The Boxing Biographies

Newsletter Volume 8 – No 9 17 July , 2012

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Name: Wally Thom

Born: 1926-06-14

Nationality: United Kingdom

Hometown: Birkenhead, Merseyside, United Kingdom

Boxing Record: 42-11-1 (KO 19) = 54

The deeper you dig into the ring record of Birkenhead Wally

Thom the more impressive becomes the fight career of a man who

must rank very high on the list of Merseyside’s all time boxing

greats. As an amateur he was a junior ABA finalist on two

occasions, a senior ABA finalist, boxed internationally against

Denmark, reached the finals of the European Championships in

Dublin, and also won a Welsh title.

As a professional boxer he suffered greatly from cuts around his

eyes in the later stages of his career yet he met and beat some of

the top fighters in the world. He was a world rated welterweight

contender by The Ring from December 1951 until February 1956,

his highest rating number four. He reigned as the British and Empire welterweight champion and in a

professional career lasting from 1949 to 1956 he won 42 of his 54 contests, with 11 defeats – mostly

due to cuts - and one draw.

He was one of the most effective southpaws of all time, yet if the old Birkenhead club trainer Tommy

Murray would have had his way Wally would have been an orthodox boxer. Wally’s interest in boxing

was stirred by his father who bought him a speed ball from a sports shop in Grange road Birkenhead.

“I had great fun with it but had not thought of taking up boxing until one day at school – Tollemache

road, Birkenhead – a teacher called for volunteers to represent the school in the Birkenhead boys

championship for the Blake cup. I had a go and won through to the event at Byrne Avenue Swimming

Baths, Birkenhead, only to be declared half a stone under the weight required”.

“I eventually boxed in a specialist contest and although I lost to Jimmy Finch I treasured the medal I

received. The Birkenhead heavyweight Johnny Cooke was in my corner and he suggested I join the

Birkenhead club. I took his advice but trainer Murray wouldn’t let me box as a southpaw despite being

left handed”.

“Birkenhead was no different to any other club, as southpaws where discouraged everywhere. I was

12 years old at this time but when we lost our gym during the early wartime bombing we were allowed

to train with the pros at Alex Powel’s gym in Edgerton Street. Alex quickly allowed me to develop my

natural southpaw stance and I never looked back”.

In 1945 Wally, then 19, had returned from Army service in Belgium where his commanding officer

had entered him in the Welsh Championships. Although he was overweight for the welter title he

knocked out three opponents to become middleweight champion. The same year he stopped every

opponent to reach the ABA final at Wembley where he lost on points to Randy Turpin after dropping

him twice. The same thing happened in 1949 when he won at every championship stage but lost in the

final to Alex Buxton.

“We had a strong team in Birkenhead at that time which made it more difficult to get opponents. I felt

it would be degrading to box for money but after many offers I took, age 23, the plunge in 1949.”

Under the Birkenhead manager Johnny Campbell Wally had success after success winning his first 23

contests – most inside the distance. This run included a points victory over Jimmy Molloy for the

Central Area title and British title eliminator wins over Alf Danahar and Cliff Curvis.

However contest number 23 was to prove unlucky in bringing the first of the eye injuries which would

become more severe during his career. On 30 August 1951 he lost on cuts to Jimmy Malloy. Two

months later Wally, as the underdog, took the British title from Eddie Thomas, the Welsh miner,

beating him on points at Harringay.

He followed up this win with victories over Titi Clavel, Dutch champion Gil De Roode, Terry

Radcliffe, and a draw with Danny Womber. He lost his title, in his first defence, to the Welsh

southpaw Cliff Curvis who KO’d him in nine rounds at Liverpool stadium on 24 July 1952.

In 1953 he lost to fellow Birkenhead boxer Peter Fallon on points in a final eliminator but he went on

to win over Billy Wells, Bernie Newcombe and Kit Pomey. When Curvis relinquished the title Wally

was matched with Fallon for the vacant title at Liverpool

stadium on 24 September 1952. Wally was to win with the

slimmest of margins over 15 rounds.

