👆Not a lot unfortunately. I think a lot of it was tossed away when my mother was clearing the attic. Loads of old trophies but what am I to do with them? My vests and old shorts are something I want to hang onto though.
Great photos there. David Pearce was from Newport. It's funny you should mention him though. On entering my first ever schoolboy championships I missed the weight in the semi final. I was a quarter of a pound over. I had no meat on me at all but got a bin bag on to try and sweat off that tiny amount, went to the toilet etc but to no avail. I was upset at the time and Mr Royston Chambers then secretary of the Welsh ABA told me not to worry as it had happened to David Pearce and he went on to become british Heavyweight champion. David had a sad end though but I'm pleased to say he has a statue in Newport.
You mentioned meeting King Ken Buchanan. For what it's worth i believe he was the greatest british post war fighter. I recently went on a pilgrimage to visit his statue in Edinburgh. I also went to the Central bar In Leith which was his local.
I've used all those bin bags and rubber sweat suits to lose weight too.
I remember weighing in for my 1st fight at 10st 3lbs and my opponent weighed in at 10st 9lbs.
The matchmaker put us both down at 10st 6lbs, but I didn't care as I just wanted to get in the ring.
A few years later he weighed me and another lad.I weighed 10st 6lbs and the lad weighed 12st, he put us both down at 11st 2lb, but this time I said "no way"
In 2011 I was on a coaching course and talking to some other ex boxers and it had happened to them too.
The atmosphere on the course was great as most were ex amateur boxers who'd been around at the same time.
There were 4 girls on the course and 3 were national champions.
1 girl's dad had been ABA champion in 1979 and I'd boxed another one's trainer back in 1978.
The best display of boxing I've ever seen was by Ken vs Donato Puduano.
He was giving nearly a stone away but gave the Canadian a boxing lesson.
Kenny slipped and rolled in and out like Willie Pep and boxed off the ropes like Joey Giardello.
He had a beautiful left jab and could bang with his left hook.He was also a masterful body puncher and had a good set of whiskers.
My top 3 favourite boxers are
1) Randy Turpin
2) Ken Buchanan/Benny Lynch.
He's definitely on the list of best British boxers of all time and on the list of best lightweights ever too.
The Leamington Licker ( Turpin) was a good fighter. There is an old documentary from the 80s knocking about which told his his story. I sometimes go to a town called Burford in the Cotswolds. There's a sporting antiques shop there and a few years ago they were selling a rug with Turpins likeness on. It had been made for Randolph and had been in his house.
I'm going to go with Buchanan as my number 1. I'd go Calzaghe number too and number 3 maybe controversially Josh Taylor.
He was undisputed champion in about 20 fights though Catterall has his number.
Mentions for Colin Jones
Tony Sibson
Lloyd Honegan too
Randolph trained at a castle near Conwy for some of his fights and owned a place on the Great Orme Llandudno. Bizarrely he is related by a marriage to Carol Vorderman.
He was badly managed in his tax affairs ( same old boxing story) and that's really how he came to grief.
You say Sibbo was struggling? I'm sorry to here that. I thought he was one of the lucky ones.
I hope I'm wrong about Sibbo, I may be.It'll be his 67th birthday on the 9th.
The Licker got talked into buying Gwrych Castle by a bloke named Leslie T Salt who was little more than a Grifter.As he later said "why did I need a castle ?"
As you say same old story, Jack Solomons his promoter flea f*cked him despite protestations by his manager George Middleton.
We met his youngest daughter Carmen at the Orme a couple of times and other times in Landudno.
He's the only person to ever win a junior and senior ABA title in the same season and it can't be done again.
Interesting. I never knew he actually owned the castle. I remember reading a book by his brother. I think he was called Jackie. He also had a brother called Dick as I'm sure you know.
Nice to chat boxing with somebody who knows their stuff. I'm still a fan of the sport though I despair of it sometimes.
That book Battling Jack is one of the best boxing books I've ever read.
I boxed on a show in Lancaster one night and a lad was stood near my kit bag that had a drawing of Randy Turpin on the side.
The lad was Dick's son Keith and he was fighting for Tile Hill ABC.
We had a bit of a chat and both later lost 🤣
It's been a pleasure for me too and likewise I've lost a lot of interest in boxing.
Tyson Fury is one of the few top flight fighters I've ever disliked but I can't stand him.
He's the total opposite of the classy Lennox Lewis and George Foreman
What area did you box at? The north West? You mentioned Liverpool before. A great fighting city. I boxed and beat a lad from the Rotunda gym in an international called Brian Spence once. On the same show a Welsh lad called Barrie Jones boxed a boy called Brian Rose from Blackpool. Barrie is now a top bkb bare knuckle fighter and Rose did well as a pro.
A fighter I can get behind from Liverpool is a featherweight called Nick Ball. He's a bit of a throwback.
Not a Fury fan either. Was glad when Usyk handed him his ass on a plate.
I remember watching Carl Crook on an old VHS I had. He was boxing a guy called Najib Daho. A Morrocan based in Manchester. He beat an old Ken Buchanan but died young in a car crash.
That clip of him on YouTube absolutely mauling a heavy bag is insane. Those punches…
I have a heavy bag in my yard where I throw a few from time to time. The amount of force it takes to dent it like he did 😳😳
