David Jackson

David Jackson, born in Wellington in 1955, was one of New Zealand’s outstanding boxers of the 1970s.

He and his older brother Ron, both trained by Alan Scaife at the Heretaunga Boxing Club, won a string of national titles and represented New Zealand at the 1974 and 1978 Commonwealth Games. David also boxed at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

At Christchurch in 1974, David boxed in the light-welterweight division. After a first round bye he beat Tongan Matekihelia Lui in a unanimous points decision.

Into the quarter-finals, he went down to Anthony Martey of Ghana in a closely contested majority decision.

At Montreal two years later, Jackson was eliminated in the second round of the welterweight class by the Soviet Union’s Valery Rachov on a clear points decision. He’d earlier outboxed Tunisian Fredj Chtioui and won when the referee stopped the contest in the second round. He was only the second New Zealand boxer to win a bout at the Olympics.

Attending his second Commonwealth Games, at Edmonton in 1978, Jackson received a first round bye in the welterweight class and was then knocked out by Welshman Anthony Feal in the first round.

David and Ron won nine New Zealand titles between them in a six-year period. Ron Jackson won the light-middleweight division in 1974, 76, 77 and 78 and the welterweight title in 1973. David Jackson won the welterweight crown in 1975 and 1978 and the light welterweight in 1973 and 1974.

But more incredibly, between them they won the prestigious Jameson Belt, for the most scientific boxer at the national championships, six years in succession. David won it in 1975 and 1978, Ron in 1973 and 1974, 1976 and 1977. The Jameson Belt was presented to the New Zealand Boxing Association in 1927 by well-known Dublin distiller John Jameson and Son.

The brothers’ international record was impressive, with David having 10 wins in 14 bouts. Three of his losses were by split decision. Ron had 13 wins in 18 bouts and all five of his losses were by split decision.

Both Jacksons were in the Heretaunga club team that boxed the Muhammad Ali Amateur Boxing Club in Pennsylvania in 1978, when Ron Jackson was one of only two New Zealanders to record a victory in the 6-2 defeat.

David died in Australia in 2004, aged 49.