In 1954 Wally added the European title to his collection when

he stopped the Frenchman Gilbert Lavoine in 10 rounds. Two

months later on 19 October 1954 he made the Lonsdale belt his

own by knocking out Lew lazar in six rounds. This was Wally’s

last championship victory. He was stopped on cuts by American

Jimmy King and by the South African Benny Nieuwenhuizen,

then dropped his European title to Frenchman Idrissa Dione on

points at Liverpool.

Wally made a successful move up to middleweight to score a

treble of great wins, but when cuts forced him to retire in five

rounds against Peter Waterman on 6 June 1956 he felt it time to hang up his gloves. The call of the ring

was so strong that he almost immediately applied for a referee’s license and got this in 1957.

Boxing News

19 March 1952

Radcliffe Outclassed by Welterweight Champ

Any title aspirations which Terry Radcliffe may have had were swept aside by the British and Empire

welterweight champion Wall Thom, who knocked out the young Bristol boilermaker in the ninth

round.

Radcliffe went down from a flurry of blows to the body and although hurt and winded he was still in

command of all his faculties, but completely misjudged the count.

Thom had been on top throughout the contest so much so that we did not score a single round in favour

of his opponent. In the second session Thom whipped home a left to the jaw which put Terry on the

canvas for “nine” but he managed to keep his feet for the remainder of the round.

Wally kept up a steady attack driving home straight rights and lefts to the head and body. Ratcliffe had

no answer to Thom’s southpaw stance and despite the fact he improved a little as the fight progressed

he was sourly outclassed.

It looked like the end when Ratcliffe went down in the seventh from a left to the head. As he rose at

the count of “eight” Thom nailed him again with a left hook that sent him spinning to the canvas for

“nine”.

Wally pressed home his attack and

battered his opponent to the floor

once again from lefts and rights to

the body. It was lucky for Terry

that the bell sounded the end of the

round as the count reached “eight”.

Ratcliffe backpedalled a good deal

in the following round but scored

with straight lefts to the head, and

for the first time landed with a

good right hand punch.

Thom was quite confident as he

had been from the first gong, and

when the end came midway

through the ninth it caused no

surprise. Both boxers weighed

inside the stipulated 10st 9lb.

Boxing News

16 April 1952

Thom holds Womber to Draw

Full marks to Freddie Mills for providing a lively nights entertainment at the Empress hall, his second

venture as a London promoter. Wally Thom did not give quite enough to justify Freddie’s hopes that

he could be matched with Kid Gavilan, but our welter champion certainly made himself very popular

by the way he met the vigorous onslaughts of nonstop Bang-Bang Womber.

The verdict of a draw at the end of ten rounds favoured Thom a little, but Womber came in for several

cautions while he hit with an open glove at times. A percentage of the spectators thought the American

consistent attacking should have earned him the decision, but quite as many applauded Thom’s great

efforts in the last three rounds .Which undoubtedly influenced the referee’s decision.

Womber opened the fight with a fierce

attack, driving Thom to the ropes, where he

landed a succession of swings to the body.

Wally got clear, then surprised the

American by hanging a hefty left hook on

his chin.

As he reeled from the effects of the blow

Wally chinned him again with the left but

Womber was in grand condition and

recovered quickly after hanging on for a

few seconds. They punched away freely but

Thom’s blows carried more weight.

Danny took the second, beating Thom to the

punch with his left and then whaling away

at the body two fistedly. Wally hit back

fiercely but he was on the retreat and the

American made up his mind to keep it that

way.

Womber was the most versatile of the pair. He swung, hooked, jabbed and uppercut and although

Thom took the bulk of these on his elbows and gloves some proportion got through. When stung Wally

would sail into his man and punch away furiously to the delight of the onlookers, but these spells were

both infrequent and short lived.

Rounds four and five went to the American, who now and again changed to southpaw stance, at which

did look surprisingly well. It looked odd to see them jabbing at each other with the right, but Thom had

more practice at this art and Womber soon reverted to the orthodox stance.

