Vic Gummer - 3 Times Auckland Champion

Great boxing enthusiast and boxing trainer of high repute, Vic Gummer passed away at Te Mana rest home in Birkdale on Friday March 11^th.

Vic Gummer (right) with Barry Brown

Victor Albert Gummer was a Birkenhead man through and through, and lived in Palmerston Road for many years.

Vic was an inaugural member of the Auckland Boxing Association and was made a life member last year.

He had many Champion fighters and was a great boxing trainer.

Vic Gummer won his first Auckland amateur title in 1943 when he was 14 years old. This was a Junior Title and he won The “Wells Brenan” cup presented by Mr. J. E. Wells and the late P.E. Brenan, which was allotted to the champion of the Featherweight Class. He won senior titles in 1946 and 1948. Vic won these titles in the days when hundreds of boys in each weight division were all trying their luck to win Auckland titles. They were tough times in the war years and shortly afterwards, and boxing gyms were full of young hopefulls all trying to be recognized.

He loved sparring with the professionals and sparred with Doug Godward and Clarrie Gordon among others. He recently listed some top pro’s he sparred with in the 1940’s and early 1950’s. There was Percy Kelly, Roy Stevens, Doug Godward, Ernie Underwood, Vic Caltaux, Al Stock, and Jackie Jenkins.

Vic worked in Barry Browns corner when he lived in Wellington and Barry went on to be a British Empire Champion in 1954. Vic travelled overseas with heavyweight Fossie Schmidt and took him to French Polynesia, and took many champions on overseas trips. He was in Jugoslavia as Assistant N.Z. coach and with Dr.John McKay as coach, when Jimmy Peau, later Jimmy Thunder, was in the team. Vic did countless trips to Australia and Tahiti and Korea with boxers he trained and was a highly respected trainer around Auckland.

He had many favourite boys and many were at the funeral to show their respect for a top trainer.

Vic did many TV commercials and was in demand in the film industry. I recall him in Shortland Street a couple of times and he was also in a scene with the Topp Twins. He did a lot of overseas commercials that were never shown in NZ. He told me once he was on Canadian TV more than in New Zealand.

Although Vic was a great Birkenhead man, he also spent time in Wellington and Dunedin, but he loved the area where he grew up.

When his health deteriorated a few years back Vic had to give up the sport he loved so much.

I will personally miss Vic very much as we went to a lot of fights together up and down the country.