Brian London
Encyclopedia
Brian London, born Brian Sidney Harper, 19 June 1934, in West Hartlepool
, is a retired English
heavyweight
boxer
. He was British
and Commonwealth
Heavyweight
champion from 1958 to 1959, and had two world heavyweight title fights. He was one of a quartet of British boxers, with Henry Cooper
, Joe Erskine and Dick Richardson
, who dominated the British boxing scene throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
An orthodox, rugged, no-nonsense fighter who lacked finesse but showed lots of courage, he was 6 ft tall and fought at about 205 lbs. His nicknames in the ring were "The British Bulldog" and "The Blackpool Rock". He defeated a number of world-class and well-known fighters such as Zora Folley
, Willie Pastrano
, Pete Rademacher
, Tom McNeeley
, Roger Rischer, Joe Erskine, Amos Johnson, Billy Walker
, Von Clay, Young Jack Johnson and Kitione Lave.
, County Durham
, in 1934, and moved to Blackpool when he was 16 years old, where he has lived ever since. His father, Jack London
, beat Freddie Mills
in 1944 to win the British heavyweight title. He also had a brother, Jack junior, who fought as a light-heavyweight. London fought as an amateur before turning professional in 1955. He made a good start to his career, winning his first twelve bouts, until he came up against Henry Cooper in May 1956. Cooper stopped him with a technical knockout in the first round. Following this defeat, London continued his winning run, apart from two ten-round point defeats, against Heinz Neuhaus in Dortmund
, in 1957 and against the talented American, Willie Pastrano
in February 1958.
, London
, and London took the titles with an eighth-round knockout. He followed this in September with a revenge win against Willie Pastrano, by a technical knockout in the fifth round. On 12 January 1959, London lost his titles in a fight against Henry Cooper, losing for the second time to the Londoner by a points decision after fifteen rounds.
, but he lost the bout in Indianapolis
by a knockout in the eleventh. He also lost to the Cuba
n Nino Valdez
later that year, by a technical knockout in the seventh. However, in January 1960, London bounced back when he beat the American Pete Rademacher
by a knockout in the seventh. Rademacher had made history by being the only man to fight for the world heavyweight championship on his professional debut, losing to Floyd Patterson.
, Wales
on a technical knockout in the eighth. This result provoked a brawl, when London’s father and brother invaded the ring to protest that Richardson had used his head to open a cut on his opponent. When Richardson's trainer shouted a few remarks at London, London replied with an impressive combination of blows, decking him, and chaos broke out. As a result of the incident, London was fined by the British Boxing Board of Control
.
In October 1961, London lost to the American, Eddie Machen
by a technical knockout in the tenth, and in April 1963, he lost to the Swede
, Ingemar Johansson
on points over twelve rounds.
He fought Henry Cooper for the third time in February 1964, when he challenged for his British and Commonwealth titles, as well as the vacant European title. The fight took place in Manchester, and Cooper won on points after fifteen rounds.
His next fight of note was in March 1965, against the young “Golden Boy” of British boxing, Billy Walker
. London won on points after ten rounds.
came to defend his title at Earl's Court Exhibition Hall. Ali put in a masterful performance hitting London at will - as London put it in an interview with BBC TV, "he was just getting through all the time" - and knocked London down for the count midway through the third round. In the same BBC interview to mark the 50th anniversary of his British & Commonwealth title win London explained that he didn't want to end up punch-drunk like so many fighters did at that time and so he decided to quit during the third round. It appeared that he could have got up from the knockdown, but chose to be counted out. "I got paid the same for 3 rounds as I would have for 15," he said.
, in Los Angeles, losing the fight by a unanimous decision after ten rounds. In November 1967, London had, what was to be the last win in his career when he fought the talented American, Zora Folley
. Foley had lost a world title fight against Muhammad Ali, earlier that year, and London beat him on points over ten rounds.
London had continued to fight when he was past his best, and in June 1968, he lost, by a technical knockout to Jack Bodell
. In September 1969 he travelled to Oakland, California
to fight Jerry Quarry
for the second time, this time being knocked out in the second round. The bout was unusual in that the bell was inadvertently rung as London was getting up after being knocked down in the second. The fighters returned to their corners and the referee, realising that the round had not finished, made them resume. London was then knocked down again and was counted out before the end of the round.
London’s last fight was against the up-and-coming young boxer Joe Bugner
, who would eventually take the British, Commonwealth and European titles from Henry Cooper. The bout was in May 1970, at Wembley, and Bugner won by a technical knockout in the fifth, signalling an end to London’s career.
all of his life, in 2006 it was revealed that he was still only a few pounds over his fighting weight. He is married with three children.