THE American came in for several rebukes for resting his head on Thom’s chest while he banged

away to the body, but generally Danny showed great sportsmanship. Moreover, in the next two rounds

he did all the work and was always coming forwards.

Realising he was slipping behind, Thom made a great effort in the eighth. He moved in and slugged

Womber with vicious left hooks and jabbed him hard to the face with a long right. Several times danny

was sent reeling, but he came back to attack the body, although many of his punches were blocked or

went round the Britisher’s back.

The ninth was a great round with both belting away. Thom was now bleeding from the nose and had a

slight cut over his right eye. Womber was also bleeding from the nose and mouth, but he did not ease

up from his efforts, although for the first time he was forced to back up as Thom landed hurtful blows.

When they came up for the tenth the score was about even, but by going all out and pressing his rival

to the utmost , we thought this last session would go to Womber and with it the verdict. Thom was

tiring fast and on the defensive, but he stood his guns to the end and thus shared the decision. Both

weighed 10st 7 ¼ lb.

Boxing News

11 July 1951

In the final eliminating contest for the British welterweight championship Wally Thom (Birkenhead),

Central Area welterweight champion, beat Cliff Curvis ( Swansea), who was disqualified for hitting

before the referee had given the order to “box on “ in the ninth round.

This was a disappointing ending to a really excellent contest in which both boys had given a great

display of boxing and fast hitting. Curvis opened his account with a right to the head and a left to the

ribs. Thom sent both hands to the head and then Curvis smashed both gloves to the middle. The pace

was hot and Thom was shaken with blows to the head.

In round two both landed with rights to the face. Curvis missed with a right swing but rights to the

head caused Wally to move to the ropes. It was a keen battle of southpaws, each jabbing with his right

to the head. In some close exchanges Thom hurt his rival with two terrific lefts to the stomach.

Curvis Is Hurt

In the third Curvis rushed at Thom only to take hard blows to the body. The boys pasted each other all

round the ring with the crowd yelling encouragement. Thom sent a left to the stomach and Curvis

caught him with a savage left hook to the mouth.

Curvis twisted his body as Thom sent a blow to the ribs and he was badly hurt, the effects showing in a

decided limp which disturbed him for the next two rounds.

Curvis was most dangerous with his fine left hooking, and he would cleverly draw Thom inside where

he would slam him in the middle. As Wally drew away Cliff would bring over his left to the head with

force. But Thom was punching hard and in round four a stiff right to the mouth sent Cliff’s head back.

Again Thom slammed with power to head and body.

Round five saw Curvis scoring well with both fists to the head. Thom rushed at him but was halted

with swift punches to the mid section. Wally fought back savagely a right to the head catching the

Welsh boy as he backed against the ropes.

Curvis did well in the sixth where he forced Thom into a neutral corner and slammed to the body.

Thom however quickly turned him around to punish Cliff with a body attack. In a general exchange

both boys fought strongly each taking a hammering in turn.

Cliff Takes Over

Thom appeared to have a lead in the early rounds but from the sixth Curvis was slowly wiping it off.

Those dangerous left hooks were landing to head and body, though Thom to did his share of “handing

it out” as he walked into Curvis with two handed blows to the head and ribs. Indeed it was a fight

which appealed to all as both refused to give way an inch.

True, there were times in which neither would lead, each eager for the other to come to him. But this

was strategically rather than otherwise.

Round eight was a hard affair, Thom jabbed with his right to the face, but a left hook to the stomach

hurt Wally and made him wince. Curvis seeing a chance moved inside but was met with a hard left to

the stomach.

In the ninth during a general exchange of punches a hard left to the stomach made Curvis wilt. Cliff

had Wally against the ropes and their heads collided, following which Curvis was pulled up and

warned for alleged butting. Thom was in great distress shaking his lowered head and in obvious pain.

Before the referee had given the usual “box on” command Curvis hit his rival with a hard left to the

head, whereupon the

referee unhesitatingly

awarded the contest to

Thom.

