BE EPIC YEAR FOR BOXING

NZ Truth, Issue 1306, 22 December 1930, Page 14

BE EPIC YEAR FOR BOXING

WELLINGTON LEADS

Blay Coming To Meet Leckie And Donovan

YANKS WILL JOIN IN LATER

The New Year is going to be an epic one for boxing and "Wellington, early m January, will embark. on a programme unprecedented m this country.

EARLY m November Earl Stewart was despatched to the States to engage boys, and, though no public statement has been made," "Truth!' is m the position to 'inform its readers that Stewart will be signing up boys who rank high on the Pacific Coast. These boys will not arrive till the end of January, or the beginning of February, but this does not mean that I the Association is going to sit back and have a siesta. ; Early this week was released the news that, after some months of negotiating, the hard-hitting Sydney featherweight, Bobby Blay, had agreed io come over to Wellington. Blay, who has been knocking the nine- stone boys rotten over m Sydney, is to leave Sydney on Wednesday by the "Makura," under contract to the Wellington Association, and he will have his first fight on January 15. Johnnie Leckie will be the first one to try Blay out on January 12, . and then nine days later Blay will have the opportunity of hanging one on Donovan's chin. He will be pretty good if he succeeds. Both Leckie and Donovan have agreed to come to Wellington, and the association, fully, alive to the position, has decided that for the staging of such important contests it would be useless to try and accommodate the crowd m the Town Hall.

There is not sufficient seating accommodation there, and to enable all to have a seat, and a clear view, the Winter Show building is to be used. In this spacious building, with the assistance of the Show executive, it will be possible to seat something like 4500. - ■ -, Alterations are to be made, and the building will be converted into an up-to-date stadium. With, Donovan, Leckie and Blay to call on, and with Llew. Edwards coming back early m the New Year, there will be m New Zealand four of the best feathers or, near -feathers, m work. There is no end to the matching o£ the quartet, and when they are reinforced by the arrival of the Americans, Wellington will be; m a position to go out and help associations which have not had the best of luck. . . It is the aim of the Wellington association to work for the common good, and struggling associations are sure to reap some benefit from Wellington's enterprise. Already inquiries have been made to the association from outside centres, and though nothing can, be done till the boys are actually, here, '"Truth" knows that the Wellington officials desire to make the boom a national one, not a purely local affair. I With that spirit permeating, boxing will reach a pinnacle never before dreamed of. ;