Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Two Western Bay boxers have taken big steps towards significant rankings on the Boxing New Zealand ranking lists - the springboard to representing New Zealand in international contests.

The recent North Island Golden Gloves in Taupo, which ranks only in stature to the National Championships, saw Light Heavyweight Lee Garnham earn Gold with Middleweight Jamie Price return home with a silver medallion.

Both Garnham and Price are trained by Tauranga Boxing Gym principal Chris Walker, who has earned a reputation as one of the best boxing coaches in the country in the last decade and a half. Walker has seen three of his previous charges compete at the Commonwealth Games since he turned to the coaching ranks.

In the late 1990's he trained his brother Robbie who went on to box at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. Tauranga Boxing Club members Dave Aloua and Anthony Taylor also represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games going to India in 2010.

Garnham, who is a recent recruit to the Tauranga Boxing Club gym after 28 bouts in England, fought three times to win the elite male Light Heavy title. First up he defeated New Zealand representative Cory Miles from Hamilton before dispatching Eric Finai in the semi-final.

The Tauranga boxer squared off against S. Falekono from Auckland in the gold medal contest, with Lee using his height skills and footwork to good effect.

In spite of breaking a bone in his hand in the second round, Garnham carried on with one hand to earn a points decision.

Fellow Tauranga gym mate Jamie Price also had three bouts. Price stopped Jarred Westrupp in his first fight in the Middleweight elite male class, with Ben Fui also being dispatched by the short route in the semi-finals. Jamie faced a huge challenge in the final, meeting New Zealand representative Daniel Parkin. The fight went down to the wire with Price narrowly losing a split decision.

While Sideline Sid is a passionate supporter of amateur boxing, because of the 360 degree turnaround in the life of his oldest son after finding boxing – he runs hot and cold with the professional game.

There is nothing more gladiatorial than two well matched professionals fighting for the glory attached to major title fights.

Last year's fight between Shane Cameron and Aussie Danny Green for a version of the World Cruiserweight Championship was a thriller that went down to the wire.

However this week's pay for view offering on Sky TV is all hype with little substance.

While Joseph Parker has the raw ability of a younger David Tua he is still very much a work in progress. The hype says that Joseph is meeting a former (minor) world champion the reality is that François Botha is a 44-year-old who has won once in his last seven fights.

The staging of a so called dwarf world championship makes a mockery of the sport and is little removed from the old time fairground acts such as the bearded women and the two headed man.

Sideline Sid would rather walk over hot coals in bare feet than pay the inflated PFV price on Sky, for what is an overall mediocre fight card at best.

Seeya at the Game.