Kell Brook and Amir Khan get a lot of publicity on boxing media -and quite rightly. Occasionally comments are made about top British welterweights from the past but I seldom hear mention of one of the absolute best -Brian Curvis.
I spoke to Brian often when I was doing research for a book on Dave Charnley. He was living in Middlesbrough at the time. Brian won 2 Lonsdale belts outright. When he retired, he discovered ( according to him) that his money had disappeared and he loaned his belts to a Scottish publican. He was never able to raise the funds to get them back and subsequently lost them. One hangs in a pub in Rose Street Edinburgh to this day.
Anyway, Brian lost in a challenge for the world title to a peak Emile Griffith over 15 rounds. Brian told me that about 10 days before the fight he took a sickening body shot in sparring and soon after began peeing blood. A doctor was called who told him the fight couldn't go ahead. In those days money talked even more than today and there was no chance of getting Griffith back over for another date so the fight happened as scheduled. Brian was put down at least 3 times I recall from body punches.
I've seen several films of his fights and although not spectacular, he was a real hard character, who was a superb ring technician.
Brook and Khan are world class - so was Honeyghan, but on behalf of those living in the past like me, let's remember a British great (OK Welsh great), Brian Curvis who passed away in 2012.