By Miles Templeton

I bet there are not many who could call a foreign world champion who had the most competitions in Great Britain, while having the title. The answer is Freddie Miller from Cincinnati, USA. Freddie won the world featherweight title in Chicago in June 1933, defeating Tommy Paul. He finally lost his title in 1936, after his effective defense 12 times, Petey Sarron.

In 1934, Freddie came to Great Britain to defend his title against Liverpool Great, Nel Tarleton, at the stadium in Nella’s hometown. Tarleton together with Ernie Roderick and Ginger Foran was one of the “huge three” in Liverpool at that time and many of them considered him to defeat the American. The overdue Vic Hardwicke, whom many readers will remember as the main one contribute to the column of Ron Olver 30 or 40 years ago, assessed Tarleton as the best warrior he saw. Miller easily accommodated Liverpudlian in what was only his third 15-round competition. After returning to the States, most of Miller’s fights, including the title, took place in 10 rounds.

In the 1930s, masters often got involved in many non-test duels between their defense. It was not only a good way to maintain form, but also offered the opportunity to earn money without risk. Many were in Great Britain and Europe who wanted to see the Americans, i.e. in the next nine months in 33 consecutive occasions, and 22 of them took place in Great Britain and Ireland.

Just four days after defeating Tarleton for the title of Master Miller, he appeared in Belle Vue in Manchester to say Welshman, Billy Hazell, over 10 Threes. This set a pattern of an extremely vigorous trip. Freddie lost only two of these competitions, disqualification against Billy Gannon in Manchester and the defeat of points at the hands of Maurice Holtzer in Paris.

In June 1935, just a month before sailing home, he again defeated Tarleton in the title competition, this time less convincing, because Nell fought the heart, just to lose with a forceful verdict. During his route, Miller also fought in the Blackfriars ring, where he was very popular, Birmingham, Glasgow, Belfast and Royal Albert Hall. His last competition here was the sensational two -level knockout of the former British champion, Seaman Tommy Watson, in Liverpool, at Anfield Football Ground. Bn He informed that the finish “was in the shape of a hit, which the fighters dream about. It was a left cross to the jaw. He did not land on too high a fraction of the whole and did not land on a low fraction of all. He just landed where he was to land in a mortal place. “

When he lost the title with Sarron, Miller continued Barnstanm his way around America, and then in 1938 he returned to Great Britain on the second route. Just like for the first time he had his first and last competition in Liverpool, a place where you really liked. Starting from the 12-round decision on Billy Charlton at the stadium, he won all 12 here, with victories in Leicester, Bristol, Swansea, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Isle of Man. This last competition took place at Villa Marina Ballroom in Douglas and Miller defeated Tommy Tune, a competent warrior, but no more than that, from Barnsley. The competition did not make the parties Bnwhich, considering the status of Miller, tough to believe. The fight was not registered in the annual Ring Record book until the 1980s, and a few years ago I discovered it in the British library.

The last course of Miller was the 10-round decision about Johnny King, this wonderful Manchester warrior. The verdict was unpopular with Liverpool fans because they thought King had cut it.

Miller died of a heart attack at a adolescent age 51 in 1962. Grand Master and loved by British fans.

By Miles Templeton

America produced a enduring world -class stream in the 70s.

Men such as Marvin Hagler, Vito Antoufermo, Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, Tony Licata, Mike Rossman, Mike Baker, Bennie Briscoe, Eddie Gregory and Willie Monroe together. One of the first who called here was the volume of “The Bomb” by Bethea, a hardly striking warrior from Harlem in Modern York. Bethea, born in 1944, has already undergone 10 rounds with Carlos Monzon, losing only because of the divided decision, and stopped Nino Benvenuti in the seventh, before he made his debut in Great Britain in 1970.

He was brought to fight Marek Rowe in December this year, and the program notes a competition that “Bethea is fighting only one style, falls into his opponents and shoots with low blows from all sides.” Rowe won and lost the British title at the beginning of this year and was at a crossroads. It was his 30th Royal Albert Hall competition that turned out to be unlucky.

In a very tight romance, Judge Harry Gibbs gave him Bethei by only one round. Bn They thought at least participation in the distinction. The rematch was natural, and when they both met again, 10 months later in the same place, Bethea repeated his victory, this time more final. Rowe was far behind when the scalp wounded, caused by the clash in the fifth round, and the badly cut eye turned out to be too enormous for its corner and was pulled out in ninth place.

