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Graham Finlay

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Graham Finlay
Personal information
Full nameGraham Paul Finlay
Born(1936-02-03)3 February 1936
Greymouth, New Zealand
Died29 July 2018(2018-07-29) (aged 82)
Sport
SportBoxing
Weight classWelterweight

Graham Paul Finlay (3 February 1936 – 29 July 2018) was a New Zealand boxer who won four national amateur boxing championships, and represented his country at the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

Biography

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Born in Greymouth on 3 February 1936, Finlay was the son of Jack "Doc" Finlay.[1][2]

Trained by his father, Graham Finlay won four New Zealand national amateur boxing championship titles: the light welterweight title in 1954; and the welterweight title in consecutive years from 1955 to 1957.[2] He represented New Zealand in the welterweight division at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, losing to the eventual bronze medallist, Kevin Hogarth from Australia, on points in his first bout.[2] In the light-welterweight division at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Finlay was eliminated in the first round, defeated by G.R. Smith from Southern Rhodesia.[2] Overall, Finlay's amateur record was 98 fights for seven defeats.[3]

Finlay was also a useful rugby league second rower, playing for the Greymouth Marist club side that won several West Coast titles, as well as the Thacker Shield in 1959 and 1961.[2]

Outside of sport, Finlay operated the Chevron restaurant and milk bar in Greymouth with his brother-in-law, John Morris.[2] In 1985, Finlay relocated to Christchurch, where he worked for the Inland Revenue Department until his retirement.

Finlay died on 29 July 2018.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Graham Finlay at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "New Zealand Olympic Games boxer Graham Finlay farewelled after final fight". Stuff.co.nz. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Graham Finlay, Greymouth boxer". West Coast New Zealand history. Retrieved 3 November 2018.