Billy Hardy
Encyclopedia
Billy Hardy is a former bantamweight
and featherweight
boxer
champion. He held the British championship at bantamweight and featherweight, as well as the European and Commonwealth featherweight titles.
The Billy Hardy Sports Centre, in Castletown
, Sunderland bears his name.
He started boxing when he was six or seven, at the Hylton Castle
Boys Club. He was an aggressive boxer who liked to come forward and take the fight to his opponent.
Being a dedicated fan of Sunderland Football Club, Hardy normally fought wearing red and white striped shorts, the club colours.
.
and Hardy took the title when the fight was stopped in the fourth, Gilbody having been down four times.
In March 1988, he defended his British title against John Hyland in his hometown of Sunderland, knocking the challenger out in the second round.
In November 1988, he fought the Italian
, Vincenzo Belcastro for the European bantamweight title. The fight was in Paola, Italy
and Hardy lost a narrow points decision after twelve rounds.
In February 1989, he successfully defended his British title against Ronnie Carroll in Sunderland, winning on points.
In June 1989, he had a re-match with Belcastro for the European title. The fight was in Pavia
, Italy, and this time the decision was even closer, being declared as a draw.
In October 1989, he defended his British title against Brian Holmes, in Sunderland. Hardy made short work of the challenger, knocking him out in the first round.
world bantamweight title, held by the American, Orlando Canizales
. The challenge was in January 1990 at the Crowtree Leisure Centre
, Sunderland, and it went the full twelve rounds with Canizales retaining his title on a split decision.
In November 1990, Hardy defended his British title for the third time, again against Ronnie Carroll. This time the fight was stopped in the eighth with Hardy retaining his title.
In May 1991, Hardy had a re-match with Orlando Conizares, who so narrowly defeated him the previous year. This time the fight was in Canizares’ hometown of Laredo, Texas
, and the champion won on a technical knockout in the eighth round. Hardy had also been knocked down in round three.
n, Ricky Rayner for the vacant Commonwealth featherweight title. The fight was in Sunderland, and Hardy won the title when the fight was stopped in the tenth.
In May 1993, he defended his Commonwealth title in Sunderland, against Canadian
, Barrington Francis, winning on points.
In May 1994, he fought Alan McKay, a southpaw from Watford. The fight, in Sunderland, was for Hardy’s Commonwealth title and the vacant British featherweight title. The fight was stopped in the eighth with Hardy now the holder of both titles. Later in the year, Hardy relinquished the British title.
In October 1994, he defended his Commonwealth title in Sun City
, South Africa
, against local challenger Stanford Ngcebeshe. Hardy won on points over twelve rounds.
In February 1995, he made a further defence, in Sunderland, against Percy Commey, of Ghana
. Hardy won by a technical knockout in the eleventh round.
, near Paris
, against the Algeria
n holder, Mehdi Labdouni. Hardy won on points over twelve rounds to take the title.
In February 1996, he defended his Commonwealth title against English boxer, Michael Alldis, winning on points.
In June 1996, he defended his European title in Sanremo
, Italy
against Stefanno Zoff, winning on points.
In February 1997, Hardy defended his European title against Welsh
boxer, Steve Robinson, who had held the WBO world featherweight title before losing it to Naseem Hamed
. The fight, in Sunderland, was dominated by Hardy, and he claimed a points decision.
world featherweight titles held by fellow Englishman
, Naseem Hamed
. The fight was held in Manchester
and many of Hardy’s fans travelled from Sunderland to support him. He tried to take the fight to Hamed but paid the price, when he was caught by a right-hand that broke his nose and his cheekbone. Hardy was knocked down twice, and the fight was stopped after only 93 seconds.
n, Mehdi Labdouni at York Hall
, Bethnal Green
, winning on points to retain the title.
In September 1998, Hardy had his last fight, when he defended his European and Commonwealth titles against Yorkshire
man, Paul Ingle
, former holder of the IBF
world featherweight title. The fight was in York, and Hardy started well, but was caught in the eighth round, and the fight was stopped.
