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Dave Sands, born David Ritchie, (4 February 1926–11 August 1952) was an Australian Aborigine boxer of international standard.
Born into the Dunghutti tribe at Burnt Ridge, near Kempsey, New South Wales, Sands was a natural middleweight in size but he was a good enough fighter against heavier opponents to snare the Australian Light-Heavyweight and Australian Heavyweight Championship titles as well. He was also a Empire Middleweight Champion, winning the title from Randy Turpin's brother Dick (see below).
Sands and his predecessor Les Darcy are considered by many sporting commentators to have been the two outstanding middleweight boxers in Australian pugilistic history, with both men holding that country's heavyweight title in addition to the national middleweight crown, as well as proving themselves capable of defeating opponents of international calibre. They also both died tragically young. Death came to Sands at the age of 26, when he was killed in a truck accident near the country town of Dungog, New South Wales. At the time, he was rated the number-three middleweight contender in the world, behind the reigning champion Sugar Ray Robinson.
The future Australian champion formed part of a large family of timber-cutters and professional boxers that all took the name "Sands" as their ring name. There were six brothers of whom Dave was the fourth. He also had a nephew who became an Australian welterweight champion.
Once referred to as "Australia's dapper, dark-skinned, dreamy-eyed boxing enigma", Sands travelled overseas with his manager in search of top -class competition, having established his dominance in Australian rings during the immediate post-war years. In 1949, he trounced Dick Turpin in 165 seconds to win the British Empire title. The fight was considered one of the most sensational ever seen in Great Britain. Following the fight, the referee congratulated Sands, saying: "Good fight, son but give me something to do next time."
Sands further underscored his ability as a strong punching boxer-fighter by twice beating a future World Middleweight Champion, America's Carl Bobo Olson, first in Sydney in 1950 and then in Chicago in 1951.
Unfortunately for Sands' ambitions to reach the acme of his profession, he competed at a time when the international middleweight division was studded with talent, and securing title bouts or elimination fights with leading contenders in America was not easy. He was a shy man, too, who was not always able to deal comfortably with the media spotlight and blare of public adulation that he was subjected to during the years of his athletic prime. For example, following his 1949 win over Turpin, he was sent to Paris by his manager to avoid the throngs of well-wishers and autograph hunters that were overwhelming him.
At the time of his death, Sands' record stood at 97 wins (62 by KO), 10 losses, a draw and 2 no-contests from 110 fights.
There are two memorials for Dave Sands in his home town of Stockton, near Newcastle, New South Wales; another memorial is situated at Glebe in Sydney. There is also a memorial rest park near Dungog where the fatal truck crash took place.
References
- The Advertiser (Adelaide), "Dave Sands Wins Empire Title in 165 Seconds", 8 September 1949, p. 12
- The Advertiser (Adelaide), "Sands goes to Paris to avoid well-wishers", 9 September 1949, p. 15
- Richard Broome, 'Sands, David (Dave) (1926–1952)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 16, Melbourne University Press, 2002, pp 174–175.
Reference sources
Pictures held and digitised as part of the Arnold Thomas boxing collection by the National Library of Australia
- Dave Sands, Empire and Australian Middleweight Champion and Tom Maguire, trainer
- British Empire title bout, Dave Sands, 11 st. 5 lb., K.O. Dick Turpin, 11 st. 3¾ lb., in the first round at Harringay Arena, England, September 6th 1949
- Dave Sands (left), 11 st. 7¾ lb. v. Henry Brimm, 11 st. 5½ lb., at Rushcutter's Bay Stadium, 8 August 1950