Lennox Lewis in RSF 7 Frank Bruno
October 1993

Frank Maloney did not bother watching boxing at the 1988 Olympic Games. Why would he? He was not the main promoter, and the warrior, whom everyone wanted to sign, was a Canadian.

Reporters in Las Vegas, including Lloyd Honeyghan-Marlon Starling, discovered the relationship between Maloney and the Olympic champion of heavyweight Lennox Lewis-I called to tell him a message.

“They said,” Imagine how good it would be to have a British heavyweight master? “, Maloney remembered. “I said that there is no more chance because Frank Bruno and Gary Mason were with Mickey Duff.

“But they told me that the heavyweight Olympic champion, Lennox Lewis, came from West Ham and that his brother Dennis knew my brother Eugene. I checked this and it turned out that it was true.

“I was chasing Lennox on the phone. Lennox wanted to come to Great Britain to see his brother and said that if I got two tickets in both directions, he came and saw me. I got a credit card and used her for a limit to get Lennox here.”

Maloney convinced the Sport Management Group, Levitt Group, to give them support. “I told them that the British heavyweight champion would be huge for them,” said Maloney and Lewis, they were crowned WBC Belt-Holder in December 1992 after Riddick Bowe, detained by Lewis in the Olympic final, refused to face.

This made Lewis the first British warrior to organize the version of the heavyweight championship since Bob Fitzsimmons, born in Cornwall and raised in Modern Zealand, lost to James J Jeffries in 1899.

Within 93 years, Tommy Farr, Don Cockell, Brian London, Henry Cooper, Joe Bugner and Frank Bruno lost their challenges.

Bruno was beaten by Tim Witherspoon and Mike Tyson, but he kept his place in public feelings, and most fans rooted for him when he fought with Lewis in “Battle of Britain” at Cardiff Arm’s Park in October 1993.

Bruno had the history of accent and intermittent hop, which spoke to British fans, and in half the point he landed enough to overtake one result card, and the other two judges had the level of fighting.

It seemed, however, that the fight turned around Lewis, and after he shattered Bruno on his chin with his left hook, he did not allow the pretender to recover, with his right hands until the judge jumped.

Herbie hide in Ko 7 Michael Bentt
March 1994

Bentt He was brought to give Tommia Morrison to rusty before he challenged Lewis.

Bentt didn’t even give him one round. The fight lasted within 93 seconds. Morrison fell three times, and Great Britain had another belt owner, although at a time when the WBO belt, especially in heavyweight, was barely respected.

Not so many realized that Bentt was a British.

Bentt spent the first six years of his life, living with his aunt in East Dulwich, before settling in Modern York and represented the United States at the World Championships in 1986, where he defeated the defending master Alexander Yagubkin on his way to the bronze medal.

Batt, beaten in the round in his debut Pro, began to shock Morrison and was a home warrior when he defended the title of WBO from Hide at the home of the Millwall football club, The Den.

Bentt wore a Millwall hat at a press conference – before Hide threw him off his head.

Bentt remembered: “I hit him, grabbed me, torn off a suit, grabbed me, fell to my knees, grabbed me, hit me. It was an ugly mess.”

Hide later stated that Bentt caught his genitals during the “ugly mess” and they were both fined in the amount of 10,000 pounds, John Morris, secretary general of the board, describing them as “two stupid youthful men.”

Only 22 years elderly, Hide was astute enough to know that he must hold Bentt’s right hand.

Bentt could not leave the road to the upper right part in the third round and landed on the floor.

Hide dominated to the finish in the seventh round, Bentt later said: “Everything I tried to have had an answer.

“His rhythm was completely unconventional – and he could hit like an atomic bomb. The guy could crunch.”

Bentt has only vague memories of the fight. Later he was taken to the hospital and spent 98 hours in a coma before full recovery.

Hide was not aware of Bentt’s rush to the hospital when he said the press: “I want you to kill and kiss my ass. I want you to all kill and say:” You are the greatest. ” Because I am. “

Henry Akinwande at PTS 12 Scott Welch
January 1997

Akinwande was hefty weight of Great Britain.

Born in London, he grew up in Nigeria and returned to England as a teenager to continue his boxing career – contrary to his father’s wishes. Gangling Akinwande left Great Britain to Florida after 27 professional fights (one draw), feeling underestimated and together with Don Turner in his corner, he claimed that the free (and still slightly known) style in style, putting Jeremy Williams with a poem right hand in three rounds.

Then came the 10th round of the detention of Aleksander Zolkin in Las Vegas and in the coloration, Welch overtook Daniel Eduardo Neto.
The Argentinean had previously fought for the title of WBO, losing in two rounds with Francesco Damiani and defeating him “The Brighton Rock” a must -see for Akinwande belt.

