Tongan Boxer
pp. 57-105 · Read in the full issue
King Publicity
Brawl
E manager (Vin Conboy) of the Tongan boxer, Kitione Lave, was gleeful when his charge had ind-up, unscheduled fight with a Dus Cuban boxer, Nino Valdes, j last month in USA. t was worth a million dollars üblicity,” he cried. “We are now ig back receiving a stream of s instead of having to negotiate ;hem.” ie brawl started when a punch thrown after the bell had died the end of the first round i sparring bout. Spectators,
trainers and managers joined in to separate the two angry fighters, after half a minute of furious punching.
Conboy claimed that he had made a £l,OOO offer for a real fight be tween Lave and Valdes, but the Valdes camp did not seem inclined to accept.
Several American television com panies had inquired about the availability of Lave to fight in their boxing programmes. Conboy was after that one because it would mean greater publicity, and a dollar income for Lave.
He said that Lave was at the top of his form. He and his charge
hoped for much from an American visit. He had forbidden Lave to take any more sparring jobs.
“Lave is a future champion, not a sparring partner,” he said.
Lave, who had not long an nounced his engagement to a Sun day School teacher, said: “I need a fight quickly. I need money so I can get married. But it looks as if I shall have to go to Canada to look for fights—heavyweights in this country are afraid of me.”
It is a pity thus to see an un inhibited Islander, particularly from the Friendly Group, becoming “civilised.”
(Continued on Page 103)
members her war dead. TOP: Ceremony of Sacrifice, NZ War Memorial Ceme- Durail, New Caledonia. LOWER: Com- Leurchars, a visitor from the NZ Soldiers' Association, lays a wreath Memorial to the War Dead, Noumea, NC.
Lave married Miss Patricia Anne Gee, a railway Clerk, in England, on February 22, and was the recipient of a cablegram of congratulations and good wishes from Queen Salote.
Soon after he announced his engagement to Miss Gee, Lave was accused of jilting an Australian girl, who alleged that Lave was the father of her 13-months-old son.
This story was printed in extenso and given wide publicity by certain Australian and New Zealand newspapers.
Lave denied that he had promised to marry the girl and that he was the father of her child.