‘Absolute Fitness Essential’

Te Ao Hou, March 1965, Page 5

‘Absolute Fitness Essential’ Earl says, ‘One of the main things Willie taught me is that absolute fitness is essential. I shall never forget this. No other trainer had really brought this home to me in the same way.’ There followed a series of amateur fights in which Earl did so well that in the opinion of many people, he was most unlucky not to be nominated for the Olympic Games in 1960. After this he decided to turn professional, and in a series of successful fights he took on all comers from middleweights to heavyweights. In 1962 Earl defeated John Noumura for the light heavyweight championship by a six-round knockout. However for a long time he could not get the elimination bouts he wanted for the New Zealand middleweight title, and was getting really downhearted and considering giving up the game. But then he got the chance to fight Tony Tyner, a leading competitor for the title, and beat him comfortably on points. Another victory against Ken Fleetwood followed, and in February 1963 Earl was finally matched with Walter Finlay, the then middleweight champion of New Zealand. Earl knocked Finlay out in the third round, thus earning his second title. His third title of Australasian middleweight was gained soon afterwards when he defeated Reg Hayes, the then holder, by disqualification.