Boxing News

16 July 1952

BATTLING SOUTHPAWS

CURVIS SHOULD BEAT THOM THIS TIME

For the first time in British boxing two southpaws will be meeting in a championship contest when

Wally Thom defends his British and empire welter titles against Cliff Curvis at Liverpool Stadium

tomorrow week. At one time right foot foremost boxers were a rarity, but of late they have become

more the mode and so it is not really remarkable that two of these unorthodox stylists be meeting under

championship conditions.

The pair are old enemies. Matched last in a final eliminator for the right to challenge Eddie Thomas a

year ago, their fight ended sensationally in the ninth round when the Welshman was ruled out for

hitting his opponent before the referee had given them the order to “box on”.

For the first five rounds Thom built up a slight lead but after that Curvis slowly wiped off all the

arrears and they were punching it out in a give and take fashion when the affair came to its untimely

end.

A COSTLY BLOW

There had been a collision of heads and Curvis was being cautioned when he decided to deal the

defenseless Thom another blow. This brought instant disqualification at a stage when it seemed as

though the Welshman’s extra experience might see him returned a point’s winner.

Cliff has been in near championship class for so long that it is about time he won a title. He lost a

featherweight eliminator to Al Philips in 1946, a lightweight eliminator to Harry Hughes in 1949 and a

welterweight title fight to Eddie Thomas in 1950. Now he gets a second crack at the 10st 7lb

championship – about his last chance to reach the top.

The Swansea lad is only 24 and has eight years of pro boxing behind him. Compared with Thom he is

a veteran in experience for Wally has been half that time in the paid ranks. Again Curvis has boxed in

far better company than that with which Thom has been asked to mingle. The Welshman should enter

the Liverpool Stadium ring next week as the pronounced favourite – will he let his admirers down

again?

TRAINING IN LIVERPOOL

Curvis will complete his training on Merseyside, using the Transport Gymnasium run by the Vairo

brothers , which the well known managers have placed at his disposal. This will enable him to get the

right atmosphere for the title bout and he could not wish for a better equipped headquarters.

The champion is getting down to it at his second home, the Haymarket Club in Birkenhead under the

able guidance of Manager Tommy Murray.

Name: Harold Blackshear

Career Record: click

Alias: Jim Buckley

Nationality: US American

Birthplace: Monterrey, Mexico

Hometown: San Francisco, California,

USA

Stance: Orthodox

Height: 6′ 1″

Trainer: Dolph Thomas

Oakland Tribune

18 January 1940

WALKER STOPS BLACKSHEAR

IN THRILLING NINTH ROUND

Monterey Negro Floored Three Times

Before Referee Stops Slashing Battle

No one is to blame for Harold Blackshear's

plight but Harold himself. Had the

Monterey Negro emulated Al Jolson and

asked Sonnyboy to sit upon his knee and

listen to a lullaby, all might have gone well.

But, no. Blackshear wanted to play rough.

Sonnyboy Walker Fell into the spirit of the

occasion, and as a result Harold was kayod

with a Beautiful finality in the ninth round of last night's Auditorium main event.

FIGHT FANS UPSET

Walker was supposed to be a heavyweight with a weak chin. And Blackshear the fellow with the cast

iron point. As late as today noon some of the spectators couldn't understand exactly what had happened

or why They believed the entire circumstance was a case of mistaken identity, or something. But

Sonnyboy Walker could understand it. Because he realized he was the first man to knock out

Blackshear in the latter's combined amateur and professional ring career.

Offered a fight with Francis Jacques next Wednesday night, on the supposition the French

heavyweight now in Los Angeles is available for service. Walker voiced a quick, "Sure."

WALKER IN SHAPE

Sonnyboy, the dominant figure in one of the best heavyweight brawls witnessed here in months,

emerged from the fracas all in a piece. His hands apparently were okay and there wasn't a slash or a

bruise on his good looking features worthy of mention. The knockout of the heretofore invulnerable

Blackshear was as unexpected as it was dramatic. Even though the faster, smarter Walker had

outboxed the aggressive Negro for the eight preceding rounds, the $1683 worth of fans were confident

the bout would go the distance.

