BoxRec

I've just been rewatching highlights of Peerless Jim Driscolls 1911 fight with Spike Robson and without wishing to state the obvious but what a masterfull fighter this man was. He really was a master at the European upright stance style of Boxing, excellent handspeed, tremendous balance, great defence I could go on and on. The man really was a joy to behold.

But yet he never won a universally recognised version of a World Title, quite remarkable. He of course fought World Featherweight Champion Abe Attell and by all accounts outboxed him and 'won' a newspaper decision, so the title didn't change hands.

Truely Peerless.

A true gentleman.

He actually turned down the chance of a fight with Attell, with the world title at stake, because he would have had to break a promise he had made to the Nazareth House orphanage in Cardiff - and he was such a gent (a man of his word) that he would never do that. It is estimated that 100,000 people lined the streets of Cardiff for his funeral - with the orphans at the front of the procession.

What was the promise ?

Wasn't there a statue or talk of a statue of Jim Driscoll at one time?

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=10731

I was in Cardiff register office the other day (not to get married..the wife would kill me if she found out i`d done that again )

But on the wall was a copy of his birth certficate, signs of the times back then that fighters really did fight themselves out of the gutter....Fathers occupation=labourer....mothers name=X...his mother couldn`t write her own name, only sign with a X...sad, but all too common back then .

Seamus wrote:What was the promise ?

Taken from http://www.johnnyowen.com/jim_driscoll.html

Jim was offered a return fight with the world title at stake but before leaving Wales had promised to box in an exhibition bout at the Nazareth House Orphanage annual charity show. Being a true gentleman he sailed back to Wales the following day to honor his promise, effectively giving up his chance to become a World Champion before he would break the promise he had given.
On his return to Wales he was given a heroes welcome, as far as the Welsh were concerned he WAS the World Champion. Indeed, much of Europe recognised Jim Driscoll as THE World Featherweight Champion and he was billed as such. To this day the nuns of Nazareth House tend his grave. Jim Driscoll was truly a champion.

KOJOE90 wrote:Wasn't there a statue or talk of a statue of Jim Driscoll at one time?

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=10731

There is a statue of Jim Driscoll in Cardiff.
http://pmsa.cch.kcl.ac.uk/images/nrpAH/ ... F03333.jpg

tonyevs wrote:I was in Cardiff register office the other day (not to get married..the wife would kill me if she found out i`d done that again )

But on the wall was a copy of his birth certficate, signs of the times back then that fighters really did fight themselves out of the gutter....Fathers occupation=labourer....mothers name=X...his mother couldn`t write her own name, only sign with a X...sad, but all too common back then .

Driscoll was only 7 months old when his father was knocked down and died in a goods yard near his home. 

Owain have you got hold of/read 'Occupation Prize Fighter' the new Freddie Welsh biography?.... I just got it recently and it looks very good... seems to have a bit about Driscol in as well...

silkov wrote:Owain have you got hold of/read 'Occupation Prize Fighter' the new Freddie Welsh biography?.... I just got it recently and it looks very good... seems to have a bit about Driscol in as well...

No, I haven't read it mate. I'd be interested to know what you think when you've finished it.

I read a book about Freddie last year by an author from Freddie's hometown (Gareth Harris) simply entitled 'Freddie Welsh, World champion lightweight boxer - Pontypridd legend' (not the most catchy title). I found it quite hard to follow at times but some interesting stuff in there.

Owain wrote:

silkov wrote:Owain have you got hold of/read 'Occupation Prize Fighter' the new Freddie Welsh biography?.... I just got it recently and it looks very good... seems to have a bit about Driscol in as well...

No, I haven't read it mate. I'd be interested to know what you think when you've finished it.

I read a book about Freddie last year by an author from Freddie's hometown (Gareth Harris) simply entitled 'Freddie Welsh, World champion lightweight boxer - Pontypridd legend' (not the most catchy title). I found it quite hard to follow at times but some interesting stuff in there.

I've only leafed through it so far but it looks good, lots of detail and quotes from Welsh that appeared in the papers of the day etc and gives you an idea of his character... (he seems to have been a very sharp fellow with a dry wit...) it also seems to go into detail about the times he lived in and the various people he came in contact with...

I read the Freddie Welsh book over Christmas ....... couldn't put the damn thing down once I'd started.

It's a fairly meaty read ...... they've used a small typeface so you get a big word-count per page, and around 320 pages of text.

Only quibbles ...... quite a few typographical errors, could have done with a more thorough proof read. But then again, the book is well over 12 months past it's original publication date so I guess Seren were keen to get it out.
Also, very few pictures used. Those that are used are mainly photocopies from "Boxing" and other papers of the day ..... and the quality is so poor that I could hardly read (or simply couldn't) what they contained.

Gripes aside ..... it was one of the more satisfying reads I've had in a long time.

Freddie Welsh's story is quite astonishing and anyone interested in that time period should find it a good purchase.

Oh yes ..... well done Seren Books on a cover price of only £14.99 .... excellent value.