Bout With Tuna Scanlan

Te Ao Hou, March 1965, Page 5

Bout With Tuna Scanlan His next ambition was to fight Tuna Scanlan for the Empire middleweight crown, but for a long time he was unable to arrange this. When he did finally get his fight with Scanlan, he was shocked to find that the New Zealand Boxing Association would only allow him a non-title bout. When he entered the ring in July 1964, he hammered Tuna mercilessly, belting him to final submission in the last round. Earl never looked like being beaten; he was determined to win this fight. Here is Earl's record as a boxer: Amateur: 46 fights; 36 wins, one draw and nine losses. Professional: 36 fights; 27 wins, nine losses. For the last couple of years Earl has done all his training at the Hangatiki Pa and down at his cowshed, where he and his manager Wally Baker have rigged up a makeshift gymnasium. He has seldom used proper sparring partners, and has done most of his training with his 16-year-old nephew Raymond Jobe and with his uncles Brownie and Reihana, who throughout his career have given him every encouragement and assistance.