Welch was against. In the previous 32 fights, no one found a way to defeat Akinwande. Many even fought for a glove on him.

Akinwande had 6 feet 7 inch-the highest boxer in the world-I had an 82-inch range that stopped opponents. Five inches shorter, Welch knew that he was not going to Outbox Akinwande, but a fanal that he could reconcile him.

He tried to start the fight against Akinwande at a press conference and had to be stopped during the judge’s instructions, but after the Akinwande bell departure he was holding the game plan. He got a welch at the end of his stab – and held him there. For 12 rounds

It wasn’t until the fifth round that Welch only achieved significant success. Akinwande felt the strength of his right hand and wrapped him with his arms.
Welch was doing well to go through the sixth and seventh round and stopped the crowd behind him when he attacked the right hook of the 10th round that hit Akinwande’s jaw.

Akinwande took a few steps back, hit the gloves and waved the welch forward. Akinwande made another move, landing crispy to the jaw, and the unilateral competition lasted.

Coach Jim McDonnell pulled out a photo of the two-year-old son Welch, Tommy-Teraz of the invincible professional-the last round and begged: “Do it for him!” But the task was too great and on the last bell only one of the three judges gave the claimant a round.

“I couldn’t raise the pace,” said Welch. “Perhaps it turned out to me.”

Lennox Lewis in DQ 5 Henry Akinwande
July 1997

There were more in Stateline in Nevada than the WBC Lewis belt in Stateline, Nevada.

Two weeks earlier, Mike Tyson was thrown out of his rematch against Evander Holyfield for playing part of the ear and John Morris, secretary general of the British control Council and WBC supervisor, defined the meaning of Lewis-Akinwande for sport.
He said: “This is a fight that can start a novel beginning of heavyweight boxing, show that his spirit and image do not have to be drawn into the gutter.

“This is the first fight since Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear, and Lennox Lewis and Henry Akinwande not only fight for themselves, but for the true meaning of their sport. I know them well and I know that they are good fighters and good people.”

Not everyone in England liked Akinwande.

He said before the fight: “Everywhere I go, except for England, people love to watch me.”

Fans in England could remember the heavyweight final of ABA in 1986, when Akinwande threw himself on the canvas after disqualification against Eri Cardouza of Northampton or his reaction to his exit from the Olympic Games in Seoul from 1988.

Akinwande said: “I didn’t believe in myself. What can I do?”

He also did not talk with great trust in the fight with Lewis, and after Judge Mills Lane told him, who was also responsible for Holyfield-Tyson II, in the opening minute for holding, he lost point second.

Coach Don Turner tried to get some fight from the warrior, telling him: “He strikes you because you don’t hit him,” and in the third round Akinwande hit Lewis with his right right, which made the master’s knee graze the canvas.

Lane later admits that he should count to Lewis, but he got it in the fifth round when he pulled Akinwande out of Lewis, telling him: “That’s all, he left” before he pushed him back to the corner.

Reporters noticed that Akinwande was close to tears at a press conference after the fight.

Read Steve Bunce on Lennox Lewis vs Frank Bruno HERE

It seems that Robert Cohen’s last death passed under the radar in the sports press. This Frenchman won the title of World Bantamweight in 1954, defeating Chamroem Songkitrat in a demanding 15-year-old Bangkok. Cohen, who died at the age of 91 on March 2, had a great record, broken only with defeats in his last three competitions in 1955–1959.

Algeria-Żyd, Cohen survived the persecution of Vichy’s pro-Nazist regime in the French war before he became the eighth boxing champion in this country. It is best to remember him older fans of Great Britain for winning in 1954 on John Kelly, in which he took the European title Bantam in a scale only seven months before the victory of the world title. Kelly won 21 competitions in a row and looked like places. He won the European title, defeating the Scottish demanding man Peter Keenan at points at King’s Hall in Belfast in a very sturdy competition. Kelly’s first defense against Cohen absolutely revealed the lack of experience and defects.

BN header “Cohen annihilated Kelly”, says everything. He reports that “this competition was not as much as punishment, and 20,000 pairs of Irish eyes watched terrified terror, how the Frenchman with the destruction of gloves shattered their idol once, two, six times earlier, fortunately it ended.” Kelly never recovered after this defeat, losing twice as much this year by knockout before retiring three years later at the age of 25.

It was not for the first time that British fans had the opportunity to see Cohen in action. In 1953 he fought twice in Belle Vue, Manchester, winning the victory in the sixth round over Teddy Peckham of Bournemouth, and then beat this great miniature South African, Jake Tuli, at points before the crowd of capacity in 10 times. At that time, Cohen was assessed as a leading claimant for the title of the world, and British fans were impressed.

