BoxRec

By Andrew Wake: Pontefract welterweight Peter Dunn, one of boxing’s greatest servants, has decided to hang up with gloves. The 33-year-old veteran turned professional in 1997 and mixed it with a bevy of top level British fighters while compiling a record of 12 – 105 – 4.

Dunn told SecondsOut, “I’ve been thinking about it (retiring) for a while because I’m getting a bit older and it’s getting a bit hard now. I think 121 fights is enough, I 100-odd amateurs as well so I’ve been in some fights. I know it’s not near Peter Buckley had but not many do that.”

Despite the number of losses on his ledger, Dunn feels far from dissatisfied with the time he has spent in the world’s toughest sport and says the highlight has been all the opportunities he had to fight on the undercards of televised shows and fighting for a minor domestic title.

“I could only be disappointed if I’d been trying to win all my fights and a lot of them I haven’t been trying to win, I’ve been doing it as a journeyman and to bring the sport of boxing on. Basically, you’re not looking to win fights, you’re looking to give them a test and get to the end.

“Around February 2004 I was boxing on all the big shows and I was on Sky [television] every week. For somebody of my standard of boxing to be on those kind of shows, I was quite impressed. I used love travelling all around the country to box on big shows.

“I think boxing for a [Central] area title against Rob Burton, in what was a cracking fight, when I’d beat him two weeks earlier [was a highlight]. To box for a title is obviously something to be proud of and that plus some of the names on my record will do for me. I haven’t just boxed rubbish, I’ve boxed some really good lads.”

Of those lads he’s faced, Dunn said: “I was looking at the [British] top ten the other week and I’ve boxed about five or six of them and I haven’t been at that level for a long time.

“I can’t say one which is the best but Michael Jennings was probably the most punch-perfect boxing wise, Ali Nuumbembe was just non-stop punching and very good, Colin Lynes was, boxing-wise, very sharp and Matthew Hatton was ten times stronger than I thought he would be, he was as strong as a bull.”

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Dunn, who turns 34 in two weeks time, is now looking to train fighters alongside experienced coach and manager Michael Marsden.

“I think I’m gonna put in for me trainers license and just give Mick an hand and see what I can do. There’s nowt planned so I’ll just see what comes of it.

“I’m gonna give myself a month out and have a rest and then I’ll get to the gym and see if I can be a help.”

http://www.secondsout.com/UK/news.cfm?ccs=228&cs=57064

Wake up call wrote: “I could only be disappointed if I’d been trying to win all my fights and a lot of them I haven’t been trying to win, I’ve been doing it as a journeyman and to bring the sport of boxing on. Basically, you’re not looking to win fights, you’re looking to give them a test and get to the end.

Fair enough.

Spent a bit of time with Peter in Jersey and then in the airport when I was last over - one bloody brave bloke, like ALL boxers are - he has my total respect and I wish him all the very best.

I was ringside when he boxed Rob Burton. Cracking fight. Think I might've been there for both of them.

He's a lovely fella too.

i wish him well.

Met him over in Belfast when over watching Michael Hunter and went on the drink with him all night. I end up so out of it I forgot where my hotel was and slept in a Greggs bakery doorway! Good kid as I remember. Funny and approachable. Arguably the best nickname in sport as well...

TheGoods wrote: I forgot where my hotel was and slept in a Greggs bakery doorway.

Nice touch. I slept in a gutter once. Nothing to do with Dunny, just thought I'd share it.

I've met Peter a few times, lovely guy, real decent spud.

Does like to drink though, I'm not sure he's 100% English as he can drink a fair bit, possibly part Irish

I saw Peter today at the monthly BBBC meeting. Didn't get chance to talk to him because he was just going in to see the board. Must have been applying for his trainers license. He'll have a lot of ring experience to pass on.

Surreal incident regarding Peter Dunn.

I've seen him box a few times and wasn't aware of any significant fan base, given how he's "just" a journeyman, but he was fighting, I think, Chris Saunders, on the Audley Harrison-Tomasz Bonin undercard when a loud chant of "Dunn-y, boomaye" started up and went on through much of the contest! I don't know if it was sarcastic, or maybe it was a bunch of blokes he met down the pub a few nights before who decided to root for him, but still... that was weird!

good luck to peter in retirement. (i slept in a doorway once too..and i wasnt drunk)

good luck to dunny he is a top bloke, ive seen him box many times and commizerated with him on a few when hes done more than enough to have his arm raised but dident. in answer to oliverfennel i dont know about the night in question but pete regularely took 30 or so supporters when fighting locally,

Chatted with Peter a couple of times at Belfast cards and he's a top fella. Best of luck in retirement.

hi peter dunn here thanks loads for your kind messages,means a lot thanks again

[quote="dunny"]hi peter dunn here thanks loads for your kind messages,means a lot thanks again [/quote]
Think you've made the right choice mate.good to see you've got out in one piece.not many would have,fightin like you did.you were in some right tear ups.all the best pal your a top fella.thorpey

Seen him fight in the flesh over 30 times over the years and have seen him robbed on about nine or ten of those occasions. He drew with Rob Kenney, the unbeaten former Midland Area middleweight champion, when he should have been given the nod. They met in a rematch a few months later and I thought Dunn won that one as well. He beat Wayne Downing on Downing's debut and should have been given nod in their second meeting.

Remember him recently, last May, sticking Duane Parker, unbeaten in five now, on his backside. That was a cracking shot.

All the best to Pete.

dunny wrote:hi peter dunn here thanks loads for your kind messages,means a lot thanks again

Congrats mate you have had a fine career, lived the dream, fought on the big shows, on the tv, fought top names, earned a few quid and got out in one piece, thats all a hell of an achievement, not many fighters hit the 100

dunny wrote:hi peter dunn here thanks loads for your kind messages,means a lot thanks again

Didn't you retire once before and buy a pub?

Good follow up interview from Martin Dobbing on www.britishboxing.net

Peter is a class fella...good luck with the retirement mate!

A great, great pro. I admire the journeymen who get in there, do enough to lose and then cash in again a couple of weeks later.
Only fighters with ring 'intelligence' can do that.