Neville Brown

[Roco]

Anyone remember?

I recall seeing at least one of his fights on the BBC. Assume it was for British Middleweight title and he seemed to make hard work of it but the BBC kept raving about his amateur achievements.

I see that he has a win over the infamous Frank Grant so that is a good one but came up short against Collins and split a couple of bouts with tough journeyman Paul Wesley.

What is he up to now?

[Noxy]

He was great at triple jump as well. I remember that about him. He took a beating against Collins. I think SM was a bit big for him.

[polecateddy]

I saw a few of his fights on terrestrial tv I think. He seemed quite hard to beat at British title level and I think he won the Lonsdale belt outright. Collins was a bridge too far, although he put up a bit of an argument. Just slightly lacking in the composure and durability for the higher levels.

[Coco]

I saw a few of his fights on terrestrial tv I think. He seemed quite hard to beat at British title level and I think he won the Lonsdale belt outright. Collins was a bridge too far, although he put up a bit of an argument. Just slightly lacking in the composure and durability for the higher levels.

And also Collins was much bigger

[margaret thatcher]

Errol Christie-ish

[bennie]

Neville blew hot and cold. He looked dynamite at times but his chin let him down at other times. Won two ABA titles and would have gone to the 1988 Olympics but Wayne Ellis stopped him in the first round in the ABA semis and Richie Woodhall got the nod instead.

[Old bones Ian]

When Neville was on form he was a lovely boxer to watch, relaxed style with a bit of a dig on him as well.
If you get a chance his fight against Cummins is a good watch.

[Tommy Gunn13]

Neville blew hot and cold. He looked dynamite at times but his chin let him down at other times. Won two ABA titles and would have gone to the 1988 Olympics but Wayne Ellis stopped him in the first round in the ABA semis and Richie Woodhall got the nod instead.

Even after beating Woodhall in a Midland County stage that year

[bennie]

Neville blew hot and cold. He looked dynamite at times but his chin let him down at other times. Won two ABA titles and would have gone to the 1988 Olympics but Wayne Ellis stopped him in the first round in the ABA semis and Richie Woodhall got the nod instead.

Even after beating Woodhall in a Midland County stage that year

That's right, and by three scores of 60-57. Neville never got along with England coach Kevin Hickey. Woodhall, who never won an ABA title, was selected for the Olympics and the world championships in 1989.

[margaret thatcher]

Richie did really well internationally for a guy who never won the ABAs

[orbtastic]

When Neville was on form he was a lovely boxer to watch, relaxed style with a bit of a dig on him as well.
If you get a chance his fight against Cummins is a good watch.

The Cherifi fight was decent too.

[margaret thatcher]

When Neville was on form he was a lovely boxer to watch, relaxed style with a bit of a dig on him as well.
If you get a chance his fight against Cummins is a good watch.

The Cherifi fight was decent too.

Just watched that, more than decent, was an excellent 4 knockdown battle, thought maybe the stoppage was a tad early but nothing extreme

Browne with all the raw speed and power, but just not that tough and also pretty easy to find even despite having the superficial look of a slicker boxer

[bripez]

Even after beating Woodhall in a Midland County stage that year

That's right, and by three scores of 60-57. Neville never got along with England coach Kevin Hickey. Woodhall, who never won an ABA title, was selected for the Olympics and the world championships in 1989.

Interesting that in the same weight division Tim Taylor won the ABA’s in 1990 and 1991 and Joe Calzaghe in 1992 yet they sent Robin Reid to Barcelona and he got nowhere near an ABA final

[Roco]

Neville blew hot and cold. He looked dynamite at times but his chin let him down at other times. Won two ABA titles and would have gone to the 1988 Olympics but Wayne Ellis stopped him in the first round in the ABA semis and Richie Woodhall got the nod instead.

Thanks Bennie. Great knowledge as always. Seems like he was unlucky to not get a chance on the international amateur stage.

[Tommy Gunn13]

Even after beating Woodhall in a Midland County stage that year

That's right, and by three scores of 60-57. Neville never got along with England coach Kevin Hickey. Woodhall, who never won an ABA title, was selected for the Olympics and the world championships in 1989.

Was the same night that Mark McCreath beat Mark Elliot if my memory is correct... Elliot also got picked the the same Olympics as Woodhall but at Light Welter, must have been Hickey's favourites...l

[jonp]

Was the same night that Mark McCreath beat Mark Elliot if my memory is correct... Elliot also got picked the the same Olympics as Woodhall but at Light Welter, must have been Hickey's favourites...l

Sound like amateur boxing was super corrupt then... but Reid and wood hall both won bronze so it’s hard to argue too much. I honestly think if Calzaghe has been favoured by the international committee he would’ve achieved big things internationally. His hands were still strong then and he just dominated the ABAs stopping good fighters. What weight was he at before the 1992 Olympics? Light middle I think . If he could of made welter I would say he would of won gold

Im pretty sure this was around the time Wales broke away to do there own thing with there own federation? Maybe why Calzaghe didn't get more international stuff.

