Ghana has a long and proud tradition of the production of top -class boxers. In recent years, Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey and David Kotey stand out among the best, while the current stars are Isaac Dogboe and Richard Commey.

In the 1950s, when fighters from the whole community of the depending began to appear regularly in British rings, Ghana fighters were very in the foreground. “The Black Flash” Roy Ankrah achieved great things and was very much admired by crowds of boxing throughout Great Britain for his swarm, versatile style. Others are Al Alotey, Atto Clottey and Jack Johnson. At the beginning of the sixties, Floyd Robertson imitated Ankrah, winning the so -called British empire. London’s strength day were full of youthful boys from Ghana, Nigeria and Western India, everyone tried to achieve as much as possible in a professional game, or at least to end.

In April 1967, Ray Opoku left his family Ghana to develop trade in British rings. At that time, he was a leading claimant for the Ghana featherweight title with a record of seven wins and a draw of his 11 competitions. London’s manager Eddie Giddings approached him to join his stable with Sammy Abbey’s compatriot. Sammy came to Great Britain a few years earlier and won here 12 out of his 15 duels and became a contractor of the highest level. Giddings was a good manager who looked after his fighters. He defeated himself in the 1940s, debuting at Royal Albert Hall on Freddie Mills.

The abbey as a mentor and Giddings as an extremely genial and caring manager, Ray set off on his own way to glory. He did not recognize it straightforward. First of all, the British climate was a shock for him when he had to get up to do his road works early in the morning.

His first competition took place at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington. Tailored to Steve Elliston from Bermondsey in the eight round, he began a perfect start. Elliston won the title of ABA Junior in 1963 during boxing with Fisher BC, and as a professional he won all except one of his duels, losing only to Gerry McBride in his previous competition through disqualification. His fight from the base was to restore him to the right track. Ray attacked him from the offset, decorating Elliston in the third. After Elliston withdrew, trying to move Ghana, but in the last round the cut eye laid the end of Steve’s hope, and Ray was fleeting.

Then it was fitted Jimmy RevieFuture champion of British lightweight, in an eight round in Brighton. Revie was a really heated perspective at the time and was too good for Ray, stopping him in two rounds. It seems to me that Opoku could get an easier introduction, but it was so in those days, especially for an unknown black warrior. The best way to earn good money was to take perspectives in the hope of causing nervousness or two to be noticed.

Ray soon found himself in the top ten of Great Britain in a featherweight and continued to fight the best men, including George O’Neill, Brian Cartwright and Brian Packer – All Area Champions. Further losses appeared at the hands of John O’Brien, Johnny Cheshire and the upcoming John H. Stacey. Ray did not avoid fighting nobody and always gave excellent value.

After withdrawing from the game in 1970, he worked for British Rail for many years, raising three children, two of whom he mentioned in honor of Eddie Giddings and his wife Eddie, Suzanna. He is still plentiful today and lives in London.

Just over a decade ago, David Haye found himself all over the world when he released Russian Nikolay Value from his ponderous Crown WBA. The fight attracted great attention, not because of its quality, but to the size of the sinus between 6 3-inch feet Ex-Cruiser weight Haye and 7 feet, 316 pounds Russian. Even in the era of enormous ponderous weight, most Valuev was really stunning. One can imagine how the surprise excited by arriving in Great Britain, in 1955, from a boxer both higher and heavier than Valuev.

South Africa Potgieter had 7 feet 2 inches with an amazing 94 -inch range, and his heaviest fighting scale scaled 351 pounds. This is not a typical reward, “Pottie”, as he was known, came from a wealthy agricultural environment. He was convinced to take boxing in the early 1920s by Hotelier Norman Weiner, who noticed a nice and articulated colossus towering over everyone in his hometown of Vryheid, Kwazulu-Natal. Under the leadership of Weiner Pottie had seven duels in South Africa between July 1954 and April 1955, winning them all in two rounds. Reports of his feats reached the best promoter of Great Britain, Jacek Solomons, who noticed the huge potential for making money in promoting the world’s largest boxer. Jack decided to present him at his London concerts.

