The Story So Far - the Boxing New Zealand website

The Story So Far
100 Years of Boxing New Zealand
By
Barry Leabourn
and
John Mitchell
Copyright © 2002 Barry Leabourn
ISBN 0-473-09168-2
Contents
Forword
Preface
The Early Days
The Tailor and the Blacksmith
Coming of Order
Formation of the New Zealand Boxing Association
A First Championship
The Godfathers
The First Two Decades
Temporary Peace
After the War
Prosperity in New Zealand
Golden Days Continue
A Decade of Change
The Millennium Beckons
2002 Onwards
Brian O’Brien
Olympic Gold
Jameson Belt
The Families
The Third Man in the Ring
The Mentors
The Record Holders
Women Make Their Entrance
Statistics
Venues of New Zealand Amateur Championships
Past Winners - N.Z. Senior Boxing Titles
Past Winners - N.Z. Intermediate Boxing Titles
Past Winners - N.Z. Junior Boxing Titles
Past Winners - N.Z. Female Boxing Titles
Senior Championship Trophies
Jameson Belt - Most Scientific Senior
Joe Thwaites Shield - Trainer, Jameson Belt
Bill O’Connor Memorial Cup - Youngest Titleholder, Senior
Parker Memorial Trophy - Best Loser, Senior
Treston Shield - Senior Association, Most Wins
Earl Stewart Memorial Shield - Senior Association Points Trophy
Brian O’Brien Trophy - Services to Boxing
New Zealand Boxing Cup - Most Scientific Boxer, Intermediate
Dick Dunn Trophy - Trainer Most Scientific Boxer, Intermediate
Tommy Harris Cup - Best Loser, Intermediate
Sommerville Cup - Most Scientific Boxer, Junior
Gary Anderson Cup - Trainer of Most Scientific Boxer, Junior
Otematata Trophy - Best Loser, Junior
O'Leary Cup - Points Prize, Junior
Tyrer Cup - Points Trophy, Junior
Olympic Games Representatives
Forword
The story of the first hundred years of Boxing New Zealand started shortly after Barry
Leabourn was elected to the New Zealand Boxing Council in 1996. As the program
manager for Media Relations I kept suggesting that the story should be put in print
to celebrate the centenary in 2002.
Originally I started the research with the intention of finding someone with journalistic
skills to write the story. In 1998 John Mitchell was also elected to the NZBA Boxing
Council and offered to assist with the statistical information. As the years sped
towards the new millennium it became apparent that with much of the research
material on hand actually writing the publication was a lot less daunting than it seemed
at the beginning.
The real problem was getting the myriad of statistics right as many records at the
NZBA had been lost over the years. I said to John Mitchell one day "how the hell do
we get the championship records right". John came back a few months later and said
that he intended to research and record every single fight that had taken place at
every New Zealand championships. Hundreds of hours later after countless visits to
the Christchurch Library and Christchurch newspapers he had indeed categorised
every New Zealand championship. This research allowed the authors to believe that
the statistical records are ninety-nine point nine per cent correct.
The other problem in compiling the story was not so much what to put in but rather
the many stories that have been left out. The authors decided that the story told would
be the first hundred years of amateur boxing in New Zealand as the original intention
in 1902 was to cater only for amateur competition. One hundred years later few
professional contests are conducted under the auspices of Boxing New Zealand.
Thanks for assistance with the story are extended to:
Pat Bishop – for the loan of many copies of the "Sportsman" periodical.
Kerstyn Leabourn – for typing of the statistics.
Malcolm Maclean and Gavin Boyd – for advice and assistance with the typesetting.
John McKay, Bob Lyall, Keith Walker, Nuki Johnson, Tom Dunn, (New Zealand
Boxing Council) - for five years of assistance and advice.
Deirdre Rogers (Boxing New Zealand Executive Officer) – for encouraging the
original concept, and support over the last five years.
Peter Gilligan and Michael O’Neill – for proof reading and general advice.
Dave Cameron – For advice and supply of many of the photographs.
Acknowledgements
New Zealand Sportsman
New Zealand Sports Digest
Brian O’Brien and Kiwis With Gloves On
New Zealand Free Lance
Christchurch Public Library
The Press (Christchurch)
John Mitchell and Barry Leabourn
i
Preface
Boxing is one of the oldest combatant sport of all, dating back to 3000BC where the
Egyptians used pugilism as an integral part of the self discipline and self defence
education of their children (The Santori Children), and was formally introduced in
688BC at the Games of the 23rd Olympiad.
Today the sport of boxing fascinates most, is repugnant to many as its heroes bleed,
risk their health, even their lives in the pursuit of recognition, fame and fortune and
surprisingly fun.
Boxers – the athletes are usually very ordinary yet extraordinary men (and women)
who understand the cost of their chosen sport better than most. They understand
instinctively, not in a pretentious or academic way. Boxers and those closely associated
with them inhabit a very special world indeed.
Jimmy Wilde defined as the "Art of Self Defence"; the Yanks call it the "Sweet Science";
the Poms the "Noble Art". To me the object of boxing is to hit without being hit requiring
skills like no other sport.
Boxing was included in the modern Olympic Games in 1904 in St Louis and in every
Olympics since except Stockholm in 1912. New Zealand boxers have won three
medals – gold by Ted Morgan 1928, silver by Kevin Barry and bronze by David Tua
1992. The first Empire Games (later Commonwealth Games) in 1930 included boxing
and it has been part of those games since. Kiwi boxers have won five Empire and
Commonwealth Games Gold Medals: Frank Creagh 1950, Wally Coe 1962, Bill Kini
1966, Jimmy Peau 1986 and Michael Kenny 1990.
The continuing progress in increasing safety aspects particularly for Olympic boxing
has allowed it to thrive as a modern global sport. It is unfortunate that in New Zealand
today there are less than five hundred competitors, making it a "minor" sport.
There have been few formal publications dealing with boxing in New Zealand. Brian
O’Brien in 1960 produced "Kiwis With Gloves On" being the best known. Bob Jones
(later Sir Robert) wrote two "New Zealand Boxing Yearbooks" in 1972 and 1973.
Chris Tobin produced a recent biography on Bob Fitzsimmons entitled "Fitzsimmons"
celebrating one hundred years of the winning of the World Heavyweight Crown from
James J Corbett in 1897.
Boxers are exceptional people. Why?? Because is about all of life’s ingredients –
pain, honour, nastiness and nobility. This biography of one hundred years of Boxing
New Zealand written by Barry Leabourn and John Mitchell is a tribute to the rich
history of New Zealand amateur boxing. The story will aquaint today’s fans and boxing
enthusiasts with an insight into the many Kiwi personalities that have entered the
"square ring" to do battle during this time.
John McKay
President, Boxing New Zealand Inc
ii
The Early Days
The sport of boxing in New Zealand had its early foundations in Canterbury. The first
recorded bout was in July 1862 when a London prizefighter, Harry Jones beat local,
George Barton, for a purse of 100 pounds on the banks of the Waimakariri River.
Jones was declared the winner after 30 bare fisted rounds lasting 70 minutes. The
police attempted to stop the fight cutting the ropes and even entering the ring with
drawn revolvers, before being driven back by the 600 spectators. Legal proceedings
were initially instituted before being quietly withdrawn, when it was discovered that
the Crown Solicitor and several magistrates were in the crowd.
An early character was Professor Stackpole who arrived and took the London Prize
Ring into many corners of New Zealand during the decade 1870-80. In a unique fight
Professor Stackpole was engaged in a contest with one George Ulyett who was a
member of a team of English professional cricketers touring the country. The fight
was held in New Plymouth in the Town Hall and was stopped in the eighth round in
favour of the Professor.
Jem Mace
(Photo courtesy Dave Cameron)
The next recognised figure in the early days of boxing in the Dominion was the arrival
from England of Jem Mace in 1880. Mace brought with him Professor Miller who was
also a noted wrestler and weight lifter. The pair put on exhibitions at the old Princess
Theatre in Dunedin.
Mace was the last of the old prizefighters that rubbed the brine of beef into the skin
to toughen it. He had also fought under the London Prize Ring rules, which permitted
1
elbowing, kneeing and throwing. While he was over fifty years of age when he
promoted the noble art of boxing in this country, he had been in the ring with the
legendary Tom Sayers earlier in his career. Like many of his day he was a relatively
small man weighing under twelve stone but was known to have fought men of up to
seventeen stone.
During 1870 Jem Mace travelled to America to beat fellow English born pugilist Tom
Allen in ten rounds of desperate action. He was widely regarded as the real champion
of the world with his victory over Allen.
Mace opened a boxing school in Timaru and after a period announced that he was
to hold the New Zealand amateur championships of boxing. Among the entries were
R Fitzsimmons who took out the inaugural contest and also the second when he
knocked out Herbert Slade, the first acknowledged Maori champion. Mace later took
Herbert Slade to America, where he fought John L Sullivan for what was billed as a
World Title fight. After the Sullivan fight, Herbert Slade joined the John L Sullivan
touring party and became John L’s number one sparring partner.
Typical of the types of bouts that used to take place in the colony in the early days
was the attached photograph of the Battle at “Billy Goat Flat”. The photograph is the
start of one of the “Battles of Billy Goat Flat”. The area was a clearing cut from tangled
bush at the back of the Ruru sawmill, near Nelson Creek. The ring is minus ropes,
for which green saplings had no trouble in keeping the boxers off the ropes. The
posts are squared-off lumber.
The Battle of “Billy-goat Flat”
This picture shows a boxing bout starting in a most primitive West Coast
bush scene. Though the names of those in this new bush clearing are not all
known, the picture is thought to represent what was once known as the
“Battle of Billy-goat Flat,” near Bell Hill.
Usually in these bush contests the prize was a ten-gallon keg of beer, which was
contributed by the partisan spectators. The fighters and referee had the privilege of
filling the first glasses (after the bout of course) and as the glasses were of “schooner”
size, it did not take long for the trophy to be merrily disposed of. Very few refused
to drink the health of the referee, whose frequent declarations of draws appeared to
satisfy most.
2
The Tailor and the Blacksmith
No story about the New Zealand Boxing would be complete without reference to
“Torpedo” Billy Murphy and Bob Fitzsimmons who won World titles in the nineteenth
century. Both boxers were remarkable characters who ventured overseas in the days
when travel to the other side of the world was a real adventure.
Thomas William Murphy was born in 1863 and is the only New Zealand born boxer
to win a World professional boxing title. Billy who never weighed more than just over
eight stone faced one Jack O’Meagher in his first recorded fight in an Auckland
paddock during 1885. It was a bare-knuckle contest, which lasted forty-five minutes
before Murphy torpedoed his opponent.
The records indicate that Murphy did not lose any contests in his country of birth
before venturing abroad. Billy Murphy crossed the Tasman in 1887 and secured a
tailoring position with David Jones Ltd in Sydney, Australia. In his spare time he visited
Larry Foley’s boxing academy, where after showing his skills he continued on his
winning way. Finding it impossible to secure bouts after beating the best available,
he was matched with heavyweight Harry Laing, who was good enough to have
lowered the colours of the Australian champion. Murphy astounded everyone when
he dropped his opponent with a rip to the solar plexus, in the first round, for another
victory.
After running out of opponents in Australia Billy travelled to America in 1888. On the
13th January 1890 in San Francisco Murphy faced Ike Weir “the Belfast Spider” for
the featherweight title of the World. After trailing on points the New Zealander hit the
champion with a murderous right in the thirteenth round, that put the champion on
the deck. While Weir came out for the fourteenth round, the bout was soon waved
over by the referee and Billy Murphy was World Featherweight champion.
Some historians of the sport would argue that Robert Fitzsimmons was the greatest
ring fighter that the world has known. While weighing little more than eleven stone
“Ruby Bob” won world titles in three weight divisions. Born in Cornwall, England on
4th June 1862 Bob emigrated with his parents to Timaru in 1871. The youngster
followed his father’s trade and became a blacksmith.
A more unlikely champion would be hard to imagine. Fitzsimmons had long drainpipe
legs; a small round head from which the hair had receded at an early age, to be
almost bald except for a bright tuft of carrot coloured hair over each ear. The key to
the champion was the powerful back and shoulders developed by many hours at the
blacksmith’s forge.
Fitzsimmons started his boxing career in the first of Jem Mace’s tournaments with
annihilation of all opposition. After running out of opponents in both New Zealand and
Australia he ventured to America. By the time of his retirement “Ruby Bob” had won
the middleweight, heavyweight and finally, at the age of forty-one the light heavyweight
championships of the world. This remarkable individual had his last recorded bout
in a no decision contest, with one “KO” Sweeney at the age of fifty-one years on the
29th January 1914.
3
Coming of Order
Formation of the New Zealand Boxing Association
It makes interesting reading to see how the first New Zealand Boxing Association
was formed. The minutes of the first meeting read as follows.
Meeting held in the Hereford Hotel, Christchurch on 4th July 1902 to consider the
question of forming a Boxing Association for New Zealand.
Present: Messrs WG Attack, FI Cowlishaw, CT Aschman, JF Grierson, AR Kirk, FW
Johnstone, P Selig and FE Hyman. Mr WG Attack was elected to the Chair.
The Chairman explained that it had been intended to work the present movement as
an adjunct to the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, but after consideration
it had been deemed a wiser course to form one entire separate body. He had
interviewed fifteen gentlemen on the matter and had met with only one refusal, the
person stated that as he was likely to be a competitor at the proposed championships
deemed it inadvisable to be a member of the association.
There was no doubt that a large membership could be obtained, but he had selected
only those known for their association with various sports. It was intended that the
body to be formed should extend its operations to other parts of the colony. He had
already received the promise of eighteen competitors at the first contests that were
to be held.
The following had signified their intention to become members of the association
should it be formed. Messrs CT Aschman, WG Attack, JM Collins, FW Colishaw, A
Dickson, JF Grierson, FE Hyman, FW Johnstone, AR Kirk, E Nordon, GR Ritchie,
CT Salmond, P Selig, CF Smith.
On the motion of Mr Grierson it was unanimously decided to form the “New Zealand
Boxing Association” with headquarters in Christchurch. The members being those
who had signified their willingness to join.
Rules for the association and the government of the annual amateur championships
were considered, and with amendments, were adopted.
It was resolved that:
•
The council should consist of a patron, president, vice-president, secretarytreasurer and a committee of nine.
•
The council should transact all business pending the formation of centres.
•
Steps be taken to form centres in Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Wanganui, Wellington,
Nelson, Westland, Canterbury, Otago and Southland.
•
The permit fees should be two pound two shillings for amateur competitions
and five pound five shillings for professional.
•
The Annual Meeting be held in April of each year.
The appointment of officers was held over, as it was decided to communicate with
a number of prominent citizens, asking them to extend their patronage to the
association. It was resolved to ask Lord Ranfurly to become patron of the association.
Mr Attack agreed to act as Secretary for the present. The following Committee was
elected. Messrs Aschman, Selig, Cowlishaw, Hyman, Kirk, Dickson, Johnstone and
Smith.
4
At the following meeting held on the 11th July 1902 the following had accepted the
under mentioned positions as officials.
President HF Wigram, Vice-Presidents WW Collins, AEG Rhodes, F Wilding, P
Campbell, CH Croxton and RA Chaffey.
A reply was also received from His Excellency the Governor, declining to give patronage
on the grounds that it was his practice to refuse unless the association had been in
existence for some time.
While there is no doubt that a body was formed on 4th July to administer boxing in
New Zealand, there appears to be confusion on the name of the body. During research
for this publication the following was found in the NZBA office.
The sport of boxing in New Zealand was administered from 4th July 1902 to 6th May
1924 by the New Zealand Boxing Council, which was situated in Christchurch. In
1924 it found that it could no longer adequately control the sport, and accordingly the
first Annual General Meeting of the New Zealand Boxing Association was held in
Wellington on 11th August, 1924 at which the existing association was formed.
Mr George Aldridge was appointed Secretary and held that position from that date,
until his death in June 1947. An appeal committee was formed in 1924.
The first officers elected in 1924 were President RW McVilly, Vice-Presidents FJ
Campbell and AP Whatman. The elected Council were Dr PF McEvedy, EA Blundell,
EA Dawson, JR Simpson, DR Hoggard, Colonel R St J Beere and JW Heenan.
The first years financial statement of accounts showed the Association’s assets at
427 pounds. In 1928 an insurance fund was established to look after any injuries
sustained, while preparing for or participating in contests. The first Trustees were
Messrs JR Simpson, JW Heenan and WG Talbot with the latter being Chairman of
the Trust fund.
In 1931 the Council established its office in Wellington and it remains there to this
day. The Association was incorporated in 1951.
5
A First Championship
The first New Zealand Boxing Championships were held at the Theatre Royal,
Christchurch on the 26th and 29th September 1902.The winners of the four divisions
received a gold medal valued at three guineas, with the runner up receiving a silver
medal valued at one guinea. The following are the press reports in the Christchurch
Press. (The reporting style of the day is certainly different from today – Editor)
FRIDAY 26th SEPTEMBER 1902 - THE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
The first championship tournament under the auspices of the New Zealand Boxing
Association, held at the Theatre Royal last night was very successful, with all parts
of the theatre being full. Those who before the event prophesised failure, evidently
did not estimate even approximately the interest that exists in the “noble art of self
defence”, and the officers of the association, and the officials of the championships
must have felt gratified at the success of the gathering. Major Chaffey was expected
to give a preliminary address, but in a few remarks he said he hardly felt the right
man in the right place and asked the mayor (Mr Henry F Wigram) to address the
audience.
The mayor, on coming forward was received with applause. He was glad, he said
that there was no need to say anything in support of the movement to promote the
art of self defence, and he was glad that this class of sport, above all others, was
coming to the front. The past had proved that good boxing men had made equally
good soldiers, sailors, lawyers and even judges, and he understood that in his younger
days the Premier had been a very useful man with his hands. With such men as
Major Chaffey and Mr Pat Campbell, connected with the sport, he was sure it was
in good hands. He congratulated the Association upon the success of the initial
gathering.
The featherweight championship was then proceeded with, and three bouts resulted
as follows: W Jones (won) v J Trenberth; H Overend (won) v JM Rennie; J Bell (won)
v F Morgan. In the latter bout Morgan's opponent had every much the better of it from
the start, and possessed much more science and a longer reach. In fairness to
Morgan, however it should be stated that he took part not altogether physically fit,
but as a number had, for various reasons, fallen out of the competition, he decided
to go into the ring. Towards the close of the third round , Bell got in an effective blow,
which dazed Morgan, and he failed to rise when time was called. He was attended
to by Drs Jennings, Moorhouse and Thacker and soon recovered.
The bouts in the lightweight championship resulted: A Farquharson (won) v W Pratt;
PW Olliver (won) v H McCraken; F Rudd v J Bell (a bye). In the first two bouts good
boxing was done, but the better of the two was decidedly that between Olliver and
McCracken. Both contestants made the going very warm, and at the end of each
round they were applauded.
The middleweight championship resulted: C Anderson (won) v W Robertson; F Nash
(won) v H Kennedy. Both bouts were very exciting, and some excellent boxing was
done. Anderson had a good opponent in Robertson, but his superior science told in
the end. Nash and Kennedy were perhaps the two most evenly matched who appeared
in the ring, and at the end of the third round, there was apparently not much to choose
between them.
If anything, Nash showed more initiative in attack, Kennedy being more on defence.
They fought a fourth round of two minutes in duration, which while it lasted was
exceedingly exciting. The announcement that Nash had won evoked the only signs
of dissent given by the audience during the evening.
6
The boxing was under the rules of the New Zealand Boxing Association, which had
been practically adopted from those of the English Association. The rounds were of
three minutes in duration with a one minute spell between.
The officials of the tournament were: Referee Mr RF Chaffey; Umpires Messrs P
Campbell, CH Croxton and JF Marsh; Timekeepers Messrs A Francis, A Gunderson,
JF Wachsmann and JR Evans; Association seconds Messrs FA Hornibrook and G
Bush; Stewards Messrs JF Grierson, FE Hyman, FW Johnston, CT Auchman, and
AR Kirk. The Associations medical examiners; Drs E Jennings, B Moorhouse and HJ
Thacker were also in attendance.
The tournament will be continued tomorrow night, when in addition to the finals in the
featherweight, lightweight and middleweight championships, the heavyweight
championship will be decided.
MONDAY 29th SEPTEMBER THE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
The success of the first night of the boxing championship tournament at the Theatre
Royal was more than sustained on the occasion of the second and last night, and
on Saturday when proceedings commenced, the building was crowded in every part.
Generally speaking the displays were more interesting than those of Thursday night.
The bouts for the heavyweight championship were however, uneven in quality, the
best being between J Fitzsimmons and F Deighton. By many the final of the
featherweight championship between W Jones and H Overend was considered the
best and most spirited display of the evening.
Before the contests began, the referee Major RS Chaffey made a brief address to
the audience, in which he requested that the contestants should receive fair play. All
true Britishers, he continued would agree with him that there was no more manly
sport in creation than the good old manly art of self-defence. (Hear, hears and
applause). But unless fostered and controlled by some leading associations it often
fell rather low; hence the necessity for the formation of an association to raise boxing
to the status that it should always hold. The New Zealand Boxing Association was
obtaining certain laws from the United States and United Kingdom, with a view to
getting them passed by the New Zealand Legislature, as the Association would be
able to control the whole of boxing in the colony (Applause).
The Featherweight championship resulted as follows: semi-final H Overend (won)
v J Bell; W Jones fought a bye with F Jones; Final – W Jones (won) v H Overend.
The bout between Overend and Bell was very interesting. The go between the brothers
Jones (the bye) was also an interesting spectacle, although at the commencement
neither seemed to be taking things very seriously. In the final, the winner, W Jones
practically had the better of it though, and early in the first round he drew blood from
his opponent. All through the bout Jones showed considerably more science and
judgement.
The Lightweight championship resulted: semi-final A Farquharson (won) v F Rudd;
PW Olliver fought a bye with McCracken. Final PW Olliver (won) v A Farquharson.
The referee stopped the bout between Farquharson and Rudd towards the end of
the second round. At the beginning of the first round both contestants seemed on
pretty equal terms, despite Farquharson’s length of reach. Towards the end, however,
Rudd gave signs of being somewhat overmatched. The second round opened briskly,
and for a brief period Rudd appeared to be giving as much as he got, but Farquharson
just prior to the referee stopping the bout, got in some good heavy blows on Rudd's
7
face. Some dissent was shown by the audience at the action of the referee, who
subsequently informed the audience that he had the power to stop the bout at any
moment he thought fit. He had stopped the bout on this occasion in the interest of
boxing (applause).
The bout between Olliver and McCracken was a willing one from the opening, but
Olliver’s greatly superior skill and coolness outclassed his opponent. In the final
Olliver again showed his advantage and despite Farquharson’s long reach, he had
no difficulty keeping matters pretty equal during the first round. Olliver's win proved
a popular one.
F Nash met C Anderson in the final of the Middleweight championship. Nash attacked
with vigour in the first round, and though Anderson made an excellent fight of it, the
result was not much in doubt at the end of the second round. The last round saw
some good work from both contestants, Nash being declared the winner.
The Heavyweight Championship resulted – semi-final: H Kennedy (won) v F Cross;
J Fitzsimmons (won) v F Deighton; Final. J Fitzsimmons was declared the winner.
In the bout between Kennedy and Cross it was soon apparent that the last-named,
though capable of slogging and standing considerable punishment, was no match
for Kennedy.
J Fitzsimmons (a nephew of the ex-champion of the world and not a brother), as
stated before and F Deighton was a totally different display, and created much
excitement. The men were pretty fairly matched. Deighton admittedly giving a superior
exhibition of boxing, properly so-called.
The final bout between Fitzsimmons and Kennedy was stopped by the referee about
the middle of the second round. Kennedy attacked with spirit at the opening of the
first round, and followed up an advantage that he gained. Fitzsimmons slogging,
soon began to tell upon him, and towards the end of the round Kennedy fell rather
heavily, and when he retired to his corner it was noticed that he could hardly walk
upright. The second round opened with a fierce set to and it gradually became
apparent that Kennedy was becoming distressed, and eighty seconds from the end
of the round the referee stopped the contest and awarded the championship to
Fitzsimmons.
GATHERING OF OFFICIALS
At Warner’s Hotel after the conclusion of the tournament, the officers of the Association
and the officials of the tournament met, and a short social gathering took place. The
President (The Mayor of Christchurch, Mr Henry F Wigram) was in the chair. Mr FW
Johnston proposed the health of the President and Vice-Presidents, and stated that
owing to the success of the tournament, the money given to the Association would
be refunded. Referring to the inception of the Association, he said Mr Attack, the
Secretary, had done the lions share of the work. In responding the President
complimented the Referee (Major Chaffey) on the excellent manner in which he had
conducted the tournament, and upon the confidence he had inspired in the minds
of the public. Major Chaffey, also responded, and said he thought that they could
congratulate themselves upon pulling off the tournament to everyone’s satisfaction.
