‘WE’LL GET THROUGH THIS’
The fight is tough, but we must carry on
LEICESTER EBA has always been very supportive of the Ringside Rest and Care campaign, and their latest newsletter gives prominence to the latest ‘16 Dream Fights’ competition, reproducing the entry form. There’s also a piece on Chris Pyatt, one of Leicester’s most successful pros in the last 50-odd years, to mark the 30th anniversary of Pyatt’s first world title challenge. Chris lost that one – to slick WBO super-welter champion John David Jackson – but in May 1993, now up at middleweight, he took on Italy-based Congolese Sumbu Kalambay for the vacant WBO title Kalambay had once held. It was a tough bout – Kalambay had twice bested Britain’s Herol Graham – but at the end of 12 rounds Pyatt was the winner.
The latest lockdown restrictions have put an end to meetings, social gatherings and the like. Home Counties EBA Chairman Bob Williams has posted several positive emails since the crisis began, and here’s his latest: “So, following a very successful and well-attended October meeting, our championship fight continues! Unfortunately we have to ‘take a knee’ and cancel our November meeting, but I’ll promise you great things for December! If anyone is feeling like ‘throwing the towel in’, I’m about for a chat. Call me, message me and I’ll be more than happy to help. This fight is tough, but we’ve got a few more rounds to nail, and we’ll get through this.”
I’m sure we shall, but it’s so frustrating. As Denis O’hara, of the Northern Ireland EBA, put it: “It looks like we’ll have to stay in cold storage until we all, hopefully, come through the current COVID-19 pandemic.” It’s all the more frustrating for NI as they reformed only last year and were enjoying good attendances at meetings. Denis told me Charlie Nash, the former British and European lightweight champion from Derry, was extremely sorry to read in this column that his boxing idol and old opponent, Ken Buchanan, is in poor health and currently in a care home.
“The news is so disappointing, terrible,” Nash said. “He was a great fighter, and my idol. He was the man I looked up to. He was the boxer I tried to model my style on. I planned my boxing on his style, even though I was a southpaw. I would watch tape recordings of his world title fights. Unfortunately we had to meet in the ring, and I beat Ken in a close contest.” Nash and Buchanan clashed in 1979, in
Denmark, where Buchanan was a great favourite. But Nash won a unanimous decision to retain his European title.
Denis also gave me the sad news that former Northern Irish featherweight champion Peter Lavery has passed away, aged 83. Lavery was a fine amateur, taking bronze at the 1958 Empire Games in Cardiff. After that he turned pro, quickly moving up to featherweight, but the 9st (126lb) division in Britain was very strong then, and Peter came up short against some of the best. He finally quit after losing in two rounds to Stockwell’s unbeaten Jimmy Revie in November 1967, and Revie would go on to become British champion.
And I was sorry to hear from my old friend, ace historian and fellow London EBA member, Harold Alderman, that former Welsh light-heavyweight champion Noel Trigg has died, aged 86. Trigg boxed professionally between 1952 and 1959, winning 16 of 25 outings – several of the losses coming on cuts.
He beat Ken Rowlands for the Welsh title in 1956, and successfully defended against Don Sainsbury, before losing to Redvers Sangoe. All were 12-round distance fights at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens. In between the Sainsbury and Sangoe bouts, Noel halted Croydon’s former British middleweight champion, Albert Finch, in three rounds, prompting Finch to hang up his gloves. In June 2008 Noel was elected Mayor of Newport. My condolences to all Peter and Noel’s family and friends.
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