BoxRec

Former British and Welsh Heavyweight Champion Neville Meade retired with a 20-13-1 (18KO's) record.

I can't recall ever seeing him fight but I have a signed photograph of him and he is standing in the orthodox stance. Looking at his record he seemed a puncher who could be hurt himself.

He also seemed to have mixed with good domestic and European level fighters from an early stage in his career.

Anyone hear ever see him fight? Any stories, opinions etc?

Thanks in advance.

http://boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=016590

KOJOE90 wrote:Former British and Welsh Heavyweight Champion Neville Meade retired with a 20-13-1 (18KO's) record.

I can't recall ever seeing him fight but I have a signed photograph of him and he is standing in the orthodox stance. Looking at his record he seemed a puncher who could be hurt himself.

He also seemed to have mixed with good domestic and European level fighters from an early stage in his career.

Anyone hear ever see him fight? Any stories, opinions etc?

Thanks in advance.

http://boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=016590

Good banger with suspect stamina - the Earnie Shavers of the British scene. He turned pro with a bit of fanfare after winning gold at the 1974 Commonwealth Games - but flopped in his pro debut and embarked on a win some, lose some run over the next couple of years. He looked to be going nowhere after John L. Gardner, the best heavyweight (of a bad bunch), stopped him in six rounds in 1976.
He won only two of his next seven - then took on fellow Welshman David Pearce, unbeaten in nine and looking good, for the Welsh heavyweight title in 1980. With bragging rights at stake, Meade smashed Pearce with right hands and stopped him in two. It was a truly remarkable result. Boxing News reported the fight beneath the headline "Pearce wins!", which says it all really. The headline had been done before the report came in, and was left by mistake. Neville good-naturedly ribbed Harry Mullan whenever he saw him. He was a big, black, friendly, ex-RAF man, who enjoyed life and enjoyed competing. But with age creeping in, and the big Pearce win behind him, he decided to knuckle down and really go for it. He reeled off several more upsets, including one over Stan McDermott (father of John and a much better fighter), before travelling to Birmingham to face Brummie-based Irishman Gordon Ferris for the British heavyweight title. Meade was again the big underdog - but dropped Ferris face-first to the canvas inside the opening round and they could have counted to a 100.
It was the culmination of a remarkable career turnaround.

bennie wrote:

KOJOE90 wrote:Former British and Welsh Heavyweight Champion Neville Meade retired with a 20-13-1 (18KO's) record.

I can't recall ever seeing him fight but I have a signed photograph of him and he is standing in the orthodox stance. Looking at his record he seemed a puncher who could be hurt himself.

He also seemed to have mixed with good domestic and European level fighters from an early stage in his career.

Anyone hear ever see him fight? Any stories, opinions etc?

Thanks in advance.

http://boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=016590

Good banger with suspect stamina - the Earnie Shavers of the British scene. He turned pro with a bit of fanfare after winning gold at the 1974 Commonwealth Games - but flopped in his pro debut and embarked on a win some, lose some run over the next couple of years. He looked to be going nowhere after John L. Gardner, the best heavyweight (of a bad bunch), stopped him in six rounds in 1976.
He won only two of his next seven - then took on fellow Welshman David Pearce, unbeaten in nine and looking good, for the Welsh heavyweight title in 1980. With bragging rights at stake, Meade smashed Pearce with right hands and stopped him in two. It was a truly remarkable result. Boxing News reported the fight beneath the headline "Pearce wins!", which says it all really. The headline had been done before the report came in, and was left by mistake. Neville good-naturedly ribbed Harry Mullan whenever he saw him. He was a big, black, friendly, ex-RAF man, who enjoyed life and enjoyed competing. But with age creeping in, and the big Pearce win behind him, he decided to knuckle down and really go for it. He reeled off several more upsets, including one over Stan McDermott (father of John and a much better fighter), before travelling to Birmingham to face Brummie-based Irishman Gordon Ferris for the British heavyweight title. Meade was again the big underdog - but dropped Ferris face-first to the canvas inside the opening round and they could have counted to a 100.
It was the culmination of a remarkable career turnaround.

Nice post Bennie, i've been interested in hearing about this time in the british heavy scene, don't know much about it. The heavies that were around seem to be a level below world class, or even europeon.

topper123 wrote:

bennie wrote:

KOJOE90 wrote:Former British and Welsh Heavyweight Champion Neville Meade retired with a 20-13-1 (18KO's) record.