Mr Attack proposed “The Referee” and said that there was no doubt that the success
of the tournament was due to Major Chaffey and the influence he had exhorted on
the audience. Major Chaffey, responding, referred to the able assistance of Messers
P Campbell and JF Marsh had rendered him. Mr P Selig proposed “The Medical
8
Officers, Umpires, Timekeepers, and Mr Hornibrook”. The presence of the medical
officers, he said was further evidence the conduct of the Association was being carried
out in a right and proper spirit. Mr P Campbell suitably responded. Major Chaffey
proposed “The Founder of the Association”, Mr Attack, which was drunk with musical
honours. Mr Attack fittingly responded, and proceedings closed.
(Editors Summary)
The winners of the inaugural championships were:
Featherweight:
AL Jones (Canterbury)
Lightweight:
PW Olliver (Canterbury)
Middleweight:
F Nash (Canterbury)
Heavyweight:
J Fitzsimmons (Timaru)
9
The Godfathers
In the first hundred years of the New Zealand Boxing Association there have been
two figures that stood out above all others. These two men provide a link from almost
the start of the sport in this fair country to the new Millennium. The two Gentlemen
are Tim Tracy and Richard (Dick) John Dunn. The extraordinary influence that the
two bestowed on New Zealand boxing was further linked in that Dick Dunn trained
under none other than the immortal Tim Tracy.
A native of County Clare, Ireland, where he was born on 20th April 1874, Tim Tracy
was a two-year-old tot when his parents brought him out to New Zealand. Early in
his life Tim was apprenticed to the bootmaking trade and thus began an association
with leather, which he later turned to his advantage with leather gloves for the boxing
ring.
Always actively interested in boxing but lacking the opportunity to indulge his hobby,
Tim had a few lessons from the itinerant Charlie “Darky” Richardson before fitting out
his own little gymnasium, at the rear of his bootmakers shop in upper Willis Street,
Wellington. In years to come the Tracy gym, which in reality was only a converted
room, became a regular meeting place for all of Wellingtons boxing fraternity.
It appeared that Tim Tracy had his first contest with an American named “Kid” Parker
in 1904 at the old Exchange building on Lambton Quay. About a year after Tracy’s
first contest, from which he emerged as the winner, the Wellington Boxing Association
to provide the local interest for its inaugural professional contest on 20th September
1905 approached him. The matchmakers agreed that the most suitable way to elevate
boxing in the public eye would be to import a boxer of the right type from Australia.
The Wellington association wrote to W F Corbett who as “Solar Plexus” was regarded
as one of the finest boxing writers in Australia. Corbett was asked to engage for the
princely sum of thirty guineas, a boxer capable of teaching New Zealand boxers the
finer points of the game, while actually engaged in competition.
Corbett lost no time in recommending and engaging George “Hock” Keys, lightweight
champion of New South Wales and later Australia. Keys was a young veteran of
twenty five fights and seven years ring experience. The New Zealand association
agreed that the lightweight championship of the colony would be at stake.
The fight was everything that the WBA had hoped for. The patrons who packed the
Opera House saw the finest in aggressive boxing of a high technical order from Keys,
and spirited resistance from the local man, who was outclassed in the second fight
of his career, but not put to the sword.
Tim Tracy went on to have some 36 contests until 1915 most of which were for the
New Zealand Professional lightweight championship. In his third contest he defeated
ageing Billy “Torpedo” Murphy, who became the only native born world champion
when he beat Ike Weir for the world featherweight title in San Francisco during 1890.
The Tracy v Murphy contest was staged in Stratford and Tim stopped Murphy in the
fourth round.
Tim Tracy continued to train for many years and became the second President of the
New Zealand Boxing Instructors and Trainers Federation, which was formed in 1948.
10
(During the 1998 Invercargill New Zealand championships I sat down with Dick Dunn
and a tape recorder to get some early recollections on how he got started in boxing.
The following is part of that conversation – Editor)
“When I was around fourteen I was always frequenting the local farrier in Taranaki
Street (Wellington) not far from where I lived. From Taranaki Street you could throw
a stone on the roof of all the Wellington boxing champions of that era. The 1920’s
were the golden years of New Zealand boxing. Every boy on the street claimed they
wanted to be a boxer.”
“After a while the farrier asked me if I wanted to be a boxer? When I replied yes he
took me along to Tim Tracys gym in Willis street and paid the one and sixpence
entrance fee. There was only a rope across the front of the room and three walls.
There were about twenty boys there and if you got caught on the walls you had to
fight your way out. All Tracy taught was how to win and it was really rough and tough,
you had to learn to fight or you wouldn’t survive.”
“He gave the new boys one boxing lesson and then put you in the ring. If he thought
you had what it took you were invited back and it didn’t cost you anything. The next
week after my lesson I went back and was put in the ring with Ted Morgan (1928
Olympic Welterweight champion). We all sat on a form against the wall and Tracy
would say you and you get in the ring. It wasn’t very scientific boxing that he taught
and he was a tough trainer.”
New Zealand has long had the reputation of producing top class all round sportsmen.
Some of these men have become household names throughout the world but when
it comes to the nitty gritty, few could hold a candle to Richard John Dunn, more
commonly or affectionately known as Dick. His contribution to boxing is well known
but his other achievements make one realise that he was a true giant in New Zealand
sport.
Dick boxed as an amateur winning the Hutt Valley lightweight title in 1934. In 1935
his father suggested that he begin training boxers. He opened the Railway gymnasium
in the Hutt Valley and commenced a training career that spanned over fifty years.
Sixteen New Zealand senior champions and two Commonwealth champions were
guided and coached by the doyen of trainers. Two of Dick’s proteges, Wally Coe and
his brother Tom Dunn won the Jameson Belt. Billy Graham is the only boxer to have
won the three special trophies being the Jameson Belt, Bill O’Connor Cup (youngest
senior titleholder, and the Parker Memorial Trophy (best loser).
In boxing circles Richard John Dunn achieved almost all that could be accomplished
in the sport. He became the first trainer to be granted a life membership of the New
Zealand Boxing Association. Amongst his achievements were National Boxing Coach,
National Selector, Coach of the Commonwealth Games team in Auckland in 1950
and Manager-Coach of the 1966 Commonwealth Games team to Jamaica.
A foundation member of the New Zealand Boxing Trainers Federation, Dick served
as President and Secretary of the national body as well as being a foundation member
and long time administrator of the Wellington and Hutt Valley Trainers Association.
11
Dick Dunn supervising training
(Photo courtesy Dave Cameron)
Outside the ring Dick had a love of all sports but made his mark on soccer and cricket.
In 1930 he founded one of the countries foremost football clubs, the Stopout Association
Football Club. He was elected a life member and was long serving President and
served in almost all positions on the Hutt Valley Football Association.
In cricket circles Dick was a foundation and life member of the Eastern Districts
Cricket club. A captain of the Hutt Valley senior representative team Dick also went
on to serve on the Hutt Valley Cricket Association for over 35 years.
While this entrée only touches on the lifelong contribution of Dick Dunn there will be
more in later chapters on his contribution to New Zealand Boxing.
12
The first Two Decades
New Zealand was a far different country in 1902 when the New Zealand Boxing
Association was formed than it is today. The population was less than one million
and was very much a male dominated society. Motor vehicles were in their infancy
and horsepower (of the four-legged variety) was very much a favoured method of
transporting goods and services. It is easy for people of today to think that the people
of a hundred years ago didn’t travel, not so. Transport was different with much use
made of coastal ports and shipping. It was easier to get from Auckland to Sydney (by
boat) than it was to get to inland Rotorua.
The second decade of the twentieth century was punctuated by the Great War of
1914 – 1918 with no New Zealand Championships held between 1915 and 1920.
Many of the boxers of the new century lost their lives on the battlefields of Europe.
Jimmy Hagerty known as the sawn-off Hercules whose death in the 1914-18 war cut
short a remarkable hero, was a boxer to make his mark in the first decade of the new
century. Hagerty was a freak, being no more than five foot and who used “kangaroo”
methods to reach his opponents vulnerable areas. His leaping bounding offensives
were something new to the New Zealand ring, as he would leap in to flail away and
then weave low out of the way of any counter blows.
The pocket battleship fought his first bout in 1908, when he knocked out Grieves in
round two of an amateur bout in his hometown of Timaru. In all he fought 21 times
for 20 victories in the lily whites against the best in Australia and New Zealand. His
only defeat was to Jack Read who later won the Australian professional lightweight
title. Hagerty won the national featherweight title in 1909 before crossing the Tasman
to Sydney for the Australasian titles. Little Jimmy’s all-out aggression completely
bamboozled his Australian opponents, knocking out two on his way to the featherweight
crown.
He did not compete again at a New Zealand championship, but two years later was
still chosen to represent New Zealand at the Australasian titles. Considerable
controversy arose with his selection over current champion Alan Maxwell. His selection
was vindicated when he again won the Trans-Tasman title and he later beat Maxwell
over six rounds to settle all doubts and criticisms. An accomplished horseman Jimmy
became a national figure as a jockey. In 1912 he turned professional and immediately
won the vacant featherweight crown. In the paid ranks Jimmy Hagerty won 32, lost
3 and drew 2 before his death in action in the trenches of Gallipoli.
The fighting Griffin brothers from the West Coast were a force in both the amateur
and professional ranks in the first twenty years of the twentieth century. The second
of four fighting brothers Jim made his mark in 1903 winning both the Australasian
and New Zealand middleweight titles, a man who could punch hard above his weight.
In 1904 Jim won both the New Zealand heavy and middleweight national crowns.
As a professional he participated in a series of bouts to find a challenger for World
Heavyweight champion Tommy Burns. Brother’s Jack, Charlie and Frank Griffin all
started in the amateur ranks before making their mark in the professional arena.
Intertwined with the Griffins in the early days were the Leckies. Archie Leckie won
the national middleweight title in 1905 and later held the professional middleweight
title of the Dominion. In 1905 Jim Leckie linked the history of the two fighting families
when he fought Jim Griffin in Dunedin. During 1909 Matt Leckie went down to the
hands of Peter Florio, the brilliant West Coaster.
13
While this publication concentrates on telling the amateur boxing story there is one
New Zealand born boxer who competed on the world stage and later was a leading
trainer in Australia, of which little has been told in this country. Dave Smith was born
in Dunedin in 1886 and in 1906 took the Otago amateur middleweight title. Two years
later he ventured across to Sydney and after taking the New South Wales heavyweight
title he added the Australian crown later in the year.
Smith turned professional in 1909 and quickly racked up wins against the leading
Australian middle and heavyweights along with several American imports. Such was
the success that Smith had against the visiting Americans it was suggested that he
take on the best in their home country. After several fights in the USA the former New
Zealander returned to Australia to give a boxing lesson to big Bill Lang for the Australian
heavyweight title.
While still active against the best in Australia Smith took over the training duties of
Les Darcy. The youngster from Maitland NSW, went on to beat the best in the world
before passing away in America when in his early twenties. In 1915 the public
demanded a bout between pupil and master so Dave Smith entered the ring against
Darcy. While twice beaten by his pupil Smith continued on until 1917 when he won
the Australian Heavyweight title for a third time, before retirement finally beckoned.
Although he did little boxing in his country of birth he was ranked up there with
“Torpedo” Billy Murphy as one of the finest boxing products born in New Zealand in
the early days of the sport.
Archie Leckie
Another promising West Coast puncher was Peter Florio whose death in 1909 cut
short what should have been a very successful career in the ring. A star of the Bill
“Yankee” Ganon gym Florio was unbeaten in the ring. In his only venture to the
National Championships in 1909 he beat J Kaill and M Leckie on his way to meet
Jimmy Hagerty in the final. A severe bout of tonsillitis robbed the West Coast boxer
of the opportunity to gain a New Zealand Championship. The chance never came
again as six months later Peter Florio passed away.
14
Temporary Peace
The twenty-year period from 1919 to 1939 started and ended with war clouds first
disappearing and then emerging again. The twenty-year period between the Great
War and the Second World War became the golden days of New Zealand boxing.
During the twenties professional boxing emerged and continued for the next forty
years to become, along with rugby football the sport of the working man. It is no
coincidence that when professional boxing flourished in this country so did the amateur
game. The thirties were the time of Johnny Leckie and Tommy Donovan, who not
only had a number of magnificent battles, but both fought the American visitor Pete
Sarron. The American fighter went on in 1936 to defeat Freddie Miller for the
featherweight championship of the world. An attendance record that has never been
bettered was set in 1930 when Leckie and Sarron met for the second time at the
Kilbirnie speedway in Wellington, with over seventeen thousand fans jamming their
way into the stadium.
The entry of local association boxers to the New Zealand Championships did not
take place until 1924. The New Zealand Championships held in Wellington in 1924
were the first, where the best from each local association had the opportunity to
contest the national titles. Prior to that date the North and South Islands held their
respective championships, with the winner and runner-up from each Island contesting
the national finals.
The first championships with direct association entry, attracted just thirty seven entries,
that contested eight weight divisions. The entries were Auckland (6), Hawkes Bay
(5), Wellington (8), Canterbury (6), West Coast (6), Southland (6). Curiously the
“Wellington” team included only two local entrants. Heavyweight Chris McRae, a giant
police sergeant and featherweight Percy Black. The remaining half-dozen members
were from centres, which did not enter their own teams. W Hunt and W Walden
(Manawatu) V Brosnan and R Hayward (Hawera) C Hoskings (Wanganui) and R
Loveridge (New Plymouth). Chris McRae and R Loveridge went on to claim national
titles.
An interesting insight into boxing in the mid to late 1920s and early 1930s was provided
when the editor received a scrapbook about Steve McKane. The various newspaper
cuttings gave a snapshot of boxing in New Zealand that was emerging from the Great
War. Steve McKane was the ring name of Steve Bleninsop. His daughter Elizabeth
Norris of Christchurch passed on the scrapbook to Murray Turnball of the Canterbury
Boxing Association.
The first clipping was dated June 1928 and referred to a novice tournament promoted
by the Christchurch Sports Club. “The great discovery of the night was McKane, who
won the featherweight division with the greatest of ease. He is one of Fritz Holland’s
pupils and during his two bouts, Fritz sat with a beautiful contented smile, watching
his young protégé duck and side-step and plant swift clean punches with the precision
of an expert. McKane has any amount of ability and now that he has broken through
the first stage he should make a name well known in the lighter weight classes.”
In September 1929 “The best bout of the evening was final of the featherweight class
in which the only entrants G Wright and S McKane, went in close and hammered
away, punch for punch over two and a half rounds. For the second half of the third
round Wright had things all his own way and experience won the day against the
clever plucky youngster”. In 1932 Wright went on to become the New Zealand
Professional Bantamweight champion
1929 at Christchurch Sporting Club Inter-provincial tournament. “Young Steve” McKane
(Canterbury) 9 stone had figured in some fine contests in the past and was well
15
primed for a bout with T Webber (Otago). Webber telegraphed the club on Saturday
that he was starting on his way, and telegraphed yesterday that he wasn’t. The club
will have more to say to Mr Webber, but it was lucky to find J Witton (Otago) willing
to step in at the last minute. It was a good fight while it lasted. (McKane won RSC
round 3).
Steve McKane also lived and fought in the King Country. From a program that
promoted “The All Amateur tournament of the year” which was held at the Theatre
Royal, Taumarunui (Race Night) December 1931 Steve McKane (Ohakune) fought
B Andrews (Te Kuiti). There are also copies of letters and telegrams to Steve at his
residence in Ohakune attempting to arrange fights in Christchurch and likewise when
in residence in Canterbury trying to secure bouts for him in the King Country.
The reason that the Steve McKane story has been told is that he is typical of a boxer
who never won major titles but always provided the goods at a time when boxing
was at its zenith in this country.
Redheaded Dick Loveridge from Taranaki was one of the “fightingest” fellows to lace
on gloves. Loveridge was no great shakes as a scientific performer but from the
outset he always went straight at his opponent. In 1924 he won the national lightweight
title and a year later the welterweight championship in Christchurch. His most notable
performances were two epic fights at the 1924 championships.
In the semi-final of the lightweight contest Loveridge faced off against the 1923
champion Dick Pascoe. The first round was a fairly even battle before Loveridge tore
into the champion in the second round and had the crowd standing on their feet. The
final round was described by the New Zealand Freelance (national news periodical)
as the most exciting seen in a local ring. Pascoe realised he was behind on points
and waded in, intent on saving the crown by the short route. He had however drawn
a tartar, that gave just as much in return and after a remarkable display of resolution
and pluck by both men, Loveridge secured a popular winning verdict.
An unforgettable sight for those present for the
presentation of medals after the championship final in
Wellington in 1924, was when the two gladiators Dick
Loveridge and Reg Trowern entered the ring together
to receive their medals. Both heads were swathed in
bandages, Dick’s ear having required medical attention
while Reg’s eye had to be attended to. After a
monumental contest that was awarded to Loveridge,
the only visible part of their faces were the large grins
on the face of both contestants.
This chapter could not be written without telling more of
the Ted Morgan story. Much has been compiled about
the Wellington boxer’s Olympic Gold medal but there
was plenty of experience that went before the Olympic
success. Morgan was a pupil at Wellington College and
from the time that he first threw a punch at Tim Tracy’s
old Willis street gymnasium he showed potential
greatness. Ted plied a good right hand along with a
“loaded” left. It was this ambidexterity which was to prove
such a success as opponents moving away from the Ted Morgan New Zealand’s
left were hooked back into line by the stinging right. only Olympic Games boxing
Gold medallist
(Photo – Kiwis With Gloves On)
16
Strange to relate when the pages of time are turned back, but Ted Morgan nearly
missed Olympic selection. He had won the 1925 New Zealand Lightweight title but
lost it the following year to Harold Kindley. The names of the boxers originally submitted
as Olympic prospects did not include Morgan’s name. During the 1927 championships
Morgan re-established himself, with victory in the Lightweight class and was considered
the best boxer of the tournament. After the Olympic glory (see Olympic Gold) Ted
turned professional, but a hand injury curtailed his path in the paid ranks. In later
years Ted re-entered the ring as the third man and became a prominent Wellington
referee. Ted Morgan passed away in November 1952 at the early age of forty-five.
The first New Zealand Olympic boxer was Charlie Purdy who fought at the 1924
games. The Auckland flash won three New Zealand titles in succession and later
turned professional. Purdy was considered very unlucky not to receive the decision
in his first round bout at the Olympics with Frenchman Marcel Thornley. He made
amends by annexing the lightweight title at the Táil Teann games in Dublin, along
with the Guinness & Coy trophy for the boxer of the championship, before returning
home.
In 1932 at the age of fifteen Clarrie Gordon won the first of his three amateur national
titles in the flyweight division. The following year Gordon suffered his only defeat at
a national championship when he lost a decision to Reg Williams in a bantamweight
battle.
Faced with the task of re-establishing himself in the
amateur circles, it was a grimly determined Gordon
who journeyed to the 1934 Dominion championship in
Hastings. After three tough encounters he won the
featherweight crown and was also awarded the Jameson
Belt. The following year he was untroubled to retain his
national honours. In 1936 the Taranaki featherweight
was chosen along with Norm Fisher and Tom Arbuthnot
for the Berlin Olympics. At the age of 18 years Clarrie
fought a terrific contest to narrowly lose a fight that
many thought he won against Karlson of Finland. A rule
set in place by the Olympic and Empire Game
Association, forcing Olympic representatives to stay in
the amateur ranks for two years after selection, saw
him have only two bouts before turning professional in
1938. The second of those bouts was a draw with Bob
Lyall, who became a leading referee in later years.
Clarrie went on to become the New Zealand professional
welterweight champion during 1949/51.
Clarry Gordon
Morris (correct spelling) Strickland won the New Zealand
Heavyweight title in 1932 before turning to the paid
ranks. While not as well known as Tom Heeney he was
ranked as high as number six in the World Professional
Heavyweight rankings during the late 1930s.
Morris Strickland
(Photos – Kiwi With Gloves On)
17
After the War
The period following World War 2 into the 1960s was a time of growth and opportunity
in New Zealand. The return of the young soldiers and the start of the baby boom era
was a further golden era for boxing in this country. As had happened in the 1920s
and 1930s a number of professional stars burst into the rings. The likes of Barry
Brown, Bos Murphy and Billy Beazley drew large numbers ringside as radio
commentaries painted a blow by blow picture for the thousands who tuned in to follow
the fortunes of their heros.
Accompanying the professional contests, were amateur under cards. Only the most
promising youngsters were considered to provide the entrée to the professional
contests. Gyms sprang up around the country and amateur boxing tournaments
flourished.
A remarkable and extraordinary winner of the 1946 New Zealand welterweight title
was Bernie Coughlin. Not only did the Wanganui fighter lose then win his semi-final
bout but he went on to win the national title, lying unconscious on the mat. In his
second bout Coughlin met Harry Hanson of Wellington and won every round by a
comfortable margin. To the stunned amazement of all present the referee nodded to
Hanson and pandemonium broke out. Later in the evening the unprecedented step
was taken of announcing from the ring the reversal of the decision. The official excuse
was that the referee had mistaken the identity of the two boxers, who both wore blue
singlets.
In the final bout with I Cruikshank of Otago, Coughlin was ahead on points when his
opponent hit him with a foul blow. The referee had previously warned the Otago
fighter for not moving back when break was called. Instead he was doing a quick
double shuffle of a few inches and then throwing punches from the same position.
At the finish he caught Coughlin with both hands down as the referee called break
and knocked him cold. The referee didn’t hesitate and stopped the bout and awarded
it to Coughlin. In later years Bernie went on to become an accomplished referee.
English born Frank Creagh won the first Empire Games boxing gold medal at the
1950 games held in Auckland. Introduced to boxing in the concrete jungle of the West
Ham docks area, Creagh won a British schoolboy title in 1938 and the following year
became the London middleweight champion, at the tender age of sixteen. After war
service in the British army the Londoner arrived in Wellington via the merchant navy.
Wandering around he spotted the City Mission gym and under the guidance of Harry
Squires he began to climb the amateur heavyweight ranks.
Creagh swept all before him at the 1949 New Zealand championships and then set
his sights on representing his adopted country at the Empire Games the following
year. In the trials he became an automatic selection with the demolition of his
opponents. There were only two entrants in the Heavyweight division in Auckland
and Frank was up against Australian F Cousins for the gold medal prize. The durable
Australian must have been pleased when the final bell went, as he had been hit all
around the ring while Frank, with chin down punched out an easy points victory. Frank
settled in Rotorua during 1962 and trained out of the May Road gymnasium for many
years. One of the many fine boxers that started his career with the Rotorua mentor
was former New Zealand amateur and professional champion Michael Sykes. Frank
Creagh passed away in 1998.
Three West Coast boxers all of whom were trained by “Doc” Finlay set a remarkable
record in a ten-year period from 1948. Maurice and Vern Tuck, along with Graham
Finlay won thirteen New Zealand titles and what made the feat more remarkable was
the fact that Vern missed two championships and Maurice one, due to injury.
18
Older brother Maurice set what was considered at the time a record, never to be
beaten, of six national titles, with the last five in succession. His golden run commenced
in 1948 with the annexation of the middleweight crown and was repeated in 1950.
In 1951 he dropped down a weight division to take the inaugural light middleweight
title and defended his title the following year. The middleweight crown was regained
in 1953 and successfully defended during 1954. In addition Maurice had an Australasian
title to his credit and represented New Zealand at the 1954 Empire Games.
Maurice Tuck (Greymouth) won six New Zealand titles.
(Photo – Kiwis With Gloves On)
Vern Tuck was considered by many at the time the more scientific boxer and this was
perhaps confirmed when he was awarded the Jameson Belt at the 1954 championships.
His titles were the lightweight title in 1948, when representing Ashburton, followed
by the middleweight crown in 1951 and the lightmiddle version during 1954.
The third member of this illustrious group, was the son of the trio’s trainer Graham
Finlay. The youngster was considered unlucky not to win a title as a seventeen year
old and returned in 1954 to annex the lightwelter division. A hat trick of victories in
the welterweight class followed in 1955/56/57. The three Greymouth boxers made
the 1954 Wellington national championships their own, when they won the three
championship trophies, along with Vern Tuck’s Jameson Belt, and the Earl Stewart
Memorial Shield for most points won by an Association.
Much has already been written of the deeds of Barry Brown in the professional ring.
What is not quite so well known, is that Brown had an outstanding amateur career
to prepare him for his endeavours in the paid ranks. In some sixty odd amateur bouts
he lost just a handful, before turning professional after the decision was made not
to send a New Zealand boxing representation to the 1952 Olympic games.
The New Zealand Flyweight title fell to the Hawkes Bay representative when he
defeated Joe McNally (Otago) and Joe Winder (Canterbury) before victory over Bob
Broadhurst (Auckland) in the final. Broadhurst went on to win two national titles. The
name Barry Brown is the first inscribed on the Light Welterweight Trophy, after he
took the inaugural championship in 1951. As he did during his professional career
19
the fighter didn’t hesitate to cross the Tasman, where he blasted his way through the
field in the lightweight ranks of the Australian Catholic Youth championships.
Brown scored a further important success when chosen for the 1950 Empire Games
trials. He defeated Denny Glozier, who was to win the national lightweight crown a
few months later. He was selected as the New Zealand reserve featherweight to Billy
Patterson at the 1950 Empire Games held in Auckland.
