RUDI PIKA, CHRIS LAWSON, KELVIN SMART & COLIN DERRICK

[maninthemiddle]

I am researching the careers of the above named fighters from the 80's. I am interested in their amateur and pro careers (which I have collated quite a lot of info) and their life after boxing (which is where i'm struggling!!)
If you have any friends/family/boxing contacts for any of the fighters please pm me.
Please take care not to list any personal info on the forum for any potential contacts.
I would also like to hear any views on these fighters on the forum. Thanks

[ERIC GUY]

best bet for some is Steve Hoier at st Pancras abc

[Buncey]

Be careful with this.
Why do they need the info? What is it being used for?
I've been using all four names on my recent tour. This strikes me as odd.
Just be careful - if this is a film/book idea then they should pay a researcher/wannabe journalist; this and other sites are packed with candidates.

Adios.

[bobmee]

In total agreement with Steve, it's odd. This is this guy's only post. It may be just a man from a landscape firm in Cheltenham with an anorak-tendency, or it might be somebody out to make a film off the back of other people's knowledge. I get this stuff from time to time and it's always the same. When you suggest, yes, you can help but you don't give your time or knowledge for free to commercial projects, the same phrases - 'really tight budget', 'no money in it yet', 'I'd have to speak to someone about that'... suddenly appear in the conversation and that's the end of it.

[maninthemiddle]

Cheers Bob and Buncey!!
The reason this is my first post is that I was researching Rudi Pika and my internet search flagged a piece on boxrec dating back a few years. You are right in that my research does relate to a "potential" book which incorporates these fighters but as "experienced" journalists I am surprised you have taken this view. As a "novice" author the chance for financial reward at this stage would be ridiculous. Millions of books have been published which have been based solely on researched information simply available via various media sources???
I was hoping people may like to hear the story of people like Rudi Pika who is relatively unknown to many of todays readers.
Nothing underhand in this and I am happy to explain everything to anyone interested in co-operating As it happens both Buncey and Bob know me so if they would like to email [email protected] with their tel no's I will call you to explain.

[DavidPayne]

The Colin Derrick story was cold.

[bobmee]

In that case, thanks for explaining your point in more detail & good luck with it.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

I would certainly buy a book about Rudi Pika, (only with the blessing from his family) an excellent fighter and a sad loss to an illness that blights a lot of people today - depression.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

I would certainly buy a book about Rudi Pika, (only with the blessing from his family) an excellent fighter and a sad loss to an illness that blights a lot of people today - depression.

What hapenned? Sounds sad...I remember Rudi Pika for being the ABA finaist the year Frank Bruno won the title.

Bruno has also had a well-documented problem with mental illness.

I remember reading about his passing in the daily mail at the time back in 1986. He was only only 24 years old at the time and had retired from boxing to concentrate on being a painter and decorator (if I remember rightly) he was an unbeaten heavyweight prospect who had beaten Anders Eklund on points, a good, tough, well schooled fighter.

He took his own life at his home in Cardiff and left a young family behind. A proud Welshman of Estonian origins, RIP Rudi!

[ERIC GUY]

I remember doing a DVD for his family years ago

[taffytoon]

I used to fancy his siter when we were in Fitzalan. Rudi was a bit older than me and warned me off

Needless to say I never did ask her out ;;-)

[maninthemiddle]

Rudi's son Carl used to be a member on Boxrec but doesn't seem to be now. If anyone knows his whereabouts please pass on my email so I can get the families support for the project. ([email protected])

[SticknMove]

Surely you should ask permission of people you intend writing about.

Colin Derrick was an absolute cracking amateur - a bit older than myself but watched him as a kid at York Hall a number of times.

[bennie]

Pika never really pushed on as an unbeaten pro. He lacked the explosive power needed back then in the heavyweight division, although you can never take the magnificent Bruno effort away from him. Pika really tested Frank's character and visa versa. Neither was found wanting.
Smart was stuck between flyweight and bantamweight, so winning the British flyweight title was as good as it was going to get for him. He was good to watch, quick, hurtful and not akin to the rough stuff. He simply used to run out of gas at eight stone.
Lawson pulled out a big left hook to win an ABA title but developed into a good opponent as a pro and no more.
Derrick was an animal with a huge left hook. He stopped Lloyd Christie in the first round, later to prove an outstandingly durable fighter (unlike Errol). I heard bad things about Derrick, nocturnally.

