Manawatu boxer Billy Meehan, set a record that can’t to be overtaken, with nine Boxing New Zealand National titles in the Featherweight division.

The Manawatu fighter’s first National crown came in 1979, when Billy won the National Championship title decider against Trevor Wright, with his second title in 1982 with victory over Richard Pitman. From 1984, Meehan won the featherweight championship at seven consecutive championships, to equal the record of heavyweight Bill Kini who won seven successive heavyweight crowns, with the added big prize of the Jameson Belt in 1985.

The boxers that Billy beat in the featherweight title deciders read like a who’s who of the lighter weight divisions of the 1980s. Meehan beat Richard Pitman, who won silver at a World Cup and represented the Cook Islands at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games. Johnny Wallace, won a Commonwealth bronze medal at the 1986 Commonwealth games and was beaten by Billy in 1984, 1985 and 1986. Darren Nicol, Shane Samuels and Danny Masterson, all went on to become national champions, after failing to beat the nuggety Manawatu boxer.

At International level, Billy was selected and boxed at the 1982 Commonwealth Games, but was controversially omitted from the 1984 Olympic Games. He was a member of the New Zealand team, that achieved high international success, at the 1983 Commonwealth Championships held in Belfast Ireland. The Manawatu boxer was beaten in a stirring contest, by Commonwealth Games Gold medalist Peter Konyegwachie from Kenya, to bring home the featherweight silver medal.

Future Commonwealth Professional featherweight champion, Toro George, made the nine stone divisions his own in the early 1960's winning three straight National titles in 1962, 1963 and 1964. His first two titles came at the expense of Westport boxer Barry Cummings, with victory in 1964 over well credential Hawkes Bay boxer Ivan Woodham.

Brian Kendall followed Toro George, with three successive featherweight titles, with the Jameson Belt being added to his 1965 and 1966 titles.  He was the first New Zealand boxer to be awarded the Jameson Belt in successive years. The final Brian Kendall tally of New Zealand senior championships was seven, in four weight divisions. A record that is unparalleled, is that Brian was never beaten in a New Zealand championship senior bout, contesting 18 championship bouts and winning every single contest. 

While Kendall gained selection for the 1966 (at which he won a bronze medal) and 1970 Commonwealth Games, he was another outstanding Kiwi boxer to be overlooked for Olympic selection. 

Two further outstanding boxers in Rex Redden and Jeff Rackley, had their name engraved on the Bill Dervan Memorial Belt in 1968 and 1969. Pat Ryan, trained in the Naki by older brother Martin, won the featherweight title in 1970 and 1971 with the Jameson Belt added to his first nine stone crown. An Oceania gold medal in 1972, was only the beginning that year, as Pat earned selection for the 1972 Munich Olympics. Two memorable contests that the Taranaki terrier will be remembered for - are his defeat of Eric Briggs in an outstanding featherweight final in 1970 and  defeating Jeff Rackley over six rounds at Wright Stephenson’s thoroughbred sale ring, at Trentham in 1969.

Trained by (Dr) John McKay, Jojo Tipace won back to back featherweight titles in 1995 and 1996, before adding a third 57 kilo title in 1998 in Invercargill. The irrepressible Hawkes Bay twins of Brent and Shane Snadden took out the 2002 and 2003 crowns respectively, with Scott Gardner going back to back in 2005 and 2006.

The last name to be engraved on the Bill Dervan Memorial belt, before AIBA withdrew the weight division in 2010, was North Harbour's Dwayne Williams with the 2007 and 2009 featherweight crowns.

Article added: Sunday 26 July 2020