CLARRIE RAYNER
1913 – 1973

NZ Featherweight Champion 1933 – 1935 & 1944 – 1945

NZ Lightweight Champion. 1938 – 1939

First professional boxer to engage in 100 bouts all within NZ.

Clarrie Rayner may not have attained the profile and international standing of other inductees. What he did achieve though was unique and is not likely to be replicated. Following in the footsteps of Billy Murphy, Bob Fitzsimmons and Billy Richards, Clarrie became the fourth and last New Zealand boxer to contest 100 professional bouts. What makes his achievement standout and underpins his induction into the NZBHOF was that all Clarrie’s professional bouts took place in New Zealand.

Clarence ‘Clarrie’ Henry Keith Rayner was born May 5, 1913, in the South Island town of Blenheim. He was the oldest of 4 children, 3 boys and 1 girl. He took up boxing at a young age, exactly when is unknown. What is known is that he competed at the NZ Amateur Championships in 1931 & 1932, both years he was eliminated in the first preliminary round. In 1933 he won the Featherweight Title after fighting his way through 4 bouts in 2 days. He turned professional 7 weeks later on October 28.

There were two main reasons why Clarrie Rayner decided to enter the pro ranks. Firstly, to supplement his earnings as a poultry farmer. These were the years of the Great Depression and money was scarce.

Secondly, Clarrie loved to fight, and he liked to fight often. Keen to fight anyone, any place, any time and he didn’t care if they were bigger or better than him. It made no difference to Clarrie, his philosophy was a simple one “it’s easier to stay fit than to get fit”. He was of the view that fighting often was better than toiling away in a gym. He felt that for too many boxers each fight was a comeback fight. Clarrie embarked on his pro career, Oct 28, 1933, a 15 round decision win against Henry Donkin.

In just his fifth professional bout he defeated Percy Hawes over 15 to add the NZ professional featherweight title to the amateur title he’d won 3 months earlier. He made 5 successful defences of the title before he vacated the belt to go after the vacant lightweight championship on Aug 31,1935. On that occasion he L-DQ 9 against Jack Jarvis in the first of their 8 bouts.

Almost 5 years passed by before Clarrie finally got his hands on the lightweight championship belt. In their sixth meeting Clarrie forced Jack Jarvis to retire in the nineth round to win the championship. In their seventh bout, Clarrie’s fourth title defence, on Oct 23, 1939, Jarvis W-KO 13 to regain his old title.

Clarrie had to wait another 5 years and drop back down to featherweight before he got another title opportunity. This one on Oct 14, 1944, against Lex Greaney proved successful Rayner halted Greaney in 5 to regain the featherweight title, 11 years after he’d first won it. Rayner’s first and only defence of his newly won title came 11 months later, Sep 17, 1945, against Wellington’s Harold Foote, it was Clarrie Rayner’s 100th Professional fight and he marked the occasion with a stoppage win in 13.

Rayner’s career had begun to wind down, over the next 10 months he won just 1 of his last 4 bouts. Dec 8, 1945, against Percy Kelly for the Vacant Lightweight title Clarrie lost over 15 rounds. Mar 12, 1946, he lost his featherweight title when stopped in 12 by Tom Baty. On July 27, 1946, in his 104th bout and after almost 13 years in the pro ranks, Billy Brown finally drew the curtain down for good on Clarrie Rayner’s career with a decision win over 10 rounds. Ring Record: 104 Bouts, 52 – 44 – 8. His record includes the names of 11 visiting boxers most prominent among them being Archie Hughes, Joe Hall x 4, Young Gildo x 8 and Johnny Hutchinson x 2.

Clarrie Rayner contested 20 New Zealand title fights, 10 at Featherweight, (8 – 2), 10 at Lightweight (3 – 4 – 3). Overall record: 11 – 6 – 3. Other prominent Kiwi boxers he fought, all in non -title bouts were Vic Caltaux, Clarrie Gordon x 6 and Bos Murphy. Clarrie Rayner died in 1973, aged 59.

Reference: Kiwis With Gloves On. By Brian F. O’Brien. Pub 1960.

MP 2025