The Glacier Reporter

Former Local Flyweight Champ Returns To Regain Boxing Crown

Jarrold Gray, 1956 Golden Gloves Flyweight Champion, will return to the boxing ring March 15 when, as a member of the Browning Boxing Club, he will accompany the team to Havre to compete in the District Hi-Line Tournament there, manager Ernest Gray said. Jarrold won the regional Golden Gloves Flyweight Championship in Billings in mid-February, 1956, when he took a split decision from Noel Morfin of Boise, Idaho, in that division. Winning top flyweight championship honors made him eligible to compete in the tournament of champions at Chicago, which was held in February of 1956. Gray at that time ruled that Jarrold, who is his son, was too young to send into the Chicago ring. He was 14 at the time and the Browning club manager said in Chicago, he would be required to fight grown men, 25 and 30 years of age. Consequently, Jarrold was suspended for one year by the Montana Association of the Amateur Athletic Union at that time. Rowland Throssell, Billings State AAU Secretary-Treasurer, said his suspension would be effective from March 10, 1956, ruling Jarrold ineligible to compete in AAU events until March 11, 1957. Because of his decision against letting Jarrold compete in the Chicago event, Throssell said Gray was suspended for "conduct detrimental to amateur athletics." This suspension has now terminated. Jarrold has been fighting in the boxing ring since he was five years old. For two years, he and his twin brother, Harold, fought as curtain raisers. Under the expert supervision of his father, he has trained diligently and long because of his natural love for the sport of boxing. This young man takes his training earnestly and in all of his bouts he displays the sharp one-two combination, that earned him the right to make the trip to Chicago - but his age was against him. Gray said he is still not clear as to why he and Jarrold were suspended, as he has never personally received a definite and final explanation on the suspension.