Anti-Torpedo Job

Ports Review

\sionary Does

rom J. P. Shortall, in Auckland

[Jck Woodworth, The

hnerican 25-year - old erst phile Mormon missionary from demonstrated before about ) fight fans in Auckland’s iw Park on February 27 that nows all about the handling orpedoes—even Tongan Tor 's like Kitione Lave. 5 fans got their money’s worth le full twelve rounds —but the a Woodworth victory, was a not only to their judgment ilso to a good many of their it-books, as the Tongan Tor with almost a stone and a of advantage and plenty of t fighting experience, was un ;edly a hot favourite over worth who had not been in ing for about two and a half during his term of mission

land fight fans were able to 'n to the Lave-Woodworth t as a result of an approach ‘PIM” to the Auckland Box- Association and the NZ ideasting Service. The com ■tary was excellent. However, r in the Islands were prob enraged when the relay interrupted at 10.30 p.m. for usual news broadcast. This in the tenth round when ion was at its highest,

xe concluding rounds were

rded and the broadcast was med after the 7-minute s break. Just why the news and not have been delayed for linutes is not clear, although loubt the fight was expected nd well before 10.30 in the nal planning of the pro xme. it what ever the reason, id listeners are likely to re -3 their criticism in their itude for having the event dcost at all.

j, now completed. Few ex the fight to go beyond three 5. i fighters had employed “punching bags” during their l of training prior to the sparring with Fred Kaho, Valevale, Johnny lefata, and Wolfgramm. Valevale, who > fight a preliminary bout on ? night, suffered some broken m a sparring match with vorth. lefata of Western 1 fought and won a prelim iitions for the out-door fight

were perfect and attendance was excellent. On some estimates the ABA would show a clear profit of

£Isoo.

Lave had made no secret of the fact that he was, as usual, out for an early knock-out, and conditions were distinctly boisterous for Wood worth who appeared far from happy at the end of the third round.

But by then he had sized up the Torpedo’s weak points, and by con stant use of a very effective left Lave was kept at a distance.

What surprised the Auckland fans was the slowness of Lave’s 1958 footwork as compared with his cat-like speed in some pre -1954 Auckland fights.

Recalling that Lave had lost his last four fights—three in England and one in Germany—prior to re turning to New Zealand —some fans consider that Lave is already on the down-grade. Woodworth was clearly the more skilled fighter on this occasion. By the eleventh round, it was clear that only a knock-out could give Lave a vic tory. As in the early rounds, Lave made another all-out effort to overpower the American, but Wood worth was able to stand him off.

The verdict of the two judges was unanimously for Woodworth—a verdict which was not booed by anyone.

Lave had been unwilling to fight on a gate-percentage purse basis and although Woodworth won the fight, his purse was only £450, com pared with Lave’s £BOO, plus ex penses of his trip from England and return.

He left again on March 1 for a pre-arranged fight with a Nigerian.

Negotiations were under way early March for Joe Bygraves, a leading English fighter, to meet Woodworth in an Auckland open air contest about mid-March, but prospects for this fight were un certain. Due to the absence of any suitable indoor stadium, the fight would have to take place while the summer weather holds in Auckland.

Soccer Tour Might

Not Be A Good Idea

From Norman Baxter, in Suva

r® breakaway NSW Soccer

Federation has opened negotia tions for a short tour of Fiji sometime in July or August. But its terms, which on the surface appear to be reasonable, could be prohibitive to the Fiji Indian Soccer Association, which, like all other sports bodies in the Colony is anything but wealthy.

Air fares and allowance to players and managers could cost a mini mum of £1,860, and on top of this there are internal travelling costs and accommodation to be met. In

addition, the visitors want a per centage of the profits.

The Fiji Indian Soccer Associa tion just has not got that sort of money, so it is unlikely that the tour will enventuate unless some philanthropist comes to light.

Two other factors mitigate against the tour. These are: • The NSW Soccer Federation is a breakaway body and has no official affiliation with any organi sation connected with the inter national controlling body.

The local association could en danger its relations with overseas soccer bodies if it entertained an unaffiliated body. • One of the men behind the scenes is Mr. Johnny Phillips, formerly manager of the Australian heavyweight boxing champion, Allen Williams.

Phillips and Williams, with two others, were charged in Inverell Court about three years ago with conspiracy. The charge related to “ringing” in a boxer as heavyweight champion of Queensland. All ac cused were acquitted.

In 1956 Phillips was concerned with an incident in New Zealand, when a fight between Williams and Fijian, Tom Hini, at Hastings, was declared a “no contest”. The ref eree held that neither boxer was trying. The New Zealand Associa tion later endorsed the referee’s action and withheld the purses.

Fiji at this stage might be well advised to look elsewhere for tour ing soccer teams.

In Sydney, Peter Hall says: 4 Fiji Times report about the Fed eration’s approach to the Fiji Association may have given some readers the wrong impression on what the Federation is.

Ostensibly, the Federation was formed by dissatisfied members of the NSW Soccer Association w T ho wanted to put the game on a better footing. In fact, it was probably formed purelv as a business ven ture, and it has achieved little so far but split Association clubs, create bad feeling and lower the standard of soccer in NSW.

The Federation consists of about 34 clubs that have been banned by FIFA, and thus must play between themselves. But they are getting a bit fed up with that, thus has come the proposals to the Fiji Indian Soccer Association.