In January 1971 English footballler Bobby Moore
was embroiled in what became a national media story when he and three other West Ham United
players, Jimmy Greaves
, Clyde Best
and Brian Dear
, spent the evening at London's 007 nightclub in Blackpool, the night before an important FA Cup
match against Blackpool
which they went on to lose 4-0, with then West Ham manager Ron Greenwood and the national media severely criticising the players. Moore later said of the incident, "I'd met Brian London on many occasions and thought it would be nice to look him up. I suppose we all realised at the time that we were leaving ourselves vulnerable".
London has always said that fighting Muhammad Ali was the greatest honour of his life. Like so many other boxers, London continued fighting long after his prime. He was 22 wins to 3 losses early in his career but lost 17 of his last 33 fights. In judging London’s career it should be remembered that he fought some of the best fighters in the world, including four who at some stage were world champions – Ali, Patterson, Johansson and Pastrano.
In 2004, the BritishBoxing website listed London at number eight in a list of the top ten post World War II
British Heavyweight boxers. He is a member of Blackpool Sportsman's Aid Society (BSAS) which raises funds for local charities and sporting needs in Blackpool.
West Hartlepool
This article refers to the place; for the Rugby Football Club see West Hartlepool R.F.C.West Hartlepool refers to the western part of the what has since the 1960s been known as the borough of Hartlepool in North East England...
, is a retired English
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...
heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World 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...
. He was British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
champion from 1958 to 1959, and had two world heavyweight title fights. He was one of a quartet of British boxers, with Henry Cooper
Henry Cooper (boxer)
Sir Henry Cooper OBE KSG was an English heavyweight boxer known for the effectiveness of his left hook, "Enry's 'Ammer", and his knockdown of the young Muhammad Ali...
, Joe Erskine and Dick Richardson
Dick Richardson (boxer)
Dick Richardson was a heavyweight boxer from the Maesglas area of Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales. He held the European heavyweight title from March 1960 to June 1962. In all, he won 31 of his 47 professional bouts, losing 14, with two drawn. He was 6 ft 3ins tall and weighed about 200 lbs...
, who dominated the British boxing scene throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
An orthodox, rugged, no-nonsense fighter who lacked finesse but showed lots of courage, he was 6 ft tall and fought at about 205 lbs. His nicknames in the ring were "The British Bulldog" and "The Blackpool Rock". He defeated a number of world-class and well-known fighters such as Zora Folley
Zora Folley
Zora Folley was an American heavyweight boxer. He was well skilled with a good defence and also a punch to go with it....
, Willie Pastrano
Willie Pastrano
Wilfred Raleigh Pastrano was a light heavyweight boxer who held the world crown from 1963 until 1965.-Early life:...
, Pete Rademacher
Pete Rademacher
Thomas Peter Rademacher is a former boxer who made boxing history by being the only man to fight for the world heavyweight championship in his first professional fight.-Amateur career:...
, Tom McNeeley
Tom McNeeley
Thomas William McNeeley, Jr. was a heavyweight boxer in the 1950s and 1960s. He hailed from Arlington, Massachusetts, and played football for Michigan State University...
, Roger Rischer, Joe Erskine, Amos Johnson, Billy Walker
Billy Walker (boxer)
Billy Walker is a retired English Heavyweight boxer and actor. He was born in London in 1939 and turned professional in 1961 after 39 amateur bouts. His nickname was “Golden Boy”. His professional record was 21 wins , 8 losses and 2 draws...
, Von Clay, Young Jack Johnson and Kitione Lave.
Early career
London was born in West HartlepoolWest Hartlepool
This article refers to the place; for the Rugby Football Club see West Hartlepool R.F.C.West Hartlepool refers to the western part of the what has since the 1960s been known as the borough of Hartlepool in North East England...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, in 1934, and moved to Blackpool when he was 16 years old, where he has lived ever since. His father, Jack London
Jack London (boxer)
Jack London was an English heavyweight boxer. He was British and Commonwealth Heavyweight champion from 1944 to 1945...
, beat Freddie Mills
Freddie Mills
Freddie Mills, was an English boxer, who was the world light heavyweight boxing champion from 1948 to 1950. He was born in Poole, England.- Early life :...
in 1944 to win the British heavyweight title. He also had a brother, Jack junior, who fought as a light-heavyweight. London fought as an amateur before turning professional in 1955. He made a good start to his career, winning his first twelve bouts, until he came up against Henry Cooper in May 1956. Cooper stopped him with a technical knockout in the first round. Following this defeat, London continued his winning run, apart from two ten-round point defeats, against Heinz Neuhaus in Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
, in 1957 and against the talented American, Willie Pastrano
Willie Pastrano
Wilfred Raleigh Pastrano was a light heavyweight boxer who held the world crown from 1963 until 1965.-Early life:...
in February 1958.