But the ninth was only seconds old when Walker lashed forth with a combination left and right to

Blackshear's exposed button, and the recipient, with a dazed expression in his eyes, deflated slowly

against the ropes.

Up at the count of seven, Blackshear was chased to an opposite corner by an implacable Walker. A

long right clicked against Blackshear's chin, and he collapsed. He took eight, and arose through sheer

instinct, A third devastating right hand was awaiting him. He dropped like a pole axed steer, on his

face and out like a light.

There was no need for Referee Jimmy Duffy to count over the stricken warrior. And it was all of four

minutes before Blackshear, following first-aid by his attendants, was able to stand on uncertain legs,

his eyes glazed with incomprehension. The smart boys of the betting ring who throng the west end of

the arena were taken to the cleaners on that one. And the chumps

cleaned up .There never was a moment during the fight when Walker didn't have the situation well in

hand. Off his showing against Blackshear, Walker can linger in Oakland.

Oakland Tribune 18 December 1940

Negro Unhurt;

Asks Rematch

Jim Jeffries, Ex-Champ, on Hand to Referee Preliminary

Three separate and distinct schools of thought exist today as the aftermath of last night's fight show.

One school believes Buddy Baer, all 241 pounds of him, is a distinct burn, despite his third round

technical knockout of Harold Blackshear at the Auditorium.

Another is confident Blackshear is a hooligan because he displayed certain symptoms of extreme panic

when tagged a couple of times, and not too stiffly, on the button in the final frame.

The third, probably the most opinionated and vociferous of all, is convinced Referee Frankie Carter,

imported from San Francisco for a main event acted hastily in halting the bout.

If this writer were asked to enroll in one of the three schools he would hesitate momentarily . . . and

then matriculate in the "Carter-is-all wet" group with certain reservations.

DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE

Carter may have been hasty in raising Baer's hand with the round having only 15 seconds to go, and

Blackshear seemingly hurt in no department more important than his feelings, but it was evident the

Negro heavyweight from Monterey in the long run, didn't have an outside chance with the little brother

of Max Baer, former heavyweight champion of the world.

Naturally, there is no way of proving the contention, but I'm convinced had Buddy honestly and truly

wanted to get the job over with in a hurry, he could have flattened Blackshear in the first round. Buddy

will deny it. In fact he denied it last night in the dressing room.

BOBBING BOTHERED HIM

His hair tousled, his face covered with a two day beard, the younger Baer gravely said: "Blackshear's

bobbing and weaving style bothered me those first two rounds. Not until I started the tame tactics was I

able to connect solidly. with Harold's jaw.

"But he was a tough, game kid while it lasted,"

Buddy was being generous about the matter ... because not until the third round did he really bear

down and start punching, and once he connected solidly with Blackshear

chin the end was in sight.

It was a combination left hook and right to the button which started Blackshear on a wild eyed retreat

along the ropes and into a neutral corner where Referee Carter, convinced the Negro was at the end of

his string, hastily stepped between the combatants and hoisted Buddy's hand.

THOMAS COMPLAINS

Blackshear may have been partially groggy immediately before Carter's act of mercy, but the mental

haze was vigorously denied in the dressing room by Dolph Thomas, Harold's trainer.

Thomas was voluble in his protest against Carter's halting the match "My fighter," squawked the

veteran trainer, "wasn't hurt. We want to fight Buddy Baer again." There wasn't an abrasion an

Blackshear's good looking pan. Somehow, an observer gained the impression Blackshear wasn't

exactly unhappy the episode had ended.

BAER STARTS SLOWLY

Buddy, towering over his opponent, for two rounds seemed content to jab, with a certain apathy, at

Harold's features, while the Negro pummeled the midriff of Buddy in a manner which did no damage

but brought wild yells of exultation from the large crowd. Baer's left glove burst late in the first round

and a delay between frames was required while a mitten was fitted to the ham-like hand of the

California heavyweight. Close observers may have noticed when the third stanza started the apathetic

delivery characteristic of Baer in the first and second rounds. was abandoned for a style which seemed

to say :

"That's all there is, Blackshear, there isn't any more "

Opening that final paragraph. Buddy went into a partial crouch, shortened his punches and early scored

with rights and lefts to Blackshear's face The Negro's nose was bleeding in the canto.

