By Miles Templeton

Before the First World War, Wales was a real force in international boxing. The game was of course dominated by America, but together with Great Britain, France and Australia also producing world -class fighters, Wales more than they had their own.

The first three owners of Lonsdale belts came from Wales, and Freddie Welsh won the first, Tom Thomas Second and Jim Driscoll Third. Jimmy Wilde, certainly the best Flyweight created by Great Britain, began his career in 1911. In a half -year scale, Johnny Basham won the British title in 1914 and the title Empire five years later. In the valleys and coal mines in southern Wales there were many arduous men who would eventually convey their skills to the next generation, leading to people like Frank Moody, Tommy Farr and Cuthbert Taylor in the 1920s and 1930s.

The first belt owner, Freddie Welsh, was born in Pontipridd, but went to the States as a very adolescent man to continue his professional career. He had his first competition in 1905 in Philadelphia, in a city where he resisted most of his career. Finally, he won the world title in 1914, deciding by Willie Ritchie in 20 rounds in Olympia, Kensington. After learning trading in America, he returned to Wales for the first time in 1907, remaining for 10 months and winning all 10 of his competitions. He also devoted time to Jim Driscoll in six -curing without a decision in St. Hill Horse Fayre, north of Cowbridge. This year there were two stands at Fayre, and they both met in one belonging to Frank Gess, and their boxing was perfectly received by those who are lucky to be witnesses.

Welsh returned to Great Britain in 1909, raised European and then British titles, and then defeated the Great Packey McFarland at the National Sporting Club. Driscoll traveled in the opposite direction in 1908, crossing the Atlantic to take a very successful trip around America, which ended in the 10-rounds of the competition without decision-making with the great Abe Attell. Driscoll left American, and the decision in the newspaper went on his way. He returned to Great Britain, twice defended his British featherweight title, winning the Lonsdale belt, and then the whole conversation was a legitimate competition that will take place in Wales, between Welsh and Driscoll. It was a huge fight, perhaps the most significant and most evenly adapted to every British fight in the years preceding 1914.

It was natural that Cardiff, the Welsh capital and the hometown of Driscoll should visit this event. At that time, regular places in the city were Badminton Club and Palace Theater, but no place was gigantic enough, so the American ice rink, built just two years earlier and located on Westgate Street in the heart of the city, was chosen.

Ten thousand people appeared in the competition, a huge crowd for an internal party at that time, and the chances were very Welsh. Weighing took place that day, just like at that time, but they could not agree. Driscoll wanted it about the first, and Freddie an hour later. In the event that Driscoll won this little Spar, and Welsh decided to enter the ring an hour overdue to regain the advantage. Love was not lost between them.

The competition turned out to be unsatisfactory Bn Describing the matter as “wild, cruel, disappointing, catastrophic duel.” After 10 rounds of gritty tactics, Driscoll, whose “lips rose with wild anger, his eyes burned with fire, and the jaws rotted with powerless anger.” This is a tragedy that they both never fought again. Driscoll contracted tuberculosis and died in 1925. Freddie died just two years later, in extreme poverty.

By Miles Templeton

When I started following boxing, Eddie Smith was one of my favorite warriors. The dissatisfied warrior from the Manchester Nat Basso camp, Eddie, turned to professionals in 1976, defeating Cyril Bishton Derby three times at the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool. Top of the Bill saw that Pat Thompson won Central Area Featherlight Heveight Crown after almost 60 competitions as a high -quality journeyman.

Eddie did not set fire to the world as an amateur, and therefore his debut became largely unnoticed. He was only 17 at the time and he was a very adolescent age to become a professional warrior in the mid -1970s. As a result, each of his first seven competitions was constrained to four rounds, and Eddie was one of the first “boxers”. Last year, a ruling was introduced, allowing boxers at the age of 17 to compete for the first time in many years. Eddie won his first six times only 11 days after the age of 18 and ended 1976 with seven wins of eight competitions. His stable was included in Kenny Webber, Winston Cousins ​​and Danny McLoughlin, all trained by this great character of Manchester, Brian Hughes.

In 1977, Eddie continued to study his trade, giving up the decision of Howard Mills and Jimmy Pickard, both good quality medium -sized, but winning with such as Steve Fenton, Joe Lally and Bob Tuckett. He won four out of five in 1978, and then got his first great break, arriving as a behind schedule substitute for Tony Sibson in the eight round at Royal Albert Hall.

Sibson lost only one of 19 competitions and was rated the fourth number in the British medium scale rankings, with Smith at the age of 15. “Sibbo” boxed terribly that night, claiming that he had been dried. He stated that he lost $ 19 during the fighting week, the last four of which were thrown in the sauna on the day of the competition. Fortunately, this will never be allowed.

Bn He informed that “from sixth Smith became stronger while Sibson disappeared. Tony was on the verge of real problems when he took these rights to his head and was hit by a salute of cruel two -handed hooks on the side of the body after seventh. ” Eddie was over him and deserved to win points.

Until now, Smith has changed managers, connecting to Ernie Fossey. Brian Hughes also joined Fossey Stable, taking Danny Miller, Lee Hartshorn and Lance Williams, all boys from Manchester, with him at his move to the south. Sibson Win pushed Eddie to six in Great Britain and continued to improve, despite the abandonment of a narrow 10-round decision at Sibson in their return in March 1979. By the end of the year, Eddie took only John Conteh and Denniss Andries in the third place in the weighty lightweight league victory over Bonny McKenzie Cardiff. Then Tom Collins upset Apppecart, defeating Smith in Midlands Sporting Club, Solihull.

After losing to Eddie Burke, Smith took over the bill at the Grand National Show at the Liverpool stadium. Eddie came as a behind schedule substitute Frankie Lucas and stuck the American, Johnny Heard in five rounds. In 1981, Eddie at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas defeated Rafael Zamor in three rounds the same night, when Alan Minter was beaten by Mustafa Hamsho.

Continuing his trade until 1987, transferring the bill in Belle Vue and defeating men such as Frank Wissenbach and Blaine Logsdon at a distance, it all ended for Eddie at the Blazer night club in Windsor, when adolescent Nigel Benn stopped him in the round. Eddie won 29 of his 45 duels and left high. Later years were not nice to Eddie, he suffered a bad car accident shortly after retiring, but I remember him as an excellent warrior.

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.