I am Teddy Baldock's grandson and have spent many years researching his boxing career, as well as boxing being my main sport/hobby. I probably have one of the biggest collections of photo's etc on Teddy Baldock although most of the photos and newspaper articles are prints and copies.
My mother remembers a huge chest full of programmes, photos etc but they all disapeared over the years when my grandfather fell on hard times.
I would be interested to hear from anyone who had relatives who fought my grandfather, or if you are interested in my grandfathers career I would be more than happy to have a chat.
Finally if there are any collectors out there who have memorabilia on my grandfather I fully understand that these items are rare and hard to come by so you wouldn't want to part with them but I do have a number of programmes from the 1920's that you might like to exchange? please let me know.
I look forward to your replies as I nver get tired of talking boxing.
Teddy Baldock World Bantamweight Champion
re
I don't know how others feel, but personally, I think your grandfather was one of the better fighters to ever come out of England! He only lost what, five time in 80+ fights and most of those in the last few fights of his career! A really skillful boxer who doesn't get the proper credit he actually deserves...like so many other earlier fighters!!!
Teddy was a very interesting fighter and very overlooked today, I think he was 'burned' out by too many hard fights in too short a time... he was more or less finished by the age of 24 I believe. In Gilbert Odds book 'Ring Battles of the Century' theres an excellent chapter on the Teddy Baldock vs Alf Kid Pattendon fight... this was the first I ever heard of Baldock...
Martin, did you know your grandfather well?... did he talk about his boxing career with you??...
Martin, did you know your grandfather well?... did he talk about his boxing career with you??...
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Another editor on the site, Ric, his grandfather fought around the same time as Baldock, around the same weight and he too was a really good fighter...Pete Sanstol. I don't know if they ever fought as I have not looked over they're records, but they were around the same weight and both were elite fighters!
Thank you Barry and Silkov for your comments, I have got the book you mentioned and also copies of all the fight reports from the daily newspapers of that time.
I have recently been looking into the fights my grandfather had in America. when he was still only 18 he travelled to America with Jack Hood, Alf Mancini and Ted Broadribb as his manager. There he had 12 contests, winning 11 and drawing 1. He could only fight 6 rounders due to his age, some of these were undercards to some top class contests ie:
Sep 30 1926 at Madison Square Gardens Teddy KO'd Arthur de Champlaine in the 1st round on the undercard to Tod Morgan Vs Joe Glick for the Junior Lightweight Title.
Nov 12 at The Pioneer A C Teddy beat Tommy Lorenzo on the same bill James J Braddock beat Lou Barba
Nov 22 at The New Broadway Arena, Brooklyn Teddy beat Ralph Nischio on the undercard to Tony Canzoneri V Andre Routis.
Dec 13 Madison Square Gardens Teddy KO'd Joe Clifford 2nd round on the undercard to Maxey Rosenbloom Vs Phil Kaplan.
It would be great to hear from anyone who might have more info on these fights possibly from the Ring Magazine.
I have recently been looking into the fights my grandfather had in America. when he was still only 18 he travelled to America with Jack Hood, Alf Mancini and Ted Broadribb as his manager. There he had 12 contests, winning 11 and drawing 1. He could only fight 6 rounders due to his age, some of these were undercards to some top class contests ie:
Sep 30 1926 at Madison Square Gardens Teddy KO'd Arthur de Champlaine in the 1st round on the undercard to Tod Morgan Vs Joe Glick for the Junior Lightweight Title.
Nov 12 at The Pioneer A C Teddy beat Tommy Lorenzo on the same bill James J Braddock beat Lou Barba
Nov 22 at The New Broadway Arena, Brooklyn Teddy beat Ralph Nischio on the undercard to Tony Canzoneri V Andre Routis.
Dec 13 Madison Square Gardens Teddy KO'd Joe Clifford 2nd round on the undercard to Maxey Rosenbloom Vs Phil Kaplan.
It would be great to hear from anyone who might have more info on these fights possibly from the Ring Magazine.
In response to Silkov:
I never met my grandfather as I was only 2 when he died, by then he was already living rough on the streets of London and had no contact with my mother, she would occassionally see him watching her from behind a tree or lamp post when she was out riding. But in an article he did in the Sunday People in 1956 he explained that he would often watch her but not want to approach her as he didn't want his own daughter to see what had become of him. It is a tragic story and would probably make a good film along the lines of The Cinderella Man but with no happy ending.
I never met my grandfather as I was only 2 when he died, by then he was already living rough on the streets of London and had no contact with my mother, she would occassionally see him watching her from behind a tree or lamp post when she was out riding. But in an article he did in the Sunday People in 1956 he explained that he would often watch her but not want to approach her as he didn't want his own daughter to see what had become of him. It is a tragic story and would probably make a good film along the lines of The Cinderella Man but with no happy ending.
re
I'm can get his American fight reports from various newspapers, such as the New York Times and others as well as articles about his time in New York. If you do not already have them, I'd be happy to save the reports in PDF format and e-mail them to you. I'd also be really interested in some of the fight reports that you have! Being that I live in the States, boxing material from other countries is a lot harder to come by!
