London Boxing History
@LDNBOXHISTORY
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Stirring up British boxing memories from yesteryear with iconic and quirky photographs and articles. No credit attached to photographs used.
Joined July 2017
Fantastic to see Marvin Hagler finally get his statue in Brockton today. Long may boxing continue to honour our greats ❤️🥊
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“When I retired and went back on the tools I was just known as “Ken The Joiner”, my work pals didn’t know I was Ken Buchanan the boxer as I wore a cap, glasses and beard. One day I got asked for an autograph and one of the lads said “Jesus, Ken! You must be some fucking joiner!!”
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Without doubt, one of the saddest ever tweets i’ve posted. RIP Ken Buchanan. One of THE greatest fighters ever to have come from the U.K. I think Ken’s reputation will grow with time. I for one - as I’m sure many will, am raising a wee dram for the great Scotsman tonight 🥊❤️🏴
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What a wonderful picture of the legendary duo of Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali from 1988.
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Just read on another site that former middleweight king Alan Minter has passed away. Very, very sad news, RIP Champ 🥊
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Wishing the late, great Ken Buchanan a fine send off as the former World Lightweight Champion of The World is laid to rest in his beloved Edinburgh later today. 🏴❤️🥊
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A young Prince Naseem Hamed sits at the feet of the late, great Brendan Ingle after another day at his iconic Wincobank gym, Sheffield in October 1986.
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John Conteh unveiling the long awaited Sir Henry Cooper Statue…. 📹
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Happy 70th Birthday to Dave “Boy” Green, a fighter who was unlucky to run into two all-time greats in Carlos Palomino and Sugar Ray Leonard in his pursuit of a World Title.
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“I make my living by producing winners. That’s what I do so I know what I’m talking about. But the key in boxing isn’t the sculptor- it’s the marble.” - Emanuel Steward
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Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell leads middleweight Michael Watson onto the Highbury pitch in 1993 after his remarkable recovery from surgery
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A very Happy 70th Birthday to an under appreciated British boxing legend in Dennis Andries!! 🥊#TheHackneyRock
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What a brilliant picture of the @Klitschko and Spinks brothers all together. Four World Heavyweight Champions from just 2 families!!
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Absolutely fantastic statue of one of our finest boxers to come from these shores unveiled today - Ken Buchanan. Hope to pay a visit here in the near future!!!! A long overdue accolade
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Reading unconfirmed reports that the great Kirkland Laing has passed away. What an incredible - although unfulfilled, talent he really was. The Gifted One. One of our very best.
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Johnny Nelson looks on as a 12 year old Ryan Rhodes takes on the elusive Herol “Bomber” Graham at the Ingle Gym, Wincobank in November 1988.
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“Gypsy” John Fury - father of current World Heavyweight Champion @Tyson_Fury, launches his professional career in 1987.
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Fabulous photograph of the great Rocky Marciano outside The Coliseum in Rome, posted up by his son Rocky Jnr on Facebook yesterday.
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Heavyweight Frank Bruno is pictured at The Royal Oak in Canning Town in June 1986.
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Congratulations to @MbeDuke on todays recognition of his fantastic achievements. Long may it continue for our boxing heroes 🥊👍🏻
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Happy 57th Birthday to Micheal Watson - one of our finest pugilists and a incredible human too. 🥊
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John Conteh, Colin Hart and Billy Walker in front of Henry’s statue yesterday. Boxing royalty 🤴
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Heavyweight Frank Bruno is joined on his morning run around London’s Hampstead Heath by “The Police” frontman Sting in 1988
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Herol “Bomber” Graham gets in some roadwork under the industrial backdrop of his adopted city of Sheffield in November 1984.
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Looks like Alan Minter is getting a fine send off down in Crawley judging by some of the videos on social media today. A fitting send off for an icon of British boxing - RIP Champ
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The legendary Roberto Duran meets British counterpart Nigel Benn on a 1988 trip to London.
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The Rose and Crown in Chorley has temporarily changed the name of the pub to honour its local hero Jack Catterall. 🥊🥊
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“Prince Phillip once said to me - do you look at their gloves or their eyes when you’re fighting? I told him I always look at the gloves. When he asked why I look at the gloves and not at the eyes, I replied well a pair of eyes has never punched me in the face!!!”Ken Buchanan MBE
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Mike Tyson and Frank Bruno look the best of friends as they pose for a promotional photograph prior to their 1989 World Heavyweight Title fight at The Hilton, Las Vegas
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Ran the Rocky Steps today and also took a “Rocky Film Tour” around Philly. I know they’re not everyone cup of tea but I loved the movies growing up. Was great to stand outside Micks Gym!.Great day 🇺🇸 Off to the old Joe Frazier Gym in North Philly tomorrow, photos to follow.
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Poster for the 2011 British Heavyweight Championship between @Tyson_Fury and Dereck Chisora at Wembley Arena #London
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A very Happy 70th Birthday to Bethnal Green’s former British and WBC World Welterweight Champion John H Stracey.