British heavyweight title
In June 1958, he fought Joe Erskine, the Welsh boxer, for the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles. The fight was at the White City StadiumWhite City Stadium
White City Stadium was built in White City, London, for the 1908 Summer Olympics, often seen as the precursor to the modern seater stadium and noted for hosting the finish of the first modern distance marathon. It also hosted speedway and a match at the 1966 World Cup, before the stadium was...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and London took the titles with an eighth-round knockout. He followed this in September with a revenge win against Willie Pastrano, by a technical knockout in the fifth round. On 12 January 1959, London lost his titles in a fight against Henry Cooper, losing for the second time to the Londoner by a points decision after fifteen rounds.
World title fight
In May 1959 he was given the chance of a world title fight against current champion, Floyd PattersonFloyd Patterson
Floyd Patterson was an American heavyweight boxer and former undisputed heavyweight champion. At 21, Patterson became the youngest man to win the world heavyweight title. He was also the first heavyweight boxer to regain the title. He had a record of 55 wins 8 losses and 1 draw, with 40 wins by...
, but he lost the bout in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
by a knockout in the eleventh. He also lost to the Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n Nino Valdez
Nino Valdez
Nino Valdez was the Cuban heavyweight boxing champion in the 1940s and 1950s...
later that year, by a technical knockout in the seventh. However, in January 1960, London bounced back when he beat the American Pete Rademacher
Pete Rademacher
Thomas Peter Rademacher is a former boxer who made boxing history by being the only man to fight for the world heavyweight championship in his first professional fight.-Amateur career:...
by a knockout in the seventh. Rademacher had made history by being the only man to fight for the world heavyweight championship on his professional debut, losing to Floyd Patterson.
Further domestic career
In August 1960, London challenged Dick Richardson for his European heavyweight title, but lost the bout in PorthcawlPorthcawl
Porthcawl is a town on the south coast of Wales in the county borough of Bridgend, 25 miles west of the capital city, Cardiff and 19 miles southeast of Swansea...
, Wales
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...
on a technical knockout in the eighth. This result provoked a brawl, when London’s father and brother invaded the ring to protest that Richardson had used his head to open a cut on his opponent. When Richardson's trainer shouted a few remarks at London, London replied with an impressive combination of blows, decking him, and chaos broke out. As a result of the incident, London was fined by the British Boxing Board of Control
British Boxing Board of Control
The British Boxing Board of Control is the governing body of professional boxing in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1929 from the old National Sporting Club and is headquartered in Cardiff.- Councils :...
.
In October 1961, London lost to the American, Eddie Machen
Eddie Machen
Edward Mills Machen was born in Redding, California, on June 15, 1932. Machen was a convict turned boxer. His 64-bout career began on March 22, 1955, and he went on to win his first 24 bouts....
by a technical knockout in the tenth, and in April 1963, he lost to the Swede
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Ingemar Johansson
Ingemar Johansson
Jens Ingemar Johansson was a Swedish boxer and former heavyweight champion of the world. Johansson was the fifth heavyweight champion born outside the United States. In 1959 he defeated Floyd Patterson by TKO in the third round, after flooring Patterson seven times in that round, to win the World...
on points over twelve rounds.
He fought Henry Cooper for the third time in February 1964, when he challenged for his British and Commonwealth titles, as well as the vacant European title. The fight took place in Manchester, and Cooper won on points after fifteen rounds.
His next fight of note was in March 1965, against the young “Golden Boy” of British boxing, Billy Walker
Billy Walker (boxer)
Billy Walker is a retired English Heavyweight boxer and actor. He was born in London in 1939 and turned professional in 1961 after 39 amateur bouts. His nickname was “Golden Boy”. His professional record was 21 wins , 8 losses and 2 draws...
. London won on points after ten rounds.
Second world title fight
In August 1966, London fought for the world heavyweight title for the second time, when Muhammad AliMuhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
came to defend his title at Earl's Court Exhibition Hall. Ali put in a masterful performance hitting London at will - as London put it in an interview with BBC TV, "he was just getting through all the time" - and knocked London down for the count midway through the third round. In the same BBC interview to mark the 50th anniversary of his British & Commonwealth title win London explained that he didn't want to end up punch-drunk like so many fighters did at that time and so he decided to quit during the third round. It appeared that he could have got up from the knockdown, but chose to be counted out. "I got paid the same for 3 rounds as I would have for 15," he said.