After the victory over Kelly, Cohen stayed in Great Britain and won two more competitions in April 1954, beating both Eddie Carson and Manny Kid Francis with simple points in two entertainment 10-ranges. During the last competition against the British boxer, Cohen was adapted to the Roy Ankrah in Paris in December 1954, three months after he became the world champion. Ankrah, a highly qualified boxer from Ghana, was a great favorite in Great Britain, but a real reservoir came against the world champion. He was constantly beaten before he retired on the stool after the bell finished the fourth round. BN informed that Cohen was “faster, much more aggressive and extremely capable, perfect fighting machine.”

In 1955, Cohen was involved in boxing policy, almost the same as today. The National Boxing Association deprived him of the title, when within 90 days he did not defend him against Mexico, Raúl Macías within 90 days. The world of boxing was stunned by this decision, no more than NatLeischer, who stated that he wrote the original contract for the fight for the title in Bangkok: “In this it was agreed that the winner would sign the defense of the championship and that the signing would take place within 90 days. Signing, not fighting.”

The Fresh York Sports Committee got stuck with Cohen as a master, and the Frenchman defended his title in September 1955 in Johannesburg against Willie Toweel, a member of a great fighting family, which included Vic, Jimmy and Allan brothers. Cohen dropped his man three times in the second round, but he had to settle for a draw at the end.

The following year, the Frenchman lost the title of world champion in Italy, Mario d’Agata, he was detained in cuts after seven rounds of close fight in Rome. The hereditary little warrior then retired with a record of 36 wins, four losses and three draws in a shiny career and it is unhappy that his passing was by many.

I recently scanned an senior copy of the Ring magazine since April 1974, and my mind was passed by something I forgot. The assessment of weighty delicate this month was replaced by the following: Champion-Bob Foster, 1. John Conteh, 2. Len Hutchins, 3. Tom Bogs, 4. Victor Galindez, 5. Max Smith.

I suspect that five of these names still mean something, even for state-of-the-art fans, but who is at number 5? It is tough to believe that a warrior from the northeast, then a very impossible area with a only handful of professionals, a man managed by Tommy Miller, whose stable contained a long list of journeymen, and a boxer who never got smelling in a British title can be so highly rated among the world élite. BN was not so nice, because at no time in any of their ranking lists Max appeared in the world top ten in boxing, at that time the weekly rival BN, he assessed Max at level 24 at the end of 1973. So what is Nat Loubet saw in Max to evaluate him so much?

Maxa was a service technician in one of the elite units in the country. During service, both Royal Navy and the Combined Services Championships in 1967 and 1968 won as the royal infantry. He was also the champion of ABA in 1967 and had to withdraw from the final of 1968 with a hand injury, leaving Ray Brittle as a master of this year.

With such an excellent amateur pedigree, he was very wanted as a professional, and when he signed a contract with Arthur Boggis’s manager in August 1968, he became the first vigorous soldiers who could professionally hurt for many years. He fought 10 times for Boggis in 1968–70, winning seven and losing three.

After a good start, the loss of losses with Roy John, Dervan Airey and Bunny Johnson was derailed. This last defeat was particularly disappointing because he was knocked out in three rounds in Empire Pool, Wembley, on Undercard of Henry Cooper-Jack Bodell for the title of British heavyweight.

Maxa packed him for a moment, and when he returned, in 1973 with the modern manager, Tommy Miller, was rejuvenated. He won nine competitions in a row and it was these fights that led him to his world assessment. Starting two good victories over space, defeating Harry Scott in five and Ade Ajasco in six, then said Sid Falconer, Graham Sines and Bunny Sterling, within eight rounds. Until now, BN has finished fifth in Great Britain. Then he stopped Falconer in four, then met American Eddie Duncan in the 10-Rund in Belle Vue, Manchester in October 1973. It was a fight that convinced the ring of its quality.

Duncan was no stranger to Great Britain. In September 1972, he became the first man who defeated John Conteh, and also attracted here from Johnny Franham before he overtook Rossendale Banger, Phil Matthews. Max managed Duncan with relative ease, experiencing an early attack to gradually work out his man. BN informed that “the judge of course decided that Smith’s durability exceeded the spectacular but rarer hit in Philadelphians.”

Max continued this victory with the victories of points over Roy John and Bob Tuckett, and at the end of 1973 BN took three place in Great Britain, behind Conteh and Chris Finnegan. By the way, when the Ring magazine placed Max on the fifth, Finnegan was behind him at the eighth number. In 1974, Max was detained by a cut-off eye against German, Karl-Heinz Klein, and then stopped at three by Avenemmar Pealta in Austria. His last fight took place in 1975, when he stopped again in the third by Steve Azel for the title of the community of nations. He never got a British title, and today, at almost 80 years senior, Max still trains every day in his own gym in Stockton. He was a warrior of the ranking around the world.