BoxRec

Who are Britain's greatest champions Pre-1960?

I only want the Best of the Best and pre-1960.
I feel most fighters after 1960 enjoyed full exposure through the luxuary of TV and modern media & easier travel. In the 60's more & more people were getting televisions...and most of the fighters before the 60's had only local fame and anything further was only among true boxing fans.

So once again Britain's Gteatest Champions pre-1960.

Thanks in advance.
Jim.

in no order Len Harvey ,Randolph Turpin ,Ted Lewis ,Jack Berg, Tommy Farr,Jim Driscoll ,Don Cockell,Freddie Mills ,Jimmy Wilde,Benny Lynch ,Peter Kane,Eddie Thomas and Nosher Powell

icejack wrote:in no order Len Harvey ,Randolph Turpin ,Ted Lewis ,Jack Berg, Tommy Farr,Jim Driscoll ,Don Cockell,Freddie Mills ,Jimmy Wilde,Benny Lynch ,Peter Kane,Eddie Thomas and Nosher Powell

Good list, theres also Owen Moran and Freddy Welsh, and Bob Fitz if you count him as British.

In no particular order:

BertGilroy, Ginger Sadd.

Jimmy Wilde & Jem Driscoll are to two finest fighter pre 1960's in my book.

Then Ted Lewis, Jack Berg, Freddie Welsh.

These are the elite UK fighters in my book.

I should have added Jock Mcvoy to my list ,ko'd the world miidleweight champion in New york in 1 round,but never got a shot at the title

So far by division we've got;

HW - Tommy Farr, Don Cockell
L-HW - Len Harvey, Freddie Mills
MW - Jock McAvoy, Bert Gilroy, Randy Turpin, Ginger Sadd
WW - Ted Lewis, Jackie Berg, Eddie Thomas
LW - Freddie Welsh
FW - Jem Driscoll
BW - Owen Moran
FW - Jimmy Wilde, Benny Lynch, Peter Kane

what about Pedlar Palmer, Teddy Baldock, Nel Tarelton, Ernie Roderick, Peter Keenan, Kev's favorite Scot, Alex Lafferty and so on...

I want only the truely best men, I don't know who they all are for certain; "so I seek, and I shall find!"

thanks again guys!

I posted this on the same thread on "British Boxing" a few nights back, but that thread seems to have been inactive....so joining this one a bit late.....
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Probably not a complete list but for starters....
Jim Driscoll
Jimmy Wilde
Freddie Welsh
Owen Moran
Ted Kid Lewis
Jack Kid Berg
Nel Tarleton
Jack Hood
Len Harvey
Jock McAvoy
Tommy Farr
Benny Lynch
Peter Kane
Randolph Turpin
Eddie Thomas
Bert Gilroy

You could just about squeeze in Terry Downes and Dave Charnley (just pre 1960 when the hit the scene) but they're probably post-1960 for most of their big fights.

I'll probably think of ten more at 2am...! Harry Mason, Johhny Basham, etc etc Plus I didn't go as far back as the bare knuckle days...

J

Heavyweight – Tommy Farr

Light heavyweight – Len Harvey, Freddie Mills

Middleweight – Jock McAvoy, Randy Turpin, Len Johnson, Tommy Milligan

Welterweight – Kid Lewis, Jack Hood, Ernie Roderick

Lightweight – Freddie Welsh, Kid Berg, Al Foreman, Harry Mizler, Dave Crowley, Eric Boon, Harry Mason

Featherweight – Jem Driscoll, Nel Tarleton, Seaman Tommy Watson, Johnny Cuthbert.

Bantamweight – Pedlar Palmer, Joe Bowker, Digger Stanley, Owen Moran, Teddy Baldock, Dick Corbett, Johnny King

Flyweight – Jimmy Wilde, Benny Lynch, Johnny Hill, Jackie Brown, Peter Kane

jimglen wrote: most of the fighters before the 60's had only local fame and anything further was only among true boxing fans.

I'd disagree with you there. Pre-television, the leading British fighters were still household names and the sporting celebrities of their day, famous nationally (and in cases internationally), not just on a local scale.

Obviously they earned a fraction of what their latter day counterparts did/do and to see them in action fans had to make trips to the various halls and venues. But people did; with greater regularity and in far greater numbers. Newspaper reports were the closest the public had to TV broadcasts, and those who could not make it to the fights, or were casual fans, would read the reports the next day.