Latter stages of his career
In March 1967, London next fought American, Jerry QuarryJerry Quarry
Jerry Quarry , nicknamed "Irish" or “The Bellflower Bomber,” was an Irish-American heavyweight boxer. Quarry was rated by Ring Magazine as the most popular fighter in the sport, 1968–1971, and was one of the biggest stars of arguably the greatest era in the history of the heavyweight division.-...
, in Los Angeles, losing the fight by a unanimous decision after ten rounds. In November 1967, London had, what was to be the last win in his career when he fought the talented American, Zora Folley
Zora Folley
Zora Folley was an American heavyweight boxer. He was well skilled with a good defence and also a punch to go with it....
. Foley had lost a world title fight against Muhammad Ali, earlier that year, and London beat him on points over ten rounds.
London had continued to fight when he was past his best, and in June 1968, he lost, by a technical knockout to Jack Bodell
Jack Bodell
Jack Bodell is a retired English professional boxer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s....
. In September 1969 he travelled to Oakland, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to fight Jerry Quarry
Jerry Quarry
Jerry Quarry , nicknamed "Irish" or “The Bellflower Bomber,” was an Irish-American heavyweight boxer. Quarry was rated by Ring Magazine as the most popular fighter in the sport, 1968–1971, and was one of the biggest stars of arguably the greatest era in the history of the heavyweight division.-...
for the second time, this time being knocked out in the second round. The bout was unusual in that the bell was inadvertently rung as London was getting up after being knocked down in the second. The fighters returned to their corners and the referee, realising that the round had not finished, made them resume. London was then knocked down again and was counted out before the end of the round.
London’s last fight was against the up-and-coming young boxer Joe Bugner
Joe Bugner
József Kreul "Joe" Bugner is a Hungarian-born British-Australian former top heavyweight boxer. He holds triple nationality, being a citizen of Hungary and a naturalized citizen of both Australia and the United Kingdom where he learned to box and spent his peak years.Born in Szőreg, a southeastern...
, who would eventually take the British, Commonwealth and European titles from Henry Cooper. The bout was in May 1970, at Wembley, and Bugner won by a technical knockout in the fifth, signalling an end to London’s career.
Retirement and personal life
After retiring from boxing, London became a businessman in his hometown of Blackpool, owning several nightclubs, and is still a fitness fanatic running 12 miles a day. TeetotalTeetotalism
Teetotalism refers to either the practice of or the promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. A person who practices teetotalism is called a teetotaler or is simply said to be teetotal...
all of his life, in 2006 it was revealed that he was still only a few pounds over his fighting weight. He is married with three children.
In January 1971 English footballler Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
was embroiled in what became a national media story when he and three other West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
players, Jimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves
James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves is an English former football player, England's third highest international goalscorer, the highest goalscorer in the history of Tottenham Hotspur football club, the highest goalscorer in the history of English top flight football and more recently a television pundit -...
, Clyde Best
Clyde Best
Clyde Cyril Best MBE is a Bermudian former football player who most notably played as a striker for West Ham United, and was one of the first black players in British football...
and Brian Dear
Brian Dear
Brian Dear is an English former footballer who played as a striker.Dear, nicknamed Stag, started his career with West Ham United, joining the club at the age of 15. He made his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 29 August 1962, and went on to make 69 league appearances for the club, scoring...
, spent the evening at London's 007 nightclub in Blackpool, the night before an important FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
match against Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
which they went on to lose 4-0, with then West Ham manager Ron Greenwood and the national media severely criticising the players. Moore later said of the incident, "I'd met Brian London on many occasions and thought it would be nice to look him up. I suppose we all realised at the time that we were leaving ourselves vulnerable".
London has always said that fighting Muhammad Ali was the greatest honour of his life. Like so many other boxers, London continued fighting long after his prime. He was 22 wins to 3 losses early in his career but lost 17 of his last 33 fights. In judging London’s career it should be remembered that he fought some of the best fighters in the world, including four who at some stage were world champions – Ali, Patterson, Johansson and Pastrano.
In 2004, the BritishBoxing website listed London at number eight in a list of the top ten post World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
British Heavyweight boxers. He is a member of Blackpool Sportsman's Aid Society (BSAS) which raises funds for local charities and sporting needs in Blackpool.
See also
Further reading
- Riddle, John (2008). Hartlepool People: A Tribute to the Town's Rich, Famous and Infamous, Cormorant Publishing Hartlepool, ISBN 978-0955859304