RINGSIDE

Series

Series Name: Mining Review 11th Year

Issue

Issue No.

Date Released

Jun 1958

Stories in this Issue:

Story

Story No. within this Issue

3 / 3

Summary

BFI synopsis: mineworkers’ National Amateur Boxing Championships at Leeds.
NCB Commentary - Yorkshire acts as host this year to the Mineworkers’ National Amateur Boxing Championships.
Outside Leeds Town Hall, contenders gather from all over the coalfields.
At the morning’s weigh-in, an early arrival was Steve Pearson, surface fitter from Markham Main. The previous night at Wembley, Pearson took the A.B.A. Middle Weight Championship.
In the evening a packed audience was there to acclaim the fighters.
Among distinguished guests was Sir James Bowman, National Coal Board Chairman.
This is the feather-weight contest at nine stone between Drummond of Scotland and MacDonald of the East Midlands.
The bout promised lots of action but didn’t go further than the first round.
A left hook from MacDonald put Drummond down for the first time to take a count of five. After that it was soon over.
Down went Drummond again and this time there was no doubt about it. The winner - MacDonald of Grassmoor Colliery.
Harringay style, a fan-fare of brass heralded each pair of contenders.
Here comes J. Wood of the Durham Division with E. Ball of the West Midlands in the heavy-weight clash.
Ball is the National current champion and has represented England.
The first opened with both men probing at long range. They broke out of this clinch with Wood the taller man using his height to keep Ball at a distance.
This looks like a cut eye but, in fact, it was only a scar on the cheek.
They box on with Wood using very much the same tactics but proving unsable to land any real scoring blows.
The fight went the full distance of three rounds and, at the end, a clear decision was in favour of Ball to retain his national championship.
Now Pearson’s bout - the one that excited the greatest interest.
Don’t forget, this boy had already had two bouts at Wembley the previous day. He looked pretty much on his toes.
His opponent, J. Tonks of West Midlands.
This was another fight that went the full distance. Pearson in the dark vest, of course.
Not very distinguished boxing perhaps, but a bout in which over the first two rounds it looked as if Tonks was getting the better of the contest.
21 years of age, Tonks is a blacksmith at West Cannock No.5 pit.
Towards the end of the bout, though, Pearson opened out and in the last round poled up a sufficient points lead to leave the issue in little doubt.
Near the end, down went Tonks to take a count of seven. But he was up again to see out the bout, hanging on to his opponent.
The winner, Pearson, who pulled off a notable double.
Here he goes to get his awards from the hands of James Bowman.
The Mitchell Hedges Trophy for the most successful division went to the West Midlands.
Boxing in the British mining industry continues to flourish.

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