Another Hawkes Bay boxer to achieve high success in the lighter weight divisions
was Paddy Donovan. A featherweight title in 1954 was followed by the addition of
the lightweight championship in 1956/57/59 and the fourth in 1962. The finesse of
Donovan was rewarded on three occasions of his national championship victories,
when he was awarded the Jameson Belt. The first accompanied his lightweight title
in 1956 with the other two in 1959 and 1962. While several other boxers have gone
on to win the prestigious belt three times and in the era of Trevor Shailer four times,
Donovan was the first to achieve the feat.
Paddy Donovan achieved the pinnacle of representing his country at the Olympic
games, when he accompanied Brian Maunsell to the 1964 games in Japan. Both the
boxers suffered injury in their first round bouts and could be considered unlucky to
not have progressed further. Fourteen Kiwi boxers have won bronze medals at Empire
and Commonwealth Games and Donovan won successive bronze medals in 1958
and 1962.
In the years following World War 2 many servicemen and policemen competed in the
amateur ranks. One such policeman was John “Spike” Hughes who won the New
Zealand Light Middleweight crown three years in succession from 1955. Hughes later
featured in several high profile murder cases as the detective in charge.
Ross Cleverley was a serviceman who entered the annals of the “Guinness Book of
Records” after a contest held in Palmerston North on the 8th July 1954. In what was
recorded as the shortest fight in history Cleverley (RNZAF) floored D Emerson
(Pahiatua) with the first punch of the contest. The referee stopped the contest without
a count seven seconds from the bell. Ross is a relation of Alf Cleverley who won the
National Middleweight title in 1926 and the Light Heavyweight crown in 1927.
20
Prosperity in New Zealand
The 1960s and 70s were a time of prosperity in New Zealand. The servicemen had
returned from the war and the resulting economy produced full employment and great
opportunities. Boxing, in both the amateur and professional ranks continued to prosper.
While it is an impossible challenge to decide who was the best amateur boxer to have
been produced in New Zealand, one that must rank up there at the top was Wally
Coe. Trained by his uncle, the legendary Dick Dunn, the Hutt Valley pugilist swept
all before him during the sixties. Wally was never a pretty boxer but was a thoroughly
effective and skilled tradesman. For some years, in the early stages of his career,
he would suffer badly from pre-fight nerves. It took Coe a couple of attempts to win
a national crown, but once the first was tucked away, there was no stopping him.
Wally Coe won the New Zealand Welterweight title six years in succession starting
at Timaru in 1959. He won the Jameson Belt in 1963. Wally won the Jameson Cup
awarded by the Wellington association to the most scientific boxer at the Wellington
championships so often that it became his permanent property.
His record in international competition was outstanding. In 1959 he beat the New
South Welshmen, Bob Jackson and Bob McLaughlin, then in 1960 he defeated fellow
Australians Jimmy Kewin, Johnny Fitzpatrick and Jimmy Whyte (for the Australasian
title). During 1961 he defeated Sammy Calabrese twice, with the second win retaining
the Australasian championship.
The climax of the Wally Coe career was undoubtedly the gold medal victory at the
1962 Perth Commonwealth Games. Victory over Muhammad Sharif (Pakistan) was
followed by his defeat of Charlie Rice
(Northern Ireland), in the semi-finals.
The final with Johnny Pritchard
(England) was considered by Brian
O’Brien, one of the three best contests
he ever witnessed. An uproar in New
Zealand sporting circles was created
with the omission of Wally from the
1964 Olympic Games team. It was
considered that a defeat by Brian
Maunsell, in Wellington, was allowed
to exert far too much pressure on
subsequent selection deliberations.
Another with an outstanding record
was Brian Kendall who won 102 of
his 107 recorded contests. After
winning an inaugural junior title in
1962 Kendall burst into the senior
ranks in 1963 with the flyweight
championship victory, along with
which he was awarded the Bill
O’Connor Cup for the youngest senior
titleholder. The following year he took
out the bantamweight division.
In 1965 Kendall made the jump into
the featherweight ranks and in doing
so also won the Jameson Belt, along
with the national title. He defended
Wally Coe defeating Charlie Rice on his way
to Commonwealth gold.
(Photo-courtesy of Tom Dunn)
21
both the title and Jameson Belt in 1966 and made a three-peat of the featherweight
crown in 1967. He was the first New Zealand boxer to be awarded the Jameson Belt
in successive years. Two successive national lightweight titles followed in 1968 and
1969. The final Brian Kendall tally of New Zealand senior championships was seven,
in four weight divisions. A record that is unparalleled is that Brian was never beaten
in a New Zealand championship bout. He contested 18 championship bouts winning
every single contest.
While Brian gained selection for the 1966 (at which he won a bronze medal) and
1970 Commonwealth Games, he was another outstanding Kiwi boxer to be overlooked
for Olympic selection. Brian passed away in 1998 aged fifty.
The record number of wins in the Heavyweight division at the National Championships
is eight victories, by Aucklander Bill Kini. After an initial victory in 1959 representing
Southland, Kini missed in 1960, with Eddie Morrison annexing the title. Bill moved
to Auckland and joined George Cammick’s Otahuhu gymnasium and went on to win
the heavyweight championship seven years in succession, from 1961 to 1967.
Auckland made the title its own in the sixties as Joe Jackson followed Kini with
victories during the last two years of the decade.
New Zealand has won five Commonwealth Games Gold Medals and six silver
medallions. Bill Kini won one Gold, Silver and Bronze. In 1962 at Perth Bill defeated
Graham Robinson (Australia) to progress to the final, only to drop a points decision
to G Oywello (Uganda) in the final. Again selected for the Commonwealth team in
1966 he went one better in Kingston, Jamaica, winning the ultimate prize. After a first
round walk over Kini went on to defeat D McAlinden (Northern Ireland) in the semi’s
and A Ray (Ghana) for the gold medal prize. Bill was another that was passed over
for Olympic selection during a time when a New Zealand Olympic selection committee,
after each sport made their nominations, decided the final decision.
Otematata carpenter Brian Maunsell was one Kiwi boxer that did box at the Olympics
competing in the 1964 Tokyo Games. The Olympic call-up came towards the end of
a career that included the New Zealand light welterweight championship four times
(1957,59,60,63) and the Jameson Belt in 1960. Like many of his contemporaries of
the era, Brian excelled in international competition and captained the New Zealand
team on several occasions.
The career of Billy Graham spanned the sixties and seventies. The popular Hutt
Valley boxer was another protégé of Dick Dunn and like Brian Maunsell won the
lightwelter crown four times. Billy has a unique place in New Zealand boxing history
as the only boxer to win the Jameson Belt, Bill O’Connor Cup for the youngest senior
titleholder and the Parker Memorial Trophy as the best loser, during his career.
A number of well performed professional boxers won amateur titles during the sixties
and included Kahu Mahanga, Manny Santos and Toro George.
22
Golden Days Continue
New Zealand in the 1970s was often described as “Godzone”, with continued full
employment and a buoyant economy based on agriculture. However the signs were
there and by the end of the decade many were realising that New Zealanders were
living in one of the most regulated countries in the world. Boxing was facing a changing
world and by the decade’s end professional boxing contests were in serious decline.
The amateur game was facing the challenge of competition from a number of other
and new sports, which were often shown live on Television.
Two families made an indelible mark on New Zealand boxing during the 1970s. The
Rackley and Jackson brothers who dominated the middleweight divisions during the
decade.
David and Ron Jackson were trained at the Heretaunga Boxing Club by Alan Scaife
(the 1976 Olympic and 1978 Commonwealth Games mentor). After shifting from
New Plymouth during 1973, the Hutt Valley trainer coached a myriad of New Zealand
champions, but none were better than the Jackson brothers, their record is amazing.
Between the pair the two brothers won nine New Zealand titles in a six-year period.
But more incredibly they won the Jameson Belt six years in succession. The rules
of contest for the Jameson Belt say that the trophy shall be awarded to any boxer
that can win the trophy three years in succession. Ron Jackson was twice in a position
to claim the belt outright. It is likely that no boxer will ever be awarded the prestigious
trophy three times in a row, as the history would be lost to the sport.
More incredulously, both boys won their first and last senior titles at the same
championships, beginning at Hamilton in 1973 and finishing at the Nelson
championships during 1978. To add to the achievements both Ron and David
participated at the 1974 and 1978 Commonwealth Games. The brothers also won
a number of junior and intermediate championships when living in New Plymouth.
Older brother Ron took the welter crown in 1973 and then stepped up to take the
light middleweight title in 1974/76/77/78.The only year that he didn’t win gold was
1975, when Roger Leonard from Timaru took the lightmiddle crown. The Jameson
Belt was added to the titles in 1973/74 and 1976/77. Such was the respect that the
older Jackson was held in, he was awarded the captaincy of the New Zealand Oceania
Championships team in 1979. The Dubbo championships were the first since 1974
and the team is arguably the most successful to participate in the Pacific event.
Managed by Les Ashton (Timaru) and coached by Ron Mitchell (Christchurch) the
team returned with four gold, two silver and a bronze from eight boxers. Auckland
brothers George and Andrew Stankovich along with Grant Scaife and Fred Tafua
won gold, while Ron and Arden Fatu made the finals, they had to settle for silver.
The achievements of David are no less spectacular and he went one better than his
older brother, when he was selected for 1976 Olympic Games held in Montreal,
Canada. He wrote his place in the history books when he became just the second
Kiwi fighter to progress past the first round. David’s national championship record
stood at the lightwelter title in 1973/74 and the welter division during 1975/78, with
the Jameson Belt in 1975 and 1978. The international record of the brothers were
also impressive, with David having 14 bouts, 10 wins (3 international losses on split
decisions) and Ron 18 bouts, 13 wins (all international losses on split decisions).
23
Ron Jackson
David Jackson
Pat Ryan
The achievements of the Rackley brothers from Nelson were outstanding. All four
brothers were trained by their father Les senior, who was rewarded for his outstanding
training achievements when he was selected to coach the New Zealand boxers at
the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games.
Amongst the remarkable deeds of Les junior, Jeff, Dean and Peri Rackley, was the
selection of all four brothers for either Olympic or Commonwealth Games teams. The
first Rackley brother to put his name in the senior championship ledger was Jeff who
took the featherweight title in 1969. The most successful in the number of championship
wins of the brothers, he added the lightweight crown in 1970, welter in 1971/72 and
the middleweight championship during1975. The Jameson Belt accompanied the
welter titles in 1971/72. Jeff was the only brother not to be selected for a Commonwealth
Games team, but went one better with his participation at the ill fated 1972 Munich
Olympics. International success included a gold medal at the inaugural Oceania
Championships held in Tahiti in 1972.
At the time of Jeff’s fourth national title in 1972, Les junior put his name on the national
championship ledger for the first time in the middleweight division. The title was the
first of three consecutive championships. 1974 was a big year for Les with selection
in the New Zealand team that competed at the first Commonwealth Games to be
hosted in this country. A first round KO victory over an Ugandan opponent, set up a
semi-final against Julius Luipa from Zambia. After a torrid contest the decision was
awarded to the Zambian fighter, while Les had a Commonwealth bronze medal to
add to his trophy cabinet.
Dean is the second youngest brother and annexed the senior light heavyweight title
in 1978. He had the unusual distinction of winning both the intermediate welter and
light middle titles at the 1972 championships. Another achievement was a title attempt
at the British ABA championships during a sojourn in Britain. Both Dean and Peri
competed at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Canada. The third brother was a
more than useful cricketer and played Hawke Cup cricket for Nelson.
24
The youngest was Peri and a big future was predicted for the youngster. He lived
up to expectation and added the Rackley name to the middleweight championship
trophy in 1978/79. Along with Dean he was selected and boxed at the 1978
Commonwealth Games. In boxing circles he will best be remembered for a shock
points decision over Andrew Stankovich in July 1978. Stankovich had won gold at
the Oceania Championships of that year and was good enough to be selected for
the World Championships held in the same year at the Madison Square Gardens in
New York, USA.
Another family connection of the seventies was the Taranaki brothers Martin and Pat
Ryan. Whilst Martin was a very good amateur boxer, it was as the trainer of younger
brother Pat that he really made his mark. Martin was also the first trainer of the
Jackson brothers. Like a number of the better boxers of the time Pat won several
New Zealand junior titles, before making the jump into the senior ranks. Success
came in the first attempt on a senior championship with the flyweight crown in 1968
along with the Bill O’Connor Cup awarded to the youngest senior titleholder.
After the initial success in 1968, Pat went on in the next three years to add the
bantamweight and featherweight crowns. The Jameson Belt accompanied the first
of his two feather titles in 1970. An Oceania gold medal in 1972, was only the beginning
that year, as Pat earned selection for the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Only the truly great boxers can retire and then return to capture another national title.
Lured back to the ring in 1977 primarily because the championships were held in
Taranaki, Pat added his fifth championship, with victory in the lightwelter class. Two
memorable contests that the Taranaki terrier will be remembered for are his defeat
of Eric Briggs in an outstanding featherweight final in 1970. As well he convincingly
defeated Jeff Rackley over six rounds at Wright Stephenson’s thoroughbred sale ring,
at Trentham in 1969.
While the feats of Bill Byrne are recorded in “the Titleholders”, another heavyweight
to make his mark was George Stankovich. In a short career of only 25 amateur
contests the Auckland fighter had spectacular success. Trained by Gerry Preston,
1978 was the year for George as he won Auckland, New Zealand and Oceania gold
and took a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games. He is also remembered for
several action packed bouts with Bill Byrne. In 1979 he represented Oceania at the
World Cup losing in the quarterfinals. After being told he wasn’t good enough for the
1980 Moscow Olympics (which New Zealand eventually boycotted) Stankovich turned
professional. He won the New Zealand professional heavyweight title, stopping giant
Tongan boxer Young Sekona in the seventh round.
While few books on New Zealand boxing have been published in significant numbers,
one personality that took the plunge during the 1970s was Bob Jones (Later Sir
Robert Jones). His New Zealand Boxing Yearbooks of 1972 and 1973 were the
definitive word on boxing of the day. The complete record of all professional bouts
in the country along with amateur information were a cracking read and remain a
collectors item for the boxing fraternity.
25
A Decade of Change
By the end of the eighties, New Zealand had gone from one of the most regulated
economies in the world to life in a free market environment. The population of the
country was now largely urban based, with over quarter living in Auckland. New
Zealand Boxing was now undertaking regular overseas tours and hosting international
tournaments at home. The Oceania championships were staged every year from
1979 and the constant Oceania competition was just the step needed to progress to
a higher level of competition.
One of the most successful teams to leave our shores were the five boxers selected
for the first Commonwealth Championships held in Belfast, Northern Ireland during
1983. Coached by Kevin Barry senior, the team returned with two gold and silver
medals apiece. Michael Kenny and Kevin Barry junior, won gold in the heavyweight
and light heavyweight ranks respectively. Billy Meehan and Michael Sykes made the
finals but had to settle for silver, both being defeated by the Commonwealth Games
Gold Medallists.
Much has been written over the years on the silver medal won by Kevin Barry at the
1984 Olympic Games. While the controversy at the Games is covered in “Olympic
Gold” in this publication much of Kevin’s earlier achievements have received very
little coverage. The Kevin Barry story was very much a family affair, with father Kevin
Barry senior the trainer, mother Myra the chief team leader and brothers Brian and
Tim the support team. (Myra Barry’s commitment to boxing included President of the
Canterbury Boxing Association and vice-president of the NZBA for a term).
Kevin quickly moved up the weight scale after his first national title in the junior under
50kg weight division in 1974. A junior lightweight and intermediate lightmiddle followed
before two senior light heavyweights in 1983 and 1984. While many of the boxers
have won more titles than Kevin Barry, it was his international record that was simply
superb.
The Olympic silver medal was only part of a
prized collection. Oceania Golds from 1982, 1983
and 1984, a Commonwealth Championship gold
in 1983, a silver from the 1984 Kings Cup, a 1982
Commonwealth Games bronze and a 1985
Oceania bronze. In all Kevin had 24 international
contests with 20 victories. Barry never fought as
a professional but has gone on to become one
of New Zealand’s most successful professional
fight promoters. He has also managed David Tua
through the professional ranks in America since
1992, including a shot at the World Heavyweight
title against Lennox Lewis in November 2000.
Another New Zealand heavyweight boxer to make
it on the world stage was Jimmy Peau. Trained
by Gerry Preston in Otahuhu, Peau was another
to make his mark internationally in the amateur
ranks. Three national heavyweight and one super
heavyweight crowns were just part of a record
that included 88 wins from 97 contests. He won
gold at Tahiti in a six nations tournament and a
Commonwealth Games gold medal in 1986. After
winning bronze at the World Cup during 1987 Kevin Barry
the Auckland warrior travelled to Australia and (Photo – courtesy of Dave Cameron)
26
turned professional under the tutelage of Jack Rennie. In a long professional career
Peau, who fought in the cash ranks as Jimmy Thunder won two minor versions (WBF
and IBO) of the World Heavyweight crown and was ranked as high as number five
by the WBC.
Jimmy “Peau” Thunder
(Photo – courtesy of Dave Cameron)
Michael Kenny won the last New Zealand Commonwealth Games Gold boxing medal
of the twentieth century at the Auckland Games in 1990. The Wellingtonian had
previously taken a Commonwealth Championship and the Auckland event was Kenny’s
swan song. In front of a home crowd Michael had two easy points victories over Kevin
McCormack (Wales) and Vernon Linklater (Canada) to reach the super heavyweight
final. Facing a man mountain from Ghana in Liadi Alhassen the Kiwi representative
was far too good and won a unanimous points victory to take the Commonwealth
Gold Medal.
The eighties featured a number of superb lighter weight fighters. The tale of Billy
Meehan who took nine featherweight crowns has been told in “The Record Holders”.
Others to shine in the era included Colin Hunia, Michael Sykes and Colin Adamson.
27
The Millennium Beckons
If the eighties were about change, the nineteen nineties were about technology and
the changing of old traditions. E-mail and cell phones, completely revolutionised
personal communication and the Internet opened information technology to all. In the
sporting fields old traditions were quickly discarded with women participating in a
number of sports that had been considered the male domain. Professional sport
escalated to include the holy of holies, rugby union.
Boxing was no different and the mid nineties saw women given the right to box. Other
significant changes in the sport were the abolition of three by three-minute rounds
in senior competition. The first change was five two-minute rounds, before the four
by two-minute rounds of today were introduced. The other radical move by the AIBA
(Amateur International Boxing Association) was the introduction of computer scoring.
New Zealand had considerable international success during the decade, due in a
large part to the financial contribution of the New Zealand Sports Foundation. Based
on a policy of funding international sporting achievers, New Zealand boxers were
able to attend AIBA ranking tournaments around the globe. The funding also allowed
the appointment of a National Coach, for set periods, rather than one off appointments
for individual events.
In 1991 seven Kiwi boxers were selected to attend the World Championships held
in Sydney, Australia. Johnny Wallace (feather), Trevor Shailer (light welter), Nuka
Woods (welter), Sililo Figota (light middle), Sam Leuii (middle) Nigel Anderson (light
heavy) and David Tua (heavyweight) wore the Kiwi singlet. The New Zealand
representatives had little luck with the draw, with several boxers drawing either
European champions or Cuban boxers. Trevor Shailer impressed with victory over
a tough Turkish opponent in the first round of competition, before being eliminated
by a Cuban. The second Kiwi to advance past the first round was Sililo Figota. The
Samoan born boxer was in dynamic form, with
a second round stoppage victory over his
Chinese opponent. The draw played a part in
the departure of Figota as he faced the Cuban
who went on to win the Gold Medal.
David Tua won New Zealand’s first medal at a
World Championship with a bronze in the
heavyweight division. After taking care of a
Swedish boxer, David drew the legendary Cuban,
Felix Savon. Giving away eight inches in height
and reach, David took the fight to the Cuban,
before an overhand right put the Kiwi fighter on
the deck, with the referee then stopping the
contest. David also won a Bronze Medal at the
1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona before
embarking on an illustrious professional career.
The only New Zealand boxer to defeat Kipa
Tasefa in his short amateur career was David
Tua. Just prior to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics,
Tasefa lost a 3/2 decision to Tua that was hotly
disputed by the viewing public. Several significant
international victories including a Kings Cup
bronze, saw Kipa ranked by the AIBA at number
three in the World. The number three ranking
was also attained by David Tua, some twelve
28
David Tua on his return from
Barcelona 1992
(Photo – courtesy Dave Cameron)
months previously.
1997 was a golden year for New Zealand boxing. During
the mid 1990s national coach John McKay formulated
a long term international plan, that led up to the 2000
Sydney Olympic Games. NZBA Executive Officer Deirdre
Rodgers and Dr McKay submitted annual funding
applications, based upon athlete development to the
New Zealand Sports Foundation. After the initial grant,
future grants were results based. At the same time a
new batch of potential international aspirants emerged.
A trio of boxers had a considerable number of significant
international victories during the mid 1990s. Heavyweight
Garth da Silva, numbered gold medals at the Mayors
Cup (Philippines) and the Presidents Cup (Indonesia)
along with bronze at the Liverpool Cup and Ali Cup,
amongst his international achievements. The best was
never seen from light heavyweight Regan Foley, in the
amateur ranks as he suffered a serious injury after
securing a silver medal at the 1997 President’s Cup.
Faii Falamoe, Auckland super heavyweight was the
third member of the trio. A gold medal at the prestigious
(Muhammad) Ali Cup and President’s Cup sits alongside
Oceania and Arafura Gold Medals won by the talented
boxer. The best performance of the decade was the
1997 President’s Cup with the three Kiwi boxers Dr John McKay
contesting the gold medal position. The New Zealand (Photo – courtesy Dave Cameron)
team finished the tournament in second place behind Uzbekistan and ahead of teams
such as USA, Russia and Korea. This was the best result by a New Zealand boxing
team since the 1983 Commonwealth Championships in Belfast.
The 1990s were also the time of several multiple New Zealand champions. Trevor
Shailer dominated the light welterweight division with five wins in succession from
1990 through to 1994. In addition, he added the welterweight crown in 1995 and 1999
to go with the four Jameson Belts (see "The Champions" chapter). Sam Leuii held
power in the middleweight class from
1991 up to 1995 winning five consecutive titles before turning to the cash ranks. The
switch to the professional ranks by a top amateur was an unusual occurrence in the
last couple of decades of the century. Another to dominate a division was Jojo tipace
who held the Featherweight crown in 1995,97,98 and 1999.
Whakatane lightweight Kalolo Fiaui won his first senior national championship, while
still eligible for intermediate competition. The five lightweight titles featured a number
of battles with two boxers from the North Shore gym of John McKay. The first series
was fought between 1990 Commonwealth Games representative Danny Masterton,
with Masterton splitting Fiaui’s first two titles. After regaining the Parisian Cup in 1995
the Central North Island puncher, then entered an epic sequence with Ramil Abubot.
Their battles at four successive championships between 1996 and 1999 were all
stirring battles, with the final score two wins apiece.
29
In 1996 Robert Walker turned up at brother Chris’s gym and announced he wanted
to box at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. To start with, nobody took him seriously,
although he was one of the outstanding junior boxers of his time. He had one season
in the senior ranks in 1991, after a ten-year absence. Go to the Commonwealth
Games he certainly did. On the way, the Rotorua puncher grabbed the welterweight
title in 1997 and in 1998 won the Jameson Belt, along with his second welter crown.
Retirement from the ring saw another Walker in the training ranks and in 2001 he
trained son Robbie Walker junior to win the Sommerville Cup. In a unique family
occurrence, family patriarch Bob Walker had trained son Robert to win the Sommerville
Cup in 1980, which Robert repeated twenty-one years later.
30
2002 Onwards
Boxing in the new century faced a completely different world from the beginnings
ninety-eight years prior. Registered amateur boxer numbers had risen to over one
thousand during the heyday of the sport, back to nearly five hundred in 2000. While
the numbers in 2000 were comparable with twenty years previous, the real change
was the composition of the numbers, with over ten per cent being registered female
boxers.
Melanie Horne and Odette Van der Meer participated in the first women's world
championships, which were held in Scranton, USA in November 2001. Both competitors
won and lost a bout apiece with Melanie winning a bronze medal in the welterweight
division. The success ranked New Zealand 15th in the world rankings and Melanie
and Odette were ranked fourth and eight respectively on the AIBA world women’s
rankings for 2001.
Shane Cameron
(Photo – courtesy Dave Cameron)
Shane Cameron became the first boxer over the middleweight limit to win the Jameson
Belt when he annexed the heavyweight title at the 2001 New Zealand championships.
The Fielding boxer didn’t lace on gloves, until he travelled to Great Britain on a working
holiday. Talk of attending the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester saw him
return to his country of birth in an attempt to wear the black singlet. History will show
that not only did Shane wear the black singlet in Manchester, he won a bronze medal
in the heavyweight division. The four man Kiwi boxing squad picked up a second
medal with Daniel Codling also winning a bronze in the welterweight class.
31
Brian O’Brien
In an earlier chapter we mentioned two of the most influential figures in the first
century of the New Zealand Boxing Association being Tim Tracy and Dick Dunn.
There is a third man that had just as significant a contribution to New Zealand boxing
through his journalistic skills, his contribution as a referee and a Judge and later as
an administrator.
Brian O’Brien arguably did more to promote the sport of boxing both at professional
and amateur levels than any other individual during the first hundred years of the
New Zealand Boxing Association.