Following this defeat, Hardy retired aged thirty-four.
Bantamweight
Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
and featherweight
Featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion. He held the British championship at bantamweight and featherweight, as well as the European and Commonwealth featherweight titles.
The Billy Hardy Sports Centre, in Castletown
Castletown, Tyne and Wear
Castletown is an area of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear. A former mining community, the Hylton Colliery was located at the east end of the village, it lies north of the River Wear, and is near to Hylton Castle and Washington...
, Sunderland bears his name.
He started boxing when he was six or seven, at the Hylton Castle
Hylton Castle (suburb)
Hylton Castle is a suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. It is named after the nearby Hylton Castle....
Boys Club. He was an aggressive boxer who liked to come forward and take the fight to his opponent.
Being a dedicated fan of Sunderland Football Club, Hardy normally fought wearing red and white striped shorts, the club colours.
Professional career
He had his first professional fight in November 1983, beating Kevin Downer on points over six rounds at Eltham, KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
British bantamweight title
He built up a record of thirteen wins and three defeats before fighting for the British bantamweight title against the holder Ray Gilbody. The title fight was in February 1987 in St HelensSt Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
and Hardy took the title when the fight was stopped in the fourth, Gilbody having been down four times.
In March 1988, he defended his British title against John Hyland in his hometown of Sunderland, knocking the challenger out in the second round.
In November 1988, he fought the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Vincenzo Belcastro for the European bantamweight title. The fight was in Paola, Italy
Paola, Italy
Paola is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-Geography:The city borders with Montalto Uffugo and San Benedetto Ullano by the west, Fuscaldo by the north and San Lucido by the south.-History:...
and Hardy lost a narrow points decision after twelve rounds.
In February 1989, he successfully defended his British title against Ronnie Carroll in Sunderland, winning on points.
In June 1989, he had a re-match with Belcastro for the European title. The fight was in Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
, Italy, and this time the decision was even closer, being declared as a draw.
In October 1989, he defended his British title against Brian Holmes, in Sunderland. Hardy made short work of the challenger, knocking him out in the first round.
IBF bantamweight attempts
Hardy’s impressive record at bantamweight had put him in line for a shot at the IBFIBF
IBF may refer to:*International Boxing Federation is one of several boxing organisations* International Bandy Federation former name of Federation of International Bandy , an international governing body for bandy...
world bantamweight title, held by the American, Orlando Canizales
Orlando Canizales
Orlando Canizales is an American boxer who won the International Boxing Federation bantamweight title and defended it a record sixteen consecutive times.-Boxing career:...
. The challenge was in January 1990 at the Crowtree Leisure Centre
Crowtree Leisure Centre
Crowtree Leisure Centre is an indoor sports centre based in the centre of Sunderland, England.The sports complex has a vast range of facilities and can accommodate many recreational sports such as football, Squash, snooker and Badminton among others...
, Sunderland, and it went the full twelve rounds with Canizales retaining his title on a split decision.
In November 1990, Hardy defended his British title for the third time, again against Ronnie Carroll. This time the fight was stopped in the eighth with Hardy retaining his title.
In May 1991, Hardy had a re-match with Orlando Conizares, who so narrowly defeated him the previous year. This time the fight was in Canizares’ hometown of Laredo, Texas
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
, and the champion won on a technical knockout in the eighth round. Hardy had also been knocked down in round three.
Featherweight titles
Hardy relinquished his British bantamweight title in 1991. In October 1992, he moved up a weight, when he fought AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n, Ricky Rayner for the vacant Commonwealth featherweight title. The fight was in Sunderland, and Hardy won the title when the fight was stopped in the tenth.
In May 1993, he defended his Commonwealth title in Sunderland, against Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Barrington Francis, winning on points.
