Alex Daley appears again on an unparalleled evening of success for the British beginner group, and a combat that propelled Billy Walker to box-office stardom
THE glories of Britain’s beginner stars are likely to get eclipsed by these of their skilled counterparts. However 60 years in the past this week, an evening of beginner boxing came about that continues to be indelibly inked within the minds of those that witnessed it.
The date: November 2, 1961, the place: Empire Pool in Wembley, the place a group of Britain’s greatest amateurs was taking up America’s high unpaid expertise. If appearances have been something to go by, beforehand the US aspect appeared to have the sting. “How sensible the American group appeared on parade in comparison with the British group, garbed in uninteresting, outsize, navy dressing-gowns which appeared about 10 years previous,” noticed BN’s reporter. The GB group’s shabby look, although, was a false indicator.
At flyweight, future British, Commonwealth and European bantamweight titlist Alan Rudkin halted Philadelphia’s Sherman Washington in three, BN stating that the 19-year-old Liverpudlian appeared “ok to carry his personal with any flyweight on this planet”.
At bantam, the reigning ABA champ, Peter Benneyworth, clearly outpointed Native American Johnny Cesspooch after flooring him within the first, whereas GB’s featherweight hope, reigning European king Frankie “The Tiger” Taylor, “offered fireplace and fury with a third-round stoppage of baby-faced Ralph Ungricht”. A left hook put Ungricht down within the first earlier than Taylor knocked him out of the ring with the identical punch within the third. The ref had no have to depend. Frankie would carry his thrilling type and large punch into the paid ranks, turning over three months later.
At light-weight, the legendary Dick McTaggart, already thought-about an all-time beginner nice, confirmed class and crafty in outpointing Woodie “Caesar” Marcus, who was made to overlook “repeatedly with the best ease”.
Menominee Native American James Caldwell made a powerful impression by getting into the ring with a superb headdress, however was clearly outpointed by Military light-welter Brian Brazier. Within the welterweight tussle (reckoned by BN’s Ron Olver to be the combat of the evening), Liverpool’s Jim Lloyd outscored Michigan’s Phil Baldwin in a return, Lloyd having put Baldwin out of the 1960 Rome Olympics to win bronze.
Gentle-middleweight Derek Richards bulldozed Toledo’s Golden Gloves champion, Roy McMillan, with well-timed physique photographs, prompting the ref to intervene in spherical two.
At middleweight, Fauldhouse miner John Fisher appeared decided to complete one other Golden Gloves champ, Leotis Martin, inside time. This he did with a stupendous left to the physique within the closing spherical. With hindsight, Fisher’s win is much more spectacular. Martin went on to a 31-5 document as a professional heavyweight, and in December 1969 knocked Sonny Liston out chilly to turn out to be the primary NABF heavyweight champion. It was a bittersweet victory, as Leotis suffered a indifferent retina, which ended his profession.
At light-heavy, Dennis Pollard was one other inside-schedule winner when he stopped Don Rouse of Idaho in three; however the largest sensation that evening got here within the heavyweight bout, which pitted West Ham’s Billy Walker in opposition to big Philadelphian Cornelius Perry.
A rapt TV viewers watched Walker [pictured above] demolish the American with a thunderous left hook within the first spherical. Billy’s inventory soared astronomically nearly in a single day, and inside 4 months he had turned professional with brother George as supervisor. Along with his blond hair, attractiveness and all-action type, he was dubbed the “Golden Boy” and the “Blond Bomber”. Though he failed in bids for British and European honours, he was certainly one of Britain’s brightest crowd-pleasers and largest stars of the Sixties.
Boxing Information known as the ten out of 10 wins slaughter of the US aspect “the best win ever for a Nice Britain group”. It’s laborious to argue with that evaluation.
