BoxRec

Have there been any boxers from the army who've gone onto make the grade or who've done well as amateurs but couldn't repeat it in the pros/

1. Nigel Benn: WBO middleweight/WBC super-middleweight world champion. Former Royal Fusilier

2. Carl Crook: British & Commonwealth lightweight champion was in the Paras, I think.

Any others?

David Barnes was in the army. British title now. Think he went inside for A.W.O.L?

I think he was in the Paras too, though don't know if he got his Red Beret though.

Dazzo Williams was in the army.

Commonwealth lightweight champ Kev Bennett was as well.
And lest we forget Billy 'Big Fun' Bessey aka 'Man In Thong', former Army boxer, ABA super-heaveyweight champion (who knocked out Mighty Joe Young in the final), and all-round nightclub lothario who finished his pro "career" with a 3-1 record.

If your talking international boxers too then Ray Mercer was in the army and wasn't Vitali Klitschko also?

Jack Doyle

Kostya Tszyu, Gene Tunney.

Roman Greenberg is ex-army.

Has he made the grade? I'll bet you rate him above Ali too...

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Has he made the grade? I'll bet you rate him above Ali too...

No, he hasnt made the grade.

Of course, one thing Ali never did was go in the army

Riddick Bowe

One up for Roman in that case...

Ray Mercer

Joe Louis.

Well his career predated the Army though surely Dave, didn't he box exhibitions in the Army?

The same exhibitions that were offered to Ali in 1967.

I'm sure Louis didn't see much frontline action but he did his time and boosted morale, counts as serving your country to me.

His career pre-dated and followed the war, I suspect.

But the links were getting tenous by the time I put him forward.

I jsut had a mental picture of him getting on the plane.

Light welter, Ali Nuumbembe is an Officer in The Namibian Army and has been allowed unpaid leave to pursue a career in boxing.

He has his own Platoon but has not yet met them as he came to the U.K. the same time he was promoted.

All African Champion, World Military Champion, Commonwealth Bronze and 9 and 0 as a professional. He's doing ok so far.

there were dozens during the 50s and 60s primarily due to war time call ups and national sevice.

the yanks too had a few, tony graziano, henry armstrong, marciano too

Anyone mentioned Kevin Bennett yet? Sorry, it's late and I'm skim reading...

Wasn't Ken Norton a Marine?

Johnny Carwash wrote:Wasn't Ken Norton a Marine?

Yes and Terry Marsh was a Royal Marine

Paul Ingle?

Ray Mercer...

Its not worth going back to far as the majority of the older boxers will have served at some point or other...

HH

DavidPayne wrote:Riddick Bowe