The Wellingtonian wrote about the sport he loved both as free lance journalist for a
number of world-wide boxing publications, as a Kiwi sports journalist and later Editor
of the Sports Digest. Brian O’Brien ensured that boxing news was kept to the forefront
in the Sports Digest, which took over from the New Zealand Sportsman, as the
monthly sporting bible of Kiwi sportsmen (and women) during the 1960s and 70s. In
the days before television the Sports Digest was the definitive word on what was
happening in New Zealand sport.
Brian O’Brien was a Justice of the Peace and a Wellington City Councillor. He became
a boxing judge in 1958 and went on to become an AIBA International judge. Appointed
to the 1962 Commonwealth Games held in Perth, Australia he also officiated at the
1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch. An invitation to officiate at the 1976
Olympic Games was reluctantly declined because of other commitments.
As the same time that Brian qualified as a boxing official he became an executive
member of the Wellington Boxing Association, serving as Chairman from 1963 to
1976. In 1972 when the New Zealand Boxing Council resigned, he was elected to
the new Council and became the Chairman. In 1975 the boxing administrator was
elected as President of New Zealand Boxing.
While the above details are only the outline of some of his contributions to boxing
and the community, Brian O’Brien left a legacy to New Zealand Boxing history when
he wrote "Kiwis With Gloves On". The book published in 1960 was the definitive
history of New Zealand Boxing to that date and has formed the platform for much of
the research for this publication.
In 1969 the boxing historian was set a task by the nationals program editor to write
about the three best amateur fights that he had witnessed. The following were his
own words "rather than rate them the best I simply name them three of the greatest".
Barry Brown (Hawkes Bay) beat Joe McNally (Otago) in the final of the light
welterweight division at Palmerston North in 1951.
McNally, nephew of the formidable Lachie McDonald, one of the immortals of the
New Zealand ring, had gone perilously close to losing his semi-final to Sonny Black,
a Southlander who hit like a middleweight, while the tall slim Brown had needed his
two fights to warm to the task.
Brown was a comparative rarity – a southpaw with a skilled right hand. The Bay boy,
later to achieve his own brand of immortality by becoming the first professional ever
to win a British Empire Championship Title in this country, was a straight stinging
puncher and he caught McNally, an aggressive little fellow, with a whole range of
right jabs and left crosses delivered with a relaxed air that came close to casual.
32
At times he would change his feet when he went to throw his left, which suggested
he was not a natural left hander, and was more impressive from the waist up than
his footwork.
Nonetheless he punched with beautiful accuracy against the walk-up McNally, who
himself was no mean slugger but a shrewd creator of opening while just lacking the
range of the other boy. Whenever McNally tried to slug it out , Brown would take him
on and defeat him in the punching rallies, for almost always it was Joe who was the
first to break the ground. And when the South Islander straightened his punching and
sought to outbox Brown, he simply could not bring anything very effective to bear,
for Brown had a slight but valuable edge in speed to add to his extra reach.
McNally fought with all the fierce determination that was expected of one with his
antecedents but no matter what he tried, Brown matched him and eventually won
the day after one of the best boxers versus fighter contests in many years.
Wally Coe (Wellington, New Zealand) beat Johnny Pritchett (Nottingham,
England) in the final of the Commonwealth Games welterweight division at
Perth, Australia 1962.
In his tenth fight against an overseas opponent, Coe the wireworker from the Hutt
Valley, preserved his unbeaten record in international boxing by winning the title from
the dark haired solidly built Briton. He had beaten the Pakistani, Muhammad Sharif
and the Northern Irishman, Charlie Rice, while Pritchett had come through the opposite
end of the draw at the expense of Joe Darkey (Ghana) and Albert Turmel (Jersey),
extending his record to over 100 fights before he was even 20 years of age.
There was tremendous interest in this fight between the tall, erect standing Coe and
the shorter more square-on Pritchett who appeared to have more of the American
about him than the average UK amateur, though he too stood bolt upright.
Pritchett shook Coe at the very start when he tagged him with a couple of powerful
rights. The New Zealander later, to admit "I thought I was finished there and then".
There did indeed seem every prospect of Coe going down from one of these blows
but he spread his legs and boxed his way out of the shadows.
By the time the second round came round, Coe had the old pump working and out
snaked that gun barrel left, a little too long at first for maximum effect but, when
shortened, often bringing the English champion up with a jolt. And when Coe threw
his first serious right cross, it fairly exploded on Pritchett's chin and the New Zealand
heads began to wag amongst the spectators.
Pritchett, now taking his share of punishment, realised that Coe was a puncher worthy
of his own steel and, after leading in with his left, was seen to grapple with Coe and
hold on. English born Australian referee George Abrahart, one of the superior third
men in the ring at the tournament, was very quickly onto this and there came two
cautions.
Coe was getting stronger and had come right back into the fight, an intensely interesting
affair that had the hall split down the middle on who was ahead. He had lost the first
round, taken the second, which meant that little if anything between this well-matched
and talented pair as the vital third round came up. Pritchett continued to force the
fight but was hanging on after he had fired his leads, apprehensive of the counter,
33
and this time he was warned. I believe it was this warning which eventually influenced
the judges in this very close contest.
Coe had now stepped up the pace noticeably and, with all the stops out punished
Pritchett with some trip-hammer rights. One of these in my opinion put the Englishmen
down, but the referee was unsighted and when Pritchett jumped straight to his feet,
Mr Abrahart apparently treated it as a slip. The fight finished in a blaze of two-handed
punching from both fighters and a 4-1 decision for Coe, even with dissenting judge
(Dr Hirschman, a South African) having the points dead even.
Ivan Woodham (Hawkes Bay) beat Wayne Franks (Auckland) in an Olympic
Games trial in Wellington, 1964.
Franks was a fair headed, baby faced Aucklander, deceptively wiry and tough, who
had won the national featherweight title five years before. Woodham was as dark
and swarthy as the Auckland boy was blond, stockier and more heavily muscled. He
had not won any New Zealand championship but had toured with the New Zealand
team in the absence of the first choice Toro George.
This pair of terriers provided for every moment of the three 3 minute rounds just the
kind of exhibition with which Johnny Leckie and Tommy Donovan had delighted
ringsiders in their six fight professional series a generation before, and for every move
that one made the other had a counter on the way. If you wanted boxing, you got it;
if you wanted fighting that was there too in one glorious sustained dose. Both used
a variety of punches made more effective by sound balance and footwork, and despite
the aggressive nature of both boys, defence was by no means thrown out of the ring,
Woodham won the decision, but on no scorecard could there have been more than
a solitary point at best two, between two superbly fit nine-stoners although I never
asked Ivan or Wayne about it. I would be prepared to hear each of them that this was
his hardest fight not withstanding the fact that Franks had boxed with success for the
famed Fisher and Downside club in London and Woodham against Australia’s best.
34
Olympic Gold
Since Charley Purdy represented New Zealand at the 1924 Olympics in Paris twentysix kiwi boxers have donned the black singlet in Olympic competition. In what is
considered the ultimate goal of Olympic representation New Zealand boxers have
not only won a trifecta of medals, but also one of each colour.
In 1928 Ted Morgan was half of the two-man boxing team selected for the Amsterdam
Olympics, along with fellow Wellingtonian Alf Cleverly. Morgan was the current New
Zealand lightweight champion and Cleverly had taken the light heavyweight title at
the 1927 nationals.
Ted Morgan was a pupil of Ted Tracy, in his old Willis Street gymnasium. When
Morgan received the nomination from the selectors for the Olympics, he had lost just
two of his twenty-four bouts, to Jack Rodds of Blenhiem, which he reversed in their
further four fights, and to Harold Kindley from Otago.
The Olympic team arrived in England, five weeks after departing on the SS Remuera.
Not for them the comfort of a twenty four-hour flight of today, but five weeks at sea
where fitness had to be maintained, in far from suitable training conditions. Disaster
struck the future Olympic champion on arrival when he dislocated the first knuckle
of his right hand in a sparring session.
A further problem, was the increased weight that Ted had gained on the sea voyage
and which forced him to fight in the welterweight division, rather than his customary
lightweight class. A Swede by the name of Johanson was the New Zealand boxer’s
first victory and after he defeated the Frenchman Calataud, the expectations of a
gold medal rose markedly. After the second fight, a leading British boxing journalist
wrote "The best amongst the British Empire contingent is the New Zealander Morgan
who is competing in the welterweight division. He knows how to use both hands and
hits hard with a minimum of effort. His right bursts holes in the defence of his
opponents, who also suffer from vicious jabs to the jaw. Morgan is one of the best
boxer-fighters, if not the best, participating".
The 21 year old apprentice plumber went on to outbox Canovan of Italy and in the
final Landini, an Argentinean knockout specialist. The final victory gave New Zealand
its first Olympic Gold medal.
Ted resisted offers from European and American interests to turn professional and
returned to New Zealand to enter the paid ranks some twelve months later. While he
captured the New Zealand professional welterweight title and undertook a short
campaign in America, in later years he never really lived up to the early expectations
in the pro ranks. Morgan later became proprietor of a thriving plumbing business in
Wellington and turned his hand to refereeing for a time. The first New Zealand Olympic
champion passed away in 1952 at the early age of forty five and is buried in the
Karori cemetery in Wellington. The winner of the New Zealand welterweight title at
the national championships each year is presented with the Ted Morgan Cup.
Controversy surrounded the awarding of a silver medal to Kevin Barry at the 1984
Olympics held in Los Angeles. The disqualification of Evander Holyfield in their semifinal bout overshadowed the feat of Barry winning three bouts to reach the medal
round in the cauldron of Olympic competition. This feat of four Olympic victories ranks
alongside Ted Morgan, who also won four bouts in winning his gold medal in 1928.
35
The first victory was comprehensive, five judges to nil, point’s shutout over Trinidad’s
Don Smith. A narrow three-two points win from Jonathon Kiriisa (Uganda) set up a
quarter-final contest with Jean Paul Nanga (Cameroon) which Barry took out 4-1.
The knockdown of the Kiwi boxer in his semi-final fight with Evander Holyfield (who
later became an icon and world champion in the world professional heavyweight
ranks) after the bell, resulted in the disqualification of the American boxer. The silver
medal was hung around the neck of the Christchurch boxer after he was adjudged
medically unfit to contest the gold medal final.
The third Olympic medal was the Bronze awarded to Samoan born David Tua at the
1992 Barcelona Games. The Auckland youngster made an instant impression when
arriving on the boxing scene as a 15-year-old. A New Zealand junior and intermediate
title preceded his three senior heavyweight titles, all of which were won before he
had turned 20 years of age.
In 1991 Tua went to the World Junior championships held in Peru where he was
beaten in controversial circumstances by the Cuban champion in the first round of
the competition. On his return home he told National Coach John McKay, that he
thought he could beat the Russian gold medal winner. McKay had enough faith in
the youngster to bring Igor Androv out from Russia, with bouts in Auckland and
Palmerston North. After losing a controversial decision in the first fight, the Auckland
boxer bounced back to take the second.
At the end of 1991 David Tua was rewarded for an impressive journey up the world
amateur ranks, with a trip to the World Championships in Sydney, Australia. After
winning his preliminary bouts, he was stopped in the first round of his semi-final fight
with the Cuban Olympic and World champion Felix Savon, to earn a bronze medal.
In Barcelona Tua created a huge impression with two knockdown victories both within
two rounds, before meeting Nigerian David Izonritei in the semi-finals. While the Kiwi
lost his bout on points to pick up a bronze medal, he managed to break the nose of
his opponent during the bout. His impressive showing at the Olympics had a number
of the worlds promoters making substantial offers for David to join the professional
heavyweight ranks in the United States. In 1992 he joined the stable of veteran and
highly respected USA trainer Lou Duva.
After seeking the advice of a number of prominent boxing personnel in New Zealand,
Kevin Barry the 1984 Olympic silver medallist was signed as the manager of David
Tua. Such was the success of the Barry management that David fought Lennox Lewis
for the greatest prize of all, being the World Professional Heavyweight title in 2000.
In spite of losing the title fight, at the time of writing this publication Tua was still in
the top echelon of world heavyweights and ranked as one of the most potent KO
punchers in the heavyweight division.
Olympic Games participation is the ultimate achievement for amateur boxers worldwide
and only the best from the five continents get the opportunity to enter the Olympic
ring. New Zealand representatives apart from the three medal winners have not fared
well with only two other kiwi boxers progressing past the first round.
It was nearly fifty years since Ted Morgan’s glorious victory, before another kiwi pugilist
proceeded to the second round at the Olympic Games. Wellington welter David
Jackson was selected for the 1976 Games in Montreal along with fellow Wellingtonian
Robert Colley in the lightwelter class. Jackson drew Fredji Chtiqui from Tunisia and
despatched his opponent, with the bout being stopped in the second
36
round. The second bout for the Wellington fighter was the Russian, Valery Rachkov,
who beat the New Zealander on a 5 nil points decision.
Twenty years was to pass before another New Zealander overcame their first round
opponent. Garth da Silva was the lone New Zealand boxer to attend the 1996 Olympics
held in Atlanta, USA. Accompanied by Manager Coach Chris Kenny, da Silva made
a spectacular start to his Olympic campaign, when he knocked out the Irishman,
Cathal O’Grady, the reigning European Junior champion in the second round. Such
was the power of the kiwi boxers punches, damage was done to da Silva’s hand,
which he carried into the next round. Pain killing injections were used, to allow him
to box Serguei Dychkov from Belarus. After a valiant battle, Garth lost his second
round contest on a narrow points decision.
The first New Zealand Olympic Boxing representative was Charlie Purdy, who boxed
at the 1924 Games in Paris. He was adjudged to have been out-pointed by local
French idol Marcel Thorley, although many at ringside were convinced that Purdy
had prevailed. Purdy showed his true class, with a decisive win in the Tail Teann
Games in Ireland, after the close of the Olympiad, at which he was awarded the boxer
of the tournament.
Another to be considered unlucky was Clarrie Gordon at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
In a magnificent fight with the Finn, Karlson, the kiwi representative lost by a solitary
point.
The 1932 boxing team, was a tragic squad, for within a few months of the return from
Los Angeles only featherweight Bobby Purdie was still alive. Middlewight Bert Lowe
was killed in a railway accident, and Harold Thomas the welterweight representative
lost his life in a professional contest on the West Coast.
1932 Olympic Games team
(Photo – Kiwis With Gloves On)
37
Jameson Belt
The Jameson Belt was presented to the New Zealand Boxing Association in 1927
by the well known Dublin distillers, John Jameson and Sons. The belt is awarded
annually to the most scientific senior boxer of the National Championships, as selected.
The Jameson Belt is considered the most prestigious trophy of each championship
and will remain the property of the first boxer to win it in three consecutive years.
The two most successful winners of the Jameson Belt were Trevor Shailer and Ron
Jackson. Shailer won the belt four times, twice as a light welterweight, in 1990 and
1994 and twice as welterweight in 1995 and 1999. The 1999 win, was more remarkable
for the fact that Shailer had a four year absence from the sport, before returning to
annex the Jameson Belt again.
During the 1970s the Jackson brothers made the belt their own, winning it six times
between them. From 1973 to 1978 the only names on the belt were the brothers
Jackson. Ron won the coveted trophy in 1973/74/76 and 1977, which meant, he was
twice in a position to have taken the belt outright. The first success for Ron, was in
the welter division, with the other three, in the light middleweight class. David won
one apiece in the welter and light middle division.
Two boxers to win three times were Paddy Donovan and Jeff Rackley. Fighters from
the lower end of the weight scale have dominated the belt, with no boxer from above
the middleweight limit, ever winning the trophy, until the new millennium.
The lighter weight domination of the Jameson Belt ended at the 2001 National
Championships held in Taupo. Fielding heavyweight Shane Cameron was awarded
the prestigious trophy, at the conclusion of the championship.
Only Oamaru lightweight, Norm Jenkins in 1936 and Otago lightweight, Colin Kerr
in 1947 have won the Jameson Belt, without winning the national title.
Billy Graham
The only boxer to have won the Jameson Belt and the other two special senior trophy
awards is Billy Graham. The Jameson Belt was awarded to Graham in 1967, while
he won the Bill O’Connor Cup (youngest senior champion) in 1964, 1966, 1967 and
the Parker memorial Trophy (best loser) in 1973.
38
The Families
During the first century of the New Zealand Boxing Association, there were a number
of families that made significant contributions to New Zealand Boxing.
The name of Leckie was associated with the New Zealand Boxing Championships
since its inception. Archie Leckie won the middleweight title in 1905 and later held
the professional middleweight title of New Zealand. Also in 1905, Jim Leckie linked
the history of two fighting families, when he fought Jim Griffin at Dunedin. The year
1909 saw Matt Leckie go down at the hands of Peter Florio, the brilliant West Coaster.
Jim Leckie won the light-heavy titles in 1923-24 and the heavyweight title in 1927,
while Bill Leckie was runner-up in the featherweight division in 1927. Jim or James
Leckie was also widely known in Athletics as a hammer thrower. He won the New
Zealand title on a number of occasions, setting a national record and representing
New Zealand at the 1938 and 1950 Empire Games in that sport. The deeds of the
early Leckies, grand as they were, were destined to be eclipsed by one of the greatest
New Zealanders to lace on gloves "Fighting" Johnny Leckie.
Johnny was too hot for any amateur in the country winning the featherweight title in
1926. In 1927 he was considered a near certainty for the Olympic Games to be held
in Amsterdam the following year. The only drawback however, was the rule that
prevented our Olympic boxers from turning professional, until two years after the
games. Johnny decided that this was too much of an obstacle and on the 24th June
1927 stepped into the ring for his inaugural cash contest. Johnny Leckie went on to
defeat a number of Australian and American champions and will be best remembered
in New Zealand boxing history for his bouts with Pete Sarron (later world featherweight
champion) and Tommy Donovan who defeated Sarron three times. Other Leckies to
keep the name before the boxing public were Hector, Neil, Sandy, Dick and Billy
junior.
Reference in this publication has already been made
to the immense contribution of Richard John Dunn. Not
so well known, is the fact that Dick was the second
oldest of six brothers and one sister (James, Richard,
Wallace, Henry, Thomas, Peter and May. May
subsequently became the mother of Wallace "Wally
Coe"). Dick was born at Millerton on the West Coast on
the 19th May 1908. Henry the fourth oldest, won
numerous Hutt Valley and other provincial titles, before
turning to the cash ranks. He will best be remembered
for shock defeats of flashy Filipino Dommy Ganzon.
The Filipino fighter had fought the legendary Henry
Armstrong and Henry caused two upsets when he twice
beat Ganzon on points. Henry was also a highly talented
cricket player, who played senior cricket for the Hutt
Cricket club, at the tender age of fifteen years.
Tom Dunn was also a multi-talented sportsman, who
represented Hutt Valley at cricket and soccer and during
the war played senior grade rugby for the Navy fifteen Johnnie Leckie
in Wellington. He began his boxing career in 1933 and (Photo – Kiwis With Gloves On)
annexed the Wellington paperweight title the following year. Tom, who was trained
by elder brother Dick, had four attempts to lift a New Zealand title, before winning
the lightweight title in 1939. In winning the championship, he eliminated C Beal
(Hawkes Bay), J Musson (Taranaki) H McIvor (Auckland) and H Calder (Southland).
Along with Bill Enright of Southland, Tom was selected for the New Zealand team
39
that would have attended the 1940 Olympic Games, that never took place due to
the second world war.
After war service Tom entered the "box for pay" ranks and faced Bos Murphy in his
first contest on 26th June 1944. Dunn became the only New Zealander to beat the
Empire professional champion, when Murphy was forced to retire, with a damaged
ankle. Tom went on to fight the best in this country, before retiring to join the trainers
ranks.
Peter, the youngest, won several Hutt Valley titles before war service interrupted his
boxing career. The next generation was represented by Tom Dunn junior, who was
not only a son of Dick, but was also trained by his father. The second Tom was also
a very accomplished amateur boxer who won the New Zealand middleweight title in
1963 and 1965 and wore the silver fern. His two younger brothers, Les and Richard
both won provincial titles. Les had an unbeaten record of sixteen fights, before he
retired on his father’s advice at just sixteen years of age. At that time there were no
age restrictions and he was facing boxers ten years his senior.
Jack Mitchell was a big Devon man, and his wife Ida, was born in the neighbouring
county of Cornwall, in southwest England. The Mitchells came out to New Zealand
in 1928. Jack began work in the mines of the West Coast and the family went on to
ultimately build on their trio of three English born boys, who in New Zealand became
a team of eight sons and one daughter.
Jack loved his boxing and as his boys grew towards manhood, the game became
the favourite topic of conversation, between father and sons. Mitchell senior went on
to become secretary of the Hutt Valley Boxing Trainers Association when he moved
north from the Coast, added the reigns of the Wellington BTA and finally took over
as secretary of the national body.
Jack and Ida Mitchell tragically lost their eldest son, Lloyd on the Cobb River Hydro
in 1944, but thereafter most of the remaining Mitchell sons made noteworthy
contributions to boxing. The second oldest son Ron won the Canterbury welterweight
title in 1954 and boxed under the tutelage of veteran trainer Martin Maunsell, until
in 1956 he became a trainer under Maunsell’s tuition. In 1967 Ron started his own
Gymnasium at the Woolston Working Mens club and was the trainer of the New
Zealand team that almost swept the field at the Oceania championships held in
Dubbo, Australia. The team won four gold, two silver and a bronze, from the seven
boxers that attended the championships.
The third eldest, Max, was the Hutt Valley ring announcer for many years and the
highlight of his career was to announce at the New Zealand Games. Max pursued
only a fleeting ring career. Ray was the first to become a professional. He won the
Canterbury lightweight title in 1953 and added the lightwelter championship in 1954
and 1955. In 1954, Ray lost to Olympian Graham Findlay, in the national final. During
his time in the paid ranks he defeated such greats as Australian Graham Sheridan
and national champion Billy Leckie.
Trevor Mitchell won the Wellington featherweight title in 1951 and won and lost against
the best in the country. On retirement from the ring he set up a gym in Wainiuomata
but it was in the field of boxing administration that Trevor really made his mark. First
on the Hutt Valley and Wellington Associations before his election to the New Zealand
Boxing Council. Selected as Manager of New Zealand team to the Pacific Islands,
he went on to become manager of the New Zealand boxing teams that attended the
1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia and 1986 Games in Edinburgh,
Scotland.
40
Younger brother Ian was trained, firstly by Tommy Dunn, before joining brother Trevor’s
gym. In 1954 at the age of fourteen, he lost the national bantamweight final, to become
the youngest boxer to contest a New Zealand championship final. At the age of
seventeen he turned professional and in a seven fight career, beat national champion
Johnny Hanks to avenge a defeat suffered by brother Trevor.
The Mitchell legacy continued with Ron Mitchell’s son, John, taking over the reins at
the Woolston Club. The third generation boxer was no slug in the ring, winning silver
at four New Zealand championships. Nephew Dean Calvert was also an extremely
good pugilist, with victory in the 1989 New Zealand lightwelter division.
John Mitchell earned his own little piece of New Zealand Boxing history when he
fought on the card of the first televised boxing tournament to be held in this country.
On Monday evening 26th February 1973, Joe Tolomaki (Auckland) met David Briggs
(Canterbury) at the Christchurch Irish Society Hall. Fighting on the amateur under
card, Mitchell was matched against Hugh Bullmore, in a bout that created some
controversy. The bout resulted in a win to Bullmore, after Mitchell injured his thumb
and was forced to retire.
The controversial circumstances arose with the selection of both boxers in the South
Island team to meet a visiting New Caledonian team. The two boxers selection broke
an NZBA ruling that council selected boxers should not box for ten days prior to the
tournament.
The Professional contest resulted in a win to the Auckland visitor, with a fourth round
stoppage. As was normal in Television sport of the day, the telecast was delayed until
later in the evening.
The Walker family from the Waikato was another family with father and son boxing
involvement that commenced with father Bob Walker in 1948 and continued to the
writing of this publication. His untiring work for the sport was rewarded in 1972 with
election as a life member of the New Zealand Boxing Association. Further honours
were bestowed when he held office as President of the NZBA, at the time the
Commonwealth Games were held in Christchurch in 1974.
Gordon, the eldest of Bob Walker’s three sons, was the first to don gloves in 1948.
The New Zealand senior flyweight title in 1957 was the pinnacle of the Waikato boxer’s
career, which unfortunately was terminated shortly after the national title because of
a shoulder injury. Gordon, along with Keith joined their father in boxing administration
and were instrumental in forming the Waikato Boxing Association, after the Hamilton
Boxing Association finances collapsed, due to a court action.
Keith Walker followed his older brother and first entered the ring in 1951. In a notable
career, Keith won numerous provincial titles before turning to R&J ranks. The youngest,
Allan also had a long time in the amateur ranks, clocking up over 100 fights before
retirement. While Keith and Allan both progressed to become International R&Js (see
the Third Man in the Ring chapter), they also became involved in regional and national
boxing administration. Both men served on the New Zealand Boxing Council with
terms as Chairman.
Keith made international headlines when he was attacked in the ring at the 1988
Seoul Olympics while refereeing a bout between a Bulgarian and Korean boxer. The
Korean Officials took out their anger on Keith, when the bout was awarded to the
Bulgarian boxer. The incident is now well documented in Olympic history.
