BoxRec

Has there ever been a British boxer who has won Commonwealth, European and World titles by only facing British opponents in the title fights ?

It seems that all-British title fights (for Commonwealth, European and World titles) are becoming increasingly common.

eg. this weekend Butler beat Hall in all-British World title. Before this, Hall and boxed Mcdonnel for the Commonwealth and European, Haskins for the European and Ward for the World title.

Has anybody got the full set yet against British only opponents ?

Is it only the fights they won the title in? Or do the defences of the titles have to be made against British fighters as well?

expe wrote:Is it only the fights they won the title in? Or do the defences of the titles have to be made against British fighters as well?

No Mate - just the fights in which they won the titles only (the defences could have been made against some teak tough bloke from Accra etc.)

Also, the Commonwealth and European titles would have to be 2 separate fights.

I've found a few that come close, but none of them have done it in the way you described.

The first is Joe Symonds, he didn't win the Commonwealth title but there doesn't seem to have been a Commonwealth belt at Flyweight at the time and he won the British and world title in the same fight.

http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=244970
http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=111010

The next is Matt Wells, he won the Commonwealth title in the same fight as his world title and the British and European in the same fight.

http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=85134
http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=92439

Rinty Monaghan beat Jackie Paterson for all 4 belts in the same fight.

http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=76480

Terry Allen came very close to taking all 4 from Monaghan a few years later.

http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=28810

Benny Lynch won the British, European and World titles, no Commonwealth though.

http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=128829
http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=50944

Jimmy Wilder and Tancy Lee fought for three of the belts, again no Commonwealth title though.

http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=15668

Neither of the two fights I'm thinking of fit your criteria but it's odd to see world title belts and domestic titles up for grabs in the same fight.

Andries/Sibson, WBC & British light heavy titles.
Lewis/Ruddock, WBC final eliminator & Commonwealth heavy titles.

Lucas Browne's last fight was some noddy WBC title and the Commonwealth title, it's the first time in a while I've seen that happen.

I have it in my head that there's a Commonwealth title fight back in the 80s where a world title was also on the line at the same time. I'm thinking Mike McCallum but I don't ever think he fought for a Commonwealth title.

Great question, it got me thinking all day. I can't name a single one, Alex Arthur has won British, Commonwealth, European and world title fights against British opposition, but sometimes as defending champ rather than challenger. Funnily enough, so did the man who took the WBO title off him, Nicky Cook. Jason Matthews won the Commonwealth title against Silky Jones and the (interim) WBO belt against Ryan Rhodes. Those are the closest I can get.

Cooper.

bennie wrote:Cooper.

Cooper didn't win a world title

This is harder than I thought ....


Audley could have done it, if he had won his fights :

Commonwealth - Lost to both Danny Williams and David Price
EBU - Lost to Michael Sprott (also for English title)
European - Beat Michael Sprott
World - lost to David Haye.

At least when he won the "WBF" title he did it by beating a Dutch fella - although his first defence was against Julius Francis !

Thought I had one - with the added excitement that the titles were fought for in reverse order :


Steve Robinson :

World - beat John Davison for WBO title
European - Beat Billy Hardy
Commonwealth - lost to Scott Harrison

I also thought I had it with Alex Arthur or Nicky Cook. Close but no cigar!

Dave McAuley won both the British and IBF titles from British fighters but never fought for the other two domestic titles.

Catley arguably should have won against Woodhall but didn't win either the EBU or Commonwealth titles, albeit he got jobbed against the German fella twice.

orbtastic wrote:Dave McAuley won both the British and IBF titles from British fighters but never fought for the other two domestic titles.

Catley arguably should have won against Woodhall but didn't win either the EBU or Commonwealth titles, albeit he got jobbed against the German fella twice.

came across a few yesterday like this. The Commonwealth seems to scupper it a lot. Also several fighters have pretty much gone British the World and completely cut out the Commonwealth and Euro route. Michael Watson beat a couple of Brits, but regrettably was not awarded a World title.

It is a tough one when you look at it I went the backwards route thinking I could do with Enzo Mac but came unstuck at the European title as he

WBO Cruiser against Mark Hobson
British Cruiser against Shane McPhillbin
Commonwealth Light-Heavy against Ovil McKenzie

But he got the European Cruiser against Alex Kotoblay which sank it.

I thought Nathan Cleverly but that went by the along with Joe Calzaghe as well. Thought Duke McKenzie as he beat Charlie Magri for the British and European Flyweight title but he didn't win the Commonwealth title and the World titles were not against Brits and. I thought I had with Clinton Woods having won a Commonwealth Super-Middle against Mark Baker, picked up the British and European Light-Heavyweight titles against Crawford Ashley but came unstuck when he won the World title against Rico Hoye... Damn it!!

bripez wrote:This is harder than I thought ....


Audley could have done it, if he had won his fights :

Commonwealth - Lost to both Danny Williams and David Price
EBU - Lost to Michael Sprott (also for English title)
European - Beat Michael Sprott
World - lost to David Haye.

At least when he won the "WBF" title he did it by beating a Dutch fella - although his first defence was against Julius Francis !

David Price was for the British title.