Can you remember the first British title fight you went to.

[Tuan_Jim]

Howard Eastman vs Richard Williams, York Hall. Howard's last good performance. Classy skills and a deftly executed KO.
On the undercard there was George Hillyard (seemed so naturally talented but v.lazy), Paul Appleby, a heavily hyped and vociferously supported Pole who looked mediocre biffing a podgy Steve Conway around (think he later got destroyed in his first big fight)... Michael Lomax boxed that journeyman Billy Smith and I remember I made eye contact with him for a brief moment when he got knocked down. He's dead now, unfortunately.... I went in early and the place was empty - literally empty - except for the ring, where Wayne Brooks was boxing a Simon Wood. Total silence but for grunts, punches and instructions. Felt like I'd walked in some place where I wasn't allowed to go. I watched in the eerie stillness as Wood got dumped on his head in the first round. Badly knocked out. I saw him from my seat hours later walking round in a suit, looking absolutely crushed. Brooks, the winner, is notable for being the final man to box Herbie Hide.

[liamlion]

Howard Eastman v Robert McCracken at Wembley conference centre.

[TheGman]

Jamie mckeever vs tony mullholland,didnt go the first fight which ppl say was better but the atmosphere was brilliant

[TheGman]

Wow! that tested the ould memory a bit! Way back then I was on the verge of becoming a regular at the old Liverpool Stadium and went to see a big local favourite, Wally Thom, win the British Welterweight title over 15 rounds (I think) against another local favourite Peter Fallon. This was around 1953/4 and as I recall the promoter was Johnny Best (can only remember that because he was the brother of my GP). Had a bit of a break then as went off to sea for a few years but the Stadium was still going when I came back and it was a bit of a regular thing to go to the (free) weigh ins which took place on Thursday lunchtimes. A pal of mine actually married Wally's daughter a few years later. Wally himself (after retiring from boxing partly because of cut eye problems) later did some refereeing at the Stadium but sadly died young in his fifties I think. His Lonsdale Belt was a sight to behold and far superior to the rubbish WBA/WBC/WBO/IBF etc belts which always seem to be designed for guys about 10 feet tall!. He never seemed to have a problem weighing in on the day of the fight.

You see on social media ppl saying "masher dodd the best boxer to come out of birkenhead" well these people probably only knew boxing from 2015,whally thom was the best boxer to come from the wirral in an era with guys like Les mcAteer,vic harrison,pat mcateer, Joe bygraves etc etc. Sean is a nice humble guy but he isnt the best boxer to come from the wirral that title belongs to whally.

[Deserter]

Froch v Magee York Hall, May 2006

Yep, same for me. First time for me in that hallowed venue as well, what an incredible place. Actually thought it would be a lot earlier for me, but the Hamed fight I saw in 1995 didn't have a British title fight on the card - even saw Tito vs Mayorga in MSG before seeing a British title fight, which is mad.

[orbtastic]

'97 for me. Irwin/Ingle on the Hamed/Badillo undercard. They kept bumping it down the card and it ended up being the last fight of the night about 1am in a freezing cold arena. He couldn't really keep him off and I spoke to his dad after and he complained about how cold it was and the time of the fight etc. Ingle ended up fighting Hamed later (saw that from ringside) and had a decent run but there were murmurs of diuretics long before his loss to Botile.

I think the first British title fight I actually watched was the Winters/Wright fight on the undercard before it. Quite a tepid, tactical affair it was a shock when word had got round that Wright had collapsed and had a brain bleed later. His brother ended up retiring too. Winters ended up in that 140lb merry-go-round with Witter/Hatton/Paul/Rowland.

[MightyWarrior]

Howard Eastman vs Richard Williams, York Hall. Howard's last good performance. Classy skills and a deftly executed KO.
On the undercard there was George Hillyard (seemed so naturally talented but v.lazy), Paul Appleby, a heavily hyped and vociferously supported Pole who looked mediocre biffing a podgy Steve Conway around (think he later got destroyed in his first big fight)... Michael Lomax boxed that journeyman Billy Smith and I remember I made eye contact with him for a brief moment when he got knocked down. He's dead now, unfortunately.... I went in early and the place was empty - literally empty - except for the ring, where Wayne Brooks was boxing a Simon Wood. Total silence but for grunts, punches and instructions. Felt like I'd walked in some place where I wasn't allowed to go. I watched in the eerie stillness as Wood got dumped on his head in the first round. Badly knocked out. I saw him from my seat hours later walking round in a suit, looking absolutely crushed. Brooks, the winner, is notable for being the final man to box Herbie Hide.

Nicely written