Sport
15 July, 2024
Pittsworth: a boxing town
Boxing in Pittsworth has made a comeback in recent years especially with the success of professional athlete Jackson “Stoneleigh” Griffiths. Yet, the “good old days” from the 1950s are hard to beat, when the local schoolboys from the Pittsworth Fitness Club, attended many local tournaments across the Downs and further afield.
The Sentinel has documented many bouts of local boxers throughout the years, but the 1950s appeared to be the decade in which there was an increased interest in the sport.
Sportsman like Nev Hohn, Barry McGrath, Len Wain, Bob Burns, John Thomas, and Dudley Cronin all made their mark over the decade as documented in various editions of The Sentinel.
One particular article from November 1954 recorded the results from a tournament hosted at Quinalow.
Nine Pittsworth boxers attended, and the local boys scored five wins, one draw, and suffered three defeats.
Bob Scott outpointed Charlie Stewart from the Toowoomba Youth Centre (TYC).
Frank Stower ran into trouble early in his bout and was defeated by Peter Davis from TYC on a technical knockout in the first round.
Leo Hohn defeated Neil Barron from Cooyar by a good margin of points.
Brian Mitchell lost his bout to Sid Ruthledge from TYC on a technical knockout in the third round.
Dennis Ruhle fought like a champion to defeat Quinalow’s Lawrence Parmenter.
A month later, the Pittsworth team along with some of the boxers from TYC, travelled to Maryborough for a tournament.
After one hour’s sleep in a Gympie park, the troupe showed great condition to score seven wins from 11 bouts.
Pittsworth’s Nev Hohn gained admiration from the Maryborough fans when he came close to defeating Peter Thompson, holder of the 6 stone division championship of North Queensland, over four rounds.
The Sentinel reported, “Hohn, a little slow to start the first round, took a terrific battering to the solar-plexus, but came back in the three concluding rounds with a determined two-handed attack that had his opponent in trouble in the third. The decision which went to Thompson, was met with mixed reception.”
John Thomas lost his bout against Bob Allen, the Hervey Bay-Wide Bay district welterweight champion, but pulled some points in the concluding rounds to finish stronger.
While in Maryborough, the boxers were billeted at the homes of officials of the Maryborough club.
A cool swim in the Mary River at Tiaro on the return trip was a highlight.
The Toowoomba and Pittsworth Clubs clearly bonded over the experience, with one report stating, “The friendship that grew between the Toowoomba and Pittsworth boxers is something of which their club officials would be proud.”
This was followed by an invitation to all Downs clubs for a picnic, to bring all the officials and members closer together.
A tournament in South Toowoomba earlier that same year saw seven of the Pittsworth amateurs compete.
The town’s boxing team from 1956 (pictured) revealed a total of 13 amateur athletes.
Over the years, some of the amateur contestants advanced into professional careers.
In 1995, Australian Amateur Champion Gary Ruhle, made his professional debut in Pittsworth.
“As an amateur, Gary had one ambition: to make it to the top, which he achieved with honours. As a professional, he will aspire to reach the same heights. Pittsworth will be his debut, as he would love his hometown to witness his rise to the top,” The Sentinel reported.
Mr Ruhle now helps train the Pride of Pittsworth, Stoneleigh, who has recently climbed to new heights, and is ranked as Australia’s number one professional welterweight boxer.
Stoneleigh’s coach and friend, Bradley Smith, trains a crowd of enthusiastic boxers at his gym in Pittsworth.
“They’re a good group of kids,” he said.
With boxing making a comeback, we might yet see a new Pittsworth team competing in state or nation wide competition, before too long.