41
The Third Man in the Ring
All sports need an official to control the contest, whether it is a game of rugby, tennis
or a boxing bout. Boxing is unique in that the two contestants in the ring are joined
by a third person who officiates the bout. Hence the often-used term for the referee
is the third man (and today woman) in the ring.
As long as there has been boxing in New Zealand, there has been a referee who has
control of the bout and judges who decide the outcome. In the early days the referee
often officiated from the ring apron and it was not until 1950 that bouts had three
judges who decided the outcome. Prior to the change to the rules the fight was judged
by two men at ringside, with the referee acting as an independent chairman should
the need arise.
Of well known referees of days gone by, the Wellington medic, Dr Napier McLean
was a pioneer. Dr McLean refereed the first professional contest ever staged under
the New Zealand Boxing Association. This was on September 20 1905, in the
Wellington Opera House, when the Irish bootmaker Tim Tracy, boxed the lightweight
champion of New South Wales, George "Hock" Keys from Sydney, for the first New
Zealand lightweight championship.
Other well-known referees of early times included the colourful Ike Fake, who in the
1880’s fought the future world featherweight champion "Torpedo" Billy Murphy. Earl
"Mick" Stewart was another of the great Wellington referees; he handled the second
epic between the American Pete Sarron, later featherweight champion of the world,
and the fighting fireman Tommy Donovan at Kilbirnie speedway in 1931. The fight
won by Donovan was fought before a New Zealand record crowd of nearly eighteen
thousand.
Geoff Watchorn was a referee and judge who was involved with boxing throughout
the first five decades of the sport in this country. Watchorn was an outstanding boxer,
who won the New Zealand amateur welterweight championship in 1909,1910 and
1912 and was awarded the medal for the most scientific boxer, with his second title.
He also won an Australasian title in Auckland, as the bout was so close after three
rounds, the boxers were ordered to box another round.
After retiring as a participant, the Manawatu resident returned to the ring as a referee
and went on to officiate at the highest level. He became the first New Zealander to
be selected to judge at the Empire Games, when he attended the 1936 event held
in Sydney. Geoff held a similar appointment at the 1950 Empire Games, in Auckland.
The memory of the Manawatu sportsman lives on through the Geoff Watchorn Belt,
which is awarded to the winner of the national lightwelter title each year.
A contemporary of Watchorn, was Eric Arminshaw, who also won a New Zealand
welterweight championship in 1927. Becoming a referee in 1940 he went on to officiate
hundreds of bouts throughout the country. Known to have firm control in the ring, Eric
was appointed to the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland along with eight other referees
and judges. Eric was also a civic leader, being elected to the Auckland City Council
during the 1950’s.
Another to have national success as a boxer was Clive Head who took the New
Zealand flyweight title in 1947 and the bantamweight division in 1948. He was awarded
his AIBA ticket at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first New Zealand international
referee. Pat Ryan who wore the Kiwi fern at the 1972 Olympic Games, is another
outstanding boxer to swap singlet for whites in the ring.
42
Sydney Charles Ashton became the first New Zealand boxing official to hold a position
on the international controlling body of the sport (AIBA). After turning to administration,
the Timaru resident went on to become an official at four Commonwealth and five
Olympic Games. Syd was elected Chairman of the AIBA (Amateur International
Boxing Association) Referee and Judges Commission. He was made a life member
of the International body, along with life membership of the New Zealand Boxing
Association, Timaru Boxing Association and the South Canterbury Sports Stadium
Association. For his services to sport, Sydney Ashton was awarded the MBE.
In recent times, the Walker brothers from Matamata, have been elevated to international
duties in the ring. Keith and Allan Walker won numerous provincial boxing titles before
retirement. Both embarked into the ranks of judging and refereeing, which has led
to officiating at the highest level.
The first to officiate at the highest level was Keith, who was appointed to the 1982
Commonwealth Games and has since attended four further Commonwealth events.
Those initial appointments, have led to duties at four Olympic Games and four World
Championships. Not to be outdone younger brother Allan was appointed to the 1986
Commonwealth Games and was selected for two further Games. In 1996 at the
Olympic Games in Atlanta, USA Allan joined Keith as the two New Zealand boxing
officials appointed.
Keith Walker at the Oceania Championships held in Taupo New Zealand 2002
(Photo – courtesy Dave Cameron)
It was not until the 1990s that women were allowed to enter the previously all male
ranks of the Referee and Judges Association. The first to pass her judges examination
was Trish Howie who was successful during the 1991 North Island Golden Gloves.
The Auckland woman passed her referee ticket the following year and has gone on
to pass her Oceania’s examinations. Anne Newton and Beverly Leabourn, who also
hold referee qualifications, joined her at national level in the late 1990s.
43
The Mentors
As long there has been boxing and boxers in New Zealand, there has been boxing
instructors (or in later years trainers then coaches) instructing and teaching the skills
of the noble art. They pass on their knowledge to the next generation and in many
cases change for the better the lives and lifestyles of their young charges. Many a
successful citizen of this country can owe their path in life to the discipline and
motivation provided by their Coach.
In 1937 the trainers in Wellington and Auckland followed by other centres formed
local Boxing Trainers Associations. In 1947 at the New Zealand Championships held
in Christchurch, trainers from throughout the country met and formed the New Zealand
Boxing Trainers Federation. Mr Harold Kindley (Dunedin) was elected President with
Mr Billy Parris (Wellington) Vice-President. The first Federation Secretary elected
was Mr Reg Fane (Wellington).
Archie Leckie, with a noteworthy background of amateur and professional ring
experience behind him, ranks as one of the most successful instructors that the sport
has known. The Leckies originated from Western Scotland. WG (Billy) was the first
to make his name in New Zealand boxing and was followed by his nephews Jimmy
and Archie, who established the Leckie dynasty.
As an amateur boxer, Archie was the New Zealand middleweight champion in 1905
and represented New Zealand at the Australasian championships. Later he won the
New Zealand professional middleweight title.
The Otago trainer taught some of New Zealand’s best performed boxers, with none
greater than Johnny Leckie. The young amateur star won two national titles before
he turned professional. Johnny’s rise up the fistic ladder was at the expense of a
number of Australian and American champions. Amongst the great battles in the
professional ring, were the six contests in the 1930’s between Johnny Leckie and
Tommy Donovan. The closeness of the two fighters was shown by three fights being
declared a draw.
Archie Leckie trained many fighters over the years and in the early days included his
cousins Johnny and Hector (professional lightweight champion). Others to come
under the tutelage of the master trainer included, Lachie and Angus McDonald, Tommy
Griffiths, Roy Stevens, Lex Geany and Kevin Skinner.
The first President of the New Zealand Boxing Trainers Federation was another Otago
man, Harold Kindley. Like many other early Otago boxing teachers, Kindley had a
fine record in the ring. During his time in the ring he achieved what no other amateur
lightweight could, and that was to defeat Ted Morgan for the New Zealand lightweight
championship. Two years later in 1928, Morgan won New Zealand’s only Olympic
boxing gold medal at the Amsterdam games.
Amongst the national champions to pass through his gym was Johnny Richmond,
who won Kindleys first national title in 1928. Joe McNally, Morrie Homan, Les Hunter
and Paddy McNally were others to take national glory.
While boxing on the West Coast of the South Island has been in a decline in recent
years, there was a long period in the history of the sport where the West Coast was
synonymous with national titles.
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Jack (Doc) Findlay became a boxing legend training numerous New Zealand
champions. "Doc" as he was universally known, boxed on the Coast under Bill
Cadman before a blasting accident while erecting poles in the early days of the Grey
Electric Power Board spelt the finish of his ring career.
It was in 1937 that Doc Findlay first started training at the Marist school, Greymouth
along with Neil Keily and Steve Smith. While he won numerous titles at national and
provincial level it is his deeds with the Tuck brothers, Maurice and Vern along with
his son Graham that ‘Doc" Findlay is best remembered.
Maurice Tuck set a record in his time when he won five successive New Zealand
titles from 1950 to 1954. He won six titles in total, starting with the middleweight
crown in 1948. The successive titles were won in the middleweight ranks in 1950,
1953 and 1954, interspersed with the light middleweight titles in 1951 and 1952. The
1951 light middleweight title was the first contested at that weight.
In 1958, Jack Findlay was selected as the manager of the New Zealand boxing team
for the Commonwealth Games that were held in Cardiff.
While reference has been made in an earlier chapter to Dick Dunn, no story about
New Zealand boxing could be written without documenting the champions that he
trained. The Hutt Valley trainer was instrumental in starting the career of Bos Murphy
one of the finest professional boxers to grace the ring in this country.
In the early days of training, Dick coached his brothers Tom, Henry and Peter. Tom
was twice awarded the Jameson Belt and in 1939 was selected for the Tokyo Olympics
that were never held because of World War 2. Alan Scaife, who has trained numerous
New Zealand champions, was the first of the Dunn post war stars and was selected
for the Empire Games held in Vancouver, Canada in 1954.
Nephew Wally Coe won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Jamaica 1966
and twice won the Jameson Belt. Other Dunn pupils included Lin Phillip, Empire
Games representative Jim Barden, Billy Graham and his son Tom Dunn.
Another Coach with a life time involvement in the sweet science is Alan Scaife, who
is nowadays retired in Otaki. The Hutt Valley youngster entered the gym of Dick Dunn
aged thirteen and began a boxing career that included the New Zealand lightweight
championship in 1953 and participation at the 1954 Commonwealth Games in
Vancouver, Canada.
Two years after retirement, Scaife re-entered the ring, this time as a referee and went
on to officiate at National Championships and gain his Oceania Referee and Judge
credentials. In 1969, Alan reconstituted the Heretaunga Boxing Club, which is still
producing top boxers in the centennial year under the guidance of son Grant.
The deeds of Alan Scaife coaching achievements are numerous and include 36 New
Zealand senior titles, 9 intermediate titles and 12 junior champions. His record in
training the Jackson brothers to win the Jameson Belt in six successive years is
unlikely to ever be beaten. Among the many titleholders trained by Alan were Ron
and David Jackson, Bill Byrne, Grant Scaife and the Ioane brothers.
International coaching appointments included the Olympic Games, Commonwealth
Games and the World Cup, along with numerous other international tournaments.
Along with his New Zealand coaching positions, Alan was appointed the Western
Samoan boxing coach to the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angles. During 1978, a
Heretaunga invitation team travelled to the Muhammad Ali camp in Pennsylvania,
45
USA and participated in a tournament. In 1979 Alan was one of the two principals
behind the visit to New Zealand of Muhammad Ali, Jimmy Ellis, Joe Bugner and the
Muhammad Ali amateur boxing team.
A dominant figure in New Zealand boxing in the last couple of decades of the twentieth
century was Dr John McKay. A forthright believer in the power of boxing to change
and shape young lives, McKay had over 120 fights and was selected to represent
New Zealand in 1963/64.
After commencing his coaching career in the Manawatu and then Waikato, John
established the North Side boxing gym at Northcote Auckland, in 1983, which has
produced over sixty individual champions. Gary Jago, Danny Masterson and Emmett
Gradwell added the Jameson Belt to their national titles. Ramil Abubot and Danny
Masterson had a series of battles with CNI boxer Kalolo Fiaui in the 1990’s for the
lightweight championship, with the three boxers dominating the 60kg title for eight
consecutive years.
New Zealand had considerable international success during the 1990s due in a large
part to the financial contribution of the New Zealand Sports Foundation. Based on
a policy of funding winners, Kiwi boxers attended a number of AIBA ranking tournaments
around the globe. Dr McKay was a key element in building a relationship with the
Sports Foundation that resulted in several New Zealand boxers gaining AIBA top ten
rankings.
With the belief that international competition is the key to ongoing success, McKay
was instrumental in bringing top boxers from Russia, USA (including the famed Kronk
gym from Detroit) Ireland (1997, 98, 99) and numerous Australian teams to New
Zealand shores. He also set up the first women's international against Australia in
Auckland and Christchurch during March 2001.
As national coach during most of the 1990’s, New Zealand boxers achieved unparalleled
success. The list includes: Olympic and World championship bronze medals to David
Tua; Commonwealth Games gold won by Michael Kenny; 15 Oceania gold medals
and numerous international gold medals. Garth da Silva, Kalolo Fiaui, Sililo Figota,
Kipa Tasefa, Sam Leuii, Faii Falamoe and Regan Foley all attained AIBA world top
ten rankings during McKay’s reign as national coach. Today John McKay is President
of Boxing New Zealand and the National Director of coaching.
46
The Record Holders
All sports have their records and record holders. Records are a mark to be beaten
and this chapter will set out the New Zealand championships record titleholders.
While records are usually seen as the pinnacle of success they also stand as a
challenge to the future for someone to better.
Bill Byrne
Bill Byrne won ten New Zealand senior titles in two weight divisions. In 1972, 1974
and 1975 Bill won the heavyweight and light heavyweight titles in the one evening.
A record that probably won’t ever be beaten as the NZBA rules were changed to not
allow a boxer to compete in more than one weight division at the National
Championships.
Bill Byrne was born in Gisborne and commenced boxing with Dan O’Connor before
shifting to Wellington in 1969. It was in the Hutt Valley that he came under the tutelage
of Alan Scaife when he joined the Heretaunga Boxing Club. In 1970 aged eighteen
years he became the youngest heavyweight titleholder (until David Tua in 1989). After
finishing in the runner-up position in 1971, he started a run unlikely to be surpassed,
with victories every year until 1977. On the occasions that he won two titles in the
one evening Bill would box the light heavyweight final in the first bout and then return
in the last to contest the heavyweight final.
While his New Zealand championship record was impressive, so also was his
international record. He was unbeaten at the 1974 Commonwealth Games held in
Christchurch, receiving the silver medal. Injury in the semi-final ruled Byrne out of
contesting the final. As well as gold at the Oceania championships in 1972 and 1974
Bill ended his international career with 24 victories from 25 contests. Included in his
international victories was a defeat of T Sullivan, the USA national golden gloves
champion.
New Zealand Heavyweight Champion: 1970, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976,1977.
New Zealand Light Heavyweight Champion: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975.
Billy Meehan
While the record of Bill Byrne probably can’t be beaten because of a rule change,
Billy Meehan set a record that is sure to stand well into the future. The Manawatu
fighter won nine national titles all in the featherweight division.
From a family of boxers, Meehan was initially trained by his father and was joined
in the ring by brothers Danny and Michael. Danny won the New Zealand bantamweight
crown in 1980 and 1981, adding the Jameson Belt to the title in 1980. Michael
numbered a New Zealand junior title to his many provincial championships.
It was the featherweight division that Bill Meehan made his own during the 1980’s.
Not only did the Manawatu boxer set a record number of victories in the one weight
division, but he also equalled the record for the number of consecutive titles. From
1984 Meehan won the featherweight championship at seven consecutive
championships, to equal the record of heavyweight Bill Kini who won seven consecutive
heavyweight crowns. In 1985 he was awarded the Jameson Belt.
The boxers that Billy beat read like a who’s who of the lighter weight divisions of the
1980s. Meehan beat Richard Pitman, who won silver at a World Cup and represented
the Cook Islands at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, at three New Zealand
championships. Johnny Wallace, who won a Commonwealth bronze medal at the
1986 Commonwealth games, was another championship victim. Darren Nicol, Shane
Samuels and Danny Masterson went on to become national champions after failing
to beat the nuggety Manawatu boxer.
47
At International level Bill was selected and boxed at the 1982 Commonwealth Games,
but was controversially omitted from the 1984 Olympic Games and the 1986 and
1990 Commonwealth Games teams. He was a member of the New Zealand team
that achieved high international success at the 1983 Commonwealth Championships
held in Belfast Ireland. A silver medal was won alongside gold by Michael Kenny and
Kevin Barry junior and another silver to Michael Sykes from just five team members.
Billy lost the final to Peter Konyegwachie (Kenya) a Commonwealth games gold
medallist.
New Zealand Featherweight Champion: 1979, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988,
1989, 1990.
Trevor Shailer
At the time that Bill Meehan was retiring in 1990 another Manawatu boxer was just
setting out on his senior journey that would put his name in the record book. Also
from Manawatu Trevor Shailer not only won seven senior New Zealand titles but also
added four Jameson Belts along the way.
An outstanding prospect from the start, Trevor won the first of four New Zealand
junior titles in the minimum 34 kilo weight at the 1983 National Championships. Two
Intermediate titles were added before the first senior title at the 1990 Christchurch
Championships. The lightwelter crown was won five years in a row before a step up
to welterweight in 1985.
After success at the 1995 Auckland Championships Shailer retired from the ring. In
one of the most remarkable comebacks of New Zealand amateur boxing, the by then
Wellington resident came back four years later in 1999, to not only annex the
welterweight title, but he also won the Jameson Belt for the fourth time in the process.
An Oceania gold and a Commonwealth games bronze medal were amongst the many
titles and championships that Trevor Shailer won in the nearly two decades that he
entered the ring.
New Zealand Light Welterweight Champion: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993,1994.
New Zealand Welterweight Champion: 1995, 1999.
Jameson Belt: 1990, 1994, 1995,1999.
Other Multiple New Zealand Titleholders
Bill Kini (Auckland) Heavyweight Title 1959, 1961 – 1967 (Eight titles)
Brian Kendall (Canterbury) Fly 1963, Bantam 1964, Feather 1965-67, Light 1968,69
(7 titles)
Maurice Tuck (Greymouth) Middle 1948, 1950, 53-54, Lightmiddle 1951-52 (6 titles)
The youngest boxer to win a New Zealand senior title was Paddy McNally of Otago,
who was fourteen years of age when he won the flyweight crown in 1958.
48
Women Make Their Entrance
For the first ninety years of the New Zealand Boxing Association there was little
involvement of women in boxing. As was common with most male dominated sport
of the day, a women's role was to put on the after fight supper and sometimes assist
with the secretarial duties. The status of women in the early days of organised boxing
was best summed up in the Lyttelton Times report of the 1902 national championships.
The newly elected New Zealand Boxing Association Secretary, Mr WG Attack was
quoted as saying in his speech at the gathering of officials after the championship.
" The object of the Association was to get boxing brought up to the level of an ordinary
athletic sport that might even be patronised by ladies. A volunteer championship
might well be arranged in which ladies could attend in the hands of gentlemen".
How times change. The 1990s were perhaps the time of most change experienced
in New Zealand sport with the holy of the holiest breached, with the introduction of
professional rugby. Who could have imagined in the fifties and sixties when rugby
ruled supreme, that rugby league players would switch to rugby union because they
could make more money. Coupled with the shake-up in sport was the introduction
of women's participation in many tradional male sports. Boxing in New Zealand didn’t
escape the change.
There was a groundswell to introduce women's boxing during the 1990s and the
cause wasn’t helped by a farcical attempt to manipulate the process. The Television
New Zealand 60 minutes program turned up at a tournament in Rotorua during the
mid 1990s and attempted to stage manage an exhibition bout between two female
combatants. Both participants who were not (and couldn’t be) registered to box with
the NZBA attempted to box a bout for the television cameras. The bout was rightly
not allowed to proceed by tournament officials and the ensuing behaviour of one of
the participants and the television crew brought little credit to the sport of boxing. The
60 minutes program severely hindered the push for women's participation in the sport.
The 1996 Annual General Meeting of the New Zealand Boxing Association passed
a resolution that allowed women to participate in women's boxing contests. The first
women's bouts were held in 1997 but few contests took place in the first year due
to the limited number of women boxers registered. The first New Zealand women's
titles were contested at the Taupo Nationals in 1997. Karren Ellis (Taupo) took out
the lightmiddle title and Caroline Sayle won the lightwelter division along with the
Bobby Johnson cup for most scientific female boxer. The two title bouts were the only
female fights of the championship and both were over in the first round with a decision
of RSCO (Referee Stopped Contest Outclassed).
While the first year of women's boxing stuttered along with a few mostly one sided
contests things changed rapidly. Female registrations increased rapidly to a stage
where 12 female titles were decided at the 1999 National Championships.
In 2001 a Trans Tasman female boxing test series took place in Auckland and
Christchurch. A team of two female boxers attended the first World Women's Boxing
Championships held in Scranton, USA in November 2001, and a team of six women
representatives were selected to box at the 2002 Oceania Championships held in
Taupo.
49
2001 Women's World Boxing Championships held Scranton, Pennsylvania USA
Light Welterweight
Round one
Quarterfinals
Odette Van der Meer
defeated Wei Qing (China) on points
lost Tatiaha Chalaya (Russia – who won the Gold Medal)
Welterweight
Quarterfinals
Semi-finals
Melanie Horne
defeated Natalia Karpovici (Moldavia)
lost Natalie Brown (Jamaica)
Summary
Bronze
1 Bronze medal
2002 Oceania Championships held Taupo New Zealand 8th – 13th April 2002
Bantamweight
Stephanie Perry (Canterbury) defeated Michelle Grantham (Australia) 15 points
Featherweight
Chonelle Mudford (Auckland) defeated Linda Kelly (Australia) 16 –13 points
Light Welterweight
Amiee Benton (Canterbury) defeated Rozamarin Simich (Australia) 15 points
Light Middleweight
Daniella Smith (Auckland)
beaten by Desi Kontas (Australia) points
Gold
Gold
Gold
Bronze
Flyweight
Lloyds Lopez (Canterbury) unopposed
Heavyweight Nicola Ryburn (Auckland) unopposed
Summary
3 Gold medals
1 Bronze medal
2 Unopposed Titles
P.S. Excerpt from 1935 Council minutes: "The Council advised all Associations that
it was of the opinion that females were not permitted at ringside or to act as seconds."
