Modern Day Bare Knucklers

[HomicideHenry]

Wouldnt surprise me none.

It's just too bad that you can't get publishing companies to do re-prints, if you ask them to do so.

[Collins2000]

Btw, anyone have a copy or know where a copy of Paul Sykes autobiography is?

Everywhere I look, or everyone I ask, says the book is no longer in circulation.

He never wrote one. It's a novel called "Sweet Agony".

[HomicideHenry]

Yeah, thats it! I always figured it was an autobiography considering the cover had a boxing ring in the middle of a prison.

[Collins2000]

Yeah, thats it! I always figured it was an autobiography considering the cover had a boxing ring in the middle of a prison.

No, it's a novel. You might describe it as being "based on a true story", I guess.

[HomicideHenry]

Sykes I think would make great material for a motion picture some day

[HomicideHenry]

Oh I know what kind of man he was. Sykes was a violent man outside the ring, and a complete wacko in general. He was a terrible father, and husband, as well as a son to his parents. A raging alcohaulic for the most part, as well as a prison rapist. He was, though, quite an interesting figure on the underground scene. He was tied in with guys like Frankie Frazier and others.

Had he entered into the White Collar circuit as planned against Lenny McLean, I think Sykes would have been 'the man' to beat. Shaw, and others, I dont believe would have been able to have taken Sykes on, powerhouse as he was. Maybe Waldron, or Fields or Paddock. What fights those would have been.

[HomicideHenry]

Had he entered into the White Collar circuit as planned against Lenny McLean, I think Sykes would have been 'the man' to beat. Shaw, and others, I dont believe would have been able to have taken Sykes on, powerhouse as he was. Maybe Waldron, or Fields or Paddock. What fights those would have been.

I reckon Sykes would probably beat them all. Unlike McLean, Sykes was a properly trained boxer. He had a lot of experience as an amateur as well as fighting as a professional. Unless McLean was allowed to wrestle and the fight went to ground I can't see how McLean would win. Although the other three you mention were all proper boxers, Sykes was considerably bigger than both Waldron and Paddock and probably fought at a higher standard than all of them.

Waldron-Sykes would have been interesting. Waldron returned to the White Collar circuit in his 40's and knocked out Julius Francis, who would later win the HW championship of Great Britain. So, Waldron, imo, must have been a bad mother fucker. As for the powerhouses, I think Cliff Fields, would have been the best shot to have beaten Sykes, rather than Lenny or Roy, even if Shaw beat Stander (though Shaw admits had Stander not had broken ribs before entering the contest, he wouldnt have won).

[bollox]

"One of his habits was to spit in a pint and steal it from its owner. One time in the late 80's in a Wakefield pub near the prison he did this and was savagely beaten outside the pub when he left"

[HomicideHenry]

mercman and bollox, great contributions to the thread!

BarneyKX, interesting history on the ancient Romans/Greeks end on boxing.

I recall a story about one of the first Olympics, and that a boxer killed a man with a body punch, that his fingers broke through his opponents abdomen and pulled out his intestines. Originally awarded the winner, this was over ruled, as the judges said the man hit his opponent with five points (his fingers) than a single blow [rules then were a true test of toughness, a man punched his opponent and then let his opponent hit him back, last man standing was the winner; later on leather gloves with lead in the knuckle area as well as spikes were later instituted], so the dead man ended up being declared the winner of the match.

[twotontony]

At least in some ways modern boxing with gloves is more dangerous than bare knuckle boxing. Fighters load up on their punches now more than they did then because without gloves you need to be careful not to damage your hands.

By the way, here's Bronson/Peterson's website:

http://www.freebronson.co.uk/

[HomicideHenry]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7yiUxCmqrI

^^^This is a YouTube link to a song called 'Big Strong Man (My Brother Sylvest)' by the Wolftones, and its a gypsy/traveller song if there ever was one, going on about living in caravans and fighting, even gives a reference to Johnson/Jeffries fight.

[Collins2000]

I am convinced that Ron would destroy any of these guys.

In fact, a fair fight would be the best three vs Ron all at the same time.

