TITLE FIGHTS

World CHAMPIONS - TITLE FIGHTS in BRITAIN

Over the decades there have been a number of title fights in Britain. Difficulty to say which was the best,
but some to remember would include FREDDY MILLS vs GUS LESNEVICH,
SUGAR RAY ROBINSON vs RANDY TURPIN, JACKIE PATERSON vs PETER KANE,
TERRY ALLEN vs HONORE PRATESI. EMILE GRIFFITH vs BRIAN CURVIS,
and MUHAMMAD ALI vs HENRY COOPER and BRIAN LONDON,
MARVIN HAGLER vs ALAN MINTER and others.

The EIGHTIES in ENGLAND

In the early part of the decade the three big names were ALAN MINTER, MAURICE HOPE and JIM WATT, but there were others
such as Bunny Johnson, Herold Graham, Colin Jones (Wales), Charley Magri and Davey (Boy) Green.

Some may remember when Dave (Boy) Green would lose and announce his retirement after he lost a bout to
Reg Ford. And how many remember heavyweight Neville Meade.

And not to be forgotten other stars of the Eighties were TONY SIBSON and CORNELIUS BOZA-EDWARDS.

Stepping back to 1980, ALAN MINTER's victory over middleweight champion Vito Antuofermo was a good start for the new decade but then came Marvin Hagler. Also facing Hagler in the Eighties was Leicester's own TONY SIBSON in 1983.

There was also title fight action with CHARLIE MAGRI who shined at WEmbley in 1983 to win a piece of the flyweight title.

Then along came others such as BARRY MCGUIGAN, FRANK BRUNO, TERRY MARSH and LLOYD HONEYGHAN.

SUPER SEVENTIES

Like the decade before, the Seventies produced it's share of British boxing stars and champions.

It is safe to say that some of the best were John Conteh, Alan Minter, John H Stracey,
Jim Watt and Ken Buchanan but other interesting warriors were Joe Bugner, Billy Aird,
Chris and Kevin Finnegan, Evan Armstrong and Johnny Clark.

It was at the Royal Albert Hall in 1974 where Walworth's JOHNNY CLARK retained
his European bantamweight title by outpointing Italy's Salvatore Fabrizio.

In 1974, the British Commonwealth featherweight was held by Australia's Hector Thompson,
In March of 1974, EVAN ARMSTRONG was listed number five, those ahead included
Canada's ART HAFEY.

For middleweight ALAN MINTER, the Eighties would be the dawning of a bright new decade
and in 1980 Minter would briefly be middleweight champion of the world.

INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

The first big star was KEN BUCHANAN until along came Roberto Duran. Then came
JOHN CONTEH and JOHN H. STRACEY. And, I wonder how many watched the
STRACEY - LEWIS fight. And, then there was MAURICE HOPE.

SIZZLING SIXTIES

The SIXTIES was an interesting decade for boxing including British boxing. During the Sixties reign of
CASSIUS CLAY aka MUHAMMAD ALI, two British boxers that received a boost in the name recognition department were
HENRY COOPER and BRIAN LONDON, but there were other active British heavyweights such as Joe Erskine, Johnny Prescott,
Billy "Golden Boy" Walker, and Jim Cooper.

The other weight divisions had there share of local or international stars such as the old veteran Terry Downes to others such as one Bob Nicholson, Brian Curvis, Dave Charnley, Maurice Cullen, Dave Coventry, Howard Winstone, Frankie Taylor,
and Walter McGowan

And how many except Lobdon area boxing fans would remember that 1964 controversial battle
between BRIAN LONDON and JOHNNY PRESCOTT that took place in Liverpool where Brian was robbed
blind faster than a old coach driving North of London was robbed by the legendary highwayman Dick Turpin.
Well the referee wasn't the highwayman, he was just plain old referee WALLY THOM who dropped a bomb with his lone decision.

Of interest, Dave Coventry moved to North America and in 1968, he served as my cornerman when fighting in the finals of a Golden Gloves tournament against 1966 Commonwealth Games bronze medal winner FRANKIE SCOTT

1969 Top British Boxers

By mid/1969 the top British boxers would be Jack BODELL, Carl GIZZI, Eddie AVOTH, Wally SWIFT and ALAN RUDKIN.
And how many remember John (Young) McCormack and his managerPaddy BYrne. Then a fresh newcomer
with the tag "Blond Bomber" was JOE BUGNER who replaced BILLY WALKER with that "Blonde Bomber" tag.
He was handled by Amdy Smith in Huntingdon.

In 1969, some of the British boxers and their Commonwealth rivals would be:

HENRY COOPER, JACK BODELL and rivals George Chuvalo, Charlie Chase and BunntyJohnson,

EDDIE AVOTH, JOH MCCORMACK and rivals Dick Tiger and Al Sparks

LES MCATEER, MARK ROWE and rivals Gomeo Brennan and Bunny Sterling,

RALPH CHARLES and rivals Eddie Blay, Donato Paduano and Joey Durelle

VIC ANDREETI, MAURICE CULLEN and rivals Albert Breau and George Fogas,

KEN BUCHANAN, BRIAN HUDSON and rivals Bunny Grant, Al Ford and Percy Hayles

JIM REVIE, BRIAN PACKER and rivals Billy McGrandle and Art Hafey

ALAN RUDKIN, WALTER MCGOWAN and rivals Lionel Rose and Bob Allotey

SIXTIES HIGHLIGHTS on the WORLD STAGE:

One of the early highlights of the sixties was the TERRY DOWNES - Paul Pender bouts, Then in the
mid Sixties came the Downes bout with Willie Pastrano. Others may remember the Emile Griffith bout with
BRIAN CURVIS and the various high profile bouts of WALTER MCGOWAN, HOWARD WINSTONE and ALAN RUDKIN.
Remember when Rudkin faced Fighting Harada, Lionel Rose and Ruben Olivares. And who could forget
Jose Torres vs CHIC CALDERWOOD. Bat back to the early Sixties and we have DAVE CHARNLEY
facing lightweight champion Joe Brown.

BRITISH BOXING - yesterday and today

FORMER CHAMPIONS and CONTENDERS

Looking back, Great Britain has produced some great champions and contenders from JIMMY WILDE to JOE CALZAGHE.
Who could forget the likes of Bob Fitzsimmons, Terry Downes, Nigel Benn, Terry Spinks, Johnny Owen, Randy Turpin,
Freddy Mills, Lennox Lewis and others including Errol Christie, Terry Marsh, Henry Cooper and Howard Winstone.

Today there are are some exciting and interesting boxers such as Joe and John Murray, Liam Canonball Cameron, Nathan Cleverly, Billy Joe Saunders and Ashley Sexton. But we can't overlook champion David Haye.

Of interest, LENNOX LEWIS was born in England boxed for Canada in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, then turned pro and fought in England.