The second part of the story about the Boxing New Zealand elite,  who won the Jameson Belt/Bill O'Connor Cup double in the same year, opens with then West Coast coal miner Nathan McEwen. From 2006 to 2010, McEwen became the boxer with the big target on his back in the Middleweight division. 

The 2006 Rotorua Nationals, where Nathan won the Jameson Belt given to the most scientific senior boxer and the Bill O'Connor Cup awarded to the youngest senior champion, was the start of McEwen's appearance in five successive Middleweight Finals.

His Jameson Belt/Bill O'Connor Cup double in 2006 saw him defeat Deacon Henry from Timaru. The following two years resulted in two titanic battles with Wellington/Hutt Valley fighter Joe Blackbourn, where the victor was awarded the Jameson Belt.

Blackbourn took the first battle at the 2007 Boxing New Zealand National Championships hosted by the North Harbour Boxing Association - before McEwan turned the tables the following year.

It was the turn of current high profile Auckland boxing trainer Isaac Peach, to wear the Cleverley Belt after defeating McEwen in 2009, before McEwen came back to win the Middleweight crown for the third time in 2010.

It is impossible to tell the story of brothers, Harrison and Ryan Scaife, winning the unique double, without telling the tale of the Scaife family boxing dynasty 

Patriarch Alan Scaife, made his entrance on to the big stage of the then New Zealand Boxing Association, when he was presented with the Geoff Watchhorn Belt after winning the Light Welterweight title at the 1953 National Championships held in Wanganui.

During the 1970's, Alan Scaife achieved a record that is unlikely to ever be overhauled, training the winner of six successive Jameson Belt winners.

Ron Jackson won the Jameson Belt in 1973 and 1974 with brother David earning the Jameson prize in 1975. Ron returned in the following two years (1976 & 1977) to take out the most scientific trophy, with David the last to extend the Jackson brothers vice-like grip on the Jameson Belt in 1978.

Grant Scaife, coached by father Alan, added his name to the Watchorn Belt after taking out the Light Welterweight crown at the 1979 Nationals held in Wellington. 

Harrison Scaife achieved a unique family treble at the 2011 Hutt Valley Nationals, winning the Light Welterweight division, which had also been achieved by his father and grandfather. There were a few little tears in the house at the prizegiving with Harrison being presented with the Jameson Belt by grandfather Alan. Harry Scaife defeated Todd Commons from Canterbury in front of a parochial home-town crowd.

To give continuity to the story, we jump ahead to the 2017 National Championships in Rotorua, where Ryan Scaife, younger brother of Harrison, also completed the Jameson Belt/Bill Connor Cup double in beating Francis Waitai to win the Middleweight title.  

Ryan Scaife currently sits on five successive Middleweight crowns putting him equal with Sam Leuii's five straight 75 kilo weight division wins. The unique Scaife brothers double is another Boxing New Zealand record that is likely to stand the test of time.

Sandwiched between the Scaife brothers double trophy success is David Nyika. It is hard to take in, all of the deeds in the ring, that David accomplished in a decade in the ring. He must be considered one of the best Kiwi amateur fighters ever to wear the black singlet in combat.

David Nyika first came to nationwide attention, when he completed the Jameson Belt and Bill O'Connor trophy win in the same year at the 2014 National Championships in Queenstown, where he won the Light Heavyweight championship.

This became the launching pad for international success for the (then) Waikato pugilist. A Gold Medal in the Light Heavyweight division at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, was followed four years later, with the Heavyweight Gold Medallion at the Gold Coast Australia, Commonwealth Games.

Last year (2021) David Nyika became just the fourth New Zealand boxer to be decorated with an Olympic Medal, with a Bronze Medal, at the postponed Tokyo Olympics. While he has crossed over the divide to the professional ranks, Nyika, is preparing to defend his Commonwealth crown at the 2022 Manchester Games, in what is now open competition.

Jameson Belt & Bill O’Connor Cup Double

Year    Location           Category                      Winner                                     Coach

1967    Greymouth      L/Welterweight              Billy Graham (Wellington)       Dick Dunn

1969    Gisborne          Featherweight                Jeff Rackley (Nelson)               Les Rackley

1980    Invercargill      Bantamweight               Danny Meehan (Manawatu)      Malcolm Nicol

1988    Upper Hutt       L/Middleweight            Jason Eade (Canterbury)           Peter Bell

2006    Rotorua            Middleweight                Nathan McEwen               Rhys Morgan/Cliff Adams

2011    Lower Hutt       L/Welterweight             Harrison Scaife                         Grant Scaife

2014    Queenstown     L/Heavyweight             David Nyika                              Ric Ellis

2017    Rotorua            Middleweight                Ryan Scaife                               Grant Scaife

Article added: Friday 11 March 2022