NEGRO IN RETREAT

Purely on the defensive, and in a headlong retreat, Blackshear's willingness to call it a night was

evident even before Buddy clipped him with a combination punch which sent him skittering along the

ropes and into a corner, where he adopted a pose of self protection as Referee Carter rushed in to save

him from some real punishment.

Two of the heavyweight greats of a former day, Jim Jeffries, one time heavyweight champion and Tom

Sharkey , a Jeffries nemesis , were among the principals of last night’s ring fest.

Name: Don Cockell Birth Name: Donald John Cockell Born: 1928-09-22 Birthplace: Balham, London, United Kingdom Died: 1983-07-18 (Age:54) Nationality: United Kingdom Hometown: Battersea, London, United Kingdom Stance: Orthodox Height: 5′ 11″ / 180cm Reach: 71″ / 180cm Boxing Record: click

Rocky Marciano sent courageous Don Cockell home to England on his shield Monday night, a blood-

spattered technical knockout victim in 54 seconds of

the ninth round in the fifth defense of his world

heavyweight title.

Referee Frankie Brown enfolded the fat hog farmer in

his arms to stop him from further punishment after he

reeled drunkenly toward the ropes. Cockell had been knocked through the ropes for a count of two

when the bell rang ending the eighth round. Out for the kill the unbeaten 30-year-old Brockton, Mass.,

slugger swarmed over game Don with all the fury of his animal attack in the ninth. A terrific Suzy-Q

right to the jaw, following up bitter punishment, dropped Cockell early in the ninth. Refusing to

surrender under blazing fire, he dragged himself to his feet On came-Marciano, a frown creasing his

swarthy brow, to cut loose with a furious barrage that sent Cockell down once more. This time he got

up at five only to back off, weaving as he -went, to bring the merciful ending from the referee.

While he lasted, the beefy Briton put up a whale of a scrap, belying his horrible performances in the

gym. He just didn’t have the punch to match Rocky's nor the ability to keep, on taking those wild

swings. In the last few rounds he was. an open target but a target that always kept coming back for

more. Cockell bled from a gash on his forehead as early as the fourth round and blood' spurted from his

nose at the same time. There.was a red mark on his right cheek in the fifth. Referee Brown scored it 49

½ -38 ½ , Judge Jack Downey and Judge John Bassaneffi. both had it 49-39 all with Marciano out in

front.

Cockell at 205 pounds, was his lightest in many fights and 'Marciano at 189, was his heaviest ever as a

champ. The Englishman was in shape for the battle of his life and went down swinging to earn the

respect of the customers.

As the Battersea blimp left the ring, he drew a loud salvo i1 from the crowd of close to 25,000. If the

16 ½ foot ring bothered Cockell, it didn't show. At times he outboxed the champion with his sharp

left. Once in the sixth round he crashed home a beautiful right on Marciano's chin when Rocky surged

in wildly.

Twice .Marciano pounded home a body punch after the bell—in the third and sixth rounds—as Cockell

was backed into a neutral corner under a body barrage. It was difficult to hear the bell at ringside so

Rocky couldn't be blamed.

The first Englishman to fight for the heavy title since Tommy Farr went 15 rounds, with Joe Louis in

1937, Cockell fought back gamely as long as he could. He didn't look like any 10-1 bet. but it was

apparent early that he couldn't go on catching all night. Eager for the kill, Marciano was winging those

old Suzy-Q rights with reckless abandon. Time after time he missed his target but he always had

another coming up.

Cockell was every bit as strong as the champ in the early rounds, bulling him around in the clinches

and pushing-him off in a manner that reminded the "experts" how far they had been

wrong on Farr 18 years ago.

COCKELL WINS SECOND

Both the referee and Judge Downey gave Cockell the second round and the other judge had it even.

