Boxing.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 90, 21 August 1923, Page 6

Boxing.

cri&^oK^HTK^liibtocK. A REPLY TO OTACO. Per Press Association. Dunedin, August 21. In reply to Mr Campbell, president of the Otago Boxing Association, Messrs Talbot (Wellington), /-Aidridge (Napier), and \Heath (Haiwke's Bay), state that' the attitude .adopted was definitely notified from the outset, and the . prjinejplo was supported by ithe resolution cfllie North Island - Conference, namely, that the North-South ehrdiupto*ifihlps were

elimination contests, with a view to bringing together the best two,, men in each class to contest the , New Zealand tjitle, The i arrangement shere provided not championship matches, but a Series of eliminations. There was no certainty that ; -the champions from ithe north would meet'the champions from the south. The fact was that the: matching was such as to leave- the possibility of the ultimate final.''for the 'chainpionship being contested between two, men. neither of i whom' had quali|pd , for championship honors by winning'an Island champioilshjip or of a?champion being. called > upon to -, meet § ggp man ffrom his,owji island whom .previously, defeated, or who bad evenbeen defeated ,in t the..early /stages of the Island'. elimination ' contests.

Such an •"•arrangement. The statement j conclud|s ; : It isif'&ot 'tfue to say that, the -men.have/ been withdrawn. They ready ,jfco compete under proper oojJtSlttons, ..the stats-; ; rae,nt made that t the s\Vt]lhvgton and JEa\yke's Bay .imposed terms, is misleading, in so far as it-suggests that they endeavoured",to obtain an advantage for cofApetjtprs. : Tlie Otago. Association 'previously allowed it to be understood that, they supported the, principle in the North aa ev4,dencpd .by, the vftve.