By Miles Templeton

There are some British fights for the title, which really stand out in memory, both in terms of the quality of the duel and the emotions caused by the action. When the British title meant much more than it seems, some clear examples were the lightweight Eric Boon-Arthur Danahar competition in 1938, the Great Alan Minter-Kevin Finnegan trilogy in the mid-1970s and three competitions between Jackie Brown and Bert Kirby in the years 1929–1931. Another one, which I was always very interested in, is between Stan Hawthorn and Billy Thompson in a lithe level in 1947.

Thompson came from Hickleton Main, the village of Pit near Thurnscoe, in West Yorkshire. This area had a tradition of producing demanding men, and Hickleton Main ABC was the best amateur club that turned out to be masters, including Thompson, who won the lithe ABA championship in 1945, and Ronnie Latham, who won the same title five years later.

Meanwhile, Hawthorne was a great fighter from North Shields, a fishing port of 10 miles north of Tyne from Newcastle. North Shields also produced his candid participation in tough warriors, and Spike Robson and Paul Charters stand out. Hawthorne’s father, who also fought in the great war, was saved from the beaches in Dunkierka, his brother Ronnie took part in D-Day landings, and the state he was born in 1923 spent 17 months in the army.

Hawthorne fought Thompson seven times as an amateur, all duels take place in 1944 and 1945, they lost six of them, but winning the last knockout in Hickleton Main. After releasing from the army, he did not waste time transforming professionals, quickly gaining a gigantic reputation in the rings around Liverpool and Blackpool, where the state was based.

Thompson also changed the professional in 1945, but with manager Benny Huntman signing him after the victory Abba Billy leaned in London. The following year, he won 20 at the trot and was adapted with Hawthorne with the lithe title Northern Area.

At that time, the northern area was covered by Lancashire and Yorkshire, as well as the northeast, but it is still amazing to notice that 18,000 people appeared to see the fight for the title on Anfield, the Liverpool FC house. The fight also received official recognition as an eliminator of the British title in which he organized Ronnie James. Hawthorne disrupted the chances that night, telling Yorkshireman in battle Bn Described as “one continuous thrill”.

James retired after losing in 1946 with Ike Williams for the title of world champion, so Thompson and Hawthorne were again broadcast to the free British title in October 1947, again to Anfield. From the competition in 1946, each of them got involved in many competitions with only two losses; Thompson lost Andre Famechon and Hawthorne to Josef Preys. With many subsequent victories was waiting for a return.

Bn He sat on the fence, stating that “there is no doubt that these two adolescent people will provide another spectacular and exhilarating battle that, which, If the distance goesHe will be questioned very carefully again. “

Two men could both hit and in the distance of victory in one way or another. This time 20,000 appeared, and Thompson was not in the mood to give Hawthorne time to settle. He took out in the North Shields Man from the very beginning and both exchanged demanding blows in the sensational first round, and the awards go to Thompson. In the second Billy he blew up Hawthorne three times on canvas, and the bell saved him from a knockout at eight. The third turned out to be the last of Groggy Hawthorne, completely out -calaved and poorly damaged, saved by a judge. Hawthorne fought, with various successes, until 1951, while Thompson retired in 1953 after adding a European title to his British crown.

By Miles Templeton

Liverpool Stadium hosted many great fights in its 53-year history and opened and closed the title with British eliminators.

At the top of the account last night in 1985, Horace knocked out the local hero Noel Quarless in seven rounds in the fight in massive weight. The notification was won by the British title the following year after the arrest of Hughroy Currie on the island of Man. When the room opened in 1932, he replaced the elderly stadium, which was located in the nearby Pudsey Street. The novel place could accommodate 4000, and each place was taken at night to see how Stoker Reynolds from Portsmouth will stop another local hero, Alf Howard, in the eliminator of the British semi -edible title.

There was a very committed crowd of fighting in the city, which regularly appeared every Thursday evening to watch who was on the account, local or not. Sometimes two men from the city reached the peak at the same time, and the resulting competition really lives a place. One of these fights took place in 1956, when Pat Mcaateer fought Billy Ellaway.

Mcaateer was the prevailing master of the British medium weight and came from Birkenhead, on the other side of Mersey from the city center. He was always known as patmac and had huge supporters. The Mcaateer family produced many good boxers, including Gordon, Les and Neill, all lively in the 1960s. Pat was also the uncle of Jason Mcaateer, Liverpool player from the 90s. He won his British title in the previous year and retired as an undefeated British champion in 1958 after winning the Lonsdale belt.