Regarding Woodhall and Reid I think they tested lads out in friendly internationals and picked the squads on whos styles coped best with international fights,Ritchie for instance had a lot of success being so tall for the weight and being very light on his feet in the typical international style of the time.

[Coco]

Thanks Bennie. Great knowledge as always. Seems like he was unlucky to not get a chance on the international amateur stage.

Wayne Ellis I remember was a real puncher as an amateur... but didn’t really translate his power and talent to the pros.... bennie- you seem to know more about british boxing than anyone I seen. Was there any reason why Wayne’s career stalled a bit?

Wayne died about a year ago, left a few kids, cancer I think

[Coco]

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/boxing-n ... 4025177399

Wayne's obituary

[THEBUTCH]

Good boxer was Ellis.

[THEBUTCH]

I watched Neville Brown from the amateurs and he was a quality boxer who take his opponents apart when hit hit form.

Although he lost his British title to Catley, he had plenty to complain about. Catley's use of the forearm was diabolical and the referee really let Neville down.

[Roco]

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/boxing-n ... 4025177399

Wayne's obituary

interesting read that. I had forgotten all about Darron Griffiths.

[Roco]

I watched Neville Brown from the amateurs and he was a quality boxer who take his opponents apart when hit hit form.

Although he lost his British title to Catley, he had plenty to complain about. Catley's use of the forearm was diabolical and the referee really let Neville down.

Cheers, going to check that out if I can find it.

[Coco]

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/boxing-n ... 4025177399

Wayne's obituary

interesting read that. I had forgotten all about Darron Griffiths.

Griffiths was another who was a top junior amateur and big things were expected but never really came through. I was there when he knocked out Andy Till but was much bigger, I saw the Ellis fight too and he was bigger than Ellis as well.

[bennie]

Wayne turned pro at middleweight and was moving along nicely with F rank Warren but he chased the money and left for Barry Hearn and it all seemed to gradually unravel. He was unlucky in his first defeat in 1991 against Colin Manners in that he never recovered from a punch on the break (you can see it on youtube) but throwing him in with Steve Collins in 1993 led to a sustained pounding for nine rounds and those kind of beatings shorten careers. I watched him a year later against Paul Busby in a drab and totally unnecessary 12-rounder and he gave it a good enough go but Busby used the jab and took the points. (A previous meeting had ended unsatisfactorily after Busby was cut.) Ellis moved up to super-middleweight and was outscored by the useful Darron Griffiths for the Welsh title and drifted away at the age of just 26.
Wayne was only 19 when he turned pro in 1988 after winning the ABA light-middleweight title. He had looked a real find against Neville Brown in the semi-finals (and Neville showed marvellous sportsmanship in catastrophic first-round defeat) and against Sunderland iron man Willie Neil in the final at Wembley, dishing out a three-round beating that many believed should have been stopped. Then Wayne got wind that the selectors were going with Richie Woodhall for the Olympics in Korea and he jumped ship and turned pro. What a waste to the amateur game.

[bennie]

Wayne turned pro at middleweight and was moving along nicely with F rank Warren but he chased the money and left for Barry Hearn and it all seemed to gradually unravel. He was unlucky in his first defeat in 1991 against Colin Manners in that he never recovered from a punch on the break (you can see it on youtube) but throwing him in with Steve Collins in 1993 led to a sustained pounding for nine rounds and those kind of beatings shorten careers. I watched him a year later against Paul Busby in a drab and totally unnecessary 12-rounder and he gave it a good enough go but Busby used the jab and took the points. (A previous meeting had ended unsatisfactorily after Busby was cut.) Ellis moved up to super-middleweight and was outscored by the useful Darron Griffiths for the Welsh title and drifted away at the age of just 26.
Wayne was only 19 when he turned pro in 1988 after winning the ABA light-middleweight title. He had looked a real find against Neville Brown in the semi-finals (and Neville showed marvellous sportsmanship in catastrophic first-round defeat) and against Sunderland iron man Willie Neil in the final at Wembley, dishing out a three-round beating that many believed should have been stopped. Then Wayne got wind that the selectors were going with Richie Woodhall for the Olympics in Korea and he jumped ship and turned pro. What a waste to the amateur game.

I knew Bennie would know lol. You should be on mastermind mate....

Just looking at Wayne's record and he actually fought Busby three times, which shows you how much I know. Moreover, the match with Steve Collins, who had been the full 12 with McCallum and Kalambay of course, is a truly dreadful one when you sit back and reflect on it.