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Was nearby today so paid a visit to Freddie Mills’ grave at Camberwell New Cemetery. It was a bit neglected so I gave it a spruce up and laid some flowers. Best I could do with my bare hands, a bottle of mineral water, and some supermarket roses. Before and after 👍🏻🥊
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Happy 64th Birthday to the evergreen Herol “Bomber” Graham. Have a marvellous day champ!!!!
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The brilliant “Big Fight” commentary duo of Jim Watt and Reg Gutteridge are pictured at the ITV Studios in May 1984.
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“He’s impossible to hit. How can you beat someone that you can’t hit!” - Mark Kaylor on his 1986 defeat to elusive rival “Herol “Bomber” Graham.
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Waking up to the absolutely devastating news that the great Marvin Hagler has unexpectedly passed away at the age of just 66. A bona fide all time great, the former middleweight king is pictured below at the Craven Arms, Battersea before his 1980 fight with Alan Minter. #RIPChamp
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East End boxing icon and former WBC Flyweight Champion of the World - Charlie Magri, who turns 66 today. Happy Birthday champ 🥊🥊
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A belt laden Lloyd Honeyghan arrives at Heathrow Airport after writing his name into British boxing folklore with a famous victory over the unbeaten Donald “Cobra” Curry in Atlantic City in September 1986.
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Middleweight champion Alan Minter at The Thomas A’Becket in 1980.
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Thirty years ago today Nigel Benn floored the hard Iran “The Blade” Barkley three times in the opening round in Las Vegas to retain his WBO Middleweight Title. An underrated win by a Brit abroad.
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A triumphant Lloyd Honeyghan shows off his new World Title belts on an open top bus tour around South London following his epic 1986 defeat of Donald Curry in Atlantic City.
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22 year old Herol “Bomber” Graham picks ups the prestigious “Young Boxer Of The Year Award” at The Boxing Writers Club annual dinner in London in January 1982.
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Two of Britain’s finest fighting sons - Alan Minter and Henry Cooper 🥊🇬🇧
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Happy Birthday to former British Champion Tony Sibson aka “Sibbo” who turns 65 today🥊❤️
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Legenay trainer Brendan Ingle shows off his Wincobank stable of Johnny Nelson, Fidel Castro Smith (aka “Slugger O’Toole”) and Herol “Bomber” Graham in October 1989
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#London comes to a standstill as new WBC World Heavyweight Champion Frank Bruno leads an open top bus parade to celebrate his victory over Oliver McCall at Wembley Stadium in September 1995
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Frank Bruno displays his newly acquired EBU Heavyweight Belt after destroying Swede Anders Eklund at Wembley in October 1985.
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Brilliant photograph of Naz relaxing with a copy of Boxing News. I know he divides opinions but I loved him
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The iconic duo of Brendan Ingle and Herol “Bomber” Graham at The Wincobank Gym, Sheffield in November 1984.
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I’ve posted this before but it’s absolute gold. The Royal Oak team of Frank Black, Frank Bruno, Terry Lawless and Jimmy Tibbs pose as Murdock, BA, Hannibal and Face from TV’s “The A-Team” in September 1985.
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Terry Lawless stablemates Charlie Magri and Frank Bruno pose for a 1985 publicity shot
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Happy 64th Birthday to one of Britain’s toughest champions in Leicester’s Tony Sibson. “Sibbo” is pictured here as an 18 year old 8-0 middleweight before his 1976 fight with Tim McHugh at The Gala Baths, West Bromwich.
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Happy 69th Birthday to one of the greatest British fighters to ever lace ‘em up and one of my personal favourites. The sublime John Conteh. 🎂 🥊
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On this day 43 years ago, the great Marvin Hagler had his only professional fight on U.K soil when taking Alan Minter’s World Middleweight Title at Wembley on a night marred by crowd trouble. Hagler would be pelted with missiles in the ring after the referee waved it off in RD3.
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Herol “Bomber” Graham makes easy money as he takes on all comers at a Yorkshire Working Man’s Club in 1985. The British champion would sometimes tie his hands behind his back in an effortless show of his ghost like elusiveness in the ring.
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Highbury Stadium - home of @Arsenal F.C plays host to 46,000 fight fans as brash American Muhammad Ali takes on hometown hero Henry Cooper in a May 1966 rematch. Ali would stop a badly cut Cooper in RD6
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John Conteh running through the streets of Philadelphia before his 1975 win over Willie Taylor.
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A focused Marvin Hagler shadow boxing at Freddie Hill’s Craven Arms Gym, Battersea before his 1980 challenge to Alan Minter for the middleweight title at Wembley.
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“I can’t dance, I can’t write, I can’t sing but man can I fight” - Dennis Andries 👊🏿
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Remembering the late, great Welsh boxing legend Johnny Owen who 40 years ago today stepped between the ropes in Los Angeles for what would tragically be the final time when he bravely challenged Lupe Pintor for the World Bantamweight Title. #RIPJohnnyOwen
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“I think I would have been champion for years if i’d got the chance earlier. I would have earned a lot more money too. But at least now, for the rest of my life - I’ll ALWAYS be known as a former World Champion. And on that night I would have licked them all…” - Charlie Magri
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A youthful looking Barry McGuigan looks on from the corner during the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton 🇳🇿McGuigan would go on to win gold
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I’ve been reading @TrisDixon’s absolute gem of a book on Matthew Saad Muhammad throughout my trip to Philly. I sat by Matt’s grave at Ivy Hill Cemetery this morning and read the last chapter. Fittingly it’s 45 years today since his epic rematch win over Marvin Johnson. RIP Champ
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Frank Black with Gary Mason at The Royal Oak, Canning Town in January 1989.
