After World War II, the British audience wanted emotions and entertainment like never before. After six years of trauma and disabilities, they came to dance rooms, cinemas and sports stadiums with feverish pleasure and boxing – then Sport Mas – was one of the biggest draws.

Fighters who dragged crowds – then, as now – were those who promised color and emotions. And at the end of the 1940s. Great Britain a delicate division boasted a boxer whose performances provided both. Billy Thompson was a active, tenacious fighter who rarely took a backward step. Turning Pro in the year in which the war ended in 1945, for fans of fighting was an ideal antidote for darkness, which he embraced Great Britain for so long.

Born in Modern Silksworth, Sunderland, in 1925, Billy moved to Thurnscoe, near Rotherham, with his family at the age of five. As a boxer, the student won the title of Yorkshire school for two years, and when he left the school to work at Hickleton Maine Colliery, like his father, he said that he could train in the newly built Collier gym.

He lied about his age – claiming that he was 17 years aged, not 16 – to enter the northern senior poviat championships and defeated a number of older opponents to take the title. In 1943 he won the feather crown of the northern poviat, and in 1944 he founded a seal for his amateur fame, winning the delicate title of ABA. He planned to defend his crown in 1945, but he was kept away from the championship due to an ear injury.

The chest, shot Yorkshireman, could stay longer in amateurs, but his father was exhausted from the pits after the expansion of silveriasis, and Billy needed to support his family. It was said that his father returned to the extraction of coal after two or three years of regeneration, but Billy tried to make sure that his dad would never have to leave the mine again.

Thompson became a professional with a youthful, developing London manager Jarvis Astaire and put 34 fights in his first two years in paid ranks. Billy was 30-2-1, when he faced Stan Hawthorne of North Shields on Anfield in October 1947 in the case of a free British delicate title.

The fight was a slaughterhouse, Billy attacked a man with North Shields with uncontrollable cruelty from the opening bell. Somehow Hawthorne survived a lot of knocks to survive in the third round when judge Peter Muir came in. Thompson won the crown in less than seven minutes.

Billy maintained the title for less than four years, seeing the challenges of Harry Hughes from Wishaw and Tommy McGovern from Bermondsey. Thompson was perfectly boxed to capture the European crown from Italy Roberto Proieti in February 1948 and kept it against Pierre Montane (France), Josef Preys (Belgium) and Hughes, before he lost the title with low disqualification of disqualification for Kid Dussart from Belgium in July 1949.

During his height to the best, Billy looked great, but after winning the titles, his form became unpredictable and tried to make a delicate. In 1951, Thompson fought as a full Heelter, but he came down to delicate defense against McGovern. Pale, forced to the burden of the spirit of Billy Thompson, the world of boxing knew that he was dressed by the first real blow of the fight, and Ko’d in 45 seconds. After a few consecutive attacks in welterweight, Billy retired at the age of 27. He was the first post -war master who won the Lonsdale belt, and more importantly, was able to buy his family a farm in Thurnscoe with earnings from the ring.

Thompson died in January 2009, at the age of 83. At the funeral, his nurtured Lonsdale belt was decorated with a casket as a proper reminder of his achievements.

In recent years, the British rings have been full of foreign boxers and are a spine for many shows of diminutive halls taking place in the country. Most of these boxers come from Eastern Europe and there are almost all “journeymen” with long -term records. In the 1950s, many bills in Great Britain also included foreign fighters from all over Europe and the community of nations, but the import standard was much higher at the time than in today’s case. A typical bill on the Earls Court, in which Freddie Mills was a promoter, can easily include the Belgian, Frenchman, South Africa and Ghana. People like Roy Ankrah, Dave Sands, Duilio Loi and Yolande Pompey could be seen next to the top -shelf Londonians during this period. Wardrobes were like a mini version of the United Nations.

One of the men who came to Great Britain in 1955 was the heavyweight of Kitione Lave, known to fans of the fight from Great Britain as “Tongan Terror”, and Fresh Zealanders and Australians, where he had previously lit the trail in 1953 and 1954, as “Torpedo Tongan”.

Queen Tonga came to Great Britain for the coronation of the queen in 1953, and she caused a sensation during the royal procession because of her enthusiasm, warmth and highly colorful clothing. British public opinion warmed up to her and there was something like that for all things Tongan. When Kitione arrived in 1955, he did it with the support of his queen and was expected of great things from him. His world crashed very quickly when he was stuck by Johnny Williams, a former British and community of a massive community, in Sparkbrook in Birmingham. Lave was planted three times and stopped in the first round. The competition was described by the BN as “farce almost”. He certainly can’t come back.

