BOXING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 183, 7 August 1935, Page 4

BOXING

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Boxing enthusiasts in Wanganui—there are still many of them in spite of some pessimistic reports —are looking forward with keen anticipation to the forthcoming amateur tournament to be staged by the Wanganui Association. Still, it would be more satisfactory to the committee if they were provided with tangible evidence of this interest in boxing. The New Zealand amateur boxing championships are to be staged at Dunedin this season, the dates arrrnged being October 2, 3 and 4. It remains to be seen ’whether there is enough promising talent offered to warrant a team being sent to che Olympic Games next year. It is a far cry from Dunedin to Berlin but more than one New Zealand amateur is capable of making the grade. Billy Aitken, the Wellington featherweight, who accounted for Frank Taylor at Auckland in three rounds on Monday night, is only 18 years of age. He has the speed of youth pjus all the other things that go to make a fighter. Last month he defeated Billy McKay at Auckland. Since then he had scored ano’ther win, defeating Percy Hawes at Wellington a fortnight ago. After beating Buckley in his first professional fight, Aitken dropped a disputed decision to Hawes, and he was offered another match after his Auckland engagement. He triumphed in that citv and he has had his revenge on Hawes. I 1 Auckland he revealed all Ihe attributes of the first-class boxer—speed, 'erness, punch, and above ail, iTe abi’ity to tliink quickly—and in Wellington he gaves Hawes a boxing lesson. It was difficult to find a vacant seat when the pair took the ring, 30 great has been the swing back of boxing to public favour, and Aitken early delighted his lei ow-citizons by the workmanlike manner he set about his task. The decision to Aitken was the only one possible, and the Wellington public left the hall fully satisfied that at last it had a worthy champion in the professional ranks, one who promises to scale the heights of fame if he is properly cared for during the next couple of years. The increased activity in the professional sphere must be particularly heartening to the New Zealand Boxing Council, for it is from this section of the sport, that much of the revenue is drawn which provides the means to develop the amateur side. Previously matters were so quiet tint it was feared that it might be necessary to review the arrangements under which the Dominion’s amateurs are collected for the national tournament. Now, however, there are hopes that the as sistance which the council his been accustomed to providing in this connection will be continued. The latest amateur boxing “find” in New Zealand is W. Arbuthnot, of Wei iington, who in a preliminary bout to the II awes-A it ken professional contest recently out boxed the New Zealand welterweight title-holder, W. G. Parris. According to one prominent Wellington boxing scribe, Arbuthnot’s perfor mance stamped him ou» one of the best welterweights, cither amateur or professional, in New Zealand. In a recent bout at Johannesburg, the former New Zealand featherweight boxing ahampion, Joe Fran xlyn, was beaten bj the South African lightweight title-holder. Laurie Stevens. I* ranklyn has done nell since going to South Africa, but was lOlbs. lighter than Stevens and found him too good, being decisively beaten. Stevens is re