Other than that it was a clean sweep for the champ. It was the third round before , Marciano really

began to catch up with the Englishman. A left hook sagged Don's knees in a neutral corner just before

the bell.

Cockell was staggered in the fifth and his knees buckled in the sixth just before he drove Rocky back

with the right to the jaw that was his best punch. As the bell ended the seventh, , Cockell was caged on

the ropes with Marciano slamming away with both hands. It was obvious that the end was near.

In that eighth round barrage, Marciano kept pegging away with every punch in his power, landing

eight In a row at one stage and 13 in succession at another. A tremendous right just before the bell

ended the eighth round sent a badly spent Cockell . through the ropes. It was doubtful if his corner

would let him come out for more. The end came mercifully early in the ninth before the Briton was

seriously injured. Down twice and out on his feet, he was in no shape when it was stopped. Marciano's

nose, cut in his fight, with Ezzard Charles last September, didn't open although he did bleed slightly

from inside the nose early in the scrap. In his dressing room he was full of praise for his opponent.

LOTTA GUTS

"He was a lot better than I thought," he said. "About the 7th

round I thought I had his number. He's got

a lotta guts. I hurt him somep'n awful." It was Marciano's 48th

straight victory and the 42nd

victim he

had stopped. Cockell goes back to his farm at Horam, near Eastbourne in Sussex with an enhanced

reputation despite his TKO defeat. His record now is 61-11-1 for 73 starts. It was the 5th

time he had

been stopped. Promoter Jack Solomons of London, who was at the ringside, was so impressed with

Don's showing against Marciano despite the handicap of a small 16 ½ foot ring that interfered with his

footwork, that he said he would like to rematch the English challenger and Rocky for a fight in London

He said”It would draw a million dollars.” He said he would discuss The possibility with officials of the

International boxing Club.

Briton Underrated ,Bravest Opponent Yet, Says champion

Rocky Marciano fingered his supposedly tender nose in the Kezar Stadium dressing room Monday

night after stopping England’s Don Cockell in the ninth round of their heavyweight Championship

fight.

“He’s got a lot of guts” Marciano told a crowd of news men who besieged him. “He took it,he took

everything I had and he kept standing up”, “ He’s an underrated fighter.I don’t think I hit anyone else

any more or often or harder.maybe Ez Charles the first time,but I don’t think so”

Marciano was asked whether his nose had bothered him at all. “Naw he didn’t hurt me at all in the

nose” he said. “I think he hit me there once or twice but you can see its all right” .the nose split by

Charles in their last title fight looked fine.Marciano kept rubbing it gently as he munched on an orange

held in his other hand.

Marciano went on: “I hurt him something awful in the eighth round but he kept standing right up.it was

a right hand that did the business near the end that got him groggy”

NEVER FOUGHT BRAVER

“He was a lot better than I thought .i was trying all the time to get him.I don’t think I ever fought a

braver guy.At least he’s right up near the top.he took about as good punishment as Charles did.” “He

hurt me in the sixth with a right to the jaw.It was in the same round that I thought I had his number”.

asked about how Cockell suffered a cut on his forehead in the fourth round, a slash that bled almost

continuously the rest of the way, Marciano said he was not sure.

“I think he got it when we both went low one time and banged heads”Rocky said.

WEILL AGREES

“Either it was that ofr a right I hit him with just seconds later”.Marciano’s manager Al Weill echoed

the fighters words of praise for Cockell.”He was a great fighter”..” I hope that boy gets what’s coming

to him now, He certainly didn’t get it before the fight.He’ll give any heavyweight plenty of trouble. He

stood up under punishment when three other champions couldn’t.

asked to name the champions he meant Weill said “Charles,Joe Walcott and Joe Louis”.Weill said that

at the moment he had no immediate plans for the champion but pressed for a firmer answer admitted

there was chance of another title defence in September. Everbody asked him who and Weill replied

“Well,theres Bob Baker,archie Moore,if he beats Bobo Olsen – and maybe even Olsen himself”

Team GB's London 2012 boxers, from left, Luke Campbell, Tom Stalker, Anthony Joshua, Fred Evans and

Andrew Selby. Photograph: Scott Heavey/Getty Images

The sight of Cuban boxers jogging around an Olympic village in sweatsuits in the early hours once

carried familiar, quadrennial menace. They have, after all, dominated the sport at nearly every Games

since Teófilo Stevenson terrorised his heavyweight contemporaries in Munich, Montreal and Moscow,

with gold spread through most of the other weights too, and the challenge was always to move out of

their shadow.

