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Brian London and the British Boxing Board
Posted: 14 Feb 2008, 18:04
by Robinson
Hey all,
I have read on a few occasions about the objections and boy cotting that Brian London experienced when he fought Patterson and later Ali.
What was the British boxing boards reason for boycotting the fights and who would they have had in mind to have challenged instead ?
Thanks again
kym
Posted: 15 Feb 2008, 01:54
by Collins2000
I believe the BBBC thought the Patterson fight would not be in the best interests of boxing.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/artic ... 18,00.html
Didn't they also veto a proposed bout between Henry Cooper and Jimmy Ellis for the WBA title in 1969?
Posted: 15 Feb 2008, 08:25
by SteveO
Didn't they also veto a proposed bout between Henry Cooper and Jimmy Ellis for the WBA title in 1969?
Yes, they did and Henry got very upset about that!
Posted: 15 Feb 2008, 13:16
by Flump
SteveO wrote:Didn't they also veto a proposed bout between Henry Cooper and Jimmy Ellis for the WBA title in 1969?
Yes, they did and Henry got very upset about that!
The board weren't members of the WBA at the time and Cooper was scheduled to fight Ellis in Dublin, but then Cooper got injured in training and never got the chance again.
As regards London, the board didn't sanction it as he wasn't the reigning British Champion at the time I believe. It' a shame in a way that they aren't so stringent now, then we might get less WBO, WBU, WBF rubbish.
Posted: 17 Feb 2008, 18:42
by Robinson
Cooper was the British champion at that time ?
Posted: 17 Feb 2008, 19:04
by Collins2000
Robinson wrote:Cooper was the British champion at that time ?
Yes, I believe so.
It was a different scenario to London / Patterson though.
As someone mentioned, the BBBC wasn't a member of the WBA at the time of the proposed Cooper - Ellis bout.
Didn't Ken Buchanan have the same problem but defied the board and fought for the WBA title anyway?
The BBBC are often slow to move with the times...