His life story would make a very interesting book I think, how did he come to end up living rough, was it just due to lack of money, or did he have other problems?... sorry if this seems nosey but I just find it hard to belive that someone who was so successful could fall so far... although it seems to be an all to common story in boxing... I read that Henry Armstrong died penniless and sufferering from malnutrition which is just a shocking end for such a great man/fighter....Martin wrote:In response to Silkov:
I never met my grandfather as I was only 2 when he died, by then he was already living rough on the streets of London and had no contact with my mother, she would occassionally see him watching her from behind a tree or lamp post when she was out riding. But in an article he did in the Sunday People in 1956 he explained that he would often watch her but not want to approach her as he didn't want his own daughter to see what had become of him. It is a tragic story and would probably make a good film along the lines of The Cinderella Man but with no happy ending.
Fight Reports
I have looked at the New york times fight reports, they are ok but report mainly on the main bouts although my grandfather became extremely popular during his time in America. I did find a picture in a local new york paper of my grandfather bandaging the hands of Jack Sharkey whilst training for his fight withTommy Loughran. They shared a training camp, Gus Wilsons in Orangeburg, New Jersey also in the Camp was Vittorio Campolo who was training to meet Phil Scott.
My grandfather explains an incident when Jack Sharkey's manager asked my grandfather if he could calm him down as he wanted to take a car out on the no limit road but his manager wouldn't let him. in the end my grandfather ended up in the car travelling almost 100 mph dodging cars travelling in the opposite direction.
My grandfather was out in the states to fight Al Brown for the world title but 2 days before the fight Brown's manager called it off as his fighter had only just arrived back from Paris. A new date was set but 2 days before that his manager claimed that he was suffering from neuritis and stomach trouble so wanted another postponement. My grandfather's manager wanted a guarantee of £500 that he would make the new date but Browns manager would only agree to this if my grandfather would do the same which they thought unfair as my grandfather had made the 2 previous dates, so the fight was called off.
It would be great if anyone could find out more about the training camp or the picture of my grandfather and Jack Sharkey.
My grandfather explains an incident when Jack Sharkey's manager asked my grandfather if he could calm him down as he wanted to take a car out on the no limit road but his manager wouldn't let him. in the end my grandfather ended up in the car travelling almost 100 mph dodging cars travelling in the opposite direction.
My grandfather was out in the states to fight Al Brown for the world title but 2 days before the fight Brown's manager called it off as his fighter had only just arrived back from Paris. A new date was set but 2 days before that his manager claimed that he was suffering from neuritis and stomach trouble so wanted another postponement. My grandfather's manager wanted a guarantee of £500 that he would make the new date but Browns manager would only agree to this if my grandfather would do the same which they thought unfair as my grandfather had made the 2 previous dates, so the fight was called off.
It would be great if anyone could find out more about the training camp or the picture of my grandfather and Jack Sharkey.
In response to Silkov:
My grandfather had a £100 a week gambling habit in the 1930's which was a huge amount in those days. He set his family up with a pub and other business's. I've been told that he was a very generous man who gave away his clothing to people who were bombed out in the war. Trouble is when his money ran out all the hangers on disappeared and what does an ex boxer do to earn money when all he has known since the age of 14 is fighting for a living. He was also a very proud man so didn't accept charity freely.
My grandfather had a £100 a week gambling habit in the 1930's which was a huge amount in those days. He set his family up with a pub and other business's. I've been told that he was a very generous man who gave away his clothing to people who were bombed out in the war. Trouble is when his money ran out all the hangers on disappeared and what does an ex boxer do to earn money when all he has known since the age of 14 is fighting for a living. He was also a very proud man so didn't accept charity freely.
Thanks, I do remember reading about Teddy handing out his clothes in the war... he sounds like a very interesting and courageous man. Do you have any footage of him fighting?. Have you ever thought about writing a book about him?...Martin wrote:In response to Silkov:
My grandfather had a £100 a week gambling habit in the 1930's which was a huge amount in those days. He set his family up with a pub and other business's. I've been told that he was a very generous man who gave away his clothing to people who were bombed out in the war. Trouble is when his money ran out all the hangers on disappeared and what does an ex boxer do to earn money when all he has known since the age of 14 is fighting for a living. He was also a very proud man so didn't accept charity freely.
I do have some footage of him fighting Al Brown which he unfortunately lost.
I have all the information needed to write a book including his biography that was serialised in Boxing news in 1950 over 20 issues. There would be large gaps in the book from when he finnished fighting to when he died. There are not many people around these days who knew him, so the book would be mainly about his fight career. I could really do with a boxing writer to turn the facts into an interesting read.
I have all the information needed to write a book including his biography that was serialised in Boxing news in 1950 over 20 issues. There would be large gaps in the book from when he finnished fighting to when he died. There are not many people around these days who knew him, so the book would be mainly about his fight career. I could really do with a boxing writer to turn the facts into an interesting read.