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A very happy 70th birthday to one of our TRUE all time greats. The magnificent John Conteh.
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The late, great Johnny Owen training in the rugged hills of his beloved Merthyr Tydfil in the late 1970’s.
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An aerial view of the first ever boxing match to take place at Wembley Stadium. The 1924 Jack Bloomfield🇬🇧 vs Tom Gibbons🇺🇸 bout drew 50,000
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Condolences to the Ingle family on the passing of Alma Ingle, an integral part of the Sheffield boxing scene with her much missed husband Brendan. #RIP
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Nigel Benn stops tough New Yorker Doug De Witt to win the WBO World Middleweight Championship at Caesars Palace, Atlantic City in 1990. A brilliant and often overlooked victory by a British fighter on foreign shores.
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The Frank Bruno team of Terry Lawless, George Francis and Frank Black look across the ring at opponent James “Quick” Tillis at Wembley in March 1987. Bruno would stop the seasoned American heavyweight in 7RDs
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Clones featherweight Barry McGuigan pictured with his father Pat and brother Dermot after a gym session in December 1984.
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Wonderful mural of Joe just a few minutes walk from his old North Broad Street Gym.
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“Smokin” Joe Frazier stands at a rainy London bus stop in a publicity shot for The Anglo American Sporting Club in April 1968
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Transatlantic rivals Mike Tyson and Frank Bruno meet before their 1989 World Heavyweight Championship bout at The Las Vegas Hilton
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Happy Birthday Sibbo! The Leicester fan’s favourite turns 66 today 👊🏻🥊
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Olympic Champion Terry Spinks appears to photobomb a conversation between Ronnie Kray and Sonny Liston as the former heavyweight champion pays a visit to the capital in 1965
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A young Brendan Ingle pictured when he was an aspiring professional middleweight in 1969. Ingle would retire with a modest 19-14 record in the paid ranks before retirement saw him carry out some voluntary work at The St Thomas Boys Club, Wincobank. The rest as they say is history
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A very Happy 63rd Birthday to the tough former British & European Middleweight Champion Tony Sibson, pictured here stopping Alan Minter in September 1981 at Wembley. #Sibbo
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A 12 year old Prince Naseem Hamed with his childhood hero Herol “Bomber” Graham in Sheffield, 1986.
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My oldest boy meeting the brilliant former WBC Light Middleweight Champion Maurice Hope at @wwsignings in Romford today. What a lovely man ❤️🥊
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Trainer Jimmy Tibbs adjusts the headguard of Barry McGuigan as the former featherweight king prepares for his 1988 comeback at Luton Town.
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Happy 72nd Birthday to a true British boxing great and all round top man in the wonderful John Conteh. The former World Light Heavyweight king is pictured here celebrating his 30th birthday with the glamorous Diana Dors at his west end restaurant “JC’s” in May 1981.
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Happy 60th Birthday to our iconic former heavyweight champ Frank Bruno. A true legend of British boxing!!!
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A 22 year old Johnny Nelson with his British Cruiserweight Title belt outside St Thomas’ Boys Club, Wincobank in May 1989.
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Wandsworth heavyweight Frank Bruno meets fellow 80’s icon Jon Bon Jovi in London in 1990.
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The faces say it all. Lloyd Honeyghan and his team are all smiles after beating Donald Curry in Atlantic City to become undisputed welterweight king in September 1986.
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Crawley middleweight king Alan Minter at The Thomas A’Becket with his British and European Title belts in 1979.
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Happy 75th Birthday to Edinburgh’s brilliant former World Lightweight Champion Ken Buchanan 👍🏻🥊
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Jimmy Tibbs gives some words of advice as he helps Barry McGuigan prepare for his fight with Brazilian Francisco Da Cruz at Luton Town FC in June 1988.
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The late Alan Minter gets a heroes welcome as he returns from Las Vegas to his native Crawley after a victory over Vito Antuofermo sees him crowned the undisputed Middleweight Champion Of The World in March 1980.
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Michael Watson checks out the Finsbury Park “Supertent” construction that will hold his 1989 Commonwealth Middleweight Title bout with Nigel Benn. Watson would snatch away the Ilford man’s unbeaten record and title with a 6th RD stoppage.
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West Ham’s popular British Middleweight Champion Mark Kaylor after winning the Lonsdale Belt in 1983.
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Future WBC Heavyweight Champion Frank Bruno takes part in a 1983 photo shoot outside the iconic Royal Oak gymnasium in Canning Town.
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Contenders for the vacant British Middleweight Title, Johnny Melfah, James Cook, Herol Graham and Micheal Watson face the cameras in May 1988. Graham would KO Cook in 5 to win the belt the following month in Sheffield.
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