Boxing and boxers

Thanks Midland Red. There were a few cinemas in Coventry that showed full length fight films, but I only saw news clips of the legendary Carnera, the 'Ambling Alp'. I remember he was talked about back in the thirties, a giant of a man, think he was once world boxing champ but he lost to Max Baer. Joe Robinson was a top wrestler, and black belt at martial arts so in the film 'Kid for two farthings' they met as wrestlers, although a put up fight it did give me a chance to see the 'Ambling Alp' in action, and gave me a chance to see Joe, as later I got to know him well. Myself, Leon Cuppola, Jimmy Mantle, and Pete Marshall, went to see a Mr Universe contest in Brum, after the judging we mixed and talked with the contestants, met Steve Reeves, Spencer Churchill (turned wrestler) and Mr Scotland (Sean Connery). Another put up film fight, Connery and Robinson, in the 'lift' 'Diamonds are forever'. Outside the shows they were all nice guys to talk to.

Primo Carnera

Yes Arthur, it was Ron that I had in mind. Hope you don't mind me posting about him.

LesMac. In reply to your posting, of course I don't mind, it's kind of you to still remember Ron. Some news on his boxing career, he had 200 fights, and won 170. He later went to box on the old time boxing shows, sparring with the likes of Wally Swift, Brian Cartwright, etc.

Any familiar faces in this photo from 1975?

Errol Christie with his ABA light-middleweight trophy in 1981, flanked by trainers Peter Swift and Leon Thomas

Do any of you remember Randolph Turpin and his two brothers appearing in the boxing booth at a fairground show in the sportsground behind the old post office in the late forties-early fifties. Jackie Turpin ''boxed'' a Bedworth bystander for a couple of rounds.

wincho2, how do I answer that? Randolph and Dick (Tiger) both held professional licences, which could have been withdrawn by the Boxing Board of Control if fighting outside a pro ring. Both fought for hundreds of pounds, the most a fairground would pay would be something like £5. Randy won the world title in 51, Dick had won the Commonwealth title earlier, they were both big league, and big money. So why a boxing booth? Could it have been middle/end sixties when they had both retired.

Hi, I have a very torn copy of the Coventry Express which featured my uncle when he won the British boxing championships in 1963. His name is Mick Leahy, he fought George Aldridge to win the middleweight title. The paper features a photo of him with Cassius Clay who was the first to congratulate him on his win. My grandmother had a copy of this photo in a frame but unfortunately whilst she was ill in hospital in the late 70's her flat was broken into, the thieves took the photo and the gloves that Uncle Mick had worn during the title fight. This caused a great deal of upset to my Nanny and the rest of our family. Does anyone know if those photo's would be in archive anywhere so that we could get a copy again?

Hi Tammi and welcome. I'm sure a fight of such significance will be recorded somewhere else and a copy will turn up. I've just had a quick search but could not find one initially - I'll keep looking and post anything I find.

Hi Tammy, Micky is mentioned here in this topic. You could google the British boxers news magazine or the Telegraph. But google Micky and Robinson, and you can see part of the fight. His grandson (Phantom) has asked questions too. I knew Micky as a friend 1956/7 time we met a number of times in the Continental Cafe in Hales Street, he had a liking for fair haired women. He was hard, the type of person who I thought would never take a step backward. I liked him as a person as well as a boxer.

Thank you, I'll keep looking and yes if anyone comes across anything that would be great,

There's the big fight against Sugar Ray Robinson here.

Yes thank you, we have this fight on DVD and one with Joey Archer for the world title. This was also interesting as Joey Archer is a distant cousin of ours. I will keep trying to get the photo of uncle Mick with Cassius Clay, we have many of the others that are about. Thanks again for all the help that you have all given me.

Sorry to hear about Terry Downes, RIP I believe he had three fights with Coventry's Les Allen - without looking it up I believe Les beat him on points once. Terry beat Paul Pender for world title. He took a liking to my son's bouts, watched a number of them, so I had the pleasure of talking to him on a number of occasions.