[McCannW14]

best bet for some is Steve Hoier at st Pancras abc

Bloody hell is Steve still there.

I remember him sending me a 21st birthday card with a tenner in it, about a year after I got stopped in the first round in southend. He wanted to keep in touch and was on holiday in Brazil. That alone made me box again, he was the only one who cared.

I boxed for his sister club, Westminster, and then St Pancras.

Great bloke steve Hoier.

Say hello if you see him.!

[maninthemiddle]

Can someone give me Steve Hoier's tel no. or pass on mine and ask him to text or call me. Thanks. 0772 9576421

[Mollys]

Hi I am trying to locate Colin Derrick. Could you tell me anything about him, like what you had heard

[bennie]

Nobody knows where he is, although I have heard Blackpool mentioned. The late, great Mickey Duff would say that he is 'missing'.

[Realistic]

Holy Thread resurrection Batman...

[Bladder]

Chris Lawson boxed out of my home town (Pembroke) but was from Cardigan. Pretty sure he's still involved with Cardigan ABC.

[bennie]

Chris Lawson was a dangerous fighter who racked up plenty of quick wins in a fine career. He was unlucky in that Dennis Andries and Tom Collins were a cut above everybody else on the domestic scene in the 1980s but Chris at least picked up the Welsh light-heavyweight title and won the ABA light-heavyweight title in 1977 with a spectacular dismissal of the fancied Placid Gonzalez.
Kelvin Smart, another Welshman, did make it all the way to the British title with a one-sided stoppage of the hot and cold Dave George in 1982 but was always desperately tight at flyweight and lost his title quite quickly to Hugh Russell in an upset. Smart wound up winning and losing at bantamweight before a nasty knockout at the hands of Sean Murphy in 1987 forced him out.
Southpaw Rudi Pika looked a bit unlucky to drop the points to Frank Bruno in a thrilling ABA heavyweight final in 1980 but never settled in London as a pro under Mickey Duff's management and wound up dead at 26, slashing his wrists at home in Cardiff as his marriage broke down. He never lost a pro fight.
Londoner Colin Derrick reached an ABA final at 17 and was dominating the insanely aggressive Dave Williams when he suffered a terrible cut from a head clash and was ruled out. As a pro Colin lost a shock decision to Birmingham's Joey Mack and never fought again. Like Pika, he was a waste of talent.

[bripez]

I remember doing a DVD for his family years ago

Did they ever get a copy?

[Bladder]

Chris Lawson was a dangerous fighter who racked up plenty of quick wins in a fine career. He was unlucky in that Dennis Andries and Tom Collins were a cut above everybody else on the domestic scene in the 1980s but Chris at least picked up the Welsh light-heavyweight title and won the ABA light-heavyweight title in 1977 with a spectacular dismissal of the fancied Placid Gonzalez.
Kelvin Smart, another Welshman, did make it all the way to the British title with a one-sided stoppage of the hot and cold Dave George in 1982 but was always desperately tight at flyweight and lost his title quite quickly to Hugh Russell in an upset. Smart wound up winning and losing at bantamweight before a nasty knockout at the hands of Sean Murphy in 1987 forced him out.
Southpaw Rudi Pika looked a bit unlucky to drop the points to Frank Bruno in a thrilling ABA heavyweight final in 1980 but never settled in London as a pro under Mickey Duff's management and wound up dead at 26, slashing his wrists at home in Cardiff as his marriage broke down. He never lost a pro fight.
Londoner Colin Derrick reached an ABA final at 17 and was dominating the insanely aggressive Dave Williams when he suffered a terrible cut from a head clash and was ruled out. As a pro Colin lost a shock decision to Birmingham's Joey Mack and never fought again. Like Pika, he was a waste of talent.

Great knowledge Bennie. I seen a few Lawson fights, they used to run a coach from Pembroke Dock for some of his bouts. I seem to remember he beat Colin Jones' older brother for the Welsh Light Heavyweight title at for him a local(ish) venue in Haverfordwest. One of his last fights against Aneurin Williams, the coach broke down a few miles outside Ebbw Vale and some of us ran the rest of the way to get there for the start of the show.
Didn't Lawson make another ABA final, maybe at Middleweight?

[Coco]

Welcome back Bennie

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Welcome back Bennie