BoxRec

I was thinking that there must be a lot of these over the years who came to the UK as unknowns but went on to win world titles. Haven't given this a huge amount of thought but here are a couple below.

Name the fighter, title he had & division and venue he fought at in the UK. Also, does anybody remember actually being at the event?

John Ruiz (WBA Heavyweight champion)
Whitchurch Leisure Centre, Bristol, Avon, United Kingdom
Colston Hall, Bristol, Avon, United Kingdom
York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, United Kingdom
Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom
Elephant & Castle Centre, Southwark, London, United Kingdom

Nikolay Valuev (WBA Heavyweight champion)
Town Hall, Battersea, London, United Kingdom
York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, United Kingdom

Winky Wright Vs Bingham, Foster & Dodson

Acelino Fretias
Sheffield Arena, 2000
More famousy against barry jones in york

Joan Guzman
Cardiff castle calzaghe V mitchell (was it?)

Roman Karmazin Vs David Walker

Wales wrote:Winky Wright Vs Bingham, Foster & Dodson

They were world title fights weren't they?

Montell Griffin fought a few times in the UK.

banjo wrote:

Wales wrote:Winky Wright Vs Bingham, Foster & Dodson

They were world title fights weren't they?

Ah, sorry, didnt read it properly. Got carried away.

Sven Ottke .

That was a joke by the way !!!!!

Chad Dawson?

Jeff Lacy?

Frankie Randall fought Rosario before Randall was a world champ and just after Rosario had lost his belt, i think.

Clay vs Cooper 1963

Terry D wrote:Leon Spinks. 2nd pro fight.

my mates dad fought spinks

was this fight v Peter Freeman

It was a privelage to watch the baby faced assassin in London in April 1999.
Ok it was a World title, fight, but a one and only chance to see Barerra over here.

Johnny Tapia fought at the York Hall i believe though he was known then and at the back end of his career.

THere was Dick Tiger of course..............

I saw the John Ruiz fight in Bristol.
Pretty sure that he fought Julius Francis that night.
It was on the undercard of Ross Hale v Andy Holligan.
Paul Ingle fought on that bill as well.
The Ruiz fight was one of the first fights on if I remember properly.
And Francis was quite slim in those days.

how did he look? Did he hold as much pre tua?

Here are some (mainly found through scrolling the archivies... going through the devision).

Wladimir Klitchsko fought Monte Barrett on the Botha vs Lewis undercard.

Corrie Sanders fought Steve Gee in Darlington in 1991, Garing Lane in 1994 (Wembly Arena Lewis vs McCall bill), Keith Fletcher in Brighton, 1996. Jorge Valdez in Bristol 1997,

Oliver McCall fight before Lennox Lewis was in the Uk.

Trevor Berbick fought Mark Lee in 1984.

Tim Witherspoon fought Sammy Scarf in 1985 - he was a champion before that.

Wales wrote:Winky Wright Vs Bingham, Foster & Dodson

Acelino Fretias
Sheffield Arena, 2000
More famousy against barry jones in york

Joan Guzman
Cardiff castle calzaghe V mitchell (was it?)

Roman Karmazin Vs David Walker

Fretias stopped Peter Buckley at Everton Park sports centre In Liverpool too.

stujones wrote:Here are some (mainly found through scrolling the archivies... going through the devision).

Wladimir Klitchsko fought Monte Barrett on the Botha vs Lewis undercard.

Corrie Sanders fought Steve Gee in Darlington in 1991, Garing Lane in 1994 (Wembly Arena Lewis vs McCall bill), Keith Fletcher in Brighton, 1996. Jorge Valdez in Bristol 1997,

Oliver McCall fight before Lennox Lewis was in the Uk.

Trevor Berbick fought Mark Lee in 1984.

Tim Witherspoon fought Sammy Scarf in 1985 - he was a champion before that.

Wladimir had loads of fights by then ????

DavidPayne wrote:Chad Dawson?

Jeff Lacy?

Lacy v Donnell Wiggins in 2003 @ the MEN
Lacy v Jason Collins in 2002 @ Cardiff Castle

twenty six wrote:It was a privelage to watch the baby faced assassin in London in April 1999.
Ok it was a World title, fight, but a one and only chance to see Barerra over here.

A whole three minutes.


Vitali Klitschko - Herbie Hide in 1999. He did go onto win a world title, juat not long after...
Humberto Soto - Dave Hinds in 1999 at the K.C. Sports Arena, Cottingham, Hull
Steve Molitor has fought in the UK 3 times
Denis Inkin - Ovill McKenzie in 2004 @ the MEN (Will probably win the WBO belt)
Paulie Malignaggi fought an amateur fight over on the same bill as David Haye and Derry Matthews
Yuri Romanov has fought here numerous times and stands a reasonable chance of winning a title

John 'The Beast' Mugabi

sergiy dzinziruk

Walker Smith Jr. wrote:Clay vs Cooper 1963

Whata shambles,
Doesn't matter to me.
3 minutes more than I thought I'd ever get.

Santos Laciar.

Edwin Rosario who fought Frankie Randall over here.