BoxRec

Who was this guy?

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=009380

Says he challenged Floyd Patterson and Ali for the title. Thought only Cooper was the only British guy to fight Ali for the title in the 60's. Did he beat anyone good to get his shot?

Willie Pastrano.

Pastrano was a ranked heavyweight when he was stopped by London in September, 1958.

London was a tough but limited fighter - big, strong, courageous, but relatively slow.

I seem to remember that when he was granted the shot at Patterson the British Boxing Board of Control thought he shouldn't be allowed to challenge for the title and I think they threatened to withdraw his license. To my mind, he was just another of the "top challengers" that D'Amato chose for Floyd as he avoided Liston and indeed virtually all the top contenders like Machen and Folley. In reply to the question, his victory over Pastrano in a return match put his name in the frame for the first title shot... Pastrano had easily outboxed him in the first fight but London just smothered Willie in the return and out-roughed him.

After the loss to Patterson, London fought a number of top men, but usually lost to the best ones. He did beat Tom McNeeley - not that that was any great claim to fame, though Tom was a better fighter than his son Peter... but he managed to catch Ingemar Johannson in the last few seconds of a fight (might have been for the European title) and flattened him...the final bell went before the count reached "ten" so Brian didn't win, though of course he claimed it as a moral victory!

That kinda put him in the spotlight, and Ali was either looking for a soft defence or was made an offer that he thought looked OK. He defended against London - completely outclassed him as everyone expected him to.

London wasn't by any means the worst British heavyweight of all time - like his father, Jack, he was a tough and determined fighter, and he did beat some good men, mainly on the British and European circuit. He was overshadowed for most of his career by Henry Cooper - I think he did beat Cooper once, but when Henry got his act together he easily outpointed London in a totally one sided British Title fight.

After he quit, he owned night clubs in Blackpool and I think did OK financially. Last time I read about him he was in good shape, and I don't think he was in any way involved with the fight game, even as a fan.

J

Pastrano was ranked but London lost his next fight to Henry Cooper before Cus D'Amato ever signed London for the fight. The reason London got the fight with Patterson was not because he was good (he wasnt) or because he deserved it (he didnt), he got the shot because he was one of the few fighters who Cus D'Amato KNEW was not connected to organised crime or the IBC which D'Amato had been battling for years and which would soon fall apart.

In the book Facing Ali there is a chapter on Brian London. I found it one of the better sections of the book, in fact. London admits that he knew he had no chance against Ali and that he didn't even try to put up a fight. He just wanted to get his paycheck and get the hell out of there. He has done alright for himself over the years. He still runs and punches a heavybag every day to keep in shape.

If you haven't seen Facing Ali give it a look. A good read, indeed.

Why was he fined for taking a title shot at Patterson though?

Max...re the Fine.... The British Boxing Board didn't approve of him fighting Patterson. I can't remember the exact reason - apart from the logical assumption that he wasn't good enough! - but if I had to guess I would say it was because they reckoned Cooper should have been the challenger and London was jumping ahead unfairly. And recalling the massive one-sided win Cooper had over London I could go along with that view! They told London not to go ahead with the fight...he ignored them, so they fined him. I guess "Purse minus Fine" still left him in credit!

Those were the days where the average fighter didn't have an army of lawyers to leap at the Board....!

J