Welsh Boxers Past and present

If you could go and watch any of them fight today past or present who would it be ? Mine would defo be Jimmy Wilde

And any Boxer in the World it would have to be Jack Johnson because he was the first Black heavyweight champion and he had an enormous chip on his shoulder and was brutal.

But i could name so many in each category

one to watch for the future is our new local boy craig evans. faught in newport recently and the opposition was supposed to be a step up in class for him, but although he got caught with a couple he was just too powerful and the fight didnt last as long as he hoped.

one to watch for the future is our new local boy craig evans. faught in newport recently and the opposition was supposed to be a step up in class for him, but although he got caught with a couple he was just too powerful and the fight didnt last as long as he hoped.

Just answer the bloody question Mr Blackwood

Redmond Coleman had a Legendry street fight in Merthyr....I would have loved to have seen that Nukes.
And like you I would have loved to seen Jimmy Wild (The ghost with a hammer in his hand).

Johnny Owen.

Nothing needs to said as to why I chose him.


As for worldwide I'd have to say Joe Louis simply because his Heavyweight title defense record still stands today.

one to watch for the future is our new local boy craig evans. faught in newport recently and the opposition was supposed to be a step up in class for him, but although he got caught with a couple he was just too powerful and the fight didnt last as long as he hoped.

Just answer the bloody question Mr Blackwood

f**k off!


just for you: percy jones for me, first welsh champion during boxings most difficult era.... 20 round pts victory... shame what happened to him during the war and too die so young.. some of his first 40 fights were tough and brutal.

Jimmy Wilde for me too.
Credited with being the Tylorstown Terror amongst many other alias's (The mighty Atom, The Ghost with a hammer in his hand etc etc)
But not many people know he was actualy another Merthyr great. (Quakers Yard to be exact) and moved to Tylorstown in his childhood.
Voted by many well renound fight buffs as the Greatest Flyweight ever I was fortunate enough to be at the same table and meet some relatives of his a few years back at a Boxing Dinner.
A friend of mine also wrote the foreword to a recent book on Jimmy's life and just looking at his stats really hit home how good this boxing great was. Giving so much weight away when fighting much bigger men almost made a mockery of the weight system.
He once weighed in with his overcoat on having walked to the "weigh in" through the pouring rain.
More than one apponent asked if this was some kind of joke when Jimmy stripped off to fight them after seeing his puny body.
What a legend

Calzaghy v Hopkins in Vegas.

Been to lot of the UK arena's to watch our Welsh boys, but none are a patch on a trip to Vegas.

For this fight there were 10,000 Welsh boxing fans in Vegas which may never be repeated. It was a special event, the weigh in was electric and was like being in a packed away end at a Cardiff City match. Hopkins added to the spice by saying, "he would never get beat by a White boy", on national TV. We were sat by coloured Americans who could not support Hopkins after what he had said. You even had a very young Nathan Cleverly win his fight on the under card.

In the bars after the fight we had locals from Vegas thanking us for behaving and not booing their national anthem. Ricky Hatton had fought in Vegas a month earlier and Hatton fans had boo'd the USA anthem big time. Ricky Hatton fans were also fighting with each other and with American's. The local's expected the Welsh to behave the same but were over the moon when we respected their anthem and were all out for a good time.

Jimmy Wilde for me too.
Credited with being the Tylorstown Terror amongst many other alias's (The mighty Atom, The Ghost with a hammer in his hand etc etc)
But not many people know he was actualy another Merthyr great. (Quakers Yard to be exact) and moved to Tylorstown in his childhood.
Voted by many well renound fight buffs as the Greatest Flyweight ever I was fortunate enough to be at the same table and meet some relatives of his a few years back at a Boxing Dinner.
A friend of mine also wrote the foreword to a recent book on Jimmy's life and just looking at his stats really hit home how good this boxing great was. Giving so much weight away when fighting much bigger men almost made a mockery of the weight system.
He once weighed in with his overcoat on having walked to the "weigh in" through the pouring rain.
More than one apponent asked if this was some kind of joke when Jimmy stripped off to fight them after seeing his puny body.
What a legend

I have read his autobiography Chief and what a book it was. But the ending got me fuming as he was beaten up in his elder years at a train station. Those pricks would not of been fit to lace his gloves in his prime ?
Jimmy Driscoll was also a great, and in the World would any one match up to Chavez. That guy was amazing

Howar Winston, a real World champion at a time when there weren't two hundred of them at the same time.

