Two pretty exponents of British boxing in the early 1980s are Sid Smith from Forest Hill, London and Chris Sanigar from Bristol. Both were really challenging people who could hit, and although none of them won the British title, they conducted aspirants in super-files.

Chris is now a successful manager, promoter and trainer who devoted his life to sport and is undoubtedly the best man in Bristol Boxing. As an amateur, Bristol Empire ABC raised, and after defeating Steve Early and Sylvester min on the way he reached the final of ABA in 1977, losing to Jim Douglas of Camperdown. Then he won the title of Eastern County in 1978, after the second year, before he abandoned the Professional box.

Smith also had an excellent amateur pedigree. He achieved triple as a adolescent man in 1975, winning the titles of NABC, London Feds and ABA Junior at 60 kg. He boxed many times in the international arena for adolescent England, before he represented London in the match against Paris in 1977, where he convincingly defeated his man. Fitzroy Lodge’s boxing was then won by London South-East Divisionals, after which he lost to Sylvester M-Cituter in the final in London. Like Sanigar, he became a professional in 1978.

Smith signed a contract with Dennie Mancini and soon entered the top ten British in Super-Delicate weight. Despite the early defeat with the useful Frank McCord Swansea, Sid won each of the other 11 competitions, and then was adapted with Sanigar in the free crown of Sothern Area. Chris changed the professional in September 1978, six months later than Sid, and like the Londonian, he started his career, winning his first seven. Then he hit a rocky patch, starting from two round defeats of George McGurka Jarrow in the Midland Sporting Club in Solihull. After that, Chris lost four of the next 12, but some of his victories were very credible, including, in April 1981, victory for a four -shaped break over Dan M’put in Dunkierka, France, and right after this competition Chris got a phone call to the box smith for the title of the southern area.

On paper it was a very evenly matched competition. At that time, Sanigar was rated in fifth place in Great Britain with Smith only one place behind him. Due to the last fiascos on some huge programs promoted by Mickey Duff and Mike Barrett, Bn He had a policy of evaluating upcoming competitions in his previews. The fight of Sanigar-Smith took place at the Royal Albert Hall on a card directed by the heavyweight Gordon Ferris, who was tailored to the American journeyman, twoin Bonds.

Bn The A+fight was rated, stating that “Sanigar can make the narrowest point decisions, but Smith has a chance of Puncher” in how he considered “the fight of the night.”

In this case, the fight for an unsatisfactory ending, when judge Larry O’Connell stopped the fight because of the Sanigar suffered a nasty wound over the left eyebrow after the clash in the third round. It was obvious that the rematch was necessary, and the head of Sanigar, George Francis, did not waste time to organize it, and two men met six months later in the center of Leisura Elephant and Castle in Southwark.

This time the fight was very good Bn The main “such thriller like Sanigar has a title.” Two men constantly exchanged centuries in four rounds, which lasted with a report stating that “in the case of raw, concentrated excitement, compact clash must take this year the best observed in national rings. Fans witnessed boxing chaos, with an venerable -fashioned grit and determination by Sanigar. “After the second round, Chris found strength to blow up his shots in London. After the duel, Chris admitted that “I served my practice and it was challenging. I would not wish this kind of education on my worst enemy. “

They were really two challenging men.

Every year in 1948–1955 Jack Solomons, then the largest promoter in British boxing, accustomed to the stage of one show per year, in the open air, at the White City stadium at Shepherds Bush in London.

This huge place was built in 1908 for the Olympic Games and was used for boxing sporadically in the 1930s. The capacity was about 90,000 and was exceeded when it was used for the 1939 competition between Len Harvey and Jock McAVoy, still the greatest attendance in the British fight (regardless of what Carl Froch or Tyson Fury can tell you). The place was also used during the 1966 World Championships, when Uruguay met France in a group game.

Solomons introduced here his most spectacular tournaments, and the first, in 1948, managed Freddie Mills and Gus Lesnevich. In the years 1949–1954 they always took place during the first 10 days of June, when Bruce Woodcock defeated Freddie Mills in 1949, and then lost Lee Savold in 1950. The following year, Don Cockell defeated the American Nick Barone in the highest line, and then in 1952, Cockell was beaten by Randolph Turpin in 11 rounds of the British and Empire Lightles. Turpin returned in 1953 to mention Charles Humez in the competition, which Solomons optimistically settled for the title of world average.