Rowe coach, Bill Chevalley, was dissatisfied with the amount of illegal work, which Bethea used, but Bn Hit your nails in the head, stating that “Bethea had a very good ninth round and looked in a much better shape than the duty. Despite the admirable Marek, there was no sense to let him go to the last round. “

Lightweight Lithe, Johnny Franham, overtook Ba Souvenal tonight, and a match was performed between Franham and Bethea, in Royal Albert Hall, in January 1972. Senior place and was very joyful to boost the division of weight to deal with the reading fighter. Johnny spent most of the early rounds showing up. Bn He did not pull any blows: “Frankham was his ordinary, annoyed, irritating, frustrating himself, smiling and his hands held at his side. In the first half of the fight, Johnny did Peddling and Bethea persecution. “The delayed Franham rally was not enough, and Bethea won his third competition in Great Britain, and judge Harry Gibbs shot him the winners for two rounds. Earlier in the evening, in great nervousness, Mark Rowe was destroyed by Howard Sharpe in just 50 seconds.

The stage was prepared for the US import to fight the British champion, Bunny Sterling, in the next 10-Rund Albert Hall. Saint fighter Pancrras was considered tests, despite the British form of Bethei, but once again the American organized and built the lead at the beginning of the ninth. Harry Gibbs did not have an alternative how to stop the competition when after the clash of Bethea’s head, he staggered seriously with his left eyelid. After the fight, Tom said that “Sterling is a good applicant, not a bad puncher. I don’t know how far I am in the front, I just fight. “

Bethea’s fifth and last fight took place at the World Sporting Club, Mayfair and this time it was really put in place. Phil Matthews was a great impact of the average weight with Rossendale in Lancashire and was then a real perspective. He flattened Bethea in three rounds in a television competition. After lighting the British rings for two years, Tom returned to the States and gave up the game in 1978.

By Miles Templeton

There are some British fights for the title, which really stand out in memory, both in terms of the quality of the duel and the emotions caused by the action. When the British title meant much more than it seems, some clear examples were the lightweight Eric Boon-Arthur Danahar competition in 1938, the Great Alan Minter-Kevin Finnegan trilogy in the mid-1970s and three competitions between Jackie Brown and Bert Kirby in the years 1929–1931. Another one, which I was always very interested in, is between Stan Hawthorn and Billy Thompson in a lithe level in 1947.

Thompson came from Hickleton Main, the village of Pit near Thurnscoe, in West Yorkshire. This area had a tradition of producing demanding men, and Hickleton Main ABC was the best amateur club that turned out to be masters, including Thompson, who won the lithe ABA championship in 1945, and Ronnie Latham, who won the same title five years later.

Meanwhile, Hawthorne was a great fighter from North Shields, a fishing port of 10 miles north of Tyne from Newcastle. North Shields also produced his candid participation in tough warriors, and Spike Robson and Paul Charters stand out. Hawthorne’s father, who also fought in the great war, was saved from the beaches in Dunkierka, his brother Ronnie took part in D-Day landings, and the state he was born in 1923 spent 17 months in the army.

Hawthorne fought Thompson seven times as an amateur, all duels take place in 1944 and 1945, they lost six of them, but winning the last knockout in Hickleton Main. After releasing from the army, he did not waste time transforming professionals, quickly gaining a gigantic reputation in the rings around Liverpool and Blackpool, where the state was based.

Thompson also changed the professional in 1945, but with manager Benny Huntman signing him after the victory Abba Billy leaned in London. The following year, he won 20 at the trot and was adapted with Hawthorne with the lithe title Northern Area.

At that time, the northern area was covered by Lancashire and Yorkshire, as well as the northeast, but it is still amazing to notice that 18,000 people appeared to see the fight for the title on Anfield, the Liverpool FC house. The fight also received official recognition as an eliminator of the British title in which he organized Ronnie James. Hawthorne disrupted the chances that night, telling Yorkshireman in battle Bn Described as “one continuous thrill”.

James retired after losing in 1946 with Ike Williams for the title of world champion, so Thompson and Hawthorne were again broadcast to the free British title in October 1947, again to Anfield. From the competition in 1946, each of them got involved in many competitions with only two losses; Thompson lost Andre Famechon and Hawthorne to Josef Preys. With many subsequent victories was waiting for a return.

Bn He sat on the fence, stating that “there is no doubt that these two adolescent people will provide another spectacular and exhilarating battle that, which, If the distance goesHe will be questioned very carefully again. “

Two men could both hit and in the distance of victory in one way or another. This time 20,000 appeared, and Thompson was not in the mood to give Hawthorne time to settle. He took out in the North Shields Man from the very beginning and both exchanged demanding blows in the sensational first round, and the awards go to Thompson. In the second Billy he blew up Hawthorne three times on canvas, and the bell saved him from a knockout at eight. The third turned out to be the last of Groggy Hawthorne, completely out -calaved and poorly damaged, saved by a judge. Hawthorne fought, with various successes, until 1951, while Thompson retired in 1953 after adding a European title to his British crown.