Last year's article, about Sid Stevens engaging in five fights in three days to win the Lightweight title at the 1947 National Championships, showed the toughness of competition before and just after WW2.

Boxing New Zealand Co-Historian, John Mitchell, has delved deep into our sports history to find one Kiwi pugilist who fought seven times in three days, at the 1935 Nationals held in His Majesty's Theatre in Dunedin.

Greymouth boxer, W (Mick) Howson, who was trained by Frank Bell was out of the top-draw of middle and light heavyweights of the 1930s. Howson engaged in one hundred amateur boxing contests winning all but seven of his century of bouts - with four of his seven defeats sustained at the New Zealand Boxing Association National Championships.

Mick Howson's first Nationals were at the 1932 titles held in New Plymouth. Boxing in the Welterweight division, he beat Sidney Lister (Ashburton) and Laurence Christiansen (Taranaki),  before losing to Raymond “Bunny” Martin (Auckland) in semi-final action. Mick would avenge the Martin loss in winning the Middleweight crown in 1934.

A single journey to the ring at the 1933 championships resulted in a loss to Taranaki boxer, Frank Roguski.

Mick, faced off his marathon of trips to the ring at the 1935 New Zealand Championships, as the defending Middleweight titleholder (more about 1934 later in the piece).

First up in the Middleweight class at His Majesty's Theatre in Dunedin, was Roy Reid (Wellington), who Mick dispatched by way of a points decision. Next up, he got pass future (1937) light heavyweight titleholder Tom Lister (Ashburton) with another points victory

Howson won his first Light Heavyweight encounter by the short way in dispatching R Holden by TKO, in round three.

The Greymouth boxer fought in two title deciders on Finals night after beating Robert Meringham (Marlborough) in his Middleweight semi-final and George Muir in the Light Heavyweight last-four contest.

The George Muir story is an interesting tale. Muir won the Light Heavyweight title at the 1934 New Zealand National Championships. Coincidently, the Southland boxer would have stepped into the ring in the footsteps of Mick Howson who had just won the Middleweight crown.

Muir was unable to defend his title the following year, turned professional, and lost his sole contest before disappearing from the boxing scene.

Sapper George Muir, who travelled to England with the NZ Army forestry unit, picked up the gloves again to engage in 16 bouts (13 wins) with some of  the best heavyweights in the British professional game during WW2.

First up on  1935 National Finals night, Mick fought George Low in the Middleweight division final, dropping a points decision to the Canterbury boxer.

The Light Heavyweight title fight didn't prove more beneficial, with Bill Lister from Rakaia, earning a points decision from the Greymouth pugilist.

So ended a marathon sequence of seven fights in just three days for Mick Howson  - a record that is likely to remain forever in Boxing New Zealand history.

Mick Howson could grab some consolation on 1935 finals night, in looking back twelve months to the 1934 Hawkes Bay Nationals, where he emerged victorious in the Middleweight division.

Preliminary round victories over Roy Reid (Wellington) and Mick O Connell (Oamaru) propelled Mick into a rematch with “Bunny” Martin. The points victory after three exciting three minute rounds wrote the Mick Howson name onto the list of national boxing champions, forever.

MICK HOWSON (Greymouth) New Zealand Boxing Association National Championship Bouts

1935 New Zealand Boxing Championships, His Majesty’s Theatre, Dunedin – 3^rd- 5^th October

Middleweight Runner-Up

Defeated  Roy Reid (Wellington) Points

Defeated Tom Lister (Ashburton) Points

Defeated Robert Meringham (Marlborough) Points

Lost to George Low (Canterbury) Points

Light Heavyweight Runner-Up

Defeated R Holden (Taranaki) TKO 3

Defeated George Muir (Southland) Points

Lost to Bill Lister (Rakaia) Points

1932 at The Opera House, New Plymouth - Welterweight

Defeated  Sidney Lister (Ashburton) Points

Defeated Laurence Christiansen (Taranaki) Points

Lost to Raymond “Bunny” Martin (Auckland) Points – Semi-Final

1933 at The Town Hall, Blenheim - Middleweight

Lost to Frank Roguski (Taranaki) TKO – Quarter-Final

1934 New Zealand Boxing Championships, Municipal Theatre Hastings

Middleweight Champion

Defeated Roy Reid (Wellington) Points

Defeated Mick O’Connell (Oamaru) Points

Defeated Raymond “Bunny” Martin (Auckland) Points - Final

Mick Howson Boxing Record

Overall Amateur Record

Bouts - 100                  Wins - 93                     Losses - 7

New Zealand Boxing Association National Championship Record

Bouts - 14                    Wins - 10                     Losses - 4

Australasian Champion

1934 Middleweight     M Howson (11st 3lb) beat J Miles (11st 2lb) on points

Article added: Saturday 27 January 2024