Mick Cowan

[RocDel]

I was looking at the record for this UK heavyweight, ID 29706, curious about the three year break in his career between 1961 and 1965 and even more so the fact that his record shows those fights between 1953 and 1955 and then inactive again till 1961. His DOB is listed as 1932-12-04 which would sound about right making him about 20-1/2 years old in early 1953. It would make him though 33 years old in 1965.

I looked up some writeups of his fights in 1965 in the Boxing News. The March 12th, 1965 issue writes about his first "comeback" fight on March 3rd, 1965 against Bill Morgan. The article notes, "Three years ago, Sheffield heavyweight Mick Cowan retired after a mere handfull of contests to open a ladies hairdressing salon. Now, under the tuition of former British WW champion, Henry Hall, 26 year old Cowan is back...."

Later in teh May 14th, 1965 Boxing News an account of his fight with Billy Wynter puts his age as 20. That I think was a misprint.

That 26 year age in the March 3rd article plus the "mere handfull of contests" mentioned before his 'retirement" 3 years previous, does not match at all with his birth date currently listed and the three fights he had in 1961 fit the "mere handfull of contests" comment in the article but not the 9 fights listed from 1953-55. So I looked on BritishBoxing.net website and they list a Mick Cowan, HW from a hometown of Sheffield with a DOB of Jan. 25th, 1939. That DOB matches the 26 year age given in the Boxing News article. I guess there may not be enough of evidence to prove beyond a doubt, but I'm thinking what I found would seem to indicate those fights listed from 1953 thru 1955 are not ones fought by this Mick Cowan. Was there another Mick Cowan from the 1950's? I know you list another Mick Cowan who fights 3 times in the early 1960's, who fought Jack Bodell in 1962, but that may or may not be the other Mick Cowan who fought those earlier 1950's fights?

I was looking at this Cowan doing some research on UK fighters from the mid/late 60's and ran across this, so I figured I'd pass this along.

[John]

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer
http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

Looking at the weight and location I wonder if the 1961 fights and the 1962 Bodel fight belong to yet another Mick Cowan

[RocDel]

I think the breakdown of fights the way you have it John sounds reasonable. Being the fight between Cowan of Sheffield and Bodell would have been the first career fight for each seems logical and based where it was at is in the West Midlands area that each came from. I guess Sheffield is considered in the West Midlands Area?

Bodell was a LHW when he started and very likely so could have Cowan in those first three fights. Those other fights that were first with Sheffield Cowan, the location of them seems likely I would think they belong to that "other" Cowan.

Curious though were you arrived at the residence of Rotherham, Yorkshire? I know the accounts in BoxIng News mention Sheffield.

Thank you
Rocco