Beni flattens Cassidy in sixth round

by RICHARD JONES

THE Papua New Guinea House of Assembly rose early on 26 September 1974.

Chief Minister Michael Somare and his top parliamentarians shelved their planned agendas and drove the short distance to Port Moresby's Sir Hubert Murray Stadium to see PNG boxing hero Martin Beni contest an international bout.

The 23-year-old motor mechanic from the Central Province's Waima village was matched against South Australian Colin Cassidy, the Australian professional lightweight champion.

Fight promoter Phil Harris had worked feverishly in the weeks leading up to the big fight. His loudspeaker van had toured Moresby's suburbs and the city's neighbouring villages urging people to support Beni in his most important bout thus far.

On fight night nine thousand patrons turned up.

Harris had 1000 set up on the grassy ringside surrounds, there were 2000 fans in the grandstand while close to 6000 people crammed into the tiered bleachers behind the rows of ringside seats.

No one knew how many free peekers there were outside the oval. PMVs (public motor vehicles) and buses lined up outside the ground with fans standing shoulder to shoulder on bonnets and roofs.

Others perched in the trees lining the oval.

Beni started the fight without a hint of nervousness. He power punched the fair-skinned South Australian. Cassidy's arms and ribs showed a bright tinge of pink as early as the end of round one.

Beni (63.9 kg) used his strength in close, landing rips to the body of his opponent who stood 12 cm taller. Cassidy (63.5 kg) swung a round-arm right which missed the target but landed the rangy Aussie on the seat of his pants.

Beni set a brisk pace in the second and third rounds. He landed a curling right on Cassidy's ear and was an elusive target for Cassidy's probing left leads.

By the third, though, Cassidy was on song. He'd punched the Japanese welterweight champion to a standstill six months earlier and he left jabbed, right hooked and left hooked Beni. Three stinging rights from the Australian had "The Chief" Somare squirming in his ringside seat as he willed Beni on.

The Papua New Guinean favourite battled back towards the end of the third round. He took a Cassidy uppercut before landing a right of his own to the body and a shot that started a Cassidy nose-bleed.

The hometown fans could sense an improvement in boxing nous from Beni. He'd won three national amateur titles and had racked up 15 pro bouts before taking on Cassidy.

Losses to Dally Law (twice) and Jimmy Gillon had been avenged. Beni had scored comfortable wins over both boxers in return bouts.

Up in the Hubert Murray ring Cassidy's cornerman Colin Betty seemed uneasy as the fourth round opened. His man's snappy left leads and jabs weren't scoring nearly enough points. Beni's uppercuts with both fists connected regularly. He consistently landed overhand lefts and rights to Cassidy's head. The South Australian looked wobbly as the fifth round began. He ran into a battery of Beni punches early on but summoned a last burst of energy mid-round.

Cassidy trapped the Papua New Guinean in the Australian corner and landed a flurry of body punches.

Beni managed to slither along the ropes to get out trouble and fired some heavy shots of his own as the three-minute round drew to a close. Five chopping rights landed on the Australian's jaw. Cassidy slumped to the canvas, rolling over in the nick of time to sit clinging to the ring's bottom rope. The roar of the crowd drowned out the sound of the bell and it was a good eight to nine seconds before we realised round five was over. The crowd was on its feet as Beni walked back to his corner. The best for them was yet to come.

Cornerman Colin Betty worked feverishly on Cassidy in the one-minute break, but his man was gone.

A savage 60 seconds awaited the Aussie lightweight champion in the sixth round. Beni's short arm blows hammered the courageous Aussie to the canvas and this time there was no bell to save him.

Cassidy crumpled forward onto his knees and his head fell onto the canvas. The referee counted him out as the delirious crowd roared its delight.

Beni leapt into the air as the game Cassidy staggered to his feet and held his opponent's right arm aloft.

The crowd did not rush the ring, a practice seen 12 months later when Smokin' Joe Frazier came to town.

Instead the crowd right around the arena stood and clapped. Beni was on his way to a Commonwealth ranking in pro boxing. Officials from the night's major sponsors, San Miguel and Swan Breweries, threw a victory party in the grandstand reception rooms post-fight and Martin Beni's relatives were present. His father Aloysius Beni Mauna, mother Marito and uncle Nicholas Arua Paru were all there.

Just 12 months before independence from Australia was proclaimed, print and electronic media reporters wondered whether the immediate family realised Martin had just put Papua New Guinea on the sporting world map.

(With thanks to Mike Ryan and staff at Australia's old Fighter magazine)

10 March 2008

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