There’s no denying that TV had an enormous impact on the sport, and over the years has probably saved it from going under. It may have spawned the first sporting ‘superstars’ and millionaires, but it certainly didn't create our first nationally, or even internationally, famous boxers.

Heavyweight----Lennox Lewis, which I probably do not give Lewis the overall credit that he probably deserves, but in terms of the best, Lewis was the best UK heavyweight. Tommy Farr was a great fighter also and I also really like Bruce Woodcock for the top fighters. As to the lesser fighters the career of “Bombardier” Billy Wells was about as exciting as any in history. A knockout was almost a guarantee when Wells stepped in the ring either scored by Wells, or he himself was the KO victim. None of his losses went the distance and only a few of his wins lasted the full route. Wells would have been one of the greats had he not had such a weak chin as he had great skill and very heavy fists, but that chin was as fragile as any that has been on a top rated fighter.

Light heavyweight---Len Harvey and Freddie Mills would be at the top at 175, but one of the lesser light heavyweights that I have always liked was Chic Calderwood. Calderwood was one of those “blood and guts” type of fighter like Eric Boon and though he did lose his one shot at the light heavyweight title Chic probably would have continued to make some noise at 175 for four, or five more years had he not been killed in a car accident.

Middleweight----Bob Fitzsimmons was one of the best middleweights in history and in my opinion the best middleweight in British history. I would also rank Fitzsimmons in the British P4P top five, or ten…probably top five. Jock McAvoy is one of those fighters who is vastly underrated. A real bull in the ring he was among that breed of fighter who was greatly feared throughout the world. In his trip to the United States he absolutely destroyed middleweight champion Babe Risko in a non-title fight and as a result would never be able to gain a title shot at 160. Randy Turpin was an all-time great as well as being a hell of a vicious puncher. He beat Sugar Ray Robinson when Ray was in his prime which at a time when Robinson was virtually unbeatable with an overall record of 128-1-2 (84 KO) and on a current unbeaten streak that added up as 88-0-2 (55 KO) with one No Contest in 91 total bouts. Turpin would lose the rematch, but he would continue to wreck havoc on fighters from 160 to 175 and would win British and European titles at middleweight and light heavyweight.

Welterweight----Kid Lewis gets my vote, but Ernie Roderick is right beside him. I am also really fond of Colin Jones, Ralph Charles and George Odwell, but I would not consider them to be among the very best...I just liked their style and brutal punching power in the ring.

Lightweight----Freddie Welsh, but my favorites of this class of Brits are Al Foreman, Eric Boon and Ronnie James. Boon and Arthur Danahar engaged in one of the greatest fights of all-time…a brutal affair. Boon was the Arturo Gatti of his day, though I believe that Boon was a lot better fighter than Gatti ever was. Al Foreman, well he was one of the hardest-hitting lightweight to ever set foot in a boxing ring and was greatly feared in his day. His career record is outstanding. James, well he was as tough as they came and was only stopped in the last two years of his career. Len Wickwar should be noticed for having the most recorded fights in history as well as the most recorded wins in history.

Featherweight----Jem Driscoll, but Naseem Hamed is close and though they are not among the absolute best I really like Ronnie Clayton, Paul Hodkinson and Bobby Neil at this weight.

Bantamweight----Owen Moran who in my opinion is among the top five all-time best to ever come out of Great Britain, but Teddy Baldock is right on his heels in my opinion and Johnny King was a great fighter also.

Flyweight----Jimmy Wilde is, in my opinion, the very best fighter that Great Britain has ever produced. He was a great fighter that was all-around solid. A great punch, a great chin, great durability as well as great stamina to go along with great skill…everything about Wilde was great and if he had a flaw I cannot think of it! I also really like Jackie Paterson, who was not the very best, but who had some of the heaviest fists ever at that weight, but Wilde is the number one flyweight in history!

Wally Thom, bert Gilroy and my dad.....no bias here folks

Agree most that have been said

My particular faves..

Alex Lafferty and Digger Stanley, great fighters from before World War 1, Lafferty was killed during World War 1.

Other faves include..

Randy T, Jock McAvoy, Len Harvey and Freddie Welsh