Boxing in Liverpool
Boxing in Liverpool, the United Kingdom is centered on approximately 22 amateur boxing clubs which have produced notable boxers such as John Conteh, Andy Holligan, Tony Bellew, David Price, and Callum Smith.
Boxers from Liverpool were a significant percentage of the 2012 Olympics British Boxing Team.
Boxing events were most commonly held at Liverpool Stadium; since then[when?] boxing events have been hosted at the Echo Arena and Liverpool Olympia within the city.
Notable amateur boxers from Liverpool[edit]
David Burke[edit]
David Burke won a bronze medal in men's featherweight at the 1996 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Vejle in the 57 kg division. He represented Salisbury Amateur Boxing Club.[1]
Natasha Jonas[edit]
Natasha Jonas, from Toxteth, was the first British female boxer to ever qualify for and compete at an Olympic games,[2] as GB Boxing's women's 60 kg representative at the 2012 London Olympics. She also won a bronze medal at the 2012 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Qinhuangdao. She represents Rotunda Amateur Boxing Club.[3]
Daniel Ezra Deane[edit]
Daniel Ezra Deane, from Dingle, Liverpool, 6"1 tall & then aged 36, won the gold medal as heavyweight at the 1996 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Vejle. He also boasted a professional record of 15-15-0 before his career was ended after an injury whilst on active deployment. He was from the backstreets of Moses Street.[citation needed]
Jay Deane Brown[edit]
Jay "Back alley" Brown, Cousin of Daniel Lowday (Ezra Deane) was from the back streets of Dingle (Graffton Street). He boasted of an amateur record of 20-0 with 19 KO's and 1 TKO, he boxed out of the United services club (L8 Byles street) but had to give up his career due to unforeseen circumstances. He currently works as a doorman in Liverpool's club scene.
Neil Perkins[edit]
Neil Perkins, from Kirkdale, won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Amateur Boxing Championships in the 69 kg division. He represented Kirkdale Amateur Boxing Club.[4]
David Price[edit]
David Price, from West Derby, won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 91+ kg division where he also captained the GB Boxing team.[5] He represented Long Lane and Salisbury amateur boxing clubs.[6]
Stephen Smith[edit]
Stephen Smith, from Kirkdale, won a bronze medal at the 2006 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Plovdiv in the 52 kg division. He represented Rotunda Amateur Boxing Club.[7]
Tom Stalker[edit]
Tom Stalker, from Huyton, captained GB Boxing's Olympic team at the 2012 London Olympics.[8] He won a bronze medal at the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Baku at 64 kg, and he twice won a silver medal (60 kg & 64 kg) at the 2010 European Amateur Boxing Championships and the 2011 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Moscow and Ankara respectively. He represented St. Aloysius and Salisbury amateur boxing clubs.[9]
Tony Willis[edit]
Tony Willis won a bronze medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics in the 63.5 kg division.
Notable professional boxers from Liverpool[edit]
George Turpin[edit]
George Turpin won a bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics in the 56 kg division.[10]
Tony Bellew[edit]
Tony Bellew (30-3-1), from Wavertree, is a former WBC cruiserweight champion and former BBBofC British light heavyweight champion, a former commonwealth light heavyweight champion and a heavyweight contender. He is a former two-time light heavyweight world title challenger. He has fought Nathan Cleverly, Edison Miranda, and Isaac Chilemba, Adonis Stevenson, Ilunga Makabu, David Haye and Oleksandr Usyk.
Johnny Cooke[edit]
Johnny Cooke (52-34-7), from Bootle, was a BBBofC British and Commonwealth welterweight champion.[11]
John Conteh[edit]
John Conteh (34-4-1), from Kirkby, a former WBC light heavyweight world champion, as well as the former BBBofC British and Commonwealth light heavyweight champion. He is considered Liverpool's greatest boxer.[citation needed]
Tony Dodson[edit]
Tony Dodson (29-8-1), from Garston, is a former BBBofC British super middleweight champion. He fought Carl Froch, Paul Smith, and Tony Quigley.[12]
Rocky Fielding[edit]
Michael 'Rocky from Stocky' Fielding (30-2-0), from Stockbridge Village, was a WBA Inter-Continental super middleweight champion, and WBA regular world champion. He fought Mohammed Akrong, Tobias Webb and Canelo Alvarez.[13]
Paul Hodkinson[edit]
Paul Hodkinson (22-3-1), from Kirkby, is a former BBBofC British featherweight champion and WBC featherweight world champion, a title which he defended successfully on four occasions.[14] Hodkinson also was a challenger for the WBO featherweight title. He fought Marcos Villasana, Steve Cruz, and Gregorio Vargas.[15]
Andy Holligan[edit]
Andy Holligan (27-3-0) is the former BBBofC British and Commonwealth light welterweight champion and former WBC light welterweight world title challenger. His most notable opponents were Julio César Chávez and Shea Neary.
