Boxing Season Will Open On Monday Night

Southland Times, Issue 23796, 19 April 1939, Page 11

Boxing Season Will Open On Monday Night

By

VERITAS

The meeting of Norman Jenkin and Dick Baker in a 10-round professional bout on Monday night is being awaited with much interest by followers of boxing in Southland. Both boxers are said to be very fit and an excellent bout should be the result. The Baker-Jenkin bout heads an attractive programme which the Southland Boxing Association has arranged for its first night of the new season. Several good amateurs have been engaged, including W. Jack, the Timaru middleweight who won the New Zealand middleweight championship last year, W. E. Enwright, formerly of Mokotua and now of Invercargill, and W. Brown, of Invercargill. The form of Enwright and Brown will be followed with interest. Enwright made good progress last year and finished up a good season by win-

ning the championship in his class. He is a clever boxer with a good punch and he should be capable of fully extending the Timaru champion. W. Brown has built up a good record during the last three seasons and as

featherweight champion of Southland made a good showing at the New Zealand championships last year. He is fast on his feet, has a big reach and punches hard with either hand. Under J. .Kelly’s coaching he is said to have improved his hitting powers and is expected again to perform prominently this season.

The possibility of the Southland Association arranging a match between Jack Rainsford, of Australia, and W. Pasco, Invercargill, has been discussed. Rainsford has fought in Invercargill. He is a showy fighter. Pasco has not had a fight for some time, but as he is in training in Kelly’s gymnasium he would not require much preparation for a match with Rainsford. COMING FIXTURES The following fixtures have been arranged for April and May:— April 20. —V. Caltaux v. D. Johnson, at Wellington. P. Kelly v. J. Collins, at Gisborne. April 22.—C. Raynor (holder) v. C. Craib, for lightweight title, at Blenheim. April 24.—C. Hanham v. S. Jenkin (holder), for middleweight title, at Dunedin. N. Jenkin v. R. Baker, at Invercargill. April 27. —R. Loveridge v. P. Kelly, at New Plymouth. May I.—W. Parris v. M. Morton, at Petone.

May B.—W. Parris v. N. Fisher, at Dunedin.

Wrestling Season

The first batch of wrestlers for the new season in New Zealand was to leave the United States for Auckland last week.

It is understood that Lofty Blomfield, who is due at Auckland tomorrow from Honolulu, is to meet Roland Kirchmeyer in the opening bout at Auckland and that he will subsequently be opposed by Jack Donovan, at Wellington.

There is reason to believe that one of two of the American and Canadian wrestlers are doubtful about coming to New Zealand, as they have been told that they may have difficulty, because of the effect of the import restrictions in taking home the money they make in this country. The Dominion Wrestling Union, however, anticipates no difficulty in this connection. When an inquiry was made the Minister of Customs (the Hon. Walter Nash) appeared amused at the thought and replied that the Government had reached no decision in the matter.