PALMER FOR NEW ZEALAND

Northern Advocate, 28 July 1934, Page 2

PALMER FOR NEW ZEALAND

I POSSIBLE OPPONENTS IN STRICT- | LAND AND NICOL. | The visit to New Zealand next month ol Ambrose Palmer, ' the Australian heavyweight boxing- e.hampion, will afford a definite means of computing the standard of onr heavyweights. At least one American Journal ranks the Australian as the world’s best lightheavyweight, and though this opinion is based on reputation only, since Palmer has not yet ventured further afield than Australia, there seems to lie no doubt that he is in the top class. Palmer’s opponents will no doubt be Strickland and Nicol, but neither is likely to have very much chance of success. Of the two, Nicol will probably make the best showing since, though he may possess nothing very i much in the way of a punch, he is a considerably better boxer than Strickland, whom he had no difficulty in outpointing in the recent New Zealand heavyweight championship title bout. In his early matches Strickland seemed a very promising heavyweight, but until his second contest with Nicol (In the first he succeeded In outpointing him, when the lattr-r clearly adopted the wrong tactics) he had not met a maul with a more than average knowledge! of boxing, Strickland may be a heavy! puncher, but when he fought V. Luttrell in Wellington some lime ago, he was neither h fast nor a very good boxer. Considerable improvement will need to be worhed both in his speed and boxing capacity if he is to show up at all prominently against a really good fighter.

However, lip is si ill voting, and lie* may ultimately go mupli farther than Xiool, who is ai an age whon ho is unlikely to make any great further advance. Whatever (lie result of his contest with Palmer, it will probably prove more valuable to him than would a halt-dozen lights against the general class of .heavyweight in this country.