In the following year 1954, Don Cockell, which became heavyweight, returned to the stadium, headed by American Harry Matthews. The competition took place on June 1 and was settled as an eliminator of the world’s heavyweight title. Matthews was nearby. Managed by veteran Jacek Hurley, who started with Billy Silefle in the 1920s, before he ended his managerial career at Boone Kirkman in the 70s, Harry has already switched to the top of the stack and was in line with Rocky Marciano in the last rock competition before he won the title. Marciano got rid of Matthews in two cruel rounds in something that was seen as a fairly even fight before two men entered the ring.

In 1953 he was on his way down, slipping from rating number 5 in June 1952 Ring magazine Grades up to 9 the following year. He came out of the ratings after he suffered 10-round points of defeat from Cockell in Seattle in August 1953. This victory was alone in March 1954. In March 1954. In March 1954 in March 1954 in March 1954 in March 1954. Ring The ratings took place in the days before the commissions we have today.

It was not the best weather when two men met for the second time and the stadium was far from full. Nevertheless, Cockell hit the victory after 10 rounds of thrilling boxing. BN announced that “Cockell won this fight because he always went forward, forcing his rival on the defensive and causes the greatest damage with his stronger blow. Matthews finished the unmarked fight, but the same cannot be said about the winner whose left eye was almost closed and who bleeds from the mouth. “

Two men met again the following year, in Seattle, when Don stopped his man in seven. When asked who probably won between Cockell and Marciano, Matthews said that: “Don is much better in style. Marciano is only a mighty inactive. Cockell can box, stab and moves with class. The stylist always overcomes Lenica. “As we all know, Marciano defeated Cocella in 1955 in one of the most hard fights that was ever seen for the world’s heavyweight.

The White City stadium was used only twice as much for boxing, in 1955, and then in 1958, when Brian London took over the last curtain, beating Joe Erskine in the titles of British heavyweight and the Empire.

Currently, I combine and index my results in 1904 before they are introduced into my database, and I came across several captivating entries that show how much the game has changed in the last 120 years.

By far the best sources for boxing results during this period are Sports life and Mirror of Lifeboth of which are available via the excellent British Library website.

On April 4, 1904, Flying Flying Liverpool, Ike Bradley, met Arthur Grimshaw from Stratford, at East End in London, in 20-rounds in Albert Hall, Modern Brighton, on the other side of Mersey from his hometown.

Grimshaw fought in his first competition north, as well as his first fight over eight rounds. He had some courage to face Bradley, who, although he was a professional for just a few years, was an experienced 15-round specialist. Later, in his career, Bradley decorated himself with many vast and characteristic tattoos, and it was quite unusual during this period, when it was usually only navy boxers.

According to Mirror of Life The report that the fight was good, fought for a bag of 50 pounds, and while “Grimshaw was very clever on his legs and used a great judgment with good basic leftists,” he was nailed in the seventh round with blows, before he was dressed three times, the last time for the full number.

Today, such a loss would cause a minimal suspension of 28 days. If the knockout was bad, the suspension may be longer. This principle applies to every internal defeat, be it by KO, TKO or in retirement. However, in 1904, things were completely different.

Apparently, dissatisfied by nature, his defeat, Grimshaw asked for a rematch, and he got him the next day! Because, on April 5, 1904, two men met again, this time in Circus, Warrington, just a few kilometers down the road from Modern Brighton. The promoter was the same man who organized the first competition and was very elated that he founded it again, especially when Bradley’s contract opponent, a youthful Ward from Liverpool, did not appear.

Once again, the fight was recorded by Mirror of Life And this time Bradley won faster, again with a knockout after three rounds of boxing. “Two boys began to work at maximum speed and there was nothing between them for the first two rounds. In the third Bradley, Grimshaw caught a great blow to the chin and eliminated him. “

Two knockout palsy within 24 hours could not happen today in Great Britain and probably send alarm bells calling anywhere in the world, but not phase Grimshaw and his team, because he returned to the ring nine days later in Liverpool, when he came up with Youthful Yates in 10 rounds.

Grimshaw withdrew from the ring, after an eight -year career, in 1908, with a lost record that included a certain opposition of high caliber. Bradley went to great things, including a US trip in 1906, many competitions that were settled for the world, European or British title, and was at the top of the bill during the opening of the aged Liverpool stadium at Pudsey Street. He was one of the best of the first fighters who left Liverpool, a city steeped in a boxing tradition.

In 1938, the Management Board issued a regulation, which meant that no boxer could engage in two competitions of 10 rounds or more, within five days, and eventually forbade any boxer of participation in two competitions within six clear days from the date of their last competition, and this rule still applies. I wonder what Arthur Grimshaw would do with it.