First Wellington National Championships Held In 1906
One of the most valuable resource as a New Zealand Boxing historian is Papers Past. The website provides access to a vast online archive of historical content including newspapers, magazines, journals, diaries and letters etc.
While searching through the newspaper section recently, I stumbled upon a comprehensive review of the first NZBA National Championships to be held in Wellington. The New Zealand Mail, Issue 1797, 15 August 1906; contained an overview of the two nights of the championships held at the Opera House on the 9th and 10th August 1906.
The New Zealand Mail was a weekly newspaper established in 1871. In 1908 the paper was sold and folded into another publication.
I have posted much of the NZ Mail report, as it reflects the vast differences between the 1906 National tournament and the 2025 championships.
The 1906 titles were an open male event with just 29 competitors in five weight divisions. The competitors traveled to Wellington mainly by steamer and rail. There were just two night sessions on the 9th and 10th August 1906, with semi-finals and finals fought on the second night. The sole referee, Mr Balfour Neill of Dunedin, controlled all 24 contests.
First night report
“The New Zealand Amateur Boxing Championship meeting, under the control of the Wellington Boxing Association, commenced at the Opera House last night, The attendance was numerous and orderly. The arrangements left nothing to be desired, anything of an objectionable nature being rigidly eliminated from the proceedings. A fine sportsmanlike spirit was displayed by the competitors in the various classes, and not a bout was marred by a foul. The first round was got through in all classes”.
“The bantam-weight contest which was the first decided, saw a capital “go” between B. Tracy, of Wellington and A Walker, of Christchurch, the local man securing the verdict. In the feather-weight division Godfrey, the English champion of 1903, had an easy win from D. Sinclair, a local man, whom he polished off in about ninety seconds”.
“The light-weight bouts were interesting, but the middle-weight contests provided perhaps the best tussles of the evening. Particularly exciting was the Maloney (Wellington) and Lewis (Auckland) contest, won in the last minute by the local man”.
“The programme was brought to a conclusion by a stubborn fight in the heavy-weight class between W. J. Robertson, of Ashburton, and J. McConnell, of Auckland, both redoubtable exponents of the science. They were so closely matched at the end of three hotly contested rounds that a further round was boxed, the decision then going to the Ashburtonite by a narrow margin”.
“The referee, Mr Balfour Neill, of Dunedin, carried out his duties in an eminently satisfactory manner. That one or two of his decisions were not popular proved nothing more than partisanship. His rulings were firm and decisive, and the competitors obeyed them without question. Over and over again the referee, Neill, exercised his prerogative of stopping a bout when he considered the loser had suffered enough punishment, or no longer had a chance”.
Finals report
Bantamweight Final: B Tracy (Wellington) v J Ward (Auckland) “It was over in a couple of minutes. The local man had the northerner on the defensive until Tracy planted one on the chin and sent his opponent towards the boards - out".
Ben Tracy was trained by one of the first real legends of the New Zealand ring in Tim Tracy. The older Tracy brother engaged in the countries first recognised professional title fight against New South Welshman Hock Keys. He went on to legendary status as a trainer mentoring such as Olympic champion Ted Morgan.
Featherweight Final: Godfrey v Trezise "The Ashburton man made practically all the fighting in the first round, giving his opponent plenty to stave off. The second round had not gone far with Trezise still doing well when the bout (and championship) was awarded to the Aucklander on a foul (hitting in clinches).
Lightweight Final: Mayze v Parker "The final was fought out between Parker and Mayze. The former was not to fit after his long bout with Blewden earlier in the evening. His adversary gave him a sorry time smacking him around the ring for the greater part of the opening round".
"Parker fared little better in the second. He was floored once and availed of the count of eight, then got up and suffered cruel punishment until the gong. In the last round the referee stopped it, declaring Mazey the winner".
Middleweight Final: Nash v Shaw "The Christchurch representatives made a good 'go' of the first round consisting of a series of hot exchanges at close quarters. Half-arm punches, most of which got home to the face, characterised each man's work, in the second round. Both came up groggy for the finish".
The fought a fast and furious melee which ended, with Nash, with a smack on the chin and a backhander to the jaw knocking his townsman out, and so annexed the championship".
Heavyweight Final: EW Pearson (Wellington) v WJ Robertson (Ashburton) "Robertson ended up the fresher of the two after a lively first round. Pearson tired quickly in the second round and had to take a lot of gruel.
"Robertson was particularly deadly with his right. In the third round the Wellington man made an uphill fight of it, but was behind on points. Then Robertson felled him at the ropes, and while he was on his knees planted a blow, which gave the bout and the championship to the Wellington man on a foul".
New Zealand Boxing Association National Championships @ Opera House, Wellington 9th & 10th August 1906
Bantamweight
Ben Tracy defeated John Ward (Auckland) KO1
Ben Tracy (Wellington) defeated Alfred Walker (Canterbury) TKO3
Featherweight
James Godfrey (Auckland) defeated Alfred Trezise - foul
Alfred Trezise defeated William S Sheaves (Wellington) points
James Godfrey defeated Robert Gould - points
Alfred Trezise (Ashburton) defeated James Patrick Tobin (Wellington) TKO.1
James Godfrey (Auckland) defeated D Sinclair (Wellington) TKO.1
Robert Gould (Timaru) defeated Donald Paterson (Otago) points
Lightweight
Dick Mayze defeated Albert Parker - TKO.3
Dick Mayze (Canterbury) defeated John O’Donoghue (Wellington) TKO.2
Albert Parker defeated Alfred James Blewden points
Albert Parker (Otago) defeated Robert Marks (Taranaki) points
Alfred James Blewden (Auckland) defeated Michael Chamberlain (Wellington) KO.1
Middleweight
Arthur Nash defeated Jean Shaw – TKO.3
Arthur Nash defeated Hugo Wolff – points
Jean Shaw defeated Jim Maloney - foul
Arthur Nash (Canterbury) defeated A Thompson (Wellington) TKO.1
Jean Shaw (Canterbury) defeated Les Fletcher (Wellington) points
Jim Maloney defeated John Brennard - KO.1
Hugo Wolff (Wellington) bye
Jim Maloney (Wellington) defeated Thomas Charles Lewis (Auckland) referee decision
John Brennard (Timaru) defeated William Kirk (Wellington) points
Heavyweight
Edward W Pearson defeated William James Robertson - foul 3
William James Robertson (Ashburton) defeated J McConnell (Auckland) referee decision
Edward W Pearson (Wellington) defeated Thomas Charles Lewis (Auckland) points
Referee: Balfour Neill – Dunedin
Article added: Saturday 05 April 2025