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Re: "Best" British Heavyweights who never fought for a title
Posted: 31 Oct 2020, 15:18
by Caractacus
Caractacus wrote: ↑14 Oct 2020, 20:19
however returning to my original question
How about this dude ?
https://www.boxrec.com/en/proboxer/64636
Con O'Kelly ?
he was 6 ft 3 " tall, 16 stone (224 lbs) and had a 50 inch chest.
He was also an Olympic Gold Medal Winner
(as a Wrestler )
also he was a former Police Constable in Hull England
He was originally scheduled to fight Bombardier Billy Wells in late 1914
but the outbreak of World War I put a halt to it.
Here is a link to a rare photograph of him
(He looks like a big late 19th Century "Copper" too. can almost hear him saying
,"What's All This Then ?"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Con_O%27Kelly
BTW I just read somewhere that when Con O'Kelly came to America in 1910 ,he was being trained by Tommy Ryan
the former welterweight and Middleweight Champion
( who also trained Jim J. Jeffries and Fireman Jim Flynn for their fights with Jack Johnson).
Re: "Best" British Heavyweights who never fought for a title
Posted: 31 Oct 2020, 22:50
by Fray Bentos
Caractacus wrote: ↑31 Oct 2020, 15:18
Caractacus wrote: ↑14 Oct 2020, 20:19
however returning to my original question
How about this dude ?
https://www.boxrec.com/en/proboxer/64636
Con O'Kelly ?
he was 6 ft 3 " tall, 16 stone (224 lbs) and had a 50 inch chest.
He was also an Olympic Gold Medal Winner
(as a Wrestler )
also he was a former Police Constable in Hull England
He was originally scheduled to fight Bombardier Billy Wells in late 1914
but the outbreak of World War I put a halt to it.
Here is a link to a rare photograph of him
(He looks like a big late 19th Century "Copper" too. can almost hear him saying
,"What's All This Then ?"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Con_O%27Kelly
BTW I just read somewhere that when Con O'Kelly came to America in 1910 ,he was being trained by Tommy Ryan
the former welterweight and Middleweight Champion
( who also trained Jim J. Jeffries and Fireman Jim Flynn for their fights with Jack Johnson).
Con O'Kelly was an Irish champion.
The BUI heavyweight title is one of the oldest heavyweight championships in the world and Tyson Fury was its most recent champion.
Re: "Best" British Heavyweights who never fought for a title
Posted: 01 Nov 2020, 07:58
by Syntax Error
Caractacus wrote: ↑31 Oct 2020, 12:41
how close did Gary Mason get the oppertunity to fight for one of the many "World Heavyweight title" belts back then ?
what was his highest ranking in the top ten's ?
Mason was tentatively scheduled to fight Mike Tyson in early 1991, right after Iron Mike had disposed of Douglas and then Holyfield in 1990.
We all know what happened next.
Re: "Best" British Heavyweights who never fought for a title
Posted: 03 Nov 2020, 16:11
by Caractacus
according to Boxrec Con O'Kelly's debut pro fight was in June 1910 ( curiously in America and not Britain)
( just a few weeks before the Johnson vrs Jeffries fight)
reportedly O'Kelly had been advised early on by Bob Fitzsimmons.
so was O'Kelly an amateur boxer in Britain prior to coming to America in 1909(to wrestle) ?
or did he do some boxing/training at the Police station in Hull (England) after winning the gold medal in free-style wrestling Summer of 1908?
Re: "Best" British Heavyweights who never fought for a title
Posted: 03 Nov 2020, 16:22
by Caractacus
BTW Con O'Kelly's son (Con O'Kelly jr.)became a pro boxer too,
active
1924-1938.
I had read where he had previously also been an Olympic Boxer too (265 lbs)at the 1924 Olympics in Paris(France)
but apparently he didn't win a medal.
https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/39600
Re: "Best" British Heavyweights who never fought for a title
Posted: 04 Nov 2020, 04:17
by Fray Bentos
Syntax Error wrote: ↑01 Nov 2020, 07:58
Caractacus wrote: ↑31 Oct 2020, 12:41
how close did Gary Mason get the oppertunity to fight for one of the many "World Heavyweight title" belts back then ?
what was his highest ranking in the top ten's ?
Mason was tentatively scheduled to fight Mike Tyson in early 1991, right after Iron Mike had disposed of Douglas and then Holyfield in 1990.
We all know what happened next.
In all fairness, I certainly don't remember that.
Re: "Best" British Heavyweights who never fought for a title
Posted: 04 Nov 2020, 15:57
by Caractacus
should Jim Coffey aka The Roscommon Giant be considered a "British" Heavyweight ?.
He came over from Ireland as an adult and was working as a Trolley Car operator in New York City
when he took up boxing.
(all 45 of his professional bouts were in America from 1911 to 1921,mostly in NYC.
he joined the U.S Navy but later went back to Ireland and retired on a farm there.
but look at his resume of opponents compared to most British HW's of that time.
https://www.boxrec.com/en/proboxer/39514