50
VENUES OF NEW ZEALAND AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1946
1947
1948
1949
Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch
Dunedin
Wellington
Auckland
Christchurch
Dunedin
Palmerson North
Invercargill
Wellington
Timaru
Wanganui
Hastings
Greymouth
Auckland
Dunedin
Wellington
Christchurch
Napier
Invercargill
Auckland
Greymouth
Palmerston North
Ashburton
New Plymouth
Blenheim
Hastings
Dunedin
Wellington
Greymouth
Gisborne
Invercargill
Auckland
Christchurch
Dunedin
Wellington
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1670
1971
1972
1973
Greymouth
Palmerston North
Invercargill
Wanganui
Wellington
Dunedin
Hamilton
Greymouth
Hastings
Timaru
Auckland
Invercargill
Gisborne
(JNR - Greymouth)
Christchurch
(JNR - Oamaru)
Wellington
(JNR - Wanganui)
Dunedin
(JNR - Nelson)
Rotorua
(JNR - Palmerston
North)
Greymouth
(JNR - Timaru)
Palmerston North
(JNR - New Plymouth)
Gisborne
(JNR - Invercargill)
Timaru
(JNR - Hamilton)
Auckland
(JNR - Upper Hutt)
Nelson
(JNR - Gisborne)
Hamilton
(JNR - Greymouth)
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Christchurch
(JNR Fielding)
Wellington
(JNR - Alexandra)
Timaru
(JNR - Hutt Valley)
New Plymouth
(JNR - Invercargill)
Nelson
(JNR - Dannevirke)
Wellington
( JNR - Christchurch)
Invercargill
(JNR - Whangarei)
Hutt Valley
Wellington
Timaru
Rotorua
Christchurch
Hamilton
Timaru
Wellington
Auckland
Christchurch
Tauranga
Timaru
Hastings
Christchurch
Auckland
Temuka
Taupo
Invercargill
Wellington
Christchurch
Taupo
51
PAST WINNERS
N.Z. SENIOR BOXING TITLES
Super Heavyweight - 91kgs+ 1952 J Allan (Well)
1953 P Schmidt (Auck)
1981 T Apollo (S/Land)
1954 M Kreft (Well)
1982 T Apollo (S/Land)
1955 D Dalliessi (Cant)
1983 H Schuster (Cant)
1956 S Pehi (Hamilton)
1986 F Tua (Manukau)
1957 D Dalliessi (Cant)
1987 J Peau (Manukau)
1958 G Sims (Tauranga)
1989 M Kenny (Cant)
1959 W Kini (S/Land)
1990 T Fiso (Well/Hutt V)
1960 E Morrison (Well)
1991 P Wolfgramm (Auck) 1961 W Kini (Auck)
1993 F Falamoe (Auck)
1962 W Kini (Auck)
1994 F Falamoe (Auck)
1963 W Kini (Auck)
1995 F Falamoe (Auck)
1964 W Kini (Auck)
1996 F Falamoe (Auck)
1965 W Kini (Auck)
1997 J Hepi (Cant)
1966 W Kini (Auck)
1998 J Hepi (Cant)
1967 W Kini (Auck)
1999 S Tauasi (Auck)
1968 J Jackson (Auck)
2000 P Mataele (Waikato) 1969 J Jackson (Auck)
2001 P Mataele (Auck)
1970 W Byrne (Well)
1971 C Dunn (Nth Wairoa)
Heavyweight - 91kgs
1972 W Byrne (Hutt V)
1973 F Brown (Manawatu)
1902 J Fitzsimmons (Timaru) 1974 W Byrne (Hutt V)
1903 N Taylor (Greymouth) 1975 W Byrne (Hutt V)
1904 J Griffin (Greymouth) 1976 W Byrne (Hutt V)
1905 W Robertson (Ashburton) 1977 W Byrne (Hutt V)
1906 E Pearson (Well)
1978 G Stankovich (Auck)
1907 J Lloyd (Cant)
1979 M Malani (Well)
1908 M Ryan (S/Land)
1980 F Sene (Well)
1909 M Ryan (S/Land)
1981 E Machine (Auck)
1910 A Pooley (Auck)
1982 E Nasen (Well)
1911 P McQuarrie (Bluff)
1983 M Kenny (Well)
1912 S Fitzsimmons (Timaru) 1984 J Peau (Auck)
1913 J Hughes (S/Land)
1985 J Peau (Auck)
1914 E Savory (Auck)
1986 J Peau (Manukau)
1920 B McCleary (Ashburton) 1988 W Fale (Auck)
1921 B McCleary (Ashburton) 1989 D Tua (Auck)
1922 A McCormick (Ashburton) 1990 D Tua (Auck)
1923 A McCormick (Ashburton) 1991 D Tua (Auck)
1924 C McRae (Well)
1992 K Tasifa (Auck)
1925 B Hooper (Well)
1993 E Aukuso (Auck)
1926 S Lewis (Hawkes Bay) 1994 G da Silva (Cant)
1927 J Leckie (Otago)
1995 G da Silva (Cant)
1928 A Campbell (Oamaru) 1996 G da Silva (Manukau)
1929 C Gardiner (Cant)
1997 A Shelford (Auck)
1930 C Gardiner (Cant)
1998 G da Silva (Cant)
1931 L Painter (Auck)
1999 Not Awarded
1932 M Strickland (Well)
2000 Not Awarded
1933 A Dazler (Marlborough) 2001 S Cameron (Fielding)
1934 A Bourne (Cant)
1935 D Lindsay (Auck)
Light Heavyweight - 81kgs
1937 R Withell (Ashburton)
1938 M McHugh (Auck)
1922 EW Parker (Cant)
1939 C Marsh (Greymouth) 1923 J Leckie (Otago)
1946 J Boyd (Taranaki)
1924 J Leckie (Otago)
1947 K Skinner (Otago)
1925 V Parker (Napier)
1948 J Boyd (Taranaki)
1926 G Evatt (Well)
1949 F Creagh (Well)
1927 A Cleverley Well)
1950 J Hall (Taranaki)
1928 C Gardiner (Cant)
1951 J Allan (Well)
1929 G McEwen (S/Land)
52
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
T Mullins (Taumarunui)
J Cossill (Manawatu)
H Reeve (Manawatu)
F Bell (Greymouth)
G Muir (Southland)
W Lister (Rakaia)
C Farmer (Auck)
T Lister (Ashburton)
W Lister (Rakaia)
R Withell (Ashburton)
W Russell (Cant)
B Clarke (Auck)
B Clarke (Auck)
C Rollinson (Auck)
W Rice (Hawkes Bay)
E Perry (Otago)
H Tua (Manawatu)
B Bloor (Taranaki)
T Leota (Well)
K Price (Otago)
B Proctor (Hamilton)
G Maloney (Auck)
J Nomura (Auck)
E Morrison (Westport)
E Cowan (Auck)
E Cowan (Auck)
J Logan (Greymouth)
B Johnstone (Cant)
D Day (Well)
F Opetaia (Auck)
B Forder (Well)
E Wulf (Auck)
E Wulf (Auck)
J Jackson (Auck)
J Jackson (Auck)
N Aitken (Hawkes Bay)
W Byrne (Hutt V)
W Byrne (Hutt V)
W Byrne (Hutt V)
W Byrne (Hutt V)
J Alifopo (Well)
F Atioo (Auck)
D Rackley (Nelson)
A Fatu (Waik)
J Taupau (Well)
J Alifopo (Well)
K Barry (Cant)
K Barry (Cant)
A McNamara (Nelson)
R Raeli (Auck)
R Raeli (Auck)
R Raeli (Auck)
R Raeli (Auck)
N Anderson (Well)
N Anderson
(Dannevirke)
N Anderson
(Dannevirke)
G Bell (Cant)
G Bell (Cant)
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
G Bell (Cant)
R Foley (Wanganui)
R Foley (Wanganui)
S McIver (Cant)
C McDougall (Well)
A Forsyth (CNI)
L Hall (Timaru)
D Lichtwark (Waik)
Middleweight - 75kgs
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
F Nash (Cant)
J Griffin (S/Land)
J Griffin (Greymouth)
A Leckie (Otago)
A Nash (Cant)
J Gilmour (Cant)
J Smith (Auck)
S Monaghan (Ohakune)
G Matthewson (Otago)
L Cade (Cant)
S Monaghan (Ohakune)
A Withey (Otago)
A Woods (S/Land)
H North (Otago)
R Meale (Auck)
R Meale (Auck)
L O'Neill (Greymouth)
L O'Neill (Greymouth)
C Pocock (Ashburton)
A Cleverley (Well)
C Pocock (Cant)
L Turner (Marlborough)
R Nicol (S/Land)
R Bagrie (S/Land)
T Croft (Greymouth)
F Roguski (Taranaki)
H Neal (Auck)
M Howson (Greymouth)
G Low (Cant)
D Boswell (Hutt V)
A Sutherland (S/Land)
W Jack (Timaru)
W Enright (S/Land)
R Stanley (Auck)
R Chooque (Otago)
M Tuck (Greymouth)
H Rush (Well)
M Tuck (Greymouth)
V Tuck (Greymouth)
F Lingman (Cant)
M Tuck (Greymouth)
M Tuck (Greymouth)
E Morrison (Westport)
E Morrison (Westport)
B Weir (Auck)
R Fleetwood (Well)
E Nikora (Well)
S Iva (Well)
J Henderson (S/Land)
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
J Henderson (S/Land)
T Dunn (Well)
R Skuse (Gisborne)
T Dunn (Well)
K Mahanga (Rotorua)
F Etuati (Auck)
G McNamara (Nelson)
L Tulisi (Auck)
G McNamara (Nelson)
B Compain (Auck)
L Rackley Jr (Nelson)
L Rackley Jr (Nelson)
L Rackley Jr (Nelson)
J Rackley (Nelson)
W Ratcliffe (Waikato)
W Ratcliffe (Waikato)
P Rackley (Nelson)
P Rackley (Nelson)
T Fusitua (Manukau)
T Fusitua (Manukau)
R Newton (S/Land)
R Newon (S/Land)
P Rackley (Nelson)
T Fusitua (Manukau)
T Fusitua (Manukau)
T Fusitua (Manukau)
M Bell (Cant)
M Bell (Cant)
B Gasio (Auck)
S Leuii (Auck)
S Leuii (Auck)
S Leuii (Auck)
S Leuii (Auck)
S Leuii (Auck)
D Lichtwark (Waikato)
D Lichtwark (Waikato)
S Wood (Well/Hutt V)
L Bryant (Masterton)
S Wood (Well/Hutt V)
S Pownceby (Cen Auck)
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
G Clifford (Well)
J Stewart (Waik)
G Clifford (Well)
S Tuisaula (Auck)
L Revill (Waik)
L Revill (Auck)
R Jackson (Hutt V)
R Leonard (Timaru)
R Jackson (Hutt V)
R Jackson (Hutt V)
R Jackson (Hutt V)
F Tafua (Auck)
T Tuitaupe (Cant)
S Tuhega (Auck)
P Rackley (Nelson)
M Flavell (Waikato)
W Mangin (Manawatu)
S Nicol (Manawatu)
M Bell (Canterbury)
F Cunningham (Taranaki)
A Creery (Waikato)
A Creery (Waikato)
S Figota (Auck)
S Figota (Auck)
S Figota (Auck)
C Hunia (CNI)
S Wood (Manawatu)
S Wood (Auck)
T De Vorms (CNI)
T De Vorms (CNI)
M Dyne (Well/Hutt V)
T Fitzgerald (Auck)
K Bentson (Auck Inv)
K Bentson (Cen Auck)
Welterweight - 67kgs
1908
1909
1910
1911
Light Middleweight - 71kgs 1912
1913
1951 M Tuck (Greymouth) 1914
1952 M Tuck (Greymouth) 1920
1921
1953 A Waring (Well)
1954 V Tuck (Greymouth) 1922
1923
1955 J Hughes (Auck)
1924
1956 J Hughes (Auck)
1925
1957 J Hughes (Auck)
1926
1958 L Ashton (Timaru)
1927
1959 R Davis (Auck)
1928
1960 D Black (Tauranga)
1929
1961 F Taupola (Auck)
1962 M Emerson (Oamaru) 1930
1963 M Emerson (Oamaru) 1931
1932
1964 T O'Donnell (Cant)
1933
1965 D Atui (Manawatu)
1934
1966 K Milford (Auck)
1935
1967 K Milford (Auck)
R Mayze (Cant)
G Watchhorn (Manawatu)
G Watchhorn (Manawatu)
H Withey (Otago)
G Watchhorn (Manawatu)
S Mitchell (Auck)
J Heeney (Gisborne)
D Lawless (Gisborne)
L O'Neill (Greymouth)
F Hansen (Auck)
L McDonald (Otago)
A Hay (Hawkes Bay)
R Loveridge (Taranaki)
J Nelson (Greymouth)
E Armishaw (Auck)
P Stone (Well)
P Stone (Well)
A Lowe (Otago)
A Lowe (Otago)
W Hogg (Napier)
W Purdie (Auck)
W Parris (Well)
T Arbuthnott (Well)
53
1936
1937
1938
1939
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
54
W Parris (Well)
D Heeney (Gisborne)
D Heeney (Gisborne)
D Heeney (Gisborne)
B Coughlin (Wanganui)
N Stanley (Auck)
J McIvor (Hawkes Bay)
J McIvor (Hawkes Bay)
R Sadler (Waimate)
W Beazley (Well)
J Brown (Hawkes Bay)
M Hannah (Hawkes Bay)
M Hannah (Hawkes Bay)
G Finlay (Greymouth)
G Finlay (Greymouth)
G Finlay (Greymouth)
L Bell (Greymouth)
W Coe (Well)
W Coe (Well)
W Coe (Well)
W Coe (Well)
W Coe (Well)
W Coe (Well)
E Buchanan (S/Land)
S Nomura (Auck)
S Nomura (Auck)
E Mills (Auck)
S Ayerst (Auck)
A Godkin (Timaru)
J Rackley (Nelson)
J Rackley (Nelson)
R Jackson (Hutt V)
T Picard (Waik)
D Jackson (Hutt V)
R Colley (Well)
R Leonard (Waik)
D Jackson (Hutt V)
J Coombe (N Plym)
G Renwick (Well)
G Renwick (Well)
G Renwick (Well)
C Scoles (S/Land)
K Bullock (Well)
K Bullock (Well)
B Galbraith (Nelson)
T Ioane (Hutt V)
S Figota (Auck)
D Morris (Cant)
A Tua (Auck)
N Wood (Whangaroa)
D Calvert (Cant)
N Wood (Far North)
C Hunia (CNI)
T Shailer (Manawatu)
L Lawrence (Cant)
R Davidson (Well/H V)
E Gradwell (Auck)
T Shailer (Well/Hutt V)
D Codling (Manukau)
D Codling (Cen Auck)
Light Welterweight - 63.5kgs 1906
1907
1951 B Brown (Hawkes Bay) 1908
1909
1952 J McNally (Otago)
1910
1953 A Scaife (Well)
1954 G Finlay (Greymouth) 1911
1955 M McMillan (S/Land) 1912
1913
1956 R Davis (Auck)
1914
1957 B Maunsell (Cant)
1920
1958 J Williams (Cant)
1921
1959 B Maunsell (Cant)
1922
1960 B Maunsell (Cant)
1923
1961 P McNally (Well)
1924
1962 P Lister (Gisborne)
1925
1963 B Maunsell (Cant)
1926
1964 W Graham (Well)
1927
1965 S Scoles (Otago)
1928
1966 W Graham (Well)
1929
1967 W Graham (Well)
1968 M Treacy (Hawkes Bay) 1930
1931
1969 A Afakasi (Auck)
1932
1970 D Enright (S/Land)
1933
1971 R Logo (Auck)
1972 W Graham (Hawkes Bay) 1934
1935
1973 D Jackson (Hutt V)
1936
1974 D Jackson (Hutt V)
1937
1975 R Colley (Well)
1938
1976 P Shatford (Cant)
1977 P Ryan (N Plymouth) 1939
1946
1978 P Tarrant (Timaru)
1947
1979 G Scaife (Hutt V)
1948
1980 A Ioane (Hutt V)
1949
1981 A Ioane (Hutt V)
1950
1982 A Ioane (Hutt V)
1951
1983 M Sykes (CNI)
1984 B Galbraith (Nelson) 1952
1953
1985 A Ioane (Hutt V)
1954
1986 M Ulai (Manukau)
1955
1987 A Ioane (Hutt V)
1956
1988 J Eade (Cant)
1957
1989 D Calvert (Cant)
1990 T Shailer (Manawatu) 1958
1991 T Shailer (Manawatu) 1959
1992 T Shailer (Manawatu) 1960
1993 T Shailer (Manawatu) 1961
1994 T Shailer (Manawatu) 1962
1963
1995 J Gwynne (Waik)
1964
1996 D Baird (Auck)
1965
1997 R Walker (CNI)
1966
1998 R Walker (CNI)
1967
1999 J Scully (Cant)
1968
2000 B Milner (Cant)
2001 D Headifen (Well/Hutt V) 1969
1970
1971
Lightweight - 60kgs
1972
1973
1902 P Oliver (Cant)
1903 A Farquharson (Otago) 1974
1975
1904 T Richards (Cant)
1905 G Williams (Manawatu) 1976
R Mayze (Cant)
R Mayze (Cant)
T Metcalfe (Auck)
J Finnerty (S/Land)
R Simpson (Cant)
A Maxwell (Taranaki)
W McGrath (Timaru)
W Shutt (Timaru)
M James (Auck)
F Desmond (Well)
H May (Auck)
L McDonald (Otago)
R Pascoe (Greymouth)
R Loveridge (Taranaki)
E Morgan (Well)
H Kindley (Otago)
E Morgan (Well)
R Fulcher (Otago)
W Carey (Cant)
H Thomas (Well)
H Thomas (Well)
H Hughes (Whangarei)
R Purdie (Auck)
W Hogg (Auck)
N Fisher (Cant)
F Hopkins (Manawatu)
J Collins (Manawatu)
J O'Connor (Cant)
T Dunn (Hutt V)
J Jenkins (Auck)
S Stevens (Manawatu)
V Tuck (Ashburton)
K Anderson (Otago)
D Glozier (Southland)
F Wilson (Wairarapa)
K Cronin (Wanganui)
K Cronin (Wanganui)
M Homan (Otago)
M Homan (Otago)
P Donovan (Hawkes Bay)
P Donovan (Hawkes Bay)
T Risbridge (Hamilton)
P Donovan (Hawkes Bay)
P Fitzsimons (Cant)
D Murphy (Cant)
P Donovan (Hawkes Bay)
M Santos (Auck)
M Santos (Auck)
P Domney (Well)
P Domney (Well)
R Carstairs (Cant)
B Kendall (Cant)
B Kendall (Cant)
J Rackley (Nelson)
T Picard (Waikato)
D Hammond (Auck)
R Colley (Well )
R Colley (Well)
S Kelly (Manawatu)
V Pefu Leilua (Cant)
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
B Slater (Cant)
R Smith (Otago)
M Sykes (CNI)
R Mouatt (CNI)
R Smith (Cant)
M Sykes (CNI)
C Hunia (CNI)
C Hunia (CNI)
C Hunia (CNI)
M Sewpersad (Fiord)
C Bishop (Cant)
J Wallace (Hutt V)
D Wickenden (Auck)
S Samuel (Auck)
D Leabourn (CNI)
K Fiaui (CNI)
D Masterson (Auck)
K Fiaui (CNI)
K Fiaui (CNI)
K Fiaui (CNI)
R Abubot (Auck)
K Fiaui (CNI)
R Abubot (CNI)
N Lopez (Canterbury)
K Foley (Auck)
1939 G Thomas (Taranaki)
1946 M Whittingham (Manaw)
1947 K Murfitt (Cant)
1948 W Patterson (Hawkes Bay)
1949 W Patterson (Hawkes Bay)
1950 J Pile (Ashburton )
1951 O Smith (Taranaki)
1952 W Leckie Otago)
1953 S Moffit (Oamaru)
1954 P Donovan (Hawkes Bay)
1955 S Moffitt (Oamaru)
1956 I Coombes (Taranaki)
1957 M Purton (Timaru)
1958 G Anderson (S/Land)
1959 W Franks (Auck)
1960 P Lister (Gisborne)
1961 D McKenna (Taranaki)
1962 T George (Auck)
1963 T George (Auck)
1964 T George (Auck)
1965 B Kendall (Cant)
1966 B Kendall (Cant)
1967 B Kendall (Cant)
1968 R Redden (Well)
1969 J Rackley (Nelson)
1970 P Ryan (Taranaki)
Featherweight - 57kgs
1971 P Ryan (Taranaki)
1972 G Mackie (Timaru)
1902 A Jones (Cant)
1973 O Johns (Taranaki)
1903 A Parker (Cant)
1974 D Wilson (Cant)
1904 J Watson (Cant)
1975 D Wilson (Cant)
1905 J Morris (Otago)
1976 P Morgan (Cant)
1906 J Godfrey (Auck)
1977 P Morgan (Cant)
1907 E Sanderson (Auck) 1978 T Allen (Auck)
1908 W Elliott (Timaru)
1979 W Meehan (Manawatu)
1909 J Hagerty (Timaru)
1980 P Warren (Timaru)
1910 F Kerr (Nelson)
1981 P Warren (S/Land)
1911 A Goodman (Otago) 1982 W Meehan (Manawatu)
1912 G Barr (Wairarapa)
1983 D Nicol (CNI)
1913 N Bennetts (Auck)
1984 W Meehan (Manawatu)
1914 A Goodman (Otago) 1985 W Meehan (Manawatu)
1920 H Gunn (Timaru)
1986 W Meehan (Manawatu)
1921 M Hatton (Auck)
1987 W Meehan (Manawatu)
1922 C Purdy (Auck)
1988 W Meehan (Feilding)
1923 C Purdy (Auck)
1989 W Meehan (Manawatu)
1924 L Drew (Otago)
1990 W Meehan (Manawatu)
1925 T Griffiths (Otago)
1991 J Wallace (Well/Hutt V)
1926 J Leckie (Otago)
1992 S Samuel (Manukau)
1927 T Donovan (Taranaki) 1993 Q Nicol (CNI)
1928 G Leslie (Auck)
1994 W Turner (Cant)
1929 H Johns (Auck)
1995 J Tipace (Auck)
1930 R Purdie (Auck)
1996 D Jenkins (CNI)
1931 R Purdie (Auck)
1997 J Tipace (Auck)
1932 P Hawes (Cant)
1998 J Tipace (Auck)
1933 C Rayner (Marlborough) 1999 J Tipace (Auck)
1934 C Gordon (Taranaki) 2001 M Newton (Cant)
1935 C Gordon (Taranaki)
1936 G Marshall (Well)
Bantamweight - 54kgs
1937 K Moran (Auck)
1938 W Shaskey (Gisborne) 1903 J Pearce (Cant)
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
J Gosling (Well)
E Baird (Cant)
B Tracy (Well)
B Tracy (Well)
J Parker (Cant)
C Stewart (Timaru)
F Ellis (Well)
J Leckie (Otago)
H Gunn (Timaru)
C Stewart (Timaru)
J Harrhy (Otago)
D Maddox (Hastings)
C Purdy (Auck)
C Cann (Wanganui)
T Griffiths (Otago)
T Griffiths (Otago)
F Taylor (Auck)
F Taylor (Auck)
J O'Sullivan (Auck)
C Hurne (Wellington)
R Purdie (Auck)
L Knuckey (Hawkes Bay)
C Warne (Manawatu)
N Roebuck (Auck)
R Williams (Auck)
J Cadwallader (Wairarapa)
A Leydon (Oamaru)
B McKay (Hawkes Bay)
J Parker (Well)
H Foote (Well)
H Foote (Well)
B Goslin (Well)
C Goslin (Well)
C Head (Well)
R Broadhurst (Auck)
W Leckie (Otago)
R Boardhurst (Auck)
J Hanks (Auck)
J Harrison (Hawkes Bay)
E Stockley (Taranaki)
G Anderson (S/Land)
C Branks (S/Land)
B Kirby (S/Land)
N Hayward (Taranaki)
P McNally (Otago)
L Hunter (Otago)
L Hunter (Otago)
L Hunter (Otago)
J Wills (Ashburton)
B Kendall (Cant)
R Redden (Well)
R Carstairs (Cant)
C Hibbs (S/Land)
R Barber (Masterton)
P Ryan (Taranaki)
G Mackie (Timaru)
D Wilson (Cant)
D Wilson (Cant)
W Karaitiana (Mast)
W Karaitiana (Mast)
55
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1995
1996
1998
1999
2000
W Karaitiana (Mast)
V Clarke (Waikato)
B Galbraith (Nelson)
T Atwood (Timaru)
P Warren (S/Land)
D Meehan (Manawatu)
D Meehan (Manawatu)
P Warren (S/Land)
V Nu'Ufolau (Well)
S Buckley (Auck)
S Buckley (Auck)
C Adamson (Cant)
C Adamson (Cant)
C Adamson (Cant)
C Adamson (Cant)
G Jago (Auck)
G Jago (Auck)
G Jago (Auck)
G Jago (Auck)
D Hodgson (Manawatu)
Noah Lopez (Cant)
M Newton (Cant)
M Newton (Cant)
M Newton (Cant)
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
Flyweight - 51kgs
1958
1959
1922 T Griffiths (Otago)
1960
1923 J Leckie (Otago)
1961
1924 F Taylor (Auck)
1962
1925 S Purton (Greymouth) 1963
1926 S Purton (Greymouth) 1964
1965
56
N Roebuck (Taranaki)
J Richmond (Otago)
F Pearcey (Auck)
F Bruno (Auck)
S Donoghue (Well)
C Gordon (Patea)
W McKay (Gisborne)
R Boyle (Hawkes Bay)
R Boyle (Hawkes Bay)
B Madden (Hawera)
H Sheridan (Auck)
B Madden (Hawera)
B Madden (Hawera)
F Brown (Southland)
C Head (Wanganui)
B Brown (Hawkes Bay)
G Broadhurst (Auck)
C Manson (Hamilton)
N Collins (Taranaki)
J Harrison (Hawkes Bay)
K Collins (Taranaki)
P Ah Van (Auck)
C Branks (Bluff)
P Ah Van (Auck)
G Walker (Auck)
P McNally (Otago)
D McKenna (Taranaki)
R Orbell (Hawkes Bay)
R Orbell (Hawkes Bay)
E MacDonald (Greymouth)
B Kendall (Cant)
W Young (Auck)
W Young (Auck)
1966
1967
1968
1969
1971
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1989
1993
1994
1995
1996
R Barber (Masterton)
R Barber (Masterton)
R Ryan (Taranaki)
K Black (Oamaru)
B Bright (Nelson)
J Bullard (Manawatu)
G Cobb (Westport)
K Murray (Hutt V)
T Atwood (Timaru)
M Colley (Well)
K Smith (Auck)
K Smith (Auck)
M Colley (Well)
M Colley (Well)
M Colley (Well)
M Colley (Well)
S Ross (Cant)
G Hodgson (Manawatu)
D Hodgson (Manawatu)
Noelo Lopez (Cant)
D Kumaran (Manukau)
Noelo Lopez (Cant)
Light Flyweight - 48kgs
1971
1974
1980
1983
1985
1986
1995
B Bright (Nelson)
I Cobb (Westport)
K Smith (Auck)
S Howard (Hutt V)
S Howard (Hutt V)
S Howard (Hutt V)
Noelo Lopez (Cant)
PAST WINNERS
N.Z. INTERMEDIATE BOXING TITLES
Heavyweight - 91kgs
1977 K Barry (Cant)
1978 F Foley (Manawatu)
1978 R Batkin (Auck)
1979 T Stickland (Auck)
1982 R Wilson (Auck)
1980 G Reihana (Timaru)
1983 J Peau (Auck)
1981 G Melvin (Hutt Valley)
1988 D Tua (Auck)
1982 R Raeli (Auck)
1996 M Bridge (Timaru)
1983 A Dixon (S/Land)
1997 P Leififi (Well/Hutt V) 1984 F Timoti (CNI)
1985 P Anitelea (Auck)
Light Heavyweight - 81kgs 1986 L Cudby (CNI)