Kitione slowly rebuilt his reputation thanks to the crushing one -time victory over Manny Burgo in a low West Hartlepool competition. He continued his rapid victories over Eddie Hearn (Batterstea) and Nosher Powell, although between these two victories there was a loss of a point for the next high quality heavyweight, Joe Bygrave.

Then Tongan was invited back to Sparkbrook to the 10-Runda against another British and community community, Jacek Gardner, and this time the roles were reversed. According to BN: “In the catastrophic first round, Gardner was dropped in two cases” five “and” nine “on the jaw rights. His left eye was noted and was hit from the pillar to the position. At no time during the competition he did not look like a winner. “Unfortunately, the judge did not agree, because at the end of the fight she raised Gardner’s hand, to the surprise of the crowd.

Two more quick wins against the European opposition led to Lave on another former heavyweight champion, Don Cockellwho had his second competition since he was erased by Rocky Marciano last year. Cockell was adapted to Gardner to a free British heavyweight title, and both men boxed at this account at Earls Court in sultry -up competitions. They were both supposed to lose badly. Lave just killed Cockella, dropping him six times in two rounds, in which the competition lasted. Gardner was similarly arranged by Bygraves, this competition also ended in the second round. Never before, two men have not adapted to the British heavyweight title, and they both immediately retired, paving the path of Joe Erskine to pick up a free crown.

As the Lave and Bygraves award, they were adapted to the empty title of the community of nations, but at full distance Lave was far behind. For a few more years he boxed both in Europe and in the United States, but he never fully pushed into the world. He will be remembered, like his queen, for the excitement he brought to Great Britain in these gray post -war years.

Collectors of boxing souvenirs will proudly boast of signed gloves, rejected dresses and trunks, maybe even towels with distant ring battles. Too macabre for some, valued by others. The most macabre ring relics? It is challenging to overcome the piece of Evander Holyfield’s bite and spat out by Mike Tyson in their notorious clash 23 years ago. Quickly, though sturdy, the rings, the bloody object from the canvas contact and wrapped it with a handkerchief. The next month, Pete Stevens, a Novel York broker of goods, became a proud owner of “souvenirs”. He bought it for $ 18,000 from the MGM guard, who allegedly moved him from a confused wardrobe. Somehow he appeared three years ago in a television advertisement, which showed a contrite Tyson handing this object, enclosed in a jar of formaldehyde, Holyfield, who kindly accepted him with an apology of Iron Mike. You might think that the recovered piece of Evander’s ears must get the highest place on any list of strange boxing souvenirs. Well, not quite.

How about a warrior’s actual arm?

Irish Bare-Skulcle, the champion of Dan Donnelly’s right limb, cut off by Body Snatchers exactly 200 years ago, was kept all this time and was displayed in pubs and travel exhibitions.

Dubliner Donnelly, the first real sports icon in Ireland, got diseased after eating a huge amount of ice water, while sweating after a energetic ball game.

His death on February 18, 1820 was a huge shock to his legion of followers. Who could believe that a sturdy, fit youthful man – he was still in his thirties – could succumb to the ritual training he followed throughout his career?

Donnelly’s funeral procession on the streets of Dublina was attended by huge crowds on the route from his pub in Pill Lane (currently Chancers Street) to the Akre Bully cemetery in Kilmainham.

Sports magazine
(March 1820), recognizing his special appeal to the poorer classes, he announced that “at least 80,000 men, women and children took part in the funeral, roads and streets leading to the commune covered with moving masses of rags and miserable.”

Such was many legends related to his name that he was widely considered a knighthood from the prince of Regent, who later became King of Jerzy IV, in recognition of his successes. However, this claim is not forwarded in official files.

Born at Towsend Street in Dublin in the 1880s (the actual date remains unconfirmed)

Donnelly was nine of 17 children, including four sets of twins. When he was adult enough, he followed his father, Józef, to trade carpentry.

It was during the defense of his father, who suffered from bronchitis and took a ponderous cough in a local pub, Dan revealed his ability to operate his fists. The lack, which was an exception to the troubles of an older man, required leaving the premises. Dana Plezynia, which will stay in the room, met with a challenge to fight.

Although reluctant to get involved, he stood at an angle of the rascal and equalized the torto with a huge blow to the head. The news of his action quickly appeared around the area, and Donnelly was convinced to try happiness as a professional warrior.

He was so successful in early ventures that he drew the attention of Captain William Kelly, a wealthy landowner and a racing horse, who recognized his potential and convinced him of fame and fortune, which could lie under the right directions.

Kelly installed Donnelly in her estate in Maddenstown, as Kildare and promised him to provide him with financial support, using the expert advice of KPtor Robert Barclay, a Scottish friend Kelly and a well -known boxing trainer.