Billy Ellaway came from Bootle, north of the city, and every boy is approaching from opposite sides of the river, the competition between them became even more intense. Ellaway boxed from 1950, two years longer than Mcaateer, and they were both born in 1932. Ellaway was a sensation at the stadium, he never seemed in a lifeless fight. When they both met in August 1956, Billy was rated number two in Great Britain.

He was recently beaten by Lew Lazar in the last eliminator of the Mcaateer title at the stadium. Mcaateer watched from the ring how Lazar “served a shiny show of speedy, skillful and effective defensive boxing” to state a warrior from Liverpool. The whole Liverpool wanted to see how Mcaateer fights for the title, so Billy’s defeat was a great disappointment not only for himself, but for the whole city. Nevertheless, two men were tailored to the 10-Rund, which served as a warm-up to defend Mcaateer against Lazar, which took place two months later.

Two men met in 11 pounds, two pounds above the championships. Mcaateer, who soon left these banks on the American concert tour, did not have a mood to do it with another defeat under the belt. Recently, he was overtaken in 10-Rund by Tiberio Mitri in Rome and now it has only done this victory. That is why he received a shock of his life when Ellaway, after a quick start, caught patter with a large shot. Bn He informed that “Billy broke into the middle with a neat left hook, and then in the flash he hit the right cross of Sianmaker. He caught Pat partly on his nose and left cheek. Down he went to one knee for eight, seriously shocked and with blood flowing down his nose. ” It was just a kind of blow for which fans loved Ellaway, and the stadium was involved when they returned to the bends.

For the next nine rounds, Mcaateer did not risk, processing his rival with the master’s performance. At the end of the judge of the competition, Fred Blakeborough accidentally raised Ellaway’s hand. After realizing his mistake, he repaired everything and raised his hand to Mcaateer. We informed that “the biggest battle of Mersby Derby for many years”.

By Miles Templeton

In 1912, when the cosmopolitan gymnasium in Plymouth was one of the most significant places of fighting in Great Britain, a juvenile boy who approached the name “Rabbitts”, entered the ring to fight the last professional competition.

Such names of the rings were not unusual in the days before licensing and “Rabbitts”, along with “Black Bob”, “Student of Jagi” and “Duffin’s Nipper” fought there many times, although today it would be very hard to identify them positively. These are the joys of running records, and “Rabbitts” is only partially mentioned in Boxrec. From 1908 I traced 32 competitions, and he won only six of them. He was the bottom of the fighter Bill, who gave himself everything in six runes. His last fight was against a decent boy from nearby Stonehouse, and “Rabbitts” fell to the inevitable loss of points.

That same night, much higher, Tom McCormick had his second competition in the city. Dundalk, McCormick came to England in his youth and served in the Manchester regiment as a private. After a decent boxing career in the army, Tom began to treat things more seriously in 1912, winning all five competitions before arriving in Plymouth. After throwing Jacek Marx in one round in June 1912 in his debut Plymouth, he was adapted to the fight with Taylor from South Africa, over 15 rounds, on the night where “Rabbitts” bowed.

I like to think that Tom and “Rabbitts” could mention a few words in the cloakroom that night. Tom was a former soldier, and “Rabbitts” planned to join the army.

Bn The editor, John Murray, opened his editorial article on July 19, 1916 with the following words: “Tom McCormick was the first of our first professional boxers who went to the shooting line, and now he was the first to appear on the roll of the roll of the roll of the roll honor . “Tom was killed during the Battle of Somme in July 1916. His good buddy and colleague Boxer, Corporal Jim Winspear, was with him when he died and told about the details of his last moments: “He was of the last one to last. He is commemorated in Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

Tom had a great career, winning the title of British welterweight in 1914 under the 20-round decision about Johnny Summers, from all places, Rushcutters Bay Stadium in Sydney, Australia. It was the same place where Jacek Johnson V Tommy Burns World Heavyweight hosted the title six years earlier. McCormick became the first warrior who won the British title abroad and repeated the feat in the same ring five weeks later, this time knocking out years, which was a great warrior, in the first round.

Five weeks later, Tom lost the title of Matt Wells of Lambeth, again in the same ring. In just 10 weeks Tom Won, he defended and then lost the British title, and each competition took place on the other side of the world.

McCormick returned to Great Britain later the same year and fought six more times. He registered again immediately after the war, joining his aged regiment, and as Murray put him in his editorial article: “He not only joined, but also asked to send to the front as soon as possible.”

To sum up his tribute to McCormick, Murray ended with the following words: “McCormick was the Idol of the Boxing World Plymouth, who lost another aged favorite in the private place of Ah Wilson with 3^Rd The shooters brigade, better known in Plymouth circles as “rabbitts”. Wilson was killed in action, but not earlier than the Distinguished Conduct medal won for his bravery at the Battle of Armmentieres in October 1914. “