JOHN HENRY LEWIS w pts 15 LEN HARVEY
November 9, 1936
HARVEY is unlikely to register with many attending this weekend’s occasion however he was a real British nice from yesteryear.
As is the case with many boxers working again then, his file on modern-day web site, BoxRec, solely tells a part of the story. On the time of his demise in 1976, Reuters reported that Harvey, who boxed in each weight class from flyweight to heavyweight throughout a 23-year profession, had misplaced simply 10 of his 414 bouts. BoxRec record his stats as 122-14-10 (57).
Not up for dispute is that Harvey, possible in decline and with a loss to British rival Jack Peterson in his latest previous, was merely not adequate to take the excellent champion Henry Lewis’ crown. In actual fact, Harvey – additionally performing as a promoter for the occasion – did nicely to listen to the ultimate bell inside Wembley’s Empire Pool.
Alongside his father, Henry Lewis arrived in Southampton in October after travelling to the UK on the SS President Roosevelt, an ocean liner that went out of service following WWII.
The champion injured his eye in coaching and it flared up once more through the battle however was by no means actually any concern. Harvey, who took fairly the shellacking, ended the bout with a swollen eye, a busted nostril and a large factors loser.
ninth November 1936: Len Harvey and John Henry Lewis weigh in forward of their battle at Wembley Stadium (David Savill/Topical Press Company/Getty Pictures)
FREDDIE MILLS w pts 15 GUS LESNEVICH
July 26, 1948
LESNEVICH had been pushed exhausting by Mills in a world title defence at Haringey Area two years earlier.
Mills, in his first battle for 15 months, had rallied from being dropped thrice within the second to interrupt the champion’s nostril and go away his left eye closing earlier than dramatically falling aside within the tenth.
The rematch went forward in entrance of greater than 46,000 followers at White Metropolis Stadium and the sensation was, Mills had a greater likelihood this time.
Lesnevich – now 33 years outdated and the “Russian Lion” (he had Russian and American parentage – hadn’t boxed at 175lbs for the reason that first battle with Mills and regarded drained on the weigh-in. The event made Mills nervous in his altering room earlier than a comic got here in to assist settle him and he made a breakthrough contained in the opening seconds of the battle, slicing open a lower on Lesnevich’s proper eyebrow with a counter.
Mills quickly opened a wound over the champion’s different eye and it turned clear Lesnevich was not the fighter he was. The proper hand that had repeatedly landed on Mills within the first battle got here out slower and Mills was capable of choose his moments to win quiet rounds.
Twice the referee requested for extra from each fighters and Mills put his punches collectively within the tenth to drop Lesnevich twice.
He acquired up and probably shaded the thirteenth earlier than Mills stepped up the tempo within the final two rounds to ensure of the choice.
14th Could 1946: Gus Lesnevich shakes the hand of Freddie Mills in London (Davies/Topical Press Company/Getty Pictures)
BOB FOSTER w ko 14 CHRIS FINNEGAN
September 26, 1972
FOSTER was an impressive champion. The 6 ft 3 ½ins tall box-puncher had develop into champion by flattening Dick Tiger with a left hook in Could, 1968 and got here to London for his eleventh defence.
On the Empire Pool (now Wembley Area), British champion Finnegan was anticipated to go the identical means as Foster’s earlier 10 challengers and there have been instances within the opening rounds when it appeared a matter of time earlier than the southpaw from Iver Heath, Bucks, fell from a Foster proper hand.
Finnegan saved taking the shot and firing again to get the group at Wembley Area behind him and there have been big roars when he held his personal with Foster in an trade within the seventh and put him on the again foot for the primary time within the subsequent.
Foster responded with some clear rights late within the eighth and that was the punch that put Finnegan down within the tenth. As he had accomplished all through the battle, Finnegan punched again when he was harm and he had his successes, although Foster’s blows had extra impact.
There have been boos when Foster acquired on his toes within the eleventh and twelfth and when he planted his ft within the thirteenth, Finnegan, lower over each eyes and his nostril bloodied by then, began to land punches once more.
Finnegan stayed within the battle till the 14th when he shipped a proper hand and landed on the seat of his trunks.
Shattered, bloodied and harm, Finnegan didn’t transfer whereas he was counted out.
twenty sixth September 1972: Chris Finnegan and Bob Foster (Roger Jackson/Central Press/Getty Pictures)
JOHN CONTEH w pts 15 JORGE AHUMADA
October 1, 1974
HARRY CARPENTER informed BBC viewers through the 14th spherical they had been watching what was “shaping as much as be the best evening in British boxing historical past for over 20 years.”
By that stage, Conteh had taken cost in opposition to the Argentine, simply as the colorful Liverpudlian had predicted.
The 23-year-old had been ringside in Albuquerque 4 months earlier to observe Ahumada problem Foster. That battle was scored a draw after Foster’s late rally, however Conteh wasn’t alone in pondering Ahumada deserved higher.
Foster clearly wasn’t happy together with his efficiency, saying his retirement weeks later. Although he later reversed the choice, the WBA and WBC belts had been vacant with the latter being on the road right here.
Conteh fancied he might outlast the Argentine at Wembley’s Empire Pool and that was the way it turned out. There have been some gruelling rounds within the first half earlier than Conteh was capable of get behind his polished lead hand and rating with left hooks to go away Ahumada’s left eye swelling shut from the eleventh.
Conteh nonetheless shipped just a few strong pictures within the 14th earlier than dominating the final.
He would later say it was his “spirit” that “dragged me by means of” to win by 5 rounds and he celebrated in model.
The proprietor of a close-by nightclub despatched champagne to the brand new champion’s dressing room and he remembered: “We drank the champagne and used the ice to ease the swellings on my face.”