[HomicideHenry]

Alan Sugar, right?

[Robinson]

No...he means congressman Ron Paul.

[oldmanpaul]

Replying to Soprano who requested more info on Terry Johnson, back in May.
I feel sure this is the Terry Johnson that I worked for, in the 90`s` and 00`s, down here in Cornwall. There are probably a few with that name though this one certainly boxed.
He has made a fantastic success of his life in business.
He originated in London and worked at Smithfield meat market. I believe he fell out with someone while setting up a small meat business of his own and relocated to Cornwall. Here his meat business took off in the 80`s with a large plant at St. Merryn from whence he got the name of his company St.Merryn Meats. Following a fire which levelled his plant (not the only fire to destroy one of his plants) he opened a larger modern plant in Bodmin. He also acquired meat processing plants at Probus, Falmouth, Victoria where his fortune reallly took off by suppling Tesco with prepackaged red meat.
He had many business interests inc. Hustyns health Spa where incidentally Eubank trained for one of his bouts and later Audley Harrison. Originally his family home, it is now a top level resort.
As a member of his staff, I was lucky enough to attend a couple of functions at Xmas, laid on by Terry to reward his loyal staff. He also had the St Moritz hotel at Rock and I believe another near Falmouth.
As his fortunes grew, he branched out into real estate in Spain/Portugal and also developed his meat trade in Portugal.
He eventually sold his European interests to Grampian (the largest meat processor in the UK) in about 2005 for a massive sum, about £70 million! Yes, £70M.
He has emigrated to Australia where he is again involved in red meat with another company,I believe called Frigo, in South America.
While working in his factories I heard all manner of stories about his past from a mix of people. Some of which were probably exaggerated but some were told by members of his close team who had followed Terry through the years. No doubt many were true accounts. I can`t comment on his abilities as a boxer except to say that he always kept himself extremely fit and strong with loads of gym work. He would always challenge anybody to beat him at anything.
Down here in Cornwall, he was known to be the sort of man that you didn`t mess around with. Not necessarily on a one to one level ( tho that wouldn`t have been advisable) but because of the organisation that he had.
He had his 50th birthday in 1992 and could always be described as `distinguished` looking, instantly recognisable as a boxer.
In about 1995 I was attempting to find a job and consequently needed a CV knocked up. As this was pre PC time for me at least, I used a facility in Falmouth at a Solicitors, whereby you left your handwritten CV and they typed it up. While the solicitor read my CV to ensure he could understand it he noticed St Merryn Meats and enquired if a Terry Johnson still owned it. He went on to say that he had been mates with Terry in his bare knuckle days when he had fought with Bugner or Foreman. I can`t remember which one it was.
I also remember something about the 1968 Olympics Boxing, but I have never found anything about that.
At Hustyns he had a picture of the Krays, I believe he attended one of their funerals?
All of the business details listed above should be checkable online, though that doesn`t really confirm this is your man. I could supply a name to contact if you fancy digging around for more info.
Hope this is the sort of thing you were after,
Andy

[Collins2000]

[bollox]

Bit of a writeup on a film being made about Charles Bronson

http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertain ... ntentSwap2

[HomicideHenry]

I seen Bronson, and while I did think it was a good movie, it wasn't exactly what I'd consider a biopic, but more like a suspense/surreal type of film---the director tried too hard to make it a modern day Clockwork Orange, imo.

[HomicideHenry]

Figured I'd bring this up again, but am curious as to who is the 'White Collar' HW champion these days? Is it still Stormin' Norman Buckland?

And..............have there been any unlicensed bouts going on lately in the UK? Last one I heard of was when Butterbean got his ass handed to him in one round two years ago.

[Totybear]

McLean was a bad mother fornicator, thats for sure. I think he would have taken Kimbo Slice and Joe Savage out on the same night. His kayo of Roy Shaw was brutal. I seen a clip of him fighting some man named Gypsy Bradshaw and kayoed him with a single blow after McLean was head butted. Of course, McLean continued his assault on the man even after he was knocked out.

