We end the narrative on the Boxing New Zealand champions over the decades with a look at the Flyweight and Light-Flyweight divisions.

Over the last 120 years, the weight and height of the average kiwi male has increased dramatically. A good example is provided by the entries at the first New Zealand Boxing Association Championships held in Christchurch in 1902. Just twenty odd boxers lined up, with around seven boxers entering the Featherweight and Lightweight divisions and four apiece in the Middleweight and Heavyweight ranks.

Before the introduction of the NZBA Junior Championships in 1962, the National Championship weight divisions, were open to all boxers

Since the Jameson Belt was first presented to Jack O'Sullivan in 1927, just two Flyweight champions, have had the most scientific award strapped around their waist. The 1937 Greymouth Nationals, saw Auckland's Hughie Sheridan defeat Wellington pugilist Harold Foote before receiving the Jameson Belt. The Wellington boxer was no slug in the ring going on to win the Bantamweight crowns in 1938 and 1939.

The first two Flyweight crowns in 1922 and 1923, were won by boxers with two of the best known names in the sport, in Otago’s Tommy Griffiths and Johnny Leckie. Greymouth boxer Stan Purton was the first to win back to back Flyweight titles in 1925 and 1926 before losing his title to Noel Roebuck the following year.

Clarrie Gordon who would go on to represent New Zealand at the 1936 Olympic Games, was a fighter out of the top draw, winning his first national title at the 1932 New Plymouth Championships. The Patea fighter, would go on to win the Featherweight/Jameson belt double in 1934, before earning the Australasian Featherweight title the following year. 

Barry Brown who will always remembered as one the countries best professional warriors, with an Empire title to his name, beat Bobby Broadhurst in Dunedin in 1948. Gordon Walker, from the well known Waikato boxing family captured the eight stone crown in 1957.

Paddy McNally was just fourteen years of age when he beat future Jameson Belt winner, Dennis McKenna in 1958, to lift aloft the Artie Beban trophy aloft in victory. McNally is likely to forever remain the youngest boxer to win a senior national title.

McKenna went on to defeat Hawkes Bays Dick Orbell, who won the eight stone weight class in 1960 and 1961, before surrendering his title to Ewan McDonald the following year. Brian Kendall commenced his run of seven National Championship titles at the 1963 National title deciders, in the Flyweight division.

Wayne Young and Robert Barber, both went back to back in the mid-sixties, before future Olympian Pat Ryan defeated Chris Plowman from Wellington in 1968. With the average weight of kiwi males climbing, the 1970's brought a string of unopposed titles. 

Michael Colley 's unopposed title in 1980, was followed by three gold medals in the ring, before Canterbury's Stephen Ross defeated Shane Samuels at the Nationals staged in Rotorua during 1984.

A thirty year run of unopposed titles and lack of entries was broken in 2015, when Kirikiriroa Boxing Association representative Ivan Pavich defeated Anthony Smith, from the Wellington/Hutt Valley association. The Waikato region pugilist then engaged in a trifecta of title contests with Canterbury's Ryan Entese, wth Entese emerging victorious in 2017 and 2018, before Pavich won a 3-2 spilt decision in Hastings in 2019. 

Pavich currently sits as just the second Flyweight boxer to win the Jameson Belt, earning the Nationals big prize when he beat Anthony Smith. The Kirikiriroa BA representative, followed in the footsteps of Hughie Sheridan, who became just the 10th winner, of the most scientific senior boxer trophy in 1936.

Boxing New Zealand records show the Light Flyweight division with the first entry being a unopposed title in 1971, followed by a further five unopposed crowns. The only recorded 48 kilo weight division title fight, was at the 2005 Auckland championships, where Noelo Lopez defeated A Aoyama to win the minimum weight national crown.

Article added: Thursday 29 April 2021