Sports correspondent & historian with Sideline Sid

There is belief in New Zealand, that as a small and young country we are just a couple of degrees of separation from the history that has shaped our nation.

At the 1998 Boxing New Zealand National Championships, in Invercargill, I interviewed a man that had a direct link to the start of professional boxing in Aotearoa.

My introduction to the early beginnings of organised boxing in our country, came when I sat down with then 90-year-old Richard John Dunn, who had a direct connection to the early Godfather of boxing in New Zealand, Tim Tracy.

Tracy, who was born in County Clare in Ireland on the April 20, 1874, arrived in New Zealand with his parents as a 2-year-old.

Always actively interested in the noble sport, Tracy received a few lessons, before fitting out a gym at the rear of his bootmakers’ shop in Willis St in Wellington.

The Wellington Boxing Association staged its first professional contest on the September 20, 1905, when it matched Tim Tracy with New South Wales Lightweight champion George (Hock) Keys.

The fledgling New Zealand Boxing Association, agreed that the contest at the Wellington Opera House, would have the inaugural New Zealand Lightweight championship at stake.

The fight was everything that the WBA had hoped for. The patrons saw the finest in aggressive boxing from Keys and spirited resistance from the local man, who was outclassed in just his second contest, but not put to the sword.

Tracy, would go on to have 36 contests until 1915 most of which were for the New Zealand Lightweight title. One of his notable victories, was over an ageing Billy (Torpedo) Murphy, a native-born New Zealander, who won the World Featherweight title in San Francisco in 1880.

After retirement from the ring, he would go on to train for many years guiding such as 1928 Olympic champion Ted Morgan to much success.

Dick Dunn, told me that he got interested in boxing when he became friendly with the local farrier in Taranaki St in the centre of Wellington.

“When I was around 14 years of age, the farrier asked me if I wanted to be a boxer and I replied yes, so he took me along to Tim Tracy’s gym in Willis St and paid the one and sixpence entrance fee”.

“There were three walls and a rope across the front of the room which served as the ring. If you got caught on the walls you had to fight your way out”.

“He gave the new boys one boxing lesson and then put you in the ring. If he thought you had what it took, you were invited back. The next week after my lesson I was put in with Ted Morgan, the future Olympic welterweight champion”.

Dunn retired from the ring after several years of competition to become what is regarded as the benchmark in coaching boxers in our country.

Sixteen New Zealand senior champions and two Commonwealth titleholders, were trained by Dunn. Tommy Dunn, Wally Coe and Billy Graham added the national championships big prize of the Jameson Belt.

Amongst Dunn’s massive achievements during 50 years in the training ranks were national coach, national celector, Empire Games coach in 1950 and manager/coach of the 1966 Commonwealth Games team.

The Tim Tracy and Dick Dunn legacy continues to the present; through Billy Graham and the Billy Graham Youth Foundation, which oversees and supports the Naenae Boxing Academy and a number of other boxing programmes throughout the country.