The first New Zealand Boxing Association National championships held in Hastings in 1920, produced a much earlier version of Sonny Bill Williams, in Brian McCleary, who won the Heavyweight title before going on to become a All Black in 1924 and 1925. The Ashburton heavyweight’s opponent in the Hawkes Bay title decider was another rugby player who would go on to legendary All Black status, in Maurice Brownlie.

McCleary who weighed not much more than a middleweight, backed up his Hastings title with the Australasian crown. The future All Black hooker turned professional after being unbeaten in 32 amateur contests, winning the New Zealand Heavyweight and newly created Light Heavyweight professional titles. 

A press report of the day described the 1920 Heavyweight title bout as the best fight of the night. McCleary weighed in at 11 stone 9 lbs with Brownlie tipping the scales at 12 stone 3 lbs - which isn't big by today's standards. "McCleary with his knowledge of his disastrous punch, presented an elusive front with his splendid footwork. Brownlie was clearly looking for a KO and delivered several swings which smote the air and were half-spent before they reached their target. In the final round McCleary made the pace showing smart footwork. McCleary was declared the winner amid great applause and was carried shoulder high from the ring.

Another press report in The Sun said "McCleary weighs only a few pounds over the middleweight limit and is a clever boxer and a good fighter. He keeps himself in excellent physical condition and is a clean living abstemious young man. He carries a good punch in each hand and is a straight hitting fighter. His footwork is unusually quick and unlike many amateur's, McCleary does not spread his feet to much when he is boxing, but keeps them fairly close together. He has the knack of using his feet only just enough to enable him to evade a opponents punch and leave himself in a position from which he can advance and counter quickly.

Brian McCleary's most notable opponent in the professional ranks, was Tom Heeney who would go on to meet Gene Tunney for the World Heavyweight title in 1928. Heeney and McCleary clashed at the King Edward Barracks in Christchurch, during 1923, for the New Zealand Heavyweight crown with Heeney winning by way of a TKO in the fourteenth round.

The New Zealand Boxing Association National Championships in the 1920’s, were much smaller affairs, than today’s Men’s and Women’s open divisions along with a myriad of age-group classes. 

The 1920 Hastings Nationals consisted of just the heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight and bantamweight divisions - with the addition of light heavyweight and flyweight classifications, when the next Hawkes Bay Nationals were staged in Napier during 1926.

The Heavyweight title at the 1926 Napier National Championships, was a home town victory with Hawkes Bay’s Stan Lewis defeating J Heydon (Auckland) in the tournament finale.

Two very accomplished New Zealand amateur boxers re-inked their credentials at the Napier national title deciders. Alf Cleverley, is remembered today at the Boxing New Zealand National Championships, by way of presentation of the Cleverley Memorial Belt to the Middleweight champion. Alf won the Middleweight crown in 1926 defeating Clarrie Pocock (Christchurch), before winning the Light Heavyweight title the following year in Invercargill. The Wellington pugilist went on to represent his country at the 1928 Olympic Games.

Two of the greats of New Zealand professional boxing in the 1930’s, were Johnny Leckie from Otago and the “Fighting Fireman” Tommy Donovan who hailed from Taranaki. The pair fought out the Napier Featherweight final with Leckie receiving the judge’s nod.

The Thirties became the time of Johnny Leckie and Tommy Donovan, who not only had a number of magnificent battles, but both fought the American visitor Pete Sarron. The American fighter went on in 1936 to defeat Freddie Miller for the featherweight championship of the world. An attendance record that has never been bettered was set in 1930, when Leckie and Sarron met for the second time at the Kilbirnie speedway in Wellington, with over seventeen thousand fans jamming their way into the stadium.

For the record - Leckie and Donovan met on six occasions in professional contests with Leckie winning two, Donovan one and a remarkable three fights ending in draws

Boxing New Zealand National Championships held in Hawkes Bay      

1920 Hastings, 1926 Napier, 1934 Hastings, 1958 Hastings, 2003 Hastings

Article added: Wednesday 21 August 2019