BoxRec

Quite interesting this old one.

I'm just about to start a book about Freddie Mills called Fearless Freddie

that Doc was entertaining but not very good, though the basic facts & understanding about Mills is portrait in it.

the Recent TV Doc, Murder in Soho about Mills was far, far superior.


that Book is a complete let down, for 2 reasons,

first of all it is a New Book and all it did was 'regurgitated' the same material written in other Mills books or about him, Nothing New, zip

second, the man who wrote it

A, had the money to dig & get more info and reports
B, he had the position to do a better job, he is an MP or Lawyer or something.

it is a Parroted, Regurgitated written book, perhaps just hoping to capitalise on the Name.

jimglen wrote: ↑09 Jun 2020, 13:35 that Doc was entertaining but not very good, though the basic facts & understanding about Mills is portrait in it.

the Recent TV Doc, Murder in Soho about Mills was far, far superior.


that Book is a complete let down, for 2 reasons,

first of all it is a New Book and all it did was 'regurgitated' the same material written in other Mills books or about him, Nothing New, zip

second, the man who wrote it

A, had the money to dig & get more info and reports
B, he had the position to do a better job, he is an MP or Lawyer or something.

it is a Parroted, Regurgitated written book, perhaps just hoping to capitalise on the Name.

I'm roughly about 2 thirds of the way through it now and I have to say I agree with you.

I have to say also regarding Freddie Mills is that I get the impression he was a shot fighter some time before he even won the world championship which kind of makes the achievement quite incredible.

Hi banjo, yeah that book is pretty poor, could have offered so much, that's what new books are supposed to do.

naw, I don't think Mills was shot, but there was definitely some Ring factors and external factors affecting him.

he should't have been fighting Baksi, Woodcock and London, quite simply for 'merits' sake, but that's what they done in those days. Mills was a L-HW cum HW so in order to secure his place as 'thee' British L-HW, fighting the bigger men, win or lose, sealed that position. Plus, and this is also crucially part of that safeguarding, Britain NEEDED that HW Title, BADLY... the laughing stock of the Yanks, another Horizontal HW was the joke, well with Woodcock and loosely Mills, Britain had 2 possibilities.

and that's what it came down too, "the Greatest Prize in Sport", the Heavyweight Championship of the World, and Britain the HOME of the Noble Art, couldn't win the TOP Crown.

No, Britain needed it badly and Mills was both secured & exploited in that pursuit. He/they could have just had Freddie fight & defend British and European L-HW Titles and push at World reign among the L-HWs, sealing a better legacy.

Mills wasn't shot, but he was used and exploited and he gamely took the punishment, he would have rathered the L-HW route I'm sure, because they first tried to sell as a coming HW hope as early as 1940 and by the end of 43 talking Louis and an official challenge to Joe Louis in 1944. the British boxing public were asking & expect defence of his own British title and at one point circa that same period Mills threatened to quit Boxing in protest of the pressure from the fans and other fighters and their managers, and he, Mills, stated he'd go into Wrestling, which of course was popular and easier money.

so Mills, the man was faced with a moral pull and desire to please the boxing public, the Fight Game, his owners and handlers... but it wasn't like today, men didn't grumble, they were much more stoic and, well, British. it's just not the done thing in Britain to moan, stiff upper lip and all, still is to a degree even today, where as in other Countries, these people would just say kiss my arse.

anyway, Mills was a great all out strong, crude action fighter, not an ATG, but by all means a worthy Historic fighter, from arguably the toughest era the sport has ever known. I feel both admiration and sorrow for Fearless Freddie Mills.

Mills WAS shot.
He didn't die of a heart attack did he !

Mills was assasinated. Watch "A Murder In Soho". Benny Huntmans' son tells all...

nobleart1978 wrote: ↑10 Jun 2020, 09:49 Mills WAS shot.
He didn't die of a heart attack did he !

Mills was assasinated. Watch "A Murder In Soho". Benny Huntmans' son tells all...

I think he means 'past his best' in this instance.

I admit that I had problems with Noblearts post.
It was so embarrasing that I did not know what to say.
Nobody ever questioned Freddie Mills HEART.

When I read it, I couldn't decide whether it was the world's greatest ever 'whoosh' moment or was there some subtle in-joke I wasn't getting. Looks like it was the former.

I hold my hands up and I apologise.
I mis read "shot". You meant it in the sense that he was past his best. I mistakenly thought, for some reason, that you thought he died by different means !

Yes, Mills was very shot by this time. His manager, Ted Broadribb, put Mills in with much heavier men, that allied to Mills' style of taking punishment contributed to this.