Reflections and Comments on Boxing in NZ
by Ronan Foley (Shamrock Boxing), 8 August 2007
What a great way to start the day with an email from Mark
Brimblecombe declaring
he has made himself and his devises available to a new website on
boxing in and around and of interest to New Zealand. Mark
is now known to most boxing enthusiasts, coaches and
administrators alike through his building of the Rodney website and
his contribution to the computerized data and results of the 2006
National Champs at Rotorua. We can only look forward to his new
website
http://www.boxingnz.com/
and
forthright views and opinions, coupled with interesting boxing
paraphernalia and facts, and give him 100% support. We desperately
need this site at least to help provide us with updates the official
BoxingNZ site has been unable to fulfil, such as Results and
Clubs & Associations.
Real first
hand and regular up to date boxing news in NZ has been pretty sparse
for some years now, with Gil Sullivan’s departure and Johnny Lloyd
confined to Australian news, we haven’t
had the benefit of the true pugilistic sage combining both
the Professional and Amateur scenes by writers not afraid to say it
as they see it. This website might provide an avenue for the likes
of Johnny Lloyd to vent his spleen at least.
Boxing in New
Zealand has changed over the years as I see it, Amateur boxing has
become far more intensive and competitive in terms of computer
scoring, and the skills required in the sport are completely
different to those required to become a competitive Professional.
Some of us old-timers (Lance Revill included) haha, have had to
reconstruct our coaching expertise or get left behind…this Amateur
scene presents a completely different ball game. We see fighters
winning to the computers in styles that would have made us puke some
years ago. In saying that, there are some very good fighters
developing in the field, and the Amateur code is moulding into its
own type of excitement.
Professional
Boxing at one time was the pinnacle of the sport, it was where we
put on our promotional cards (Pro-Am) as the showcase to where our
Amateur fighters could aspire to if they had the skills, dedication
and heart. With the lack of competitive matching and availability of
skilled boxers to the Pro code (blame computer scoring in the
Amateur ranks) all that has changed, sadly to say. Some of our most
recent TV showing has proved this point. Maybe we need to produce a
Perhaps this
website can produce news and views that can generate the influence
required to bring about changes to the betterment of our noble art.
The Shamrock
Club and Association extend a very warm welcome back to
Feedback/Comments
Email me your comments about this article. Click Here.
Thanks Ron for the support on this website. I don't think I'm going to get into trying to do the job that Boxing New Zealand should be doing, with information on results and clubs. But lets see what happens! I hope we get some feedback on your reflections and suggestions.
An article from Mike Parker will arrive here soon