"The best ringsters I ever saw" by the late O.F. Snelling...

[Alex]

By O. F. Snelling

[It is a pleasure to reproduce this piece – penned by the late, great boxing writer O. F. Snelling – for a new, online, 21st-century audience. We do so with the kind permission of Derek O’Dell, Editor and Producer of ‘The Southern Ex-Boxer’, in which this article first appeared in 1998 – Ed.]

Although this periodical is entitled The Southern Ex-Boxer, and we tend to celebrate the deeds of those battlers of the past who hailed from ‘south of Watford’, as they say – and in particular the sterling scrappers of the South London and Croydon areas – the names and deeds of a few fighters from other areas do occasionally creep in.

It has been known for us to make mention of pugilists like Jack Hood, of Birmingham – one of the very best – and we've also dwelt upon those characters beloved by Geordieland's Ringwise. Oh boy, what a bunch they had, on Tyneside! Seaman Tommy Watson, Mickey Maguire, Benny Sharkey, Jack Casey, Jack London – and the great Billy Charlton, among others.

Most of these men were of world class! I kid you not! But, unfortunately, they dwelt in unsophisticated surroundings, and their managers, although capable enough, did not always carry the influence to negotiate their men into prestigious fights, and they lost out – with one or two notable exceptions.

As for the Scots – remember Tancy Lee, Elky Clark, Tommy Milligan and Benny Lynch – ensconced up there near the Arctic Circle? Milligan, then a little past his best, faced the great Maxie Rosenbloom, at that time claimant to the twelve-seven world title, when he came to London in June, 1928. Tommy knocked out ‘Slapsie Maxie’ in nine! You don't hear a lot about that one, but people do play up the occasion when Tommy bowed the knee to Mickey Walker at Olympia in 1927.

But I'm running away with myself. This is supposed to be a piece about the best I ever saw. Well, I saw plenty – believe me! The very first fighter I ever watched was the legendary Sam Minto, from under his corner in an Edmonton boxing-booth when I was a gullible kid, for which honour I had paid tuppence, and I didn't have the experience to know that I was watching a ‘gee’!

The last fights I saw ‘live’ I can't actually recall. These days I sit and watch them on TV – sometimes as they are waged or on video later – if I've recorded the events. Less and less I feel inclined to do so. The OFS at the age of 21 in 1937, who sat up until the small hours to hear the radio commentary of Farr's great battle with Louis would not now disturb his difficult efforts at slumber to get the ‘live’ outcome of the clash between David and Goliath.

Let's do this thing properly. I am not writing about the boxers I think were the best in their particular division. No, I am discussing those people I was fortunate in actually seeing perform, during my lifetime. I've been watching boxing for getting on for 70 years, now, and all of the fights I've seen ‘live’ have been in this country. So all of the boxers mentioned here are British.

Continue reading:

http://blog.boxinghistory.org.uk/2011/1 ... r-saw.html

[jimglen]

4 out of the Top 7, from Welter to Heavy were Gilroy opponents, duckers or nemisis that says enough right there.

It's a shame most of these old boys are gone!

[dempseyfire]

Interesting read! The UK did produce a fine swathe of fighters in boxing's 'Golden Age' (1920s-40s)

[Alex]

Interesting read! The UK did produce a fine swathe of fighters in boxing's 'Golden Age' (1920s-40s)

No doubt about that! I don't agree with all of Snelling's picks, though obviously he's limited his list to the fighters he actually saw live. Choosing Peter Kane over Benny Lynch was a surprise for me.

[Alex]

4 out of the Top 7, from Welter to Heavy were Gilroy opponents, duckers or nemisis that says enough right there.

It's a shame most of these old boys are gone!

It's a great shame, and a shame we don't have writers of the quality of Snelling covering boxing today.