1.
GV & SV EXT "NOBEL ART GYMNASIUM"
0.08

2.
SV INTO RUDKIN IN RING SHADOW BOXING AT 12 FT 3.7. 19, INTERVIEWER STEPS INTO RING AND SPEAKS TO RUDKIN SOF.
2.12


TRANSCRIPT: (SEQ. 2) INTERVIEWER: ALAN, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FIGHT WITH LIONEL ROSE, ARE YOU CONFIDENT?



RUDKIN: VERY CONFIDENT, YES I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT AND GETTING OVER TO AUSTRALIA



INTERVIEWER: WHAT SORT OF A DECISION ARE YOU LOOKING FOR - A KNOCKOUT OR A POINTS VICTORY.



RUDKIN: OH, A KNOCKOUT IF I CAN .... BUT A POINTS VICTORY WILL SUIT ME AS LONG AS IT'S A VICTORY, YOU KNOW.



INTERVIEWER: YOU'VE SEEN FILM OF LIONEL ROSE FIGHTING. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE HIS MAIN DISADVANTAGES.



RUDKIN: "WELL, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT DISADVANTAGES .... TO ME, HE LOOKS LIKE A VERY HARD MAN TO BEAT."



INTERVIEWER: HAS HE GOT ANY SPECIAL WEAKNESS HAT YOU'LL BE WORKING ON.



RUDKIN: WELL, I DIDN'T NOTICE ANY ... I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS THE FILM OR THE FIGHT, BUT TO ME HE LOOKED A VERY GOOD DEFENSIVE BOXER ... GOOD COUNTER-PUNCHER.



INTERVIEWER: YOU'VE ALREADY HAD A CRACK AT THE WORLD TITLE IN 1965 WASN'T IT AGAINST FIGHTING HARADA. YOU LOST THAT ONE, HOW DO YOU THINK HE DIFFERS FROM LIONEL ROSE.



RUDKIN: WELL, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, ROSE IS A FIGHTER WHO WAITS ..... HE'S A COUNTER-PUNCHER AND HE WAITS FOR YOU TO COME TO HIM, YOU KNOW. WHEREAS HARADA WAS A BUNDLER YOU KNOW YOU, JUST COMING IN ALL THE TIME..... BUT I .... YOU KNOW, A COUNTER-PUNCHING FIGHTER DOESN'T BOTHER ME, YOU KNOW.......



INTERVIEWER: ROSE WILL OF COURSE BE FIGHTING IN FRONT OF HIS HOME CROWD. DO YOU THINK THIS'LL BE AN ADVANTAGE FOR HIM.



RUDKIN: I THINK IT MUST BE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS AN ADVANTAGE WHEN YOU'VE GOT YOUR HOME CROWD SHOUTING FOR YOU, YOU KNOW I KNOW MYSELF, YOU KNOW, BUT ...ER.... I'VE JUST GOT TO GO OUT THERE AND FORGET ALL ABOUT THE CROWD, YOU KNOW.



INTERVIEWER: AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT AUSTRALIAN REFEREES.



RUDKIN: I DON'T KNOW, I'VE NEVER .... I'VE NEVER BOXED IN FRONT..... YOU KNOW, I'VE NEVER HAD AN AUSTRALIAN REFEREE REFEREEING A FIGHT. I JUST HOPE THEY'RE FAIR, THAT'S ALL I ASK .... A FAIR DEAL, THAT'S ALL I WANT.




Initials PW/V/CR/SS


SPORT: BOXING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: BRITAIN'S ALAN RUDKIN, EMPIRE BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION, IS IN FINAL TRAINING BEFORE LEAVING ENGLAND FOR AUSTRALIA AT THE END OF THIS WEEK TO MEET LIONEL ROSE OF AUSTRALIA FOR ROSE'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AT MELBOURNE ON MARCH 8.

ROSE WHO WON THE TITLE FORM JAPANESE FIGHTING HARADA, HAS SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED HIS CROWN TWICE IN THE PAST YEAR. RUDKIN HAS HAD ONE PREVIOUS ATTEMPT AT THE TITLE, IN 1965, WHEN HE LOST TO HARADA.

THE FIGHT WILL BE THE FIRST WORLD TITLE FIGHT STAGED AT MELBOURNE'S KOOYONG AREA FOR SIXTY YEARS.

DURING A WEEK IN TRAINING AT THE NOBLE ART GYMNASIUM THIS WEEK, RUDKIN WAS ASKED HOW HE FELT ABOUT THE FORTHCOMING CONTEST.