Peter Lavery
Name: Peter Lavery
Hometown: Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Died: 2020-10-26 (Age:83)
Pro Boxer: Record
Amateur Boxer: Record
- 1958 Irish Amateur Champion
Obituary
FORMER Northern Ireland featherweight champion Peter Lavery has passed away in his native Belfast at age 83. The one-time sandy-haired amateur flyweight supremo from the Belfast St John Bosco Youth Club, the Irish champion of 1958, died on Monday, October 26.
Born of February 28, 1937, he was Ulster amateur flyweight champion in 1957, but lost in the national final that year in Dublin to John Caldwell.
In 1958 he bagged a bronze medal from the Empire Games in Cardiff.
Lavery, part of a hugely successful Bosco gym in Belfast's Donegall Street where the top fighter was southpaw bantamweight Freddie Gilroy, was part of a strong Northern Ireland side at the Cardiff Games.
Terry Milligan took home gold at middle, Jim Jordan silver from a narrow loss to Scottish lightweight Dick McTaggart, and bronze medals for Lavery, Lisburn bantam Dickie Hanna and Belfast Holy Family club's featherweight John McClorey.
Following the Games he decided to turn professional, starting with the first of six straight wins against fellow Belfast flyweight Tommy Armour Jnr in a George Connell King's Hall, Belfast, promotion on Saturday January 10, 1959.
Top of the bill was Freddie Gilroy stopping Peter Keenan in the 11th round for the stylish Scot's British and Commonwealth bantamweight belts.
Lavery quickly outgrew the flyweight grade, and took on the top British fights in the bantamweight and featherweight division.
He never shied away from quick offers to compete, but his 8-22-3 record doesn't do justice to a very clever ring artiste.
He was part of a bustling early 1960's era for in-demand Belfast-based boxers, including ring greats Caldwell and Gilroy, along with Peter Sharpe, Spike McCormick, John McNally, Freddie Teidt, Jim Jordan, Jim McCann and Seanie McCafferty,
Lavery stumbled in his seventh outing, his first defeat and a points loss to Scotland's Johnny Morrisey in the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow. He secured a well deserved title, when beating Brian Smyth over ten rounds in the Ulster Hall,Belfast, on a Barney Eastwood promotion on Tuesday, February 23, 1965. At stake was the vacant Northern Ireland Area featherweight championship.
On the road he collided with some some pedigree punchers such as George Bowes, Evan Armstrong, Frankie Taylor, Jimmy Anderson, Con Mount Basie and a farewell fight in Bermondsey Baths on November 21, 1967. The popular Lavery, now up to the super-featherweight grade, decided it was time to hang up the gloves after losing to then then unbeaten Jimmy Revie. Referee Harry Gibbs called a halt in the second round