John Conteh assaults Jorge Ahumada at Wembley on October 1, 1974 (Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Pictures)
JEFF HARDING w pts 12 DENNIS ANDRIES
September 11, 1991
HARDING gained the primary battle in Atlantic Metropolis, Andries levelled the rating in Melbourne and the decider went forward on the Hammersmith Odeon – ultimately.
The structure needed to be rearranged earlier than well being and security officers mentioned the battle might go forward and on the evening, a Wednesday, Andries took the mistaken turning out of his altering room, delaying his entrance. Andries and Harding had no hassle discovering one another as soon as the opening bell rang.
Harding tried to field – however needed to battle simply to maintain Andries off him.
“Each spherical was a conflict,” mentioned promoter Mickey Duff afterwards and the back-and-forth motion within the 11th spherical had BBC commentator Harry Carpenter gasping: “Have you ever ever seen something prefer it?”
The twelfth spherical would determine their trilogy on the scorecards and Harding gained it to take a majority choice. There have been those that thought Andries was exhausting accomplished by and Harding didn’t seem like a winner afterwards.
He was lower round each eyes and round an hour after the battle, he had hassle remembering what had occurred.
“Yeah I did take just a few punches,” he mentioned, “however that’s okay. It’s not desk tennis.”
A few years later, in dialog with Boxing Information, Harding mirrored on his rivalry with Andries: “He was like your worst nightmare,” he mentioned, “like some demonic Duracell bunny. He simply saved coming for you.”
11 SEP 1991: Dennis Andries ships a left hook from Jeff Harding throughout their WBC light-heavyweight title battle in London
CLINTON WOODS w pts 12 GLEN JOHNSON
September 2, 2006
WOODS was pondering over a profession change after Johnson gave him “a little bit of a pasting” of their rematch. He had been thought-about lucky to get away with a draw of their first battle as nicely.
However after just a few weeks spent adorning his home, Woods had a rethink and ended up beating Rico Hoye for the IBF title vacated by Johnson, who took a extra profitable battle in opposition to Antonio Tarver as a substitute.
He shared two fights with Tarver and back-to-back wins following defeat within the rematch gave 38-year-old Johnson a shot at Woods for the belt.
“Our types collided,” was how Woods remembered the battle. “It was brutal.”
The ninth spherical was particularly brutal for the champion from Sheffield. He went again to his stool praying Johnson didn’t have one other comparable three minutes left in him.
He didn’t, and as was the case in a lot of his fights, Woods completed the stronger. So desperately drained was Johnson on the closing bell he didn’t even have the power to boost his arms and his work within the championship rounds noticed Woods house by way of cut up choice.
Johnson and Woods throughout their battle in 2006 (Photograph by John Gichigi/Getty Pictures)
SERGEY KOVALEV w rsf 4 NATHAN CLEVERLY
August 17, 2013
CLEVERLY mentioned he had been “very impressed” by what he had seen of Kovalev earlier than they fought.
He was much more impressed as soon as the battle acquired underway.
“I might really feel it [Kovalev’s power] on my shoulders and arms and I mentioned to myself: ‘No matter you do, don’t get caught cleanly…’”
Cleverly did get hit cleanly – and the WBO strap modified palms.
That had been the expectation of US broadcasters HBO once they headed to Cardiff, whereas Frank Warren hoped he would see a repeat of the Joe Calzaghe-Jeff Lacy masterclass when an overhyped challenger was put in his place.
There was an ice-cool confidence in regards to the smirking Kovalev through the referee’s directions earlier than the battle and as soon as the bell rang, the Russian was straight right down to enterprise.
He took the centre of the ring and let his punches circulation in threes and fours.
Cleverly stood his floor and tried to get his jab working, however the weight and quantity of the challenger’s punches put him on the again foot.
Cleverly opened a nick beneath Kovalev’s proper eyebrow within the second, however the Russian nonetheless gained the spherical and buckled the champion’s legs with a easy mixture within the third.
Cleverly bravely waved him forwards and Kovalev blasted him to his knees with a pair of rights. By no means beforehand off his ft, Cleverly was up shortly and was quickly punched to his knees once more.
Kovalev had him on rubbery legs once more earlier than the bell and dropped him for a 3rd time earlier than it was waved off within the fourth.
Kovalev and Cleverly battle in 2013 (Scott Heavey/Getty Pictures)
DMITRY BIVOL w pts 12 CRAIG RICHARDS
Could 1, 2021
TO SEE the place Bivol is at the moment – the conqueror of Canelo Alvarez, the one rival to Beterbiev’s declare to be the world’s main light-heavyweight and among the finest fighters in any weight class – it feels peculiar that he fought inside an empty nook of the Manchester Area as just lately as 19 months in the past.
The Russian’s expertise was recognized to the hardcore and Richards was rightly deemed an enormous outsider to nab Bivol’s WBA strap, because the pandemic saved followers at bay. Bivol didn’t drastically impress on this evening, nevertheless.
Whether or not combating under himself as a consequence of the pin-drop ambiance or – extra possible – content material he was doing sufficient to win, Richards turned in a spirited effort to go away his nook satisfied he’d accomplished sufficient to win.
Removed from a memorable or thrilling battle, Richards took his time to search out the assumption that he actually belonged as Bivol, proper arm cocked and able to fireplace when required, boxed his option to an early lead. The Londoner unquestionably improved through the second half of the bout however most members of the media felt that the 118-110 tally from decide Giuseppe Quartarone in Bivol’s favour was a extra correct reflection of what transpired than the a lot nearer scores of 115-114 and 115-113 from Steve Grey and Yury Kopstev respectively.
Bivol and Richards in 2021 (Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)