Middleweight Title Won By K. Overlin

Southland Times, Issue 24153, 15 June 1940, Page 16

Middleweight Title Won By K. Overlin

Ken Overlin, who could not win a fight in Australia two years ago, is now middleweight champion of the world, according to the New York Boxing Commission. It is a sad commentary on the standard of the middleweight division in America. So stated The Sydney Daily Telegraph commenting

on the defeat of Ceferina Garcia, world middleweight champion, by Overlin. Fred Henneberry defeated Overlin in Sydney, Atalio Sabatino fought a draw

with him, while his second fight with Sabatino, in Melbourne, was declared “no contest.” The Melbourne fight was so unsatisfactory that Stadiums, Ltd., decided never again to match Overlin, and gave him his passage back to America. Overlin has written to Stadiums, Ltd., several times since then, asking to be invited back to Australia, but his requests were ignored. Australians know Overlin as a brilliant “back-pedalling” boxer. He annoyed the crowds by fighting on the retreat, with occasional sniping of his opponent with a long left hand. He was fast and clever on his feet, but used these attributes to avoid difficulties. He knew nothing about in-fighting, and never took the fight to his opponent. On Australian form, the coloured American middleweight, Archie Moore, now in Australia, would box the ears off Overlin. Moore has forgotten more than Overlin ever learnt in the art of aggression. Overlin, at the age of thirty, is now the accredited world champion, but perhaps the most biting commentary on his title is the attitude of Stadiums, Ltd. The managing director, Mr W. Donohoe, when he heard of Overlin’s win, said: “We would not even consider bringing him to Australia again as a boxing attraction.”