Ronald William Withell was a New Zealand amateur boxer, who represented his country at the 1938 British Empire Games, and won two national amateur titles.
10 Facts About Ron Withell
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Ron Withell took up amateur boxing in 1937, and won the New Zealand heavyweight title that year in only his eighth competitive bout, having beaten Morrie McHugh in the semi-final.
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Ron Withell was then selected to represent New Zealand in the heavyweight division at the 1938 British Empire Games, but his lack of experience told, and he was defeated in his opening bout when he was knocked out in the first round by South African Claude Sterley, who went on to win the silver medal.
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Ron Withell won the national amateur light-heavyweight title in 1939, before enlisting to serve in the New Zealand forces during World War II.
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Ron Withell had a record of 24 amateur bouts in New Zealand, for 21 wins, on draw and two losses.
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Ron Withell served with the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Egypt, where he won the Army light-heavyweight boxing Middle East forces title, and was a member of the 2NZEF brass band at Maadi Camp, playing the euphonium.
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Ron Withell returned to New Zealand in early 1944, and, after the war, took up a rehabilitation farm at Leeston, where he was active with the local brass band, as a boxing trainer and in the Returned Services' Association.
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Ron Withell then lived near Weedons, training horses for harness racing, and working as a prison officer for 14 years at Paparua Prison.
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Ron Withell served on the executive of the Paparua RSA, including as its president between 1981 and 1982, and was later the branch patron.
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Ron Withell died on 14 May 1998, and was buried at Ellesmere Cemetery.