The passing of Ian Mitchell on the 30th July 2023 in Lower Hutt closed a chapter on one of the great boxing families in New Zealand.

Jack and Ida Mitchell, immigrated to New Zealand from Devon in 1928, and proceeded to start a boxing family dynasty that has made an indelible mark on the sport in our country.

The initial Mitchell family of parents and three children settled in the gold mining town of Waiuta near Reefton, where Jack found employment in the district mining industry. Five more Mitchell children were born in New Zealand, with the family moving from the West Coast to Christchurch, before settling in Taita in the Hutt Valley in 1948.

Jack Mitchell's strong interest in boxing quickly got him involved in the local boxing scene. Jack was appointed secretary of the Hutt Valley Boxing Trainers Association before being elected the national secretary of the NZBTA.

Tragedy struck the Mitchell family when eldest son, Lloyd, was killed on the Cobb River Hydro project in 1944.

Second eldest son, Ron, won the Canterbury welterweight title in 1954, boxing under the tutelage of veteran trainer Martin Maunsell. Ron started the Woolston Working Men's Club boxing gymnasium in 1967. Ron was appointed national coach leading the New Zealand team to a number of Oceania gold medals in the 1970’s.

Ron Mitchell son, John, took over his father's role as head coach at Woolston carrying on the Mitchell family tradition, along with wife Jenny, filling many roles in Canterbury and Boxing New Zealand.

Third eldest Max pursued a fleeting time in the ring but later made his name as a boxing and swimming announcer.

Ray was the first to box in the professional ranks. He won three Canterbury amateur elite titles, and in 1954 dropped a narrow national final decision, to Olympian Graham Finlay. During his time in the paid ranks he defeated such greats as Australian Graham Sheridan and national champion Billy Leckie.

Fifth in line in the Mitchell family boxing dynasty, was Trevor who won the Wellington featherweight crown in 1951. After retirement from ring combat, Trevor set up a gym in Wainuiomata and trained New Zealand professional icon of his day in Graham Smith in the 1960's.

However, it was as a boxing administrator that Trevor made a huge contribution both at regional level and on the NZ Boxing Association Council. Trevor was a longtime national selector in the 1960's and 1970's and managed many New Zealand international teams. He was selected as the New Zealand boxing manager at the 1982 and 1986 Commonwealth Games.

Youngest sibling, Bruce, carried on the family pugilistic background boxing in the amateur ranks, from the gym of legendary coach Dick Dunn, retiring after a short and sharp career with an unbeaten ring record.

Ian, who was born in Reefton in 1939, will always have a unique piece of Boxing New Zealand ring history, as the (then) youngest to box in an open NZBA national final. He lost to Eddie Stockley from Taranaki in the 1954 championship final, at just fourteen years of age, after winning two preliminary bouts. Two years later, Ian was runner-up to Olympian Paddy Donovan in the 1956 lightweight title decider.

At seventeen, he turned professional under the mentorship of older brother Trevor. He had seven professional bouts, the last being against tough Scotsman Jim Cassidy, who he remained friends with and often visited him in later years when he was ill.

The second youngest Mitchell son, will be remembered by the boxing fraternity as a skilled busy fighter who was a handful to those who shared the ring with him.

RIP, Ian William Mitchell 1939 - 2023

Article added: Thursday 03 August 2023