ARMY BOXING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25428, 8 January 1944, Page 8

ARMY BOXING

SOUTH PACIFIC TOURNAMENT SOUTH PACIFIC BASE, (0.C.) Dec. 28. Had a talk yesterday with Billy Brown, the Invercargill and R.N.Z.A.F. boxer, on his way back to New Zealand from the South Pacific boxing championships. Following his victory over Rodriguez in Noumea, Brown won his semi-final against Hampton, a coloured boxer. His final against C. Clemmons, another coloured boxer from the United States Navy, was such a close affair that uncertainty prevailed until the decision was announced. Other decisions were equally close. Eddie White, a coloured sailor from Pittsburg, lost by a hair-line decision to Harvey Weiss, of the United States Marines, after sending Weiss to the canvas in the first round. Brown regards White as the better boxer, and is sere the decision would be reversed were they to fight again. Another close decision gave victory to Harvey’s brother, Moe, against another coloured boxer, this time from the United States Army. Brown praised the gameness of Swanson, a Fijian native soldier, who was clearly the loser in his fight with Williams, a coloured United States engineer boxer from the New Caledonian area. Swanson took a lot of punishment against this classy fighter, who had previously eliminated Newton, the New Zealand Army champion. in Noumea. The fights took place in hot weather in a tropical setting, with the ring laid on stumps of coconut trees, Commander Gens Tunney and Tom Heeney (who refereed some of the fights) were introduced to the crowd.