1987 P McKay (Auck)
1973 J Stevens (Waikato) 1988 S Wood (Hutt Valley)
1974 G Stankovich (Auck) 1989 S Gay (CNI)
1975 G Stankovich (Auck) 1990 T Foloti (Cant)
1976 S Picard (Waikato)
1991 T De Vorms (CNI)
1977 S Picard (Waikato)
1992 S McIver (Green Is.)
1978 A Fatu (Waik)
1993 R Foley (Wanganui)
1979 G Forsyth (Greymouth) 1995 T O'Brien (CNI)
1981 M Kenny (Well)
1996 M Ellis (Waikato)
1982 M Flood (Mast & Dists) 1997 S Kilkelly (S/Land)
1989 M Dyer (Northland)
2001 L Titter (Mast&Dist)
1991 A Samuels (Manukau)
1992 S O'Brien (Green Is.) Welterwieght - 67kgs
1993 F Tua (Auck)
1994 R Foley (Wanganui) 1970 B Bayne (Otago)
1996 L Hall (Timaru)
1971 L Rackley Jr (Nelson)
1997 L Bryant (Masterton) 1972 D Rackley (Nelson)
1973 S Kiel (Well)
Middleweight - 75kgs
1974 B White (Well)
1975 D Smith (Well)
1973 D Rackley (Nelson)
1976 A Stankovich (Auck)
1974 D Adams (Cant)
1977 A Boylan (Taranaki)
1975 M Gunderson (Rotorua) 1978 S Piggott (Auck)
1976 M Gunderson (CNI)
1979 G Reihana (Timaru)
1977 P Rackley (Nelson)
1980 A McNamara (Nelson)
1979 F Foley (Manawatu) 1981 J Gulliver (Gisborne)
1980 M Kenny (Well)
1982 N Craig (Cant)
1981 R WIlson (Auck)
1983 D Morris (Cant)
1982 E Rush (ABPTA)
1984 B Gilles (CNI)
1983 R Raeli (Manukau)
1985 L Bower (S/Land)
1984 B Fatu (Waikato)
1986 L Bower (S/Land)
1985 L Smith (Fiordland)
1987 A Tua (Auck)
1986 N Ennis (Timaru)
1988 S Boutcher (Otago)
1989 B Thomas (S/Land)
1989 D Lichtwark (Waikato)
1990 Z Thomson (Manawatu) 1990 C Armstrong (Cant)
1991 S O'Brien (Otago)
1991 D Hall (Timaru)
1992 D Hall (Timaru)
1992 S McLennan (Waikato)
1993 U Afamasaga (Well) 1993 T Hall (Auck)
1994 N Ellmers (CHB)
1994 E Gradwell (Oamaru)
1995 H Bryant (Mast & Dist) 1995 D Newcombe (CNI)
1996 N Glanville (Well)
1996 D Codling (Auck)
1997 T Burton (Wanganui) 1997 S Nicol (Manawatu)
2001 R Rimene (Mast&Dist) 2001 C Saltmarsh (Well/Hutt V)
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1994
1995
1996
1997
2001
D Prosser (Well)
P Shatford Cant)
M Isaako (Auck)
G White (Hutt Valley)
S Piggott (Auck)
M Morgan (Timaru)
J Schwaiger (Auck)
B Puki (Gisborne)
B Curtis (Waik)
L Griffin (Otago)
M Hill (Auck)
D Morris (Cant)
T Hazeldine (Cant)
J Eade (S/Land)
S Boutcher (Otago)
G Sheppard (Auck)
A Warren (CNI)
S Lloyd (Auck)
W Wood (Whangaroa)
R Hampson
(Manawatu)
L Armstrong (CNI)
K Bentson
(Whangaroa)
R Bryant (Masterton)
A McKenzie (Auck)
H Whalley (Waik)
Lightweight - 60kgs
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1994
1995
Light Middleweight - 71kgs Light Welterweight - 63.5kgs 1996
1997
2001
1970 G Lamb (Cant)
1970 W Skedgewell
1971 S Rabbitt (Otago)
(Taranaki)
1974 W Benny (Cant)
1971 R Jackson (Taranaki)
1976 P Rackley (Nelson)
1972 R Gray (Well)
K Seque (Otago)
K Hunt (Taranaki)
D Jackson (Taranaki)
D Verner (Waikato)
D Smith (Well)
G White (Hutt Valley)
B Slater (Cant)
J Coombes (Taranaki)
M Velenski (Otago)
M Flipp (Manawatu)
R Bennie (Manawatu)
H Te Pou (CNI)
P Graham (Cant)
S Everest (Cant)
M McCarron (Hutt Valley)
J Eade (S/Land)
D Wickenden (Auck)
D Wickenden (Auck)
D Calvert (Cant)
T Peterson (Waik)
T Terure (Manawatu)
K Fiaui (CNI)
L Niwha (CNI)
R Bryant (Mast & Dist)
R Abubot (Manukau)
A Healey (Hawkes Bay)
C Dickey (Southland)
57
Featherweight - 57kgs
1975 B Slater (Cant)
1976 K Gunn (Hutt Valley)
1970 K Hunt (Taranaki)
1977 T Ward (Manawatu)
1971 D Jackson (Taranaki) 1978 P Warren (Timaru)
1972 R Colley (Well)
1979 R Drew (Otago)
1973 P Fogarty (CHB)
1980 V Nicholson (S/Land)
1974 R Smith (Otago)
1981 D Nicol (CNI)
1975 M Sykes (Rotorua)
1982 J Wallace (S/Land)
1976 J Smith (Well)
1983 J Wallace (S/Land)
1977 D Lloyd (Gisborne)
1984 S Gemmell (CNI)
1978 R Monos (Well)
1985 P Crawford (S/Land)
1979 A Kapua (Masterton) 1986 A Ferguson (N/Land)
1980 D Kerr (Otago)
1987 T Shailer (Manawatu)
1981 R Puki (Bluff)
1988 D Leabourn (Gisborne)
1982 D Nicol (CNI)
1990 M Owen (Gisborne)
1983 N Gillies (CNI)
1991 S Phillips (S/Land)
1984 J Royal (CNI)
1992 C Erikson (Waikato)
1985 J Royal (CNI)
1993 N Lopez (Cant)
1986 P Crawford (S/Land) 1994 C Hurley (Taranaki)
1987 D Calvert (Cant)
1996 J Fisher (Oamaru)
1988 T Shailer (Manawatu) 2001 S Snaddon (H Bay)
1989 T Terure (Manawatu)
1990 D Murray (S/Land)
Flyweight - 51kgs
1991 M Owens (Gisborne)
1992 A Heaps (Auck)
1971 M Smith (Otago)
1995 D Jenkins (CNI)
1973 G Cobb (Westport)
1996 H Edmondson (Auck) 1974 P Dooley (Westport)
1997 D Miller (Masterton) 1976 T Wright (Hutt Valley)
2001 B Snaddon (H Bay)
1977 G Parr (Wanganui)
1978 D Ward (Manawatu)
Bantamweight - 54kgs
1979 M Fox (Hutt V)
1980 P Burke (S/Land)
1972 W Karatiana (Mast)
1981 M Jago (Hutt V)
1973 R Warren (Westport) 1982 M Sewpersad (S/Land)
1974 M Sykes (Rotorua)
58
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1990
1991
1994
1996
J Leuii (CNI)
K Jenkins (CNI)
C Adamson (Cant)
D Masterson (Auck)
R Elliott (CNI)
G Hodgson (Feilding)
J Bond (Manawatu)
R Dixon (Cant)
D Kumaran (Manukau)
C Williams (Manukau)
Light Flyweight - 48kgs
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1982
1983
1984
1985
1987
1988
1989
G O'Conner (Waikato)
K Pancha (Well)
C McAsey (Feilding)
D Meehan (Manawatu)
J Stratford (Well)
J Howse (Well)
P McSharry (Masterton)
S Howard (Hutt Valley)
J Bullock (Well)
W Garmson (CNI)
A Wallbank (CHB)
G Hodgson (Feilding)
W Hodgson (Feilding)
W Hodsgon (Manawatu)
PAST WINNERS
N.Z. JUNIOR BOXING TITLES
Super Heavyweight - 91kgs+ 1973 G Turner (Waik)
1974 M Gunderson (Rotorua)
1989 M Nua (Manukau)
1975 P Rackley (Nelson)
1976 A Waru (Gisborne)
Heavyweight - 91kgs
1977 R Picard (Waikato)
1978 D Hiroki (S/Land)
1980 M Ashton (Timaru)
1979 D Donovan (Feilding)
1980 R Metu (Northland)
Light Heavyweight - 81kgs 1981 J Henderson (S/Land)
1982 C Todd (New Plymouth)
1979 K Paga (Well)
1983 F Timoti (CNI)
1980 G Gavin (Northland) 1984 L Bower (S/Land)
1981 M Turfrey (Well)
1985 E Murray (Northland)
1995 L Bryant (Mast & Dist) 1986 G Samaeli (Cant)
1997 J Porter (Whangaroa) 1987 T Thomson (Manawatu)
1999 T Leififi (Well/Hutt V 1988 P McKay (Auck)
2001 D Fidow (Cant)
1989 A Samuel (Manukau)
1990 S O'Brien (Green Island)
Middleweight - 75kgs
1991 K Higginson (CHB)
1992 I Pio (Manukau)
1976 S Barbarich (Gisborne) 1994 L Hall (Timaru)
1978 G Forsyth (Greymouth) 1995 S Hauraki (Dannevirke)
1979 G Clements (Cant)
1996 S Kilkelly (S/Land)
1981 S Pivac (ABPTA)
1997 N Russell (CNI)
1982 K Smith (Well)
1998 D Newton (CNI)
1985 J Turvey (Northland) 1999 S Pakau (Auck)
1988 J Williams (Manukau) 2001 K Brill (Waik)
1989 D White (CHB)
1991 A Brooks (CNI)
Light Welterweight - 63.5kgs
1993 N Ellmers (CHB)
1995 J Turnbull (Cant)
1962 B Glimore (Feilding)
1996 L Bryant (Masterton) 1963 M Gilmore (Feilding)
1964 D Matuka (Gisborne)
Light Middleweight - 71kgs 1965 D Grant (Gisborne)
1966 B Forde (Timaru)
1966 E Manuella (Auck)
1967 B Heapy (Masterton)
1975 S Picard (Waikato)
1968 N Aiken (Hawkes Bay)
1976 A Fatu (Waikato)
1969 K Williams (Timaru)
1977 G Mathews (CNI)
1970 L Rackley (Nelson)
1979 M Kenny (Well)
1971 D Rackley (Nelson)
1980 R Wilson (Auck)
1973 B Ash (Cant)
1981 J Peau (ABPTA)
1974 P Rackley (Nelson)
1984 T Daniels (Manukau) 1975 A Stankovich (Auck)
1986 T Tua (Manukau)
1976 R Picard (Waikato)
1988 L Fafieta (Manawatu) 1977 N Schwaiger (Cant)
1990 S McIver (Green Is.) 1978 J Whitelaw (Auck)
1991 A Williams (Manawatu) 1980 M Daly (Manawatu)
1995 M Bridge (Timaru)
1981 D Morris (Cant)
1996 A Forsyth (CNI)
1982 B Gillies (CNI)
1998 N Russell (CNI)
1983 N Muir (Feilding)
1984 B Broad (Otgao)
Welterweight - 67kgs
1985 M Raeli (Manukau)
1986 P Ramsay (Hawkes Bay)
1963 B Gilmore (Feilding) 1987 G Mallinder (Well)
1964 M Gilmore (Feilding) 1988 C Pointon (Waik)
1965 P Turnock (Oamaru) 1989 A McNabb (Well)
1967 D O'Donnell (Patea) 1990 D Hall (Timaru)
1968 P Bray (Waikato)
1991 K Nicol (Manawatu)
1970 J Vartha (Well)
1992 R Foley (Wanganui)
1972 P Christianson (N Plym) 1993 L Tod (Cant)
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
2000
2001
L Tod (Cant)
Z McNabb (Waikato)
S Nicol (Manawatu)
D Newton (CNI)
D McKinnon (CNI)
C Saltmarsh (Well/Hutt)
B Mabey (Feilding)
Lightweight - 60kgs
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
J Ramsay (H Bay)
C Anderson (H Bay)
D Baker (S/Land)
B Forde (Timaru)
A Kettle (Eltham)
G Dowling (S/Land)
S Horua (Hawkes Bay)
K Henderson (S/Land)
L Tipoki (Hawkes Bay)
P O'Donnell (N. Plymouth)
D Prosser (Well)
M Gunderson (Waikato)
F Hongara (Gisborne)
K Barry (Cant)
M Ah-Hoi (Well)
K Nicholls (Cant)
G Reihana (Timaru)
A McNamara (Nelson)
L Griffin (Oamaru)
T Baglin (Bluff)
G Griffin (Otago)
V Marino (Gisborne)
S Samuel (Manukau)
D Clarke (Waimate)
D Paul (CNI)
A Warren (CNI)
G Gillies (CNI)
R Seymour (CNI)
K Fiaui (CNI)
S McClennan (Waikato)
G Tod (Cant)
S Neale (Auck)
A Collier (Oamaru)
P Williams (CNI)
A McKenzie (Auck)
S Fuller (CHB)
S Pakau (Auck)
A Sykes (CNI)
C Dickey (Southland)
R Easton (Waik)
Featherweight - up to 57kgs
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
M Keefe (Gisborne)
A Emerson (Oamaru)
R Herekiuha (Hamilton)
T Hunter (Nelson)
J Grant (Gisborne)
A Dobson (Ashburton)
P Fitzgerald (Manawatu)
59
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
T Lyons (CHB)
M Maarhius (CHB)
M James (Hawkes Bay)
W Mathews (Rotorua)
F Hongara (Gisborne)
A Stankovich (Auck)
J Coombe (N. Plym)
S Pigott (Auck)
S Waihapu (Auck)
M Kenny (Well)
M Barnden (Hutt V)
D McDermott (Mast)
K Keelan (Gisborne)
S Wineera (CNI)
W Barber (Oamaru)
P McCarron (Hutt V)
M McCarron (Hutt V)
A Warren (CNI)
G Sheppard (Auck)
Q Nicol (CNI)
K Forbes (S/Land)
J Neilson (Cant)
R Hampson (Manawatu)
W Katipa (Waikato)
O West (Hawkes Bay)
R Bryant (Masterton)
J Porter (Whangaroa)
J Manesoa (Manukau)
S Pakau (Wanganui)
N Ali (Auck)
J Snaddon (Hawkes Bay)
C Commons (Cant)
C Pitman (Count/Manu)
Bantamweight - up to 54kgs
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
60
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1999
2000
2001
G Sheppard (N Plymouth)
G Gillies (CNI)
T Terure (Manawatu)
M Owen (Gisborne)
S Phillips (S/Land)
R Foley (Wanganui)
S Ross (CHB)
D Neal (Dannevirke)
D Jenkins (CNI)
L Terure (Manawatu)
A Healey (Hawkes Bay)
K Foley (Wanganui)
C Commons (Cant)
H Whalley (Waikato)
S Snowdon (CNI)
Up to 52kgs
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1991
1992
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
L Bye (Otago)
G Cooper (Tauranga)
A Donaldson (S/Land)
B Heaphy (Masterton)
J Augustine (H Bay)
C Rolls (Manawatu)
K Seque (Otago)
L Rackley (Nelson)
G Thoms (Hawkes Bay)
W Karaitana (Masterton)
P Fogarty (CHB)
K Fogarty (CHB)
J Smith (Well)
I Peterson (Otago)
M Valenski (Otago)
D Fox (Gisborne)
A Kapua (Masterton)
M Gaunt (Well)
C Hunia (CNI)
J Wallace (S/Land)
M Meehan (Manawatu)
N Anderson (Dannevirke)
D McKenzie (Hutt V)
D Paul (CNI)
B Birch (Manukau)
E Elliot (CNI)
D McNally (Cant)
G Seymour (CNI)
D Bloxham (Well/Hutt V)
M Rayner (Waikato)
K McKeowen (Cant)
S Fuller (CHB)
M Newton (Cant)
J Snaddon (Hawkes Bay)
R Ellmers (CHB)
J Blackbourn(Well/Hutt)
C Anderson (Hawkes Bay)
R Reddon (Well)
B Clay (Gisborne)
J Grant (Gisborne)
N Aitken (Hawkes Bay)
N Farrant (N Plymouth)
B Thoms (Otago)
R Jackson (N Plymouth)
D Jackson (N Plymouth)
R O'Connell (Gisborne)
K Watts (Auckland)
A Tavai (Well)
A Toman (Well)
W Symons (Hutt V)
P Ashkettle (Well)
S Chadwick (Nelson)
M Colier (Gisborne)
B Renata (Hutt V)
C Bishop (Cant)
N Gillies (CNI)
N GIllies (CNI)
Up to 50kgs
P McCarron (Hutt V)
J Eade (S/Land)
1962 G Church (Waimate)
R Ormsby (CNI)
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1990
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
A Donaldson (S/Land)
B Bell (Greymouth)
E Castensen (S/Land)
C Gallagher (H Bay)
P Ryan (N Plymouth)
E Briggs (Cant)
S Miles (Timaru)
M Gilbertson (Nelson)
L Reiri (Masterton)
T Pokoati (Wellington)
A Stankovich (Auck)
K Barry (Cant)
K Gunn (Hutt V)
S Whaiapu (Auck)
L Loveday (Otago)
A McNamara (Nelson)
C Bishop (Cant)
J Wallace (S/Land)
G Griffin (Otago)
P Brown (Hutt Valley)
A Wineera (CNI)
P Cassidy (Hutt Valley)
S White (Waikato)
T Shailer (Manawatu)
W Gordon (Masterton)
M Elliot (CNI)
J Lumby (Well/Hutt V)
E Gradwell (Oamaru)
C Hurley (Taranaki)
L Terure (Manawatu)
C Preston (Hawkes Bay)
D Miller (Masterton)
J Snaddon (Hawkes Bay)
C Burton (Auckland)
S Aitcheson (Canterbury)
J Kotek (Canterbury)
D O'Rourke (Manawatu)
Up to 48kgs
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
B Kendall (Cant)
R Leader (Otago)
T Allen (Gisborne)
J Snook (Hawkes Bay)
P Ryan (New Plymouth)
J Molloy (Rotorua)
P Weherua (Patea)
D Jackson (N Plymouth)
A Dunn (Waikato)
B Bright (Nelson)
D Pere (Gisborne)
G Woodham (H Bay)
R Mouatt (Rotorua)
R Morgan (Cant)
B Galbraith (Nelson)
G Belton (Hawera)
M Gaunt (Well)
J Thompson (Waikato)
D Nicol (CNI)
M Sewpersad (S/Land)
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
P McCarron (Hutt V)
K Jenkins (CNI)
S Roberts (Waikato)
S Wood (Hutt Valley)
R Elliot (CNI)
T Terure (Manawatu)
L Elliot (CNI)
S Phillips (S/Land)
C Warren (CNI)
C Erickson (Waikato)
A Collier (Oamaru)
D Jenkins (CNI)
P Williams (CNI)
F Bryant (Mast & Dists)
M Newton (Cant)
B Fogarty (CHB)
R Ellmers (CHB)
H Whalley (Waikato)
D O'Rourke (Manawatu)
M Foot (Manawatu)
Up to 46kgs
1998
1999
2000
2001
A Scully (S/Land)
S Leighton (Auck)
E Hays (Manakau)
P Kenny (CNI)
Up to 45kgs
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
S Scoles (Otago)
M Wright (Manawatu)
K Phelen (Stratford)
L Salenieks (Oamaru)
C Rolls (Feilding)
G Bright (Nelson)
R Jackson (N Plymouth)
A Moodie (Otago)
M Woolhouse (Napier)
S Durston (Gisborne)
K Forgarty (CHB)
D Morgan (Cant)
G Le Bas (Gisborne)
D Barnden (Well)
D Meehan (Manawatu)
S Buckley (Auck)
D McDermott (Masterton)
P Bartlett (Masterton)
K Cook (Gisborne)
R Walker (CNI)
M Wall (Auck)
M Ward (Hutt V)
A Brown (Hutt V)
G Sheppard (N Plym)
Q Nicol (CNI)
R Seymour (CNI)
M Owen (Gisborne)
D Huff (Gisborne)
P Seymour (CNI)
E Gradwell (Oamaru)
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
R Bennett (CNI)
T Goldstream (H Bay)
B Kakutai (Manukau)
A Riritahi (Cant)
J Snaddon (H Bay)
Up to 44kgs
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
P Keneally (CNI)
D Shone (Manawatu)
L Mathews (Hawkes Bay)
D Blong (Masterton)
T Sykes (CNI)
Up to 43kgs
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1991
1994
1995
1996
A Donaldson (S/Land)
M Mohi (Hawkes Bay)
C Plowman (Well)
G Mackie (Timaru)
K Williams (Oamaru)
K Seque (Otago)
K Hunt (N Plymouth)
D Wilson (Cant)
A Lloyd (Gisborne)
W Cook (Well)
M Sykes (Rotorua)
K Barry (Cant)
K Gunn (Hutt V)
G Scaife (Hutt V)
S Nicol (Manawatu)
T Ngaruhe (Manawatu)
P Bartlett (Masterton)
P McSharry (Masterton)
M Sewpersad (S/Land)
C Hale (CNI)
K Ratahi (Manawatu)
A Brown (Hutt V)
S Wood (Hutt V)
K Marsden (N Plymouth)
C Wallbank (CHB)
J Brathwaite (Gisborne)
F Hartley (CNI)
J Lumby (Well)
S Ross (CHB)
F Bryant (Masterton)
M Newton (Oamaru)
C Miller (Masterton)
Up to 41kgs
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
J Berge (Otago)
R Carstairs (Cant)
M Duff (Manawatu)
J Augustine (H Bay)
J Rackley (Nelson)
R Jackson (N Plymouth)
B Taylor (Oamaru)
M Apiata (N Plymouth)
B Bright (Nelson)
D Pere (Gisborne)
G Woodham (H Bay)
S Renwick (Well)
G Scaife (Hutt V)
B Gailbraith (Nelson)
W Mangin (Manawatu)
W McAsey (Feilding)
G Leonard (Waikato)
M Jago (Hutt V)
D Jack (Masterton)
C Cameron (Feilding)
J Cook (Manawatu)
D Perkins (Otago)
B Birch (Manukau)
T Shailer (Manawatu)
T Terure (Manawatu)
T McQuillan (Cant)
S Philips (S/Land)
C Warren (CNI)
C Erikson (Waikato)
C Hurley (Taranaki)
D Jenkins (CNI)
R Mason (Mast & Dist)
A Riritahi (Cant)
D Miller (Mast & Dist)
B Fogarty (CHB)
Up to 40kgs
1997
1999
2000
2001
D Ridley (Waikato)
D O'Rourke (Manawatu)
N McEwen (Canterbury)
N Roberts (Canterbury)
Up to 39kgs
1962
1963
1964
Up to 42kgs
1965
1966
1997 R Ellmers (CHB)
1967
1998 S Aitcheson (Cant)
1999 M Miller (Masterton) 1968
2000 B Scimshaw (Danne) 1969
1970
2001 R Walker (CNI)
1971
1972
1973
1974
W Doolan (Manawatu)
W Rolls (Feilding)
D Enright (S/Land)
C Rolls (Feilding)
T Lyons (CHB)
B McDermott (S/Land)
J Edwards (Rotorua)
T Enright (S/Land)
L Stephenson (Auck)
K Fogarty (CHB)
G Robinson (Waik)
J Thompson (Auck)
B Gailbraith (Nelson)
61
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
R Cox (Gisborne)
M Hodgson (Otago)
D McDermott (Mast)
P McSharry (Masterton)
G Buckley (CNI)
R Walker (CNI)
K Jennett (Ashburton)
M Ward (Hutt V)
C Adamson (Cant)
G Sheppard (CNI)
C Wallbank (CHB)
D Blair (Timaru)
M Owens (Gisborne)
R Emery (Feilding)
P Seymour (CNI)
S Neale (Auck)
J Young (Otago)
L Terure (Manawatu)
K McKeowen (Cant)
A Healey (Hawkes Bay)
C Miller (Mast & Dists)
1969
1970
1971
C Farrant (N Plymouth)
I Grant (Cant)
M Fitzgerald
(Manawatu)
G Le Bas (Gisborne)
G Scaife (Hutt V)
S Whaiapu (Auck)
R Hemi (Masterton)
B Renata (Hutt V)
G Jago (Well)
B Boyd (Nelson)
R Walker (CNI)
F Wood (Whangaroa)
B Packer (Feilding)
A Brown (Hutt V)
D Minchin (Manawatu)
T Shailer (Manawatu)
J Braithwaite (Gisb)
P Braithwaite (Gisb)
P Braithwaite (Gisb)
S McLennan (Waikato)
E Gradwell (Oamaru)
J McDonald (Cant)
P Lowe (CNI)
T Goldstream (H Bay)
R George (Hawkes Bay)
D Miller (Masterton)
D Lilly (Cant)
M Miller (Masterton)
M Miller (Masterton)
F Purcell (Waikato)
T Commons (Cant)
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
Up to 38kgs
1990
1991
1997 A Brownlie (Wanganui) 1992
1998 B Snaddon (Hawkes Bay) 1993
2000 A Donaldson (Mana) 1994
2001 G Pitman (Count/Manu) 1996
1997
Up to 36kgs
1998
1999
1962 P Berge (Otago)
2001
1963 J Greenwood (H Bay)
1964 N Nicol (Manawatu) Up to 34kgs
1965 N Nicol (Manawatu)
1966 P Bell (Manawatu)
1962 R Carstairs (Cant)
1967 J Edwards (Rotorua) 1963 W Madden (Hawkes Bay)
1968 W Murphy (Hawera) 1964 H Sturgess (Hawkes Bay)
62
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1993
1994
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
P Bell (Feilding)
R Gallagher (Hawkes Bay)
B Taylor (Oamaru)
J Bullard (Manawatu)
O Gilchrist (Patea)
T James (Hawkes Bay)
G Woodham (H Bay)
D Barnden (Well)
M White (Wanganui)
R Hemi (Masterton)
G Jago (Well)
G Jago (Well)
P McSharry (Masterton)
J Marshall (Manawatu)
S Everest (Cant)
K Ratahi (Manawatu)
M Barnsley (Hawera)
A Wallbank (CHB)
T Shailer (Manawatu)
G Hodgson (Feilding)
T Terure (Manawatu)
M Owen (Gisborne)
W Hodgson (Feilding)
P Seymour (CNI)
A Wong Key (CHB)
C Lumby (Well)
J Hensen (Mast & Dist)
D Miller (Mast & Dist)
T Antonio (Auck)
S Fairhurst (CHB)
S Snaddon (Dannevirke)
S Snaddon (Hawkes Bay)
A Donaldson (Manawatu)
C Doyle (Dannevirke)
PAST WINNERS
N.Z FEMALE BOXING TITLES
1997
71kg K Ellis (CNI)
67kg C Sayle (Auck)
Female Scientific Trophy - Bobby Johnson Cup:
Caroline Sayle (Auckland)
1998
60kg K Nesbit (S/Land)
57kg S Batty (Wanganui)
48kg T Gray (S/Land)
Female Scientific Trophy - Bobby Johnson Cup:
Tessa Gray (Southland)
1999
Senior
91+kg N Ryburn (Dannevirke)
91kg L Noble (Cant)
75kg M Horne (Dannevirke)
67kg A Tuitama (Auck)
60kg N Harris (Auck)
57kg M McCallum (Cant)
54kg S Baty (Auck)
Female Scientific Trophy - Bobby Johnson Cup:
Junior
75kg T Warrender (CNI)
71kg L Byrne (CNI)
63.5kg K Nesbitt (Cant)
57kg S Perry (Cant)
52kg R English (Cant)
50kg T Gray (S/Land)
2000
Senior
91+kg N Ryburn (Auck Inv)
75kg D Smith (Auck Inv)
71kg M Horne (Auck Inv)
63.5kg O Van der Meer (Ak Inv)
60kg A Hume (Timaru)
57kg S Perry (Cant)
54kg L Pattinson (Cant)
51kg S Baty (Waikato)
Female Scientific Trophy - Bobby Johnson Cup:
Junior
63.5kg I Schuster (Fielding)
57kg T Gray (Southland)
52kg Z Repia (Manukau)
2001
Senior
48kg L Lopez (Cant)
67kg M Horne (Cen Auck)
60kg O Van der Meer (Cen Auck)
57kg M Peterkin (Cen Auck)
75kg M Godfey (CNI)
91kg N Ryburn (Cen Auck)
Female Scientific Trophy - Bobby Johnson Cup:
Junior
57kg L Repia (Counties/Manukau)
54kg M Edmonds (Waikato)
51kg Z Repia (Counties/Manukau)
Maria McCallum (Canterbury)
Melanie Peterken (Auckland Inv)
Odette Van der Meer (Cen Auck)
63
SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHIES
SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT - ABA Trophy
Presented by the Auckland Boxing Association.