Jimmy Wilde for me too.
Credited with being the Tylorstown Terror amongst many other alias's (The mighty Atom, The Ghost with a hammer in his hand etc etc)
But not many people know he was actualy another Merthyr great. (Quakers Yard to be exact) and moved to Tylorstown in his childhood.
Voted by many well renound fight buffs as the Greatest Flyweight ever I was fortunate enough to be at the same table and meet some relatives of his a few years back at a Boxing Dinner.
A friend of mine also wrote the foreword to a recent book on Jimmy's life and just looking at his stats really hit home how good this boxing great was. Giving so much weight away when fighting much bigger men almost made a mockery of the weight system.
He once weighed in with his overcoat on having walked to the "weigh in" through the pouring rain.
More than one apponent asked if this was some kind of joke when Jimmy stripped off to fight them after seeing his puny body.
What a legend

I have read his autobiography Chief and what a book it was. But the ending got me fuming as he was beaten up in his elder years at a train station. Those pricks would not of been fit to lace his gloves in his prime ?
Jimmy Driscoll was also a great, and in the World would any one match up to Chavez. That guy was amazing

I agree with every word and you are obviously knowledgable about the sport. I was upset too when i'd heard about such an appauling end to a true legend. It was actualy Cardiff Train Station that he was beaten up which sickened me even more. There should in time be another book out and to my mind it will be better than the last with more about "Jimmy the Man" as well as his records etc. It may be some time before it hits the shops but if i remember i will definately keep you posted.

Peerless Jim Driscoll


Boxing has had it's day

Jimmy Wilde for me too.
Credited with being the Tylorstown Terror amongst many other alias's (The mighty Atom, The Ghost with a hammer in his hand etc etc)
But not many people know he was actualy another Merthyr great. (Quakers Yard to be exact) and moved to Tylorstown in his childhood.
Voted by many well renound fight buffs as the Greatest Flyweight ever I was fortunate enough to be at the same table and meet some relatives of his a few years back at a Boxing Dinner.
A friend of mine also wrote the foreword to a recent book on Jimmy's life and just looking at his stats really hit home how good this boxing great was. Giving so much weight away when fighting much bigger men almost made a mockery of the weight system.
He once weighed in with his overcoat on having walked to the "weigh in" through the pouring rain.
More than one apponent asked if this was some kind of joke when Jimmy stripped off to fight them after seeing his puny body.
What a legend

I have read his autobiography Chief and what a book it was. But the ending got me fuming as he was beaten up in his elder years at a train station. Those pricks would not of been fit to lace his gloves in his prime ?
Jimmy Driscoll was also a great, and in the World would any one match up to Chavez. That guy was amazing

I agree with every word and you are obviously knowledgable about the sport. I was upset too when i'd heard about such an appauling end to a true legend. It was actualy Cardiff Train Station that he was beaten up which sickened me even more. There should in time be another book out and to my mind it will be better than the last with more about "Jimmy the Man" as well as his records etc. It may be some time before it hits the shops but if i remember i will definately keep you posted.

Howar Winston, a real World champion at a time when there weren't two hundred of them at the same time.

Gwyn was in Merthyr Yesterday and the ammount of statues is just jaw dropping. Went past Howard Winstone amazing And at the Rydcar leisure Centre there is a wall dedicated to all the local boxers

If you could go and watch any of them fight today past or present who would it be ? Mine would defo be Jimmy Wilde

And any Boxer in the World it would have to be Jack Johnson because he was the first Black heavyweight champion and he had an enormous chip on his shoulder and was brutal.

But i could name so many in each category

johny owen for me chief.lennox lewis was the one i wished i,d saw live

Howar Winston, a real World champion at a time when there weren't two hundred of them at the same time.

Gwyn was in Merthyr Yesterday and the ammount of statues is just jaw dropping. Went past Howard Winstone amazing And at the Rydcar leisure Centre there is a wall dedicated to all the local boxers

Howard Winstone was a fantastic fighter and his statue along with Johnny Owen's is a great tribute to the Great Boxing heritage of Merthyr.
I have always believed that Jimmy Wilde's statue should also stand on the same walkway and why not go the full hog and rename the walkway.
I think "Champions Walk" would fit the bill perfectly

Peerless Jim Driscoll


Boxing has had it's day

Chief have you read his autobiography "Peerless Jim" read it over 25 years ago got it from a Library in Bristol. A must read for anyone with an interest in local Boxing. His battles with Freddy Welsh and his training running up Leckwith mountain/ Hill. He was a true Champion and as i remember was buried in Cathays cemetery and it was the biggest funeral the City of Cardiff has ever witnessed.

Howar Winston, a real World champion at a time when there weren't two hundred of them at the same time.