Pottie arrived in London at the beginning of August 1955, and his arrival was about national news. He was reserved for the September show at White City Stadium with many leading weight – Nino Valdes, Don Cockell, Dick Richardson, Joe Erskine, Henry Cooper and George’s twin brother – all of them comparative dwarfs next to South African. As you might expect, Pottie had no problems with his opponent, 5 feet Jamaican journeyman, Simon Templar, who was “pushed as if he were a fly”, as BN put it before he retired at the end of the sixth in a unilateral duel. Pottie left again a month later to stop another Jamaica, Noel “Bull” Reed, in the second round at Harringay Arena. Apparently, a step in the classroom was needed, and on the next trip in Harringay after the break of the next month, Solomons gave.

Unlike any previous opponent Potgester, Canadian James J. Parker (26-5-3) had a decent record against high quality opposition, after the beating of Fresh York Jimmy Slade, drawn with other Canadian Walls and remained in a distance with the excellent Nino Valdes (who made a decision over Ezezard Charles). This time Pottie looked completely from the depths. The BN reporter told Parker to win each of 10 rounds. The decision for the Canadian seemed the only possible one, but the fight was considered a draw.

“I would like Potgieter to return to his farm before he takes a really wild beating,” warned Peter Wilson from Daily Mirror. “I rarely met a man in boxing, which I liked more or the one that in my opinion is less suitable for this most testing all sports careers.”

Within a month, Pottie seemed to take advantage of this advice, citing the press criticism of her show in the fight of Parker as a reason for abandoning boxing. “Some of them [the reporters] He said I was not good, which I think is unfair. It was only my 10th fight and I was still a novice, an experienced opponent. I have never been hurt and I don’t like the woundedness of others. I return to South Africa. “

The 22-year-old left Great Britain at the beginning of December 1955, but he returned for four more fights in America a little over a year later, winning two and losing in the States, then withdrew for good after defeat with the leading contender John Holman. Although far from the best colossus fighting heavyweight in history, Potgieter was certainly not the worst. The fact that he never lost time suggests, in any case, he had a decent chin.

If any ambitious match has not lost several attractive supporting competitions, I can suggest Smiths versus Krays. You’ve never heard of them. Quite rightly, no match will have a significant impact on the British and even district championships, but it probably offers a unique opportunity to match identical twins.

Recently, we had a surplus of the sides: Turpins and the Buxtons, and now in the last few months Krays, Ron and REG from Bethnal Green and Albert and Jackie Smith from Elland, Yorkshire have been over on the professional stage.

If the match has ever met, the optics and doctors in the district will certainly have a stream of customers so that the similarity of the face is amazing.

Tommy Miller, manager of Smiths, admits that he still can’t distinguish them and smiles when he resembles the night of Albert’s professional debut. He shared the verdict and Miller, offering advice after the concert, he said that he should have obtained a decision. Imagine his surprise from the answer: “I’m Jackie and won!”

The Smiths caused some concerns in the boxing of cadets before joining the army, and because each of them had three professional competitions. It seems that the only difference is their weights for the shorter Jackie, which is 25 minutes oldest, scales half of the lighter stone than his brother “Southpaw”. However, both are delicate boxes.

Such distinguishing lend a hand for the ringants is not offered when you can see the murky -haired delicate delicate Bethnal Green, because although Ron is a bit more aggressive than his brother, both have similar styles and always weigh half a pound at a distance. Reg and Ron do everything together. At the age of 10, they first appeared in the ring and won five BOB at the market exhibition. Two years later they approached the local boxing club and began to raise an impressive list of victories.

In addition to the market exhibition, 17-year-old Krays met four times, but with the exception of sparring in junior high school these days ended because their mother banned all meeting at a professional ring.

What happened to Krays and Smiths?
REG and Ron Kray had a tiny career that began and ended in 1951. The perfect REG record was 7-0 (2), and Ron’s 4-2 (2). The name of Kraya was anchored in history when the twins began the London crime competed only by Jacek Ripper. Krays ruled the gangster underground world until they were arrested in 1968. Charlie Kray, their older brother, also fought professionally. He fought in 1948–1951, developing a record of 11-6-1.

Meanwhile, the Smiths slipped quite quietly to the sunset. They both fought until 1952, with Jackie Record 2-4 (1) and Albert Fararing a little better at 4-3-1 (3).