Harry Johns' Boxing Troupe

The boxing troupes of the era followed the annual calendar of seasonal agricultural shows, carnivals and rodeos - travelling from southern Australia in the summer, all the way to northern Queensland in the winter, and back again.

The colourful tents and the promoters’ showmanship were part of the main attraction, and the troupes who were highly sought after sometimes put on upwards of 100 shows per season.

Johns often toured international fighters, particularly from the United States, to add a cosmopolitan flair to the tent boxing scene. These included fighters like Gunboat Jack and “The Alabama Kid”, Clarence Reeves.

Reeves became something of a celebrity fighter following his narrow 1938 loss to Australian middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, Ron Richards.

Richards himself had entered professional boxing through the tents on his way to fame, fortune and an Empire title.

The tents provided opportunities for fighters at various stages of their careers, providing both a pathway to professional boxing for younger men and regular bouts for older fighters.

Billy Grime held the Empire heavyweight title and was an Australian triple-title holder.

Mickey Miller was the Australian featherweight champion in the 1930s.

Both Miller and Grime were inducted into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame.

Known as the Famous Fighting Sands Brothers, Clem, Percy, George, Dave, Alfie and Russell Ritchie, were all respected fighters in their own rights. The six brothers fought 607 bouts between them, winning by knockout one-third of the time.

Clem Sands held the New South Wales welterweight title from 1947 to 1951.

His brother Alfie was New South Wales middleweight champion from 1952 to 1954.

The most highly regarded of the Sands Brothers was Dave, who held numerous national and international titles during his career.

Upon his induction into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1998, Dave Sands was recognised as one of the greatest ever boxers in the world to never hold a world title.

Dave Sands held the Australian middleweight and light heavyweight titles in 1946 and traveled to England to take the Empire middleweight title in 1949. His title fight against Dick Turpin was a clinical demolition that ended in a first-round knockout. He became Australian heavyweight champion in 1950.

Dave fought bouts against quality fighters and was ranked number three in the world. He sought to challenge ‘Sugar’ Ray Robinson for the world title but never had the opportunity before his untimely death in a truck accident in New South Wales at the age of 26.