I can't recall ever seeing him fight but I have a signed photograph of him and he is standing in the orthodox stance. Looking at his record he seemed a puncher who could be hurt himself.

He also seemed to have mixed with good domestic and European level fighters from an early stage in his career.

Anyone hear ever see him fight? Any stories, opinions etc?

Thanks in advance.

http://boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=016590

Good banger with suspect stamina - the Earnie Shavers of the British scene. He turned pro with a bit of fanfare after winning gold at the 1974 Commonwealth Games - but flopped in his pro debut and embarked on a win some, lose some run over the next couple of years. He looked to be going nowhere after John L. Gardner, the best heavyweight (of a bad bunch), stopped him in six rounds in 1976.
He won only two of his next seven - then took on fellow Welshman David Pearce, unbeaten in nine and looking good, for the Welsh heavyweight title in 1980. With bragging rights at stake, Meade smashed Pearce with right hands and stopped him in two. It was a truly remarkable result. Boxing News reported the fight beneath the headline "Pearce wins!", which says it all really. The headline had been done before the report came in, and was left by mistake. Neville good-naturedly ribbed Harry Mullan whenever he saw him. He was a big, black, friendly, ex-RAF man, who enjoyed life and enjoyed competing. But with age creeping in, and the big Pearce win behind him, he decided to knuckle down and really go for it. He reeled off several more upsets, including one over Stan McDermott (father of John and a much better fighter), before travelling to Birmingham to face Brummie-based Irishman Gordon Ferris for the British heavyweight title. Meade was again the big underdog - but dropped Ferris face-first to the canvas inside the opening round and they could have counted to a 100.
It was the culmination of a remarkable career turnaround.

Nice post Bennie, i've been interested in hearing about this time in the british heavy scene, don't know much about it. The heavies that were around seem to be a level below world class, or even europeon.

While the 70's was a truly magnificent era for world heavies, it was truly awful for British heavies. Henry Cooper retired after losing to Joe Bugner in 1971 on a bad decision, and Bugner went on to lose to toe-stomping Jack Bodell, a brave awkward southpaw from Swadlincote who won fights on sheer awkwardness and grit. They chucked Bodell in with American Jerry Quarry after his big win and he was murdered inside a round. Bodell was then also stopped in two wild-swinging rounds by Danny McAlinden - after which Bunny Johnson, just a light-heavy, moved up and won the British title from the hard-hitting but totally limited McAlinden. Richard Dunn relieved Johnson of the title. He was a pigeon-toed southpaw who couldn't hold a shot but proved too big for Johnson. He took on Muhammad Ali in Munich in 1976 and went down five times before it was stopped.
Meanwhile, Joe Bugner returned from his forays into the world scene, which consisted of surviving against the big boys and no more, and flattened Dunn in a round. As Dunn struggled up from the third knockdown, referee Harry Gibbs waved his arms to signify the full count and karate chopped Dunn on the back of the neck, who went crashing back down to the canvas. It was a rare show of aggression from Mr Bugner (and Gibbs). You could get 100/1 on Joe winning in the first round that night, which sums up how most of his fights went. He then continued to disappoint on the world scene by managing to get himself outpointed by a totally shot Ron Lyle, who could barely walk, and John L. Gardner won the vacant British title with a five-round stoppage of Billy Aird.
Gardner was a typical Terry Lawless fighter: superfit, who won fights by outlasting handpicked opponents. But he had no power and even a fat American Jimmy Young proved much too good when they stepped him up. Gordon Ferris won the British title vacated by Gardner with a sloppy points win over the clever but light-hitting Aird, and Neville Meade finally came good by blasting Ferris into the canvas with a big right to the temple.
Fortunately, a young Frank Bruno was around the corner.

Nice one,

Was it Jerry Quarry that said "well he fell awkwardly"
when asked how he found Bodells style

topper123 wrote:Was it Jerry Quarry that said "well he fell awkwardly"
when asked how he found Bodells style

Yes it was mate.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Sme other British heavies of that era, in no particular order, who I followed through good old Boxing News:

Paul Sykes
Joe Awome
Noel Quarless (Had a great right hand but bugger all else)
Eddie Neilson
Neil Malpass (had a bit of an on-going feud with the highly intelligent but rather eccentric afore-mentioned Sykes)
Terry Mintus
Winston Allen (one of the few blokes I saw ever get Bugner angry - and he paid for it)
Sean 'Jumbo' McKenna
Kris Smith (Had a bit of a winning streak at the start of his career)
Terry O'Conner (the ref)

Hope they rekindle some memories amongst the older fans.