The Boxing History Blog

Errol Christie Vs Mark Kaylor 5th November 1985 Wembley Arena British Middleweight Title Final Title Eliminator   Normally, a final eliminator for a British middleweight title would only arouse passion for the fighters' respective group of supporters. However, events outside the ring conspired to make the Kaylor-Christie match one of the most explosive nights British boxing had seen in years.  Trouble erupted at one of the press conferences a couple of weeks earlier. As West Ham's Kaylor and Coventry's Christie stood outside a Bloomsbury Casino to pose for photographs, words were exchanged before finally emotions hit a crescendo and both men started brawling, with the pair rolling around the pavement. The photographers delighted at the undignified melee, whilst the British Boxing Board of Control were horrified, and the sport was once again in the dock of public opinion. Urgent meetings between the BBBofC, the police, and promoter Mike Barrett, who stood to lose the £30,000...

With the European (EBU) heavyweight championship firmly around his waist, it was time to step Lennox Lewis up in class. He faced British champion and world-ranked Gary Mason at London's Wembley Arena on 06th March 1991 .  Mason was born in Jamaica on 15th December 1962 and came to Britain as a four-year-old. He started his pro career in October 1984 against Al Malcolm, the same man who faced Lewis on his professional debut. Mason blasted out Malcolm in the first round and his kayo spree lasted until November 1986 when American Oscar Holman took him the full eight-round distance. Mason continued to bomb out his opponents, including former Mike Tyson victims Sammy Scaff (two rounds), Alfonzo Ratcliff (six rounds), David Jaco (four rounds) and James 'Quick' Tillis (fifth round), equalling Frank Bruno and Evander Holyfield .  With a record of 28-0 and twenty-seven stoppages, Mason was nominated to face Hughroy Currie for the British heavyweight title , vacated by the unbeat...

In December 2019 I was on a family vacation in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. We visited Mystic Mountain, about five minutes from Dunn's River Falls (also highly recommended). On our ascent through the rainforest scenery on the SkyExplorer to take us to the famous Bobsled ride, I wasn't expecting to be greeted by a room full of sports memorabilia.  Obviously, the Jamaican Bobsled team dominated the room, but I was instantly drawn to the massive information board on Lennox Lewis and seeing smaller articles on Mike McCallum, Simon Brown and Glen Johnson, giving me the inspiration for The Pride of Jamaica posts. Lennox Claudius Lewis was born in West Ham, England on 02nd September 1965 to Jamaican parents. His mother agonised over whether to terminate the pregnancy when she found out the man she loved was already married to a woman in Montego Bay. Fortunately for the boxing world, Violet decided against a termination. "I was desperate. But the moment I held baby Lennox in my arms I kne...

26th June 1972, Madison Square Garden, New York WBA Lightweight Title Ken Buchanan Vs Roberto Duran World champion Ken Buchanan was born in  Edinburgh, Scotland on 28th June 1945. He became ABA champion in 1965, turning professional on 20th September that very same year, stopping Brian Rocky Tonks in the second round in the lightweight division. In his seventeenth bout he became the British Scottish Area lightweight champion, outpointing John McMillan over ten rounds for the vacant title. On 19th February 1968 he beat Maurice Cullen for the British lightweight title with an eleventh round knockout, taking his unbeaten record to 24-0 with nine KO's. Nine more victories put him in line for the vacant European lightweight title. He travelled to Madrid, Spain to take on Miguel Velasquez. The bout went the full fifteen rounds and the Spaniard was given the decision 72-69 by Italian referee and sole judge. Buchanan leaned dejected against the ropes as the home supporters inv...