HEAVYWEIGHT - The Dewar Shield
The Dewar Shield was first awarded in 1946.
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT - The George Bush Memorial Belt
The Light Heavyweight belt commemorates the memory of George Bush, a well-known
Auckland administrator, referee and judge. The belt was first awarded in 1950.
MIDDLEWEIGHT - The Cleverley Memorial Belt
Presented by the family of the late Mr and Mrs. AL Cleverly. Alf Cleverley won two New
Zealand titles and represented New Zealand at the 1928 Olympics. The belt was first awarded
in 1946.
LIGHT-MIDDLEWEIGHT - The Sommerville Cup
The Light Middleweight trophy bears the name of Bill Sommerville, a life member of the New
Zealand and Wellington Boxing Associations and Olympic judge. The cup was first awarded
in 1952.
WELTERWEIGHT - The Ted Morgan Cup
The Welterweight Cup was presented by the Wellington Boxing Association to commemorate
Ted Morgan’s 1928 Olympic Gold medal in the Welterweight division.
LIGHT-WELTERWEIGHT - The Geoff Watchorn Belt
The Light Welterweight belt commemorates the feat of Geoff Watchorn who won three New
Zealand and Australasian titles in the early years of the century. The belt was first awarded
in 1958.
LIGHTWEIGHT - The Parisian Cup
Presented to the Marlborough Boxing Association by the Parisian Neckwear Company,
Auckland, and subsequently to the NZBA by the Marlborough Association, to commemorate
the first New Zealand Championships to be held in the region.
FEATHERWEIGHT - The Bill Dervan Memorial Belt
The Featherweight belt remembers Bill Dervan a long serving member of the Auckland Boxing
Association. The belt was first awarded in 1948.
BANTAMWEIGHT - The George Aldridge Memorial Cup
Bears the name of the long-term secretary of the NZBA, the late George Aldridge. The cup
was first awarded in 1950.
FLYWEIGHT - The Artie Beban Memorial Trophy
Marks the memory of ‘Mr Sport’ on the West Coast, the late Artie Beban who was an active
administrator for 46 years and held the office of President of the NZBA. The trophy was first
awarded in 1956.
64
JAMESON BELT- Most Scientific Senior
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
J O'Sullivan
C Hurne
H Johns
R Purdie
H Thomas
H Hughes
R Purdie
C Gordon
N Fisher
N Jenkins
H Sheridan
J O'Connor
T Dunn
J Jenkins
C Kerr
J McIvor
K Anderson
J Pile
W Beazley
J McNally
J Harrison
V Tuck
G Anderson
P Donovan
M Purton
G Anderson
P Donovan
B Maunsell
D McKenna
P Donovan
W Coe
M Santos
B Kendall
B Kendall
W Graham
R Reddan
J Rackley
P Ryan
J Rackley
J Rackley
R Jackson
R Jackson
D Jackson
R Jackson
R Jackson
D Jackson
J Coombe
D Meehan
S Renwick
S Renwick
M Flavell
A McNamara
W Meehan
B Galbraith
F Cunningham
J Eade
M Bell
T Shailer
G Jago
D Calvert
Auckland
Wellington
Auckland
Auckland
Wellington
Whangarei
Auckland
Taranaki
Canterbury
Oamaru
Auckland
Cnaterbury
Hutt Valley
Auckland
Otago
Hawkes Bay
Otago
Ashburton
Wellington
Otago
Hawkes Bay
Greymouth
Southland
Hawkes Bay
Timaru
Southland
Hawkes Bay
Canterbury
Taranaki
Hawkes Bay
Wellington
Auckland
Canterbury
Canterbury
Wellington
Wellington
Nelson
Taranaki
Nelson
Nelson
Wellington
Wellington
Hutt Valley
Hutt Valley
Hutt Valley
Hutt Valley
Taranaki
Manawatu
Wellington
Wellington
Waikato
Nelson
Manawatu
Nelson
Taranaki
Canterbury
Canterbury
Manawatu
Auckland
Canterbury
Bantamweight
Bantamweight
Featherweight
Featherweight
Lightweight
Lightweight
Lightweight
Featherweight
Lightweight
Lightweight
Flyweight
Lightweight
Lightweight
Lightweight
Lightweight
Welterweight
Lightweight
Featherweight
Welterweight
Light Welterweight
Bantamweight
Light Middleweight
Bantamweight
Bantamweight
Featherweight
Featherweight
Lightweight
Light Welterweight
Featherweight
Lightweight
Welterweight
Lightweight
Featherweight
Featherweight
Light Welterweight
Featherweight
Featherweight
Featherweight
Welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight
Light Middleweight
Welterweight
Light Middleweight
Light Middleweight
Light Middleweight
Welterweight
Bantamweight
Welterweight
Welterweight
Light Middleweight
Light Middleweight
Featherweight
Welterweight
Light Middleweight
Light Middleweight
Middleweight
Welterweight
Bantamweight
Welterweight
65
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
D Masterson
T Shailer
T Shailer
Noah Lopez
R Walker
E Gradwell
T Shailer
K Bentson
S Cameron
Auckland
Manawatu
Manawatu
Canterbury
Central North Island
Auckland
Wellington/Hutt Valley
Auckland Invitation
Feilding
Lightweight
Light Welterweight
Welterweight
Bantamweight
Light Welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight
Light Middleweight
Heavyweight
JOE THWAITES SHIELD - Trainer, Jamieson Belt
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
A Scaife
A Scaife
A Scaife
A Scaife
A Scaife
A Scaife
P Priest
M Nicol
C Kenny
C Kenny
W Miles
L Rackley
W Meehan
L Rackley
P Ryan
Wellington
Wellington
Hutt Valley
Hutt Valley
Hutt Valley
Hutt Valley
New Plymouth
Manawatu
Wellington
Wellington
Waikato
Nelson
Manawatu
Nelson
Taranaki
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
P Bell
P Bell
M Meehan
J McKay
K Barry Jnr
J McKay
M Meehan
M Meehan
P Shatford
C Walker
J McKay
G Scaife
C Todd
H Schuster
Canterbury
Canterbury
Manawatu
Auckland
Canterbury
Auckland
Manawatu
Manawatu
Canterbury
CNI
Auckland
Well/H Valley
Auckland Inv
Feilding
BILL O'CONNOR MEMORIAL CUP - Youngest Titleholder, Senior
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
66
P McNally
L Hunter
P McNally
E MacDonald
B Kendall
W Graham
R Redden
W Graham
W Graham
P Ryan
J Rackley
J Rackley
D Wilson
L Rackley
W Karaitiana
W Karaitiana
K Murray
T Atwood
B Galbraith
P Tarrant
A Fatu
D Meehan
Otago
Otago
Wellington
Greymouth
Canterbury
Wellington
Wellington
Wellington
Wellington
Taranaki
Nelson
Nelson
Canterbury
Nelson
Masterton
Masterton
Hutt Valley
Timaru
Nelson
Timaru
Waikato
Manawatu
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
D Meehan
W Meehan
D Nicol
J Peau
R Raeli
C Adamson
C Adamson
J Eade
D Tua
D Tua
D Leabourn
K Fiaui
A Ene
K Fiaui
R Foley
D Jenkins
R Abubot
M Newton
M Newton
M Newton
K Foley
Manawatu
Manawatu
CNI
ABTA
Auckland
Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury
Auckland
Auckland
CNI
CNI
Auckland
CNI
Wanganui
CNI
CNI
Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury
Auckland
PARKER MEMORIAL TROPHY - Best Loser, Senior
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
W Franks
D Murphy
W Franks
J Collins
L Ny
T Domney
L Ny
K Milford
D Newton
J Wright
D Enright
N Aitken
E Briggs
F Feau
K Ah Lam
W Graham
D Rackley
G Peters
B White
T Atwood
R Warren
R Jackson
B Galbraith
Auckland
Canterbury
Auckland
Auckland
Cantebury
Wellington
Canterbury
Auckland
Auckland
Manawatu
Southland
Hawkes Bay
Canterbury
Wellington
Auckland
Hawkes Bay
Nelson
Canterbury
Hutt Valley
Timaru
Westport
Hutt Valley
Timaru
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
K Pyne
W Mangin
P Warren
J Wallace
B Galbraith
J Wallace
B Jackson
N Wood
T Shailer
Not Recorded
G Bell
A Mitchell
K Fiaui
D Masterson
C Warwick
M Gillespie
J Scully
A Shelford
D Codling
J Fisher-Hewitt
G Cumming
Canterbury
Manawatu
Southland
Southland
Nelson
Southland
Wellington
Whangarei
Manawatu
Canterbury
Green Island
CNI
Auckland
Auckland
Timaru
Southland
Auckland
Auckland
Timaru
Canterbury
TRESTON SHIELD - Senior Association, Most Wins
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
Greymouth, Canterbury
Wellington
Auckland
Hamilton
Greymouth
Southland
Canterbury
Auckland
Canterbury, Wellington
Not Recorded
Oamaru
Wellington
Southland
Canterbury
Southland
Auckland
Southland, Waikato
Canterbury
Taranaki
Auckland
Auckland
Nelson
Timaru
Canterbury, Hutt Valley
Canterbury, Waikato
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1974
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Nelson, Timaru
Canterbury, Hutt Valley, Timaru
Auckland,Wellington
Southland
Southland
Hutt Valley
Manawatu
Hutt Valley
Canterbury, Nelson
Manawatu, Hutt Valley
Manukau
Auckland
Not Recorded
Central North Island
Not Recorded
Manawatu
Canterbury
Manawatu
Central North Island
Wellington, Hutt Valley
Wellington
Auckland
Timaru
Canterbury
67
EARL STEWART MEMORIAL SHIELD - Senior Association Points Trophy
1939
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
Southland, Taranaki
Auckland
Otago
Hawkes Bay
Auckland
Southland
Taranaki, Wellington
Hawkes Bay, Otago, Greymouth,
Manawatu
Wellington, Wanganui, Taranaki,
Hawkes Bay, Auckland
Greymouth
Otago
Auckland
Auckland
Auckland
Auckland, Wellington
Canterbury, Wellington
Auckland
Auckland
Auckland
Auckland
Auckland, Wellington
Auckland, Wellington
Auckland
Wellington
Auckland
Wellington
Auckland
Wellington
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Wellington
Wellington
Hutt Valley
Hutt Valley, Canterbury
Hutt Valley
ABTA
ABTA, Wellington
Wellington
ABTA
Southland
Central North Island
Nelson
Manawatu, ABTA
Manukau
Manukau
Auckland
Canterbury
Auckland
Auckland
Not Recorded
Auckland
Canterbury
Auckland
Manukau
Auckland
Auckland
Canterbury
Canterbury
Central Auckland
BRIAN O'BRIEN TROPHY - Services to Boxing
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
68
Trevor Mitchell
Eric Tindall
Alan Harvey
Les Rackley
J A Walker
J A Walker
Brian Tobin
John McKay
Nuki Johnson
Brian McKeowen
Hutt Valley
Wellington
Manawatu
Nelson
Waikato
Waikato
Masterton
Auckland
Taupo
Canterbury
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Allan Harvey
Ave Luxon
Alex Sutherland
Joy Leonard
Malcolm Nicol
Clive Head
G (Mac) Allcock
Alan Scaife
Martin Ryan
Manawatu
Oamaru
Auckland
Timaru
Palmerston North
Wellington
Wellington
Wellington
Wanganui/Tara
New Zealand BOXING CUP - Most Scientific Boxer, Intermediate
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
R Jackson
D Rackley
D Verner
B White
K Pancha
G White
S Piggot
S Piggot
G Reihana
V Nicholson
R Puki
M Sewpersad
N Gillies
J McCarron
Taranaki
Nelson
Waikato
Wellington
Wellington
Hutt Valley
Auckland
ABTA
Timaru
Southland
Bluff
Southland
CNI
Hutt Valley
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
2001
J Eade
L Bower
T Shailer
D Calvert
T Terure
T Terure
M Owen
S O'Brien
N Lopez
E Gradwell
D Jenkins
L Hall
A Healey
C Dickey
Southland
Southland
Manawatu
Canterbury
Manawatu
Manawatu
Gisborne
Green Island
Canterbury
Oamaru
CNI
Timaru
Hawkes Bay
Southland
DICK DUNN TROPHY - Trainer Most Scientific Boxer, Intermediate
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
E Woods
J Drew
B Baglin
B Harvey
T Niumata
G McCarron
B Enright
I Colvin
T Shailer Snr
P Bell
M Nicol
Temuka
Green Island
Bluff
Nightcaps
CNI
Hutt Valley
Invercargill
Invercargill
Manawatu
Canterbury
Manawatu
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
2001
M Nicol
M Watts
J Drew
P Shatford
A Luxon
R Jenkins
E Woods
N Johnson
J Healey
A Dickey
Manawatu
Gisborne
Green Island
Canterbury
Oamaru
CNI
Timaru
Hawkes Bay
Hawkes Bay
Southland
TOMMY HARRIS CUP - Best Loser, Intermediate
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
J Mitchell
R Warren
T Allan
D Smith
J Lavas
M Whaiapu
W Rowe
P Ashkettle
M Flavell
M Flavell
D Sewpersad
C Bishop
J McCarron
P Anitilea
Canterbury
Westport
Auckland
Wellington
Auckland
Auckland
Otago
Wellinton
Waikato
Waikato
Southland
Canterbury
Hutt Valley
Auckland
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
2001
S Samuel
S Samuel
D Galbraith
D Galbraith
S Henderson
C Nicol
S McIver
M Katene
Not Recorded
H Bryant
A Collier
J Turnbull
W Te Vira
J Gardner
Manukau
Manukau
Nelson
Nelson
Southland
CNI
Green Island
Soutland
Masterton
Oamaru
Canterbury
CNI
Wellington
69
SOMMERVILLE CUP - Most Scientific Boxer, Junior
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
B Kendall
S Scholes
C Plowman
L Saleniek
R Gallagher
P Ryan
K Seque
R Jackson
L Stephenson
R O'Connell
K Watts
D Morgan
A Stankovich
B Galbraith
B Galbraith
S Whaiapu
G Reihana
A McNamara
R Walker
M Sewpersad
Canterbury
Southland
Wellington
Oamaru
Hawkes Bay
New Plymouth
Otago
New Plymouth
Auckland
Gisborne
Auckland
Canterbury
Auckland
Nelson
Nelson
Auckland
Timaru
Nelson
CNI
Southland
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
A Wallbank
P McCarron
J Eade
D Paul
D Blair
T Terure
L Elliott
S Phillips
S Phillips
E Gradwell
A Collier
K McKeowen
L Tod
F Bryant
D Miller
M Newton
S Snaddon
S Aitcheson
D O'Rourke
R Walker
CHB
Hutt Valley
Southland
CNI
Timaru
Manawatu
CNI
Southland
Southland
Oamaru
Oamaru
Canterbury
Canterbury
Masterton
Masterton
Canterbury
Hawkes Bay
Canterbury
Manawatu
CNI
GARY ANDERSON CUP - Trainer of Most Scientific Boxer, Junior
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
E Godkin
M Nicol
T Niumata
M Treacy
M Treacy
A Luxon
A Luxon
P Shatford
Timaru
Manawatu
CNI
Southland
Southland
Oamaru
Oamaru
Canterbury
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
J Dickson
N Cadwallader
N Cadwallader
B White
R Langdon
A Aitcheson
M Nicol
R Walker Snr
Canterbury
Masterton
Masterton
Canterbury
Hawkes Bay
Canterbury
Manawatu
CNI
OTEMATATA TROPHY - Best Loser, Junior
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
70
G Case
Not Recorded
W Corbett
T Lyons
W Murphy
W Karaitiana
Not Recorded
Not Recorded
B Galbraith
K Stewart
P Ah Hoi
W McAsey
B Galbraith
G Buckley
D Jack
D Sewpersad
S Birch
C Hale
B Gillies
Rotorua
CHB
Hawera
Masterton
Nelson
Oamaru
Wellington
Feilding
Nelson
CNI
Masterton
Southland
CNI
CNI
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
J Hart
D Calvert
B Knight
Not Presented
D Hall
P Lowe
J Dennison
J McDonald
C Hurley
M Scrivens
J Fisher
J Wallace
I Krong
B Snaddon
A Anderson
C Dickey
S Heremaia
L Buckley
Masterton
Canterbury
Northland
Timaru
CNI
Otgao
Canterbury
Taranaki
Hawkes Bay
Oamaru
CNI
Canterbury
Dannevirke
CNI
Southland
Counties/Mana
CNI
O'LEARY CUP - Points Prize, Junior
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
New Plymouth
New Plymouth
Hawkes Bay
Gisborne
Wellington
Wellington
Wellington
Hutt Valley
Wellington
Masterton
Masterton
Hutt Valley
Central North Island
Southland
Not Recorded
Central North Island
Hutt Valley
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Manawatu
Central North Island
Central North Island
Central North Island
Central North Island
Central North Island
Oamaru
Oamaru/Hawkes Bay
Hawkes Bay
Masterton
Canterbury
Central Hawkes Bay/Masterton
Wanganui
Auckland
Auckland
Canterbury
Central North Island
TYRER CUP - Points Trophy, Junior
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
New Plymouth
Canterbury
Timaru
Auckland/Central Hawkes Bay
Hawkes Bay
Waikato
Canterbury
Auckland
Wellington
Otago
Otago
Wellington
Masterton and Districts
Central North Island
Central North Island
Not Recorded
Hutt Valley/Manawatu
Manawatu
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Central North Island
New Plymouth
Gisborne
Manawatu
Wellington/Hutt Valley
Not Recorded
Central North Island/
Central Hawkes Bay/Manawatu
Not Recorded
Canterbury
Masterton
Masterton
Hawkes Bay
Central North Island
Central North Island/Hawkes Bay
Central North Island
Counties/Manakau
Canterbury
71
OLYMPIC GAMES REPRESENTATIVES
1924 – PARIS, FRANCE
Featherweight:
Charlie Purdy (Auckland)
Lost – Marcel Thorley (France)
1928 – AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND
Manager:
Harry Amos (Wellington)
Coach:
Charlie Dickinson (Wellington)
Welterweight:
Ted Morgan (Wellington)
Beat – S Johannsen (Sweden)
Beat – R Canova (Italy)
Beat – R Catalaud (France)
Beat – P Landini (Argentina)
Light Heavyweight: Alf Cleverly (Wellington)
Lost – A Jackson (Great Britain)
points
GOLD
points
points
points
points
points
1932 – LOS ANGELES, USA
Manager:
PN Rundle (Otago)
Coach:
JW Heenan (Wellington)
Fetherweight:
Bobby Purdie (Auckland)
Lost – M Bianchini (Italy)
Lightweight:
Harold Thomas (Wellington)
Lost – L Fabrioni (Italy)
Welterweight
Bert Lowe (Otago)
Lost – H Bernlohr (Germany)
points
1936 – BERLIN, GERMANY
Manager:
Arthur Porritt (England)
Coach:
SL Chapman
Featherweight:
Clarrie Gordon (Patea)
Lost – C Karlsson (Finland)
Lightweight:
Norm Fisher (Canterbury)
Lost – R Oliver (Argentina)
Welterweight:
Tommy Abuthnott (Wellington)
Lost – R Rodriquez (Argentina)
points
points
points
points
points
1948 – LONDON, ENGLAND
Featherweight:
Bob Goslin (Wellington)
Lost – Eddie Johnson (USA)
Bob Goslin travelled alone with no manager or coach.
1956 – MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
Coach:
Dal Griffin (Otago)
Lightweight:
Paddy Donovan (Hawkes Bay)
Lost – T Ishimaru (Japan)
Welterweight:
Graham Finlay (Greymouth)
Lost – K Hogarth (Australia)
points
1964 – TOKYO, JAPAN
Manager/Coach:
Syd Ashton (Timaru)
Lightweight:
Paddy Donovan (Hawkes Bay)
Lost – H Pace (Argentina)
Light Welterweight: Brian Maunsell (Canterbury)
Lost – E Frolov (Russia)
rsc2/cut ear
72
points
rsc2/cut eye
1972 – MUNICH, GERMANY
Manager/Coach:
Featherweight:
Pat Ryan (Taranaki)
Lost – K Kobayashi (Japan)
Welterweight:
Jeff Rackley (Nelson)
Lost – G Meier (West Germany)
points
points
1976 – MONTREAL, CANADA
Manager/Coach:
Alan Scaife (Wellington)
Light Welterweight:
Welterweight:
Robert Colley (Wellington)
Lost – V Limasov (Russia)
David Jackson (Hutt Valley)
Beat – F Chtiqui (Tunisia)
Lost – V Rachkov (Russia)
1984 – LOS ANGELES, USA
Manager/Coach:
Kevin Barry Snr (Canterbury)
Light Heavyweight: Kevin Barry Jnr (Canterbury)
Beat – D Smith (Trinidad/Tobago)
Beat – J Kirisa (Uganda)
Beat – J Nanga (Cameroun)
Beat – E Holyfield (USA)
Lost – A Josipovic (Yugoslavia)
Heavyweight:
Michael Kenny (Wellington)
Lost – D Owiny (Uganda)
1992 – BARCELONA, SPAIN
Manager/Coach:
Dr John McKay (Auckland)
Light Welterweight: Trevor Shailer (Manawatu)
Lost – L Szucs (Hungary)
Light Middleweight: Sililo Figota (Auckland)
Lost – M Beyer (Germany)
Heavyweight:
David Tua (Auckland)
Beat – J Ortega (Spain)
Beat – V Ruckschloss (Czech Republic)
Lost – D Izonritei (Nigeria)
rsc3
ret2
points
SILVER
points
points
points
disq2
walkover
ko2
points
points
BRONZE
rsc2
rsc2
points
1996 – ATLANTA, USA
Manager/Coach:
Chris Kenny (Wellington)
Heavyweight:
Garth da Silva (Auckland)
Beat – C O’Grady (Ireland)
Lost – S Dychkov (Belarus)
ko2
points
2000 – SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Manager/Coach:
Dr John McKay (Auckland)
Super Heavyweight: Angus Shelford (Auckland)
Lost – O Masikin (Ukraine)
points
73
74