Derry Mathews[edit]
Derry Mathews (34-8-2), from Anfield, was a Commonwealth lightweight champion and former BBBofC British lightweight champion. He fought Gavin Rees, Anthony Crolla, and Gary Buckland.[16]
Shea Neary[edit]
Shea Neary (23-2-0) is a former WBU light welterweight champion. He fought Micky Ward, Andy Holligan, and Eamonn Magee.
Liam Smith[edit]
Liam Smith (15-0-1) from Kirkdale is the reigning WBO light middleweight world champion. He is one of the four famous Smith brothers. His most notable opponents to date are Eric Ochieng and Max Maxwell.
Paul Smith Jr[edit]
Paul Smith (33-3-0) from Kirkdale was BBBofC British super middleweight champion, a title he held on at least two separate occasions. He is one of the four famous Smith brothers. He fought James DeGale, George Groves, and Tony Dodson.
Stephen Smith[edit]
Stephen Smith (18-1-0), from Kirkdale, was BBBofC British super featherweight champion and the former BBBofC British and Commonwealth featherweight champion. He is one of the four famous Smith brothers. He fought Gary Buckland, Lee Selby, and John Simpson.[17]
Callum Smith[edit]
Callum Smith (28-1-0), from Kirkdale is the most decorated of the four Smith brothers. He was BBBofC British Super Middleweight champion and the former unified super middleweight champion of the world. He beat George Groves to win the Muhammad Ali trophy in the World Boxing Super Series final and his only loss was to Canelo Álvarez where he suffered a bicep injury. Callum now competes at light heavyweight.
David Price[edit]
David Price (15-2-0), from West Derby, was a BBBofC British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion. He fought Tony Thomson and Audley Harrison.
Joey Singleton[edit]
Joey Singleton (27-11-2) from Kirkby was a BBBofC British light-welterweight champion 1974-1976. He won the title from Pat McCormick (15 rounds - points) at the Liverpool Stadium, and lost it two years later on a cut eye stoppage in round 6 to Dave Boy Green at the Royal Albert Hall on June 1, 1976. Singleton defended his title 3 times, winning the Lonsdale Belt outright in a record eight professional fights. He fought and lost to Jorgen Hansen for the European Welterweight Title on April 17, 1980.
Alan Rudkin[edit]
Alan Rudkin (42-8-0) from Dingle was a former BBBofC British and Commonwealth bantamweight champion. He also challenged for the WBC and WBA bantamweight world titles on several occasions. He fought Fighting Harada, Lionel Rose, and Rubén Olivares.[18]
Kevin Satchell[edit]
Kevin Satchell (11-0-0) from Kirkdale was a BBBofC British and Commonwealth flyweight champion. He fought Iain Butcher, Luke Wilton, and Paul Edwards.[19]
Nel Tarleton[edit]
Nel Tarleton (119-21-8) was a former BBBofC British and Commonwealth featherweight champion, a title he has held on several separate occasions.[20]
Tony Willis[edit]
Tony Willis (25-4-0) is a former BBBofC British lightweight champion, a title he defended three times. He fought Steve Boyle, George Feeney, and Alex Dickson.[21]
References[edit]
- ^ Echo, Liverpool (11 October 2011). "Fighting Talk: Salisbury ABC head coach Jim Carroll planning continued success". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "Natasha Jonas makes history by becoming first Black female boxing manager". Sky Sports. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "Commonwealth Games Profile - Natasha Jonas".
- ^ Echo, Liverpool (27 July 2012). "Seconds Out: Kirkdale boxer Neil Perkins turns pro". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ Mitchell, Kevin (12 August 2008). "Boxing: Price control vital as British team suffer mixed fortunes". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ NWR ABA 91kg final 2006 Tyson Fury (Jimmy Egan's BA) v David Price (Salisbury ABC), retrieved 20 November 2023
- ^ McKenna, Micheal (30 May 2016). "Two world champions hailing from the Rotunda as club's stock rises". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "GB Olympian Stalker to turn pro". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "Tom Stalker - Profile". Olympedia.
- ^ "Merseyside's 100 Olympians: No. 22 George Turpin". Liverpool Echo. 7 May 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- ^ "Johnny Cooke - Boxer". 4 December 2014. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "Smith beats Dodson to keep title". 12 March 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "Fielding wins Prizefighter tourney". Boxing News. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
- ^ "Paul Hodkinson: Record & Stats". www.martialbot.com. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "Vargas beats Hodkinson for WBC featherweight title - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "Derry Mathews". 5 September 2008. Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "Stephen Smith - News, Record & Stats, Next Fight & Tickets". Box.Live. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ Rawling, John (28 September 2010). "Alan Rudkin obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ Jay, Phil (12 January 2018). "Kevin Satchell retires". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "The champion who fought with one lung". SuperSport. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "Tony Willis". www.teamgb.com. Retrieved 20 November 2023.