EX BOXING STAR CHARLIE MAGRI NOW The world champ who can’t get work as a cleaner
BOXING legend Charlie Magri is now facing the fight of his life – for his very survival.
The ferocious warrior was once the toast of the nation, a world champion who counted Princess Diana as fan.
But the fizz has definitely gone out of Champagne Charlie’s world.
At 61, the former flyweight hero is battling to rebuild his shattered life after having even lost his lowly cleaning job.
The East Ender’s riches to rags story is all a far cry from his glory days in the early 80s when, for six months, he was on top of the world.
Today courageous Charlie has opened his heart to the Sunday People to show he still has plenty of fight left in him.
He is 5ft 3ins tall but he proved size did not matter when he confronted one of Britain’s most notorious gangsters.
Gangland killer Reggie Kray, jailed for life in 1969 for murder, owed Charlie £1,100 and the wiry boxer was not about to get sucker punched.
Hurting
Kray was supporting a young fighter from Yorkshire and his team would buy boxing gear from Charlie’s shop in the East End.
Charlie said: “I used to get associated with all sorts of people. For five years Reggie Kray sent me letters from prison trying to get me to go and visit. At one point he was calling me twice a week.
“They always used to pay me but at one point Reggie had run up £1,100 worth of unpaid bills. That’s when I agreed to go and visit.” The boxer had mentioned the debt to Kray’s wife Roberta at a party but she wanted nothing to do with it.
Charlie said: “He sent a man in a car to pick me up and when I got there he could tell something was up.
“He asked me if I was OK. I said, ‘Yeah, Reggie, but the thing is you owe me all this money,’ and showed him the receipt. The next Friday someone came back to the shop – it was all paid in cash.” Now, sadly, the money has dried up and today Charlie is issuing a plea for help.
He said: “It would be great to see the boxing world do more for retired fighters. I’ve been hurting since I retired in 86.”
Compared with the 80s, boxing today seems awash with cash, big prize money and lucrative TV deals. Charlie said: “Today if you win the world title you are set for life – Anthony Joshua and Conor McGregor won’t have to worry too much.
“The TV money is sometimes more than what you get from the purse. You’re set for life. I didn’t get that, and look where it left me. It makes me wonder what might have been.”
But it wasn’t asn’t always that way. Princess Di and Prince ince Philip were among the royals who used to toast his success in the ring..
By the time ime he turned pro in 1977 he hadd won seven Amateur Boxing Association sociation titles.
Just 42 days into his career he scored his first of 30 professional victoriesries by knocking out Neil McLaughlin aughlin at the Albert Hall in the second round.
At 21 he won the British flyweight title itle in only his thirdird f i ght, andnd went on to o t ake t he e European flyweight title in May 1979. He defended that crown six times.
In March 1983 Charlie’s amazing career reached its pinnacle.
He became WBC world champ when after seven rounds the ref stopped his bout with Eleoncio Mercedes of the Dominican Republic. Unfortun Unfortunately his reign was short lived as he lost h his title in
September 1983 to Frank C Cedeno.
Risky
Charlie, who is frien friends with actor Ray Winstone and ex-world heavyweight champ Fran Frank Bruno, said: “In 1981 we were t taken on to the royal yacht. Prince Princess Diana asked why my family let me do it. She said boxing was far too dangerous. We didn’t know whatwha to say, this was Princess DianaDian talking to us. Then in 198319 after I won the w world title Prince Ph Philip was visiting oneon of the clubs we al all used to