Nottingham Boxers


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Nottingham has a fine boxing history,from Bendigo,Reg king,Wally Swift,Johnie Pritchet,Dave Needham,Roy smith,Delroy Bryan,Jason Booth,Nicky Booth,Shane mcphilbin,Errol Graham,Kirkland Laing and Carl

One of Nottingham’s most gifted fighters RIP Kirkland Laing x  

The Great International Sporting Club was a grand evening out at the Albany. Strictly dinner jackets and men only. There was a banquet dinner followed by a famous comedian of the likes of Bob Monkhous

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Two more for the list, obviously Carl Froch, and does any one remember Kirtland (or Kirkland) Lang? A not very likable chap IMMSC, but a good boxer all the same.

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Kirkland Laing, excellent boxer who once beat Roberto Duran. He was in the news last year for dropping orange peel in the street and got fined about 300 quid. I think he lives St Annes Carlton Rd area.

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I had a feeling it was just me on this one.

I remember I met (Bumped into ) he and his posse on a night out once, total lack of respect for other people and their relative spouses.

I can understand him getting fined ,totaly ignorant git, probably got asked to pick the orange peel up and his response would have either "F*** off pig" or

"You is only picking on me cos I is black"

There was another promising local (Possibly Clifton or Meadows lad ,) Mac something, sorry can't remember the rest of his name (Black lad light middle or there abouts)when we found he was on the under card on the "Big Grudge Match" (Early /mid 80's) between Mark Kaylor and Errol Christie at the NEC there was a lot of 'sucking' up to his brother , who we worked with, to get tickets to the fight.

If any one can remember this one , there had been a very public punch up between the two at a publicity show for the fight (about a month away)

The four of us drove down on the afternoon, and, as we parked there was allsorts of scraps going on in the car park (Christie was from Wolverhampton and Kaylor from London or vice versa) a group of lads ran up to us asking "Who are you supporting" in 'Cockney' accents . My mate replied "Mac ###### he's on the under card" and they left us alone , bit bloody scarey at the time .

Any way he won in the 4th ,but the main fight saw riots in the arena before during and after. We were glad to get away!!!

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Thats the card. But what did we go to the NEC around that time for then??

Cheers Nick

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  • 3 months later...
I was told in the 60's that Wally Swift the Boxer ran The Grand for a while.

I don't know if this is true?

Wally Swift

Sex Male

Nationality United Kingdom

Hometown Nottingham

Division Middleweight

Date of Birth 1936-08-10

won 68 (14 ko's) - lost 17 - drawn 3 - tot

Sorry unable to find an image of Wally

Don't know about Wally Swift, but Barry Leonards, ex cruiser weight for the midlands, ran it and then went on to run the Cavalier at Bestwood.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

'Es only gone and done it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well done to Carl Froch ( I know his dad , don't we Mick ??)

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I couldn't agree more . I'm not a massive boxing fan , but that truly was a fantastic fight , both men were a credit to their sport.

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  • 1 year later...

'ow du thi afford th gas bill????

Woops, sorry....just seen this thread & I've started a separate one under Sport (???? newbies). Has anybody heard of a nineteenth century prizefighter from Nottingham called Asher ? I'm enquiring on behalf of a lady from the USA....Her ancestor emigrated at the beginning of the twentieth century when he was around 19, but was said to have spent a couple of years as a prizefighter. If anyone can help, or tell me if I can find out if this is true or not, I'd be very grateful

Thanks

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  • 3 months later...

Bump

It would be a shame if this Nottingham boxer was not included in this thread - his name might just be the most famous of all too as it was reputed to be the inspiration for the naming of 'Big Ben' in the Palace of Westminster!

The 'Torkard Giant', a former Heavyweight Champion of England, is buried in the graveyard of the Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Hucknall. His grave displays the sad fact that Ben’s two children perished in a fire at the tender ages of just six and eight.

bencaunt.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Caunt

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  • 7 months later...

Yep Johnny Larvin, Johnny Carrington or Johnny Carro was all him. Sadly his life was bought to an end he was my great uncle, and yes Larvins did run most of the barrow boys fruit and veg in Nottingham at one point, also we do still work goose fair (but our names not Larvin) it was my Dads aunty who bought him up Flo Larvin who passed down the Nottingham Goose Fair stall to him, and its now being passed down to me

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Welcome Huggett

And thanks for filling in some gaps regarding well known local Nottingham characters.

I am sure you wil be able to add some to other threads on our site

thumbsup

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  • 1 year later...

Hello Huggett, it's nice to hear from one of John's relatives on Nottstalgia. Johnny and Dolly were good friends of mine and it was sad the way his life ended. He had a good boxing career and went out with a win. I knew a few of the barrow boys (and girls) and used to see them in the Marquis Of Lorne in Radford. It was on the Sunday nights lock-in and it was always a good laugh. The landlord, who's name I forget, constantly telling everyone to be quiet in case the Police were on the prowl.

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Death of Bendigo

Bendigo, a once celebrated pugilist and winner of eight prize fights within the year, died yesterday evening at Beeston, Notts, aged 69. His death was occasioned by a fracture of the ribs which penetrated the lungs. Of late years the deceased had been a preacher and was well-known as a leader of revivalist services.

He must have mellowed...I came across this the other day..

cdea73b2.jpg

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radfordred mentioned Reg King and I can remember him well. I saw every fight at the Nottingham Ice Stadium between 1960 and 1963 and the odd fight since then. Reg King promoted the fights at the N.I.S. and he put on some cracking fights, not only the main fights but the undercard fights as well. Reg King was a nice guy who was pleasant to everyone. He was rich enough to eat in the best restuarants but he would have his lunch in the Stadium cafe. The Manageress would fuss around and make sure his table had a clean tablecloth and cutlery. He would arrive with a couple of bodyguards who ensured his privacy. He'd have a fry up and always gave the girls a good tip. I saw some good boxers who put on great shows but never made it onto the world stage. People like Wally Swift, Johnny Pritchett, John Caldwell, Alan Rudkin, Johnny Prescott. I also saw Henry Cooper fight Joe Erskine. One fight I do remember was George Aldridge v Mick Leahy for the British Middleweight title. It wasn't the fight but the fact that Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) entered the N.I.S. surrounded by around a dozen bodyguards, all wearing sunglasses. They stormed into the foyer and up the stairs and through the doors, where I was stood. They went across to the ringside where Clay, as he was known then, took the 'Round 5' card and started to walk round, with the card held over his head, shouting "Man alive, I'll do him in five". This was in reference to his forthcoming fight with Henry Cooper (He did do him in five). The place erupted with the crowd booing his antics but everyone with a smile on their faces, you couldn't help but smile when Clay spoke. I mentioned the good undercards and two fighters I remember were Frankie 'Tiger' Taylor and Lennie 'The Lion' Williams. In those days the crowd would throw money into the ring if it had been an exceptional fight and it happened to both these fighters. Reg King gave fight fans many great memories at the Nottingham Ice Stadium and he should never be forgotten.

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