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.

By Miles Templeton

America produced a enduring world -class stream in the 70s.

Men such as Marvin Hagler, Vito Antoufermo, Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, Tony Licata, Mike Rossman, Mike Baker, Bennie Briscoe, Eddie Gregory and Willie Monroe together. One of the first who called here was the volume of “The Bomb” by Bethea, a hardly striking warrior from Harlem in Modern York. Bethea, born in 1944, has already undergone 10 rounds with Carlos Monzon, losing only because of the divided decision, and stopped Nino Benvenuti in the seventh, before he made his debut in Great Britain in 1970.

He was brought to fight Marek Rowe in December this year, and the program notes a competition that “Bethea is fighting only one style, falls into his opponents and shoots with low blows from all sides.” Rowe won and lost the British title at the beginning of this year and was at a crossroads. It was his 30th Royal Albert Hall competition that turned out to be unlucky.

In a very tight romance, Judge Harry Gibbs gave him Bethei by only one round. Bn They thought at least participation in the distinction. The rematch was natural, and when they both met again, 10 months later in the same place, Bethea repeated his victory, this time more final. Rowe was far behind when the scalp wounded, caused by the clash in the fifth round, and the badly cut eye turned out to be too enormous for its corner and was pulled out in ninth place.

Rowe coach, Bill Chevalley, was dissatisfied with the amount of illegal work, which Bethea used, but Bn Hit your nails in the head, stating that “Bethea had a very good ninth round and looked in a much better shape than the duty. Despite the admirable Marek, there was no sense to let him go to the last round. “

Lightweight Lithe, Johnny Franham, overtook Ba Souvenal tonight, and a match was performed between Franham and Bethea, in Royal Albert Hall, in January 1972. Senior place and was very joyful to boost the division of weight to deal with the reading fighter. Johnny spent most of the early rounds showing up. Bn He did not pull any blows: “Frankham was his ordinary, annoyed, irritating, frustrating himself, smiling and his hands held at his side. In the first half of the fight, Johnny did Peddling and Bethea persecution. “The delayed Franham rally was not enough, and Bethea won his third competition in Great Britain, and judge Harry Gibbs shot him the winners for two rounds. Earlier in the evening, in great nervousness, Mark Rowe was destroyed by Howard Sharpe in just 50 seconds.

The stage was prepared for the US import to fight the British champion, Bunny Sterling, in the next 10-Rund Albert Hall. Saint fighter Pancrras was considered tests, despite the British form of Bethei, but once again the American organized and built the lead at the beginning of the ninth. Harry Gibbs did not have an alternative how to stop the competition when after the clash of Bethea’s head, he staggered seriously with his left eyelid. After the fight, Tom said that “Sterling is a good applicant, not a bad puncher. I don’t know how far I am in the front, I just fight. “

Bethea’s fifth and last fight took place at the World Sporting Club, Mayfair and this time it was really put in place. Phil Matthews was a great impact of the average weight with Rossendale in Lancashire and was then a real perspective. He flattened Bethea in three rounds in a television competition. After lighting the British rings for two years, Tom returned to the States and gave up the game in 1978.