In May 1994, he fought Alan McKay, a southpaw from Watford. The fight, in Sunderland, was for Hardy’s Commonwealth title and the vacant British featherweight title. The fight was stopped in the eighth with Hardy now the holder of both titles. Later in the year, Hardy relinquished the British title.
In October 1994, he defended his Commonwealth title in Sun City
Sun City
-South Africa:* Sun City, North West, a luxury casino resort, situated in the North West Province-United States:* The Sun City is a nickname or moniker for El Paso, TX because of the fact that sun shines for more than 302 days on average in the city....
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, against local challenger Stanford Ngcebeshe. Hardy won on points over twelve rounds.
In February 1995, he made a further defence, in Sunderland, against Percy Commey, of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. Hardy won by a technical knockout in the eleventh round.
European title
In October 1995, Hardy challenged for the European featherweight title. He fought in Fontenay-sous-BoisFontenay-sous-Bois
Fontenay-sous-Bois is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Name:The name Fontenay was recorded in the Middle Ages as Fontanetum, meaning "the springs", from Medieval Latin fontana .The commune was known alternatively as Fontenay-les-Bois ,...
, near Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, against the Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n holder, Mehdi Labdouni. Hardy won on points over twelve rounds to take the title.
In February 1996, he defended his Commonwealth title against English boxer, Michael Alldis, winning on points.
In June 1996, he defended his European title in Sanremo
Sanremo
Sanremo or San Remo is a city with about 57,000 inhabitants on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy. Founded in Roman times, the city is best known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
against Stefanno Zoff, winning on points.
In February 1997, Hardy defended his European title against Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
boxer, Steve Robinson, who had held the WBO world featherweight title before losing it to Naseem Hamed
Naseem Hamed
Naseem Hamed is an English former professional boxer.He is the former WBO, WBC, IBF, & Lineal featherweight champion, and European bantamweight champion....
. The fight, in Sunderland, was dominated by Hardy, and he claimed a points decision.
WBO and IBF featherweight attempt
In May 1997, Hardy had his biggest fight, when he challenged for the WBO and IBFIBF
IBF may refer to:*International Boxing Federation is one of several boxing organisations* International Bandy Federation former name of Federation of International Bandy , an international governing body for bandy...
world featherweight titles held by fellow Englishman
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Naseem Hamed
Naseem Hamed
Naseem Hamed is an English former professional boxer.He is the former WBO, WBC, IBF, & Lineal featherweight champion, and European bantamweight champion....
. The fight was held in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and many of Hardy’s fans travelled from Sunderland to support him. He tried to take the fight to Hamed but paid the price, when he was caught by a right-hand that broke his nose and his cheekbone. Hardy was knocked down twice, and the fight was stopped after only 93 seconds.
Remaining career
In January 1998, he defended his European title against AlgeriaAlgeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n, Mehdi Labdouni at York Hall
York Hall
The York Hall is a health and leisure centre and one of Britain's best known boxing venues.The venue is situated on Old Ford Road in Bethnal Green, London, England. The hall, opened in 1929 with a capacity of 1,200, stages boxing as well as providing a gymnasium and swimming pool.The hall is owned...
, Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is a district of the East End of London, England and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, with the far northern parts falling within the London Borough of Hackney. Located northeast of Charing Cross, it was historically an agrarian hamlet in the ancient parish of Stepney,...
, winning on points to retain the title.
In September 1998, Hardy had his last fight, when he defended his European and Commonwealth titles against Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
man, Paul Ingle
Paul Ingle
Paul Andrew Ingle is a retired featherweight boxer. As an amateur he competed for Great Britain at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. As a professional he won the IBF, European, British, & Commonwealth featherweight titles.-Amateur career:As an amateur, Ingle was a member of the 1992...
, former holder of the IBF
IBF
IBF may refer to:*International Boxing Federation is one of several boxing organisations* International Bandy Federation former name of Federation of International Bandy , an international governing body for bandy...
world featherweight title. The fight was in York, and Hardy started well, but was caught in the eighth round, and the fight was stopped.
Following this defeat, Hardy retired aged thirty-four.