Gwyn was in Merthyr Yesterday and the ammount of statues is just jaw dropping. Went past Howard Winstone amazing And at the Rydcar leisure Centre there is a wall dedicated to all the local boxers

Howard Winstone was a fantastic fighter and his statue along with Johnny Owen's is a great tribute to the Great Boxing heritage of Merthyr.
I have always believed that Jimmy Wilde's statue should also stand on the same walkway and why not go the full hog and rename the walkway.
I think "Champions Walk" would fit the bill perfectly

By the way....When you consider that Winstone lost 4 fingers off his right hand (up to the knuckles) it is truly amazing when you look at his record. Another great fighter and another who is right up there.

If you could go and watch any of them fight today past or present who would it be ? Mine would defo be Jimmy Wilde

And any Boxer in the World it would have to be Jack Johnson because he was the first Black heavyweight champion and he had an enormous chip on his shoulder and was brutal.

But i could name so many in each category

johny owen for me chief.lennox lewis was the one i wished i,d saw live

Lennox Lewis in my view JTC would not of lived with any of the greats from the 70s a true great era in Heavyweight Boxing, apart from Hollyfield.

I dont know about welsh fighters but i would of loved to of been able to see Sugar Ray Robinson in my opinion he is the greatest ever!

If you could go and watch any of them fight today past or present who would it be ? Mine would defo be Jimmy Wilde

And any Boxer in the World it would have to be Jack Johnson because he was the first Black heavyweight champion and he had an enormous chip on his shoulder and was brutal.

But i could name so many in each category

johny owen for me chief.lennox lewis was the one i wished i,d saw live

Lennox Lewis in my view JTC would not of lived with any of the greats from the 70s a true great era in Heavyweight Boxing, apart from Hollyfield.

In the 70's i think Larry Holmes ruled the heavyweights and noone but noone could touch him....not until he was an old man that is!

I dont know about welsh fighters but i would of loved to of been able to see Sugar Ray Robinson in my opinion he is the greatest ever!

Yeah would of loved to of seen his fights with La Motta

They learn to box before they learn to talk in Merthyr, what an area for producing boxers, even the midwives wear boxing gloves to acclimatise the babies at birth.

If you could go and watch any of them fight today past or present who would it be ? Mine would defo be Jimmy Wilde

And any Boxer in the World it would have to be Jack Johnson because he was the first Black heavyweight champion and he had an enormous chip on his shoulder and was brutal.

But i could name so many in each category

Intesting fact is when Jack Johnson (Galveston Giant )Met Tommy Buns for the World Heavy weight championship which of course was the first time a Coloured boxer met a white boxer for the championship Jack Johnson invested in a string of cafe's across America with his winnings and the Cafes were named Black and White (someone coined the phrase Black and white Champinship for obvious reasons ) and years later many cafe owners still used the name for there businesses in America and ove here in Britain so next time you walk past the Black and White in Claire road across the way from Grangetown Train Station spare a thought how the name developed.

They learn to box before they learn to talk in Merthyr, what an area for producing boxers, even the midwives wear boxing gloves to acclimatise the babies at birth.

SSo why did you do Judo ? or dont tell me you was born just outside of Merthyr ?

I dont know about welsh fighters but i would of loved to of been able to see Sugar Ray Robinson in my opinion he is the greatest ever!

Yeah would of loved to of seen his fights with La Motta

Met Lamotta in Cardiff...What a gent

They learn to box before they learn to talk in Merthyr, what an area for producing boxers, even the midwives wear boxing gloves to acclimatise the babies at birth.

SSo why did you do Judo ? or dont tell me you was born just outside of Merthyr ?

We mustn't forget grert boxing trainers from Merthyr either haha
Eddie Thomas
He was a great

I dont know about welsh fighters but i would of loved to of been able to see Sugar Ray Robinson in my opinion he is the greatest ever!

Yeah would of loved to of seen his fights with La Motta

Met Lamotta in Cardiff...What a gent

WOW !!!

I dont know about welsh fighters but i would of loved to of been able to see Sugar Ray Robinson in my opinion he is the greatest ever!

Yeah would of loved to of seen his fights with La Motta

Met Lamotta in Cardiff...What a gent

Now thats a claim to fame if ive ever heared one!!

They learn to box before they learn to talk in Merthyr, what an area for producing boxers, even the midwives wear boxing gloves to acclimatise the babies at birth.

SSo why did you do Judo ? or dont tell me you was born just outside of Merthyr ?

Aberdare snake me,Cwmaman, or as we call it Stereophonicland. I only took up judo so I'd be less scared when i went shopping in Merthyr. Actually now living in Trelewis (a stone's throw from my pal Bluebird1977, just looking for the right size stone) this is about the closest i feel safe enough to live near Merthyr, I finished up as a third dan, and you must be at least fourth dan (or have a big gun) to live any nearer.