When his supporters were satisfied with the fact that Dan was ready to test against a worthy opponent, with Tom Hall a match with Isle of Wight was organized, which was on the route of Ireland, which gives boxing exhibitions and instructed youthful men in “The Manly Art”.

The news about the fight aroused great interest and the estimated crowd of 20,000 people, packed the location in Curragh, in Kindare, September 14, 1814.

Donnelly lacked his rival’s experience, but he was a bigger and stronger man. Hall, realizing that he was going to failure, used insidious tactics to avoid punishment. He often dropped to the ground to gain rest, because according to the rules of the day he ended when the man fell and received half a minute to regain recovery.

The Irish patience eventually disappeared and attacked the blow that Hall was caught by the side of his head when he was on the ground. In a second Hall required Donnelly’s disqualification, while the corner of Dan insisted that the blow was accidental, and besides, the hall deserved losing for falling so often without hitting.

The dispute was restless and the official result was not announced. However, Donnelly’s supporters had no doubt as to the superiority of their man and encouraged him to the local tavern to celebrate his “victory”. Before he broke away from his loved fans, a few days after the fight, he did not have a penny from the division of 100 Guinea.

If Donnelly added to his fit fan club thanks to an impressive performance against Hall, he would raise to the status of Demi-Goda after the next appearance in the same place on November 13, 1815. His opponent, George Cooper from Stone, in Staffordshire, was one of the main contenders for the England Championships. He was a qualified technical boxer, heavily hit with both fists and showed deep degrees of courage and endurance.

All this occurred invalid when he objected to a larger, stronger Irishman who ended him in 11^th Round with a huge blow that broke Cooper’s jaw.

A huge eruption of cheering could be heard in villages far away, and the bonfires were illuminated in the hills on the occasion of his victory.

To this day, the place for Curragh is known as Donnelly’s Hollow. Traces of the conquering hero, when he raised the slope to his waiting carriage, were preserved, which leads from limestone by 8 feet of this event. The great John L. Sullivan, son of Irish emigrants to America and the last of the heavyweight champions on the naked system, visited this place in 1887 and was one of the subscribers of the fund for the erecting a monument.

Donnelly tried to earn his fame by taking over four pubs in Dublin at different times. Unfortunately, he wasted many profits, spending free drinks to his buddies and bringing a lot. In his last licensing, on Pill Lane, at the back of four courts, he made a fatal decision.

He would take a trip around Great Britain, earning money, sparring in exhibition duels and perhaps tempting the English master Tom Cribb, to a guaranteed lucrative duel between the masters of both countries. Despite several attempts to organize this, the fight never happened.

Dan, however, accepted a powerful opponent in Tom Oliver in Crawley Downs, in Sussex, on July 21, 1819 in what was to prove his last competition, Donnelly won the exhausting meeting lasting time and ten minutes, when a very equipped Englishman could not be replied to the call to “time” at 35^th round.

Despite his victory, Donnelly did not make a great impression on English fans. His performances below was partially justified when it was revealed that he fought with the wounded his right hand and, what more speaking, he was caught on “chasing Halk” when he was to train strenuous.

After returning home, settled as “Sir Dan Donnelly”, he was reserved in a series of exhibitions at Donnybrook, but he preferred to spend most of his time in pop-ups. If the main attraction could not guarantee, it was not a surprise that the undertaking was a flop.

He still admired as a national figure, regardless of his indiscretion, after his sudden death the next year there was an outrageous event that helped to maintain his name to this day.

Straszki of the body, aware of the monetary values ​​of such a main specimen, concluded a contract with an outstanding professor of anatomy. It was a time when human corpses were inscribed to study in anatomy schools, because only the bodies of the criminals made were used in accordance with the law.

Public outrage, which occurred after the revelation of the removal of the remains of Donnelly, prompted the recipient to give away “fishing” for the Reburial, but nobody noticed that he was overwhelming the figure fell back to the grave, she was incomplete.

The same right shoulder, which knocked so many enemies, was broken and was to be a popular, though macabre public attraction for the next 200 years.

Among the various buyers was Frank Bradley, the editor of The Mirror of Life, who showed a mummified arm over 100 years ago in a glass housing and generously invited visitors to call and watch in his office in London.

In the 1950s he returned to Ireland, in Hideout Pub in Kilcullen, what Kildare, just a few miles from the scene of the eminent Donnelly triumphs on Curragh.

There was curiosity for guests to discuss the mug and sandwich until 2006, when the pub was sold. Since then, the most unusual sports relic in the world has been stored in private property.

The biography of Patrick Myler Dan Donnelly, published for the first time in 1976, was released again in 2010 in a changed edition entitled “Dan Donnelly, 1788-1820, Pugilist, Publican, Playboy”.