Undoubtedly the Shane Cameron-Terry Smith heavyweight slug-fest at Christchurch on September 27th was the New Zealand fight of the year. American Smith was down and in all sorts of trouble in rounds seven and 10. But actually survived to wobble Cameron with some overhand rights only to lose a unanimous decision which had television ratings soaring.
Prospect of the year was supermiddleweight Adrian Taihia who was undefeated in five contests and drew packed houses to the ABA Stadium everytime he fought. His 12-second first round knockout of Troy Seagar at the ABA in July may be a New Zealand record. Only problem with Adrian at this stage is he can't make up his mind between a career in rugby league or pursuing the fight game.
In the past footballer/boxers like Norky Fowler, Frank Farrington and Paul Hayward just to mention a few in Australia and Don Mullett, Chub Keith and Eddie Wulf here in NZ, married playing first grade league with a ring career but in these days of year-round football, intensive training and big contracts, diversification is not welcomed by sports administrators.
Upset of the year occurred in the amateur ranks when Nathan McEwen stopped hard-to-beat Joe Blackbourn in the first round of the final of the New Zealand amateur championships at Upper Hutt in October. Unfortunately the overall standard of the amateurs was not high.
Best pound for pound fighter in New Zealand is still former WBA middleweight champion Maselino Masoe. He showed his class in beating excellent Aussie contender Sonni Michael Angelo at the ASB Centre in November.
6000 SAW EX-PUGS' GRUDGE FIGHT OVER SWY DISPUTE
An article from a 1950 scrapbook loaned to me by an anonymous source caught my eye and I had to share it with the Fight Times readers, particularly those from Melbourne. The story which appeared in the now defunct MELBOURNE TRUTH had the above headline followed in smaller print "Heavy Betting." The paper goes on to report: "On an open field in Port Melbourne last Sunday two former professional boxers fought one of the fiercest grudge battles Victoria has known – without payment from a crowd above 6000. It was supposed to be a private settling of differences, but the secret leaked out. The mob was swelled by carloads from Ararat, Bass, Donald, Wangaratta, Warragul and Kyneton. Publicans, used car salesman, S.P. bookies and a big proportion of Melbourne's waterfront were there to wager and cheer.
Police were called, but there was no law on which the fighters or the referee could be cited as transgressors. The wagering was "between friends" and thus was not illegal. And thousands were wagered.
The combatants were Len Fay, who claimed a record of 112 wins in 181 fights in the ring all over Australia and Roy Earle (sometimes billed as Reg Earle) who claimed 62 wins in 114 ring engagements.
Fay went 10 rounds with the great Vic Patrick before the bout was stopped in August 1941. Earle lost battles to Jackie Marr, international light heavyweight who fought Dave Sands several times.
Fay and Earle gave TRUTH the same backdrop to their duel. Apparently the pair had been going to the same two-up school regularly. Earle disputed a bet of five pounds.The two stepped outside and Fay inflicted six stitches in a cut on Earle's jaw. The pair backed up at the same venue the following week with the same outcome. Earl challenged Fay to a fight in the open with a referee and only regulars in attendance. But by 10 am on Sunday there were 300 waiting. One spectator stood on top of a limousine and bawled out that he had 500 pound to bet on Fay.
By noon the crowd had swelled to over 6000. Fay and Earle both decked in football shorts agreed originally to fight barefooted and with bare knuckles to a finish. But they consented to wear light gloves (mitts) and fight two-minute rounds. Fay fought barefoot, Earle sent for a pair of sandshoes.
Fay wanted Australian ex-middleweight champion, Jack Kirkham, as referee. Earle wanted Young Jocker, well-known interstate pug, as third man. They tossed. Earle won.
There were no ropes. The crowd moved with the tide of battle. It was rough, but clean. Both were bleeding freely after three rounds. Fay had more trouble with his feet than his facial injuries.
When Earle crumpled, dry retching in the seventh, it looked like the finish. But gamely he went on and opened a second cut on Fay's cheek. By the end of the 13th, the fighters were near exhaustion. Yet they agreed then to a final round of four minutes instead of two rounds of two minutes each.
Punters with big cash on the line screamed support of every blow. At the end of the four minutes the fighters collapsed and had to be lifted apart by seconds. And Jocker, the referee named by Earle, declared Fay the winner on points. A Port Melbourne publican produced an ice-box and Jocker, Earle, Fay and their seconds drank a round.
On Monday, Earle and two mates went to Fay seeking a return fight, a hundred pound to nothing, to the finish."
The article concludes: "If there are hardly any wharfies, tallys, dockies or deckhands available for work on any given Sunday in the next month you can bet they are at "a relatives funeral"-21 miles from central Melbourne."
Author Johnny Lloyd spend 13 years on the Australian Waterfront.
