tho Austiahan Amateur TJmon; but tho International Federation is not awaio oi this! Tho New Zealand Amateur Boeing Union is proceeding along constitutional lines, the lines lccogmsed in amateur sport the •world over, and ivh™ tho time comes for it to demand recognition it will bo acknowledged for the simplo reason that fveiy blanch of the International Federation —athlctie, boxing, swimming, or rowing—mflst give recognition to a purely amatem oiganisation. Tho constitution of the fedeiation makes that impeiatnc. The New Zealand Boxing Council may or may not be aware of this vitil fact."

' The -statement. thai the Australian Amateur Union, and the" New Zealand Union, are allied is not' borne' out- by the information I have 'Stained locally. A member of the New;vju"land Council told me this week that the Australian body did not recognise the Christchureh coterie.. 'Even if it-did hitherto,; it canrot now do so," as under the; rules of the Intornational .Federation -only one body in each country can be recognised. Whether the 1 'federation was aware, or not that, the -union:-was in existence in New Zealand does not matter.' The association was the ionly 0-3 in' control," and thus ; the -only one that could possibly' have' been".lecogr nised. The - federation was '": fully aware of the activities of the^association,'as the^e had'been investigated by the president, Mr. J. H. Douglas: 7 "Oestus" goes on to say that'''the: New Zealand -Boxing Union is proceeding along constitutional lines, the lin.es recognised by amateur sport:the .world over, ard when '■'■ the- time conies for. it to ; demand recognition ■ it■'. Will be • ac> knowledge^ for the' simple reascoi that every branch of the International Federation—^athletic, boxing; "swimming, or rowing—must give recognition: to a purely amateur organisation^" The writer forgets, however, that only one body in any brand! of sport in any country can bo recognised. The federation will- very likely;' aslcthem : : to affiliate with the New Zealand Associatioa; -This is what they should do- in>stead of endeavouring to disrupt the game. , ■•■.■'■ '.■■'■;' ' ''■'■ '■'■■ '■'-■■'■

Promoting Bodies. . ■'.'. „■'•:..■•■ . '„'., 'Apparently "Gcstus"', cannot ...find anything good in tJie -New - Zealand Council, for in another .paragraph in which the percentage system is discussed h,e states:—"The real trouble is that the associations aro . promoting bodies, /but they don't seem.,to realise the fact. The business .of; a;promoting body is to run its promotions oi. business lines. The associations don't do this, and until they come to a full realisation of the position thero. is little hope of any alteration in iho-pre-sent conditions. The adoption of the' percentage system, while quite a sensible idea, is not : the solution. • The whole position of promotion •'and the status of the. promoters'must"::be reviewed, and experience has: clearly proved that, if the promotioiirof p'rb-: fessional fights is to continue in a-way that is satisfactory to the ■ promoters' then the system ad.pted in all other ijft6,untriea must be joHaffed» {Chat ia

to say, the -promotion of fights must be left in 'tTioTMancls of those who have a 'full rcalisatipn., of their, responsibilities'. The iclija; of associations with unlimited memberships expecting to successfully promote; professional fights and at the same time control the amateur side of the sport, is tho quintessence, of. absurdity. The New Zealand Boxing-Association is absolutely nnablo to handle such a pioposition The old council on sensing the real position lcsigned; the new council, consisting of mexpeuenced men, probably by this time realise that the old council acted wisely Theie Will be no peimanent lelease fiom the existing conditions nn til the ndiculous system thit is m op oration is Scrapped, - the true position, is faced, and the promotion of professional fights left tv bodies whose fuuc tion is only promotion, leading the amateur secdon entirely-free from political contiol and the contiol of pioft.bsion il piomotmg bodies "ho e\penenec o± the past few years should be quite sufficient to, prove this, but apparently, for ■wmous reasons, it is ignoicd " I I'gioe that associations should run their tournaments on business lines, md this is why I have atlvocated the adop tion of the percentage system "Cos tvs" sajs it is not a solution of tht difficulty, but he should wait and sec tho system given a fan tual befoie making such a piopheey Ho also states "The idea ot associations with unlimited membciship expecting to sue cessfullv pioinote piofcssvonat lights and at the same time contiol the ama teui side of the spoit, is tho qumtes senco of absuidity " The success of the "Wellington Association grves the lie to this Wellington his success fully looked after both sides of the game, and has a substantial credit balauco I make bold to asseit that no purely amateur body 111 Wellington could have done so much for the amateurs here, i "Wellington is a model for other associations to copy. It they adopt the percentage system and build up thoir finances they will soon pro^c that "Cestus" is wrong The present system is not "iidieulous," as Wolhng ton. has shown. iCo one claims that the New Zealand Association 13 perfect, but to say that a body of men of busi ness standing, who have followed the game for yoais are movpeiionced is farcical The fact that New Zealand amateur boxing is peihaps better off than iv any other part of the woild, certainly Austialia, proves that they are cauymg out their functions satis factonly Ceitamly the question of interprovincial contests, etc, could be followed up, but could the Neu Zca Jand Union, do better? TAirhall May Return. *JiiT7 *;' mhall > vh° J'«3 I* id a long spell fidm the game and who lus lump eel into iction again in Austi ilia vJh signal success, is contemplating a re turn visit to Now Zealand Fiirhall has been as successful as any of the boxeis who ha\e come this w.iv and should he show Ins old foim he will again be a big drau JI O has a de cision over Les Muii.iy and would be a splendid nidteli tor Puuly ,md Tion em. He would also be cqu.il to anj of the welters , A Disappointment 1 The attendance at Waiigamu at the contest Tjctween' Kaymond Jjnsen and Artio Hay was veiy disappointing to tho officials, and this was a subject of comment by the president, Mr. W. E. Quigley. Ho stated, however, that in spite of the fact that they -wcio faced with a loss, tho association would cany 011; and do its utmost to promoto the intciesting spoit of boxmg Wangnnui should tako ad\antago ot the peiccntage sjstem. They should get a numbei ot good matches fiom boxeis willing to fight tor a sluie of tho-gatc.