BRIAN NICKELS, 1965-2020
John Holland talks to Elliot Worsell about his old rival and longtime friend
BRIAN “SONNY” NICKELS, a former pro boxer and stuntman described as “a real north-west London legend” by those who knew him, died suddenly of natural causes last Tuesday ( January 16). He was 54.
The son of a well-known Kilburn publican, Brian came from fighting stock – his cousin, Gary Nickels, was a superfeatherweight pro in the Seventies and Eighties – and boxed as an amateur under the guidance of Pat Wilson at Northolt ABC before going pro with Mickey Duff in 1985. He was 20 when he turned over and would go on to rack up a record of 16-4 (7). His final fight, in 1989, was a disqualification loss against Winston Spencer in a Southern Area super-lightweight title fight.
Beyond boxing, Nickels’ fearless style and attitude gained him a fan in Fred “Nosher”
Powell, actor, stuntman and heavyweight boxer, who took him under his wing and opened doors for him in the British film industry. For the next 25 years, in between short spells in the unlicensed boxing world, Brian made his name through acting and through his stunt work on blockbuster movies such as The Bourne Ultimatum, Skyfall, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Sherlock Holmes, among others.
“Having been friends with Brian since we boxed some 40 years ago it came as a complete shock to me,” said John Holland, owner of the Westside Boxing Gym in Hounslow. “Brian’s love for combat sport never waned. He trained in wrestling, mixed martial arts and jiu-jitsu, but boxing was his first love. Recently he would be in my gym passing on his knowledge to the youngsters.
“Above all else, he was a character. He would light up a room when he entered and would have everyone in stitches of laughter with his exploits. Everyone who knew him will have a story about him – from putting on the gloves and wanting to spar other stuntmen to being miserable while at Butlin’s with his kids because the other dads didn’t wish to wrestle with him on holiday. Although he was taken from us before his time, he did so much in life that a normal person would struggle to do in three lifetimes. My condolences go to Brian’s wife, Simone, his children and his family at this sad time.”
Brian Nickels’ funeral will take place at 11.30 am this Friday (January 31) in St. Johns Church, Havelock Road, Southall, Middlesex, UB2 4NT.