Stevenson is gone, so has the glitter and so have the old methods. Nowhere is that more apparent than

in this country, where science has revolutionised the preparation and execution of the boxer's skills to

the extent that making weight a couple of days before a two-week international competition with a

dawn run in a sweatsuit is considered not only outdated but debilitating.

"It dehydrates you," Matt Holt, the Great Britain team's programme director, said on Wednesday when

three of the 10 members of the squad, and the head coach, Robert McCracken, met the media ahead of

Friday's draw. "You just don't see sweatsuits around our squad. When I saw those Cubans running

yesterday morning, I thought: 'We would never do that.' All our boxers have come here with their

weight under control and we will fine-tune their preparation during the competition so they are at their

peak for every bout, with the right diet and right amount of rest. But some countries are still catching

up."

It is odd to think that Cuba is one of those boxing nations lagging behind. They come to London

without a welterweight and middleweight – because they could not find boxers good enough to qualify

in those categories – and that is unprecedented in recent times. Beijing was the first time since 1968

the Cubans went home without a gold medal, although they did win four silver and four bronze.

While it may sound incongruous for a British boxing official to talk as if this is the epicentre of the

sport, Holt's enthusiasm is echoed by the many international squads who have travelled to the team's

training base at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. The facilities are widely regarded as the

finest in the world.

Holt says the British team's pre-tournament assessment is so sophisticated that results improve by 50%

when a boxer is briefed with all the technical data about his opponent before a bout. McCracken, who

took charge of the national squad after Beijing, declared all of his boxers fit and in prime form.

Certainly, Nicola Adams, Luke Campbell and Tom Stalker were in confident mood.

This is the first time women's boxing has featured at an Olympics and few competitors are smiling so

often or so wide as Adams, one of three women in the team, alongside Savannah Marshall and Natasha

Jonas. Adams is a bubbly presence with a background in a variety of jobs, from building to acting (she

has walk-on parts in Coronation Street and Emmerdale), but it is boxing that defines her.

"It would be good if some women went on to box professionally after these Olympics," she said, "but I

will stay amateur. I am just so happy to be boxing for my country."

Stalker, the team captain, epitomises the spirit of the squad. He said: "I spoke to David Price [a fellow

Liverpudlian, who captained the team in Beijing] the other day, and he told me: 'Don't be satisfied with

just a medal, go for the gold.' And that's the feeling in the whole team. We are very much up for this. I

can't wait."

Four years ago, when Great Britain's best medal hope, Frankie Gavin, had to be withdrawn at the last

minute because he could not make weight, angst attended the best British performance since the 50s.

There will be no such problems when the preliminary rounds start on Saturday, and McCracken has

realistic hopes of a strong British presence when the total field of 250 men and 36 women is culled for

the quarter-finals by 5 August.

He would not go so far as to say this is the best British team of them all – "the results will answer that"

– but acknowledges it is without doubt the best prepared – and that is no reflection on his predecessor,

Terry Edwards, whose squad brought back a gold and two bronze from China, before he left when the

internal politics got him down.

McCracken, curiously, remains banned from the home team's corner because he trains Carl Froch. Yet,

as he pointed out, the world super-middleweight champion trains with the amateur squad for eight

months of the year, and spars with some of them. Resigned to the mysterious ways of AIBA,

McCracken is happy to leave the seconding duties to Dave Alloway and Lee Pullen, and will deliver

any instructions needed while seated away from the ring. In amateur boxing, the opponent as often as

not is wearing a blazer as shorts and gloves. And, occasionally, a sweatsuit.