You just didn't want to piss off The Guv'nor

And yet he was twice knocked out by Johnny Waldon (who lost in ten to Dennis Andries, in his last fight) a light heavy former pro. I believe once in the first round!!

[HomicideHenry]

McLean was a bad mother fornicator, thats for sure. I think he would have taken Kimbo Slice and Joe Savage out on the same night. His kayo of Roy Shaw was brutal. I seen a clip of him fighting some man named Gypsy Bradshaw and kayoed him with a single blow after McLean was head butted. Of course, McLean continued his assault on the man even after he was knocked out.

You just didn't want to piss off The Guv'nor

And yet he was twice knocked out by Johnny Waldon (who lost in ten to Dennis Andries, in his last fight) a light heavy former pro. I believe once in the first round!!

Of all the men on this thread mentioned, I'd have to say Waldron was the best. Into his late 40's he made a comeback on the unlicensed scene and kayoed Julius Francis in one round; couple months later Francis became the HW champion of Great Britain. This was back in the early 1990's I think. I dont think any of the men listed on here, including Shaw and Gorman (who I'd rank #2 and #3 behind him) would have been able to have beaten him at their best.

Anyways, again, does anyone know whose the HW king of the unlicensed scene these days?

[Brutu]

I had read somewhere that middleweight Randy Turpin towards the end of his life had been involved in Bare knuckle fights.

[Totybear]

Btw, anyone have a copy or know where a copy of Paul Sykes autobiography is?

Everywhere I look, or everyone I ask, says the book is no longer in circulation.

He never wrote one. It's a novel called "Sweet Agony".

Actually "Sweey agony" was his Autobiography!

I have a copy (somewhere) yellow jacket softback, cost me around £6 at the time (early 90's)

quite a "wart's and all" tell really, though obviously tries to sell himself in a good light.

Pictures of him posing with Don King and Larry Holmes where he claims a fight between the two was in the offing!

Strangely he tells of his affair with a schoolgirl!!!!!!!!!!!!! who later becomes his common law wife!

The most memorable line was him telling of coming out of nick, sitting in a nightclub, on a stool when a woman sits on the stool next to him "Listen love, just come out a' nick n' me bollox a' like two tins a' fussells milk, so if ya no' up fo' a shag, would ya mind moving on"


Smooth talking b*st*rd!!!!!!!!! bet he was a devil with the ladies!

[HomicideHenry]

Actually "Sweey agony" was his Autobiography!

I have a copy (somewhere) yellow jacket softback, cost me around £6 at the time (early 90's)

quite a "wart's and all" tell really, though obviously tries to sell himself in a good light.

Pictures of him posing with Don King and Larry Holmes where he claims a fight between the two was in the offing!

Strangely he tells of his affair with a schoolgirl!!!!!!!!!!!!! who later becomes his common law wife!

The most memorable line was him telling of coming out of nick, sitting in a nightclub, on a stool when a woman sits on the stool next to him "Listen love, just come out a' nick n' me bollox a' like two tins a' fussells milk, so if ya no' up fo' a shag, would ya mind moving on"


Smooth talking b*st*rd!!!!!!!!! bet he was a devil with the ladies!

Thanks for the input! Greatly appreciate it, for I cant find a reasonably priced copy of this anywhere. I would have loved to have seen Sykes/McLean happen, I think had he went into the unlicensed scene a bit deeper, a showdown between him and Waldron would have been tremendous. A movie on Sykes would be far more terrifying, horrorific and chilling than BRONSON, and by a light year.

[Wales]

have there been any unlicensed bouts going on lately in the UK? Last one I heard of was when Butterbean got his ass handed to him in one round two years ago.

yes loads, there is now an unlicenced circuit, the most popular one is called the EBF. Butterbwean lost in a round in 2009 against former UK heavy mark Potter who can no longer box pro due to an eye injury.

There are many ex-pros on the EBF circuit. Lets not forget Unlicenced does not mean illegal, it just means its not sanctioned by the british boxing board of control (in the uk). Many EBF fight nights are well attended well run shows.