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Maurice Cullen (boxer)
Encyclopedia
Maurice Cullen was an English
lightweight
boxer
, who held the British Lightweight Title, defending it four times.
, County Durham
, beginning work as an apprentice pipe fitter at the local colliery. He later move to nearby Shotton. He fought in National Coal Board
boxing championships winning the featherweight title and later the lightweight title.
In 1959 he turned professional with his brother Terry as his manager. In his first professional fight, in November 1959 against Ricky Mcmasters, he won on points over six rounds.
For the next three years Cullen built up a record of 24 wins, 2 defeats and 2 draws. Of his wins in this period only one was by knockout and four by technical knockout.
. Charnley was a southpaw
, who had held the British title since 1957, and had twice unsuccessfully fought for the world title. The fight took place on May 20, 1963 at Belle Vue, Manchester
, and Charnley retained his title after fifteen rounds with a points decision. Cullen reportedly did not like fighting southpaws, but pushed Charnley all the way.
In October of the same year Carlos Ortiz
, the Puerto Rican world lightweight champion, came to England for a ten-round non-title fight against Cullen at the Empire Pool, Wembley
. Although Cullen was knocked down in the last round he hung on to lose on points, having given the world champion a hard fight.
and finally retired in December 1964, leaving the British lightweight title vacant. Following his defeat to Carlos Ortiz, Cullen had had three successive victories, and so was in a good position to contest the vacant championship. He fought the Liverpudlian
Dave Coventry at Liverpool Stadium
in April 1965. Cullen spent fifteen rounds back-pedalling and poking his left jab into Coventy’s face without his opponent being able to do anything about it. This incensed some of the home crowd, who made their feeling clear, but Cullen easily gained the decision and became the new British lightweight champion.
Cullen fought two more bouts, gaining points victories before defending his title against Vic Andreeti, the Hoxton
fighter whom he had beaten twice already. The bout was in November 1965 at Wolverhampton
, and Cullen gained another fifteen-round points decision, although Andreeti and some of his supporters thought that he should have been given the decision.
Cullen then fought two more bouts, winning them both, before defending his title against Terry Edwards, a boxer with a less than impressive record. The bout was held in June 1966 at the New St James Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne
. The hall was only half full, but those present witnessed Cullen winning by a technical knockout in the fifth round from a right-hand punch. With this victory Cullen won the Lonsdale Belt
outright.
Cullen fought three more fights, winning two and losing the third to American
Lloyd Marshall by a ninth-round knockout. He then defended his title for the third time, in a rematch against Vic Andreeti. The bout was in April 1967 at the New St James Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne
. Cullen again won on points over fifteen rounds in front of a packed hall, despite a late scare due to a cut near his eye.
Cullen fought and won two more bouts, one in Helsinki
, Finland
and the other in Madison Square Garden
, New York City
. He then defended his title for the fourth time, against Ken Buchanan
, a 22 year-old Scot
with twenty-three straight wins to his name. The bout was in February 1968 at the Hilton Hotel, Mayfair
, London
. Buchanan fought a fast, aggressive fight forcing Cullen to back-pedal. He caught Cullen with a number of solid punches, putting him down twice in the sixth and twice more in the ninth. He finally caught Cullen with a flurry of punches as he started to tire in the eleventh, and after going down, Cullen was unable to beat the count. He had been replaced as champion by a boxer who would go on to be world light-heavyweight champion. Cullen had retained the British title for nearly three years.
Cullen carried on fighting for two more years, and had seven more bouts, including a defeat in Sao Paulo
, Brazil
, and a victory and a defeat in Copenhagen
, Denmark
. He fought his last bout on January 14, 1970 against Victor Paul, in Solihull
. As usual he won on points.
and then became a milkman before retiring completely. In retirement he continued to keep fit, but in 1998 he collapsed while out running. He had a quadruple heart bypass operation to correct a congenital defect. He appeared to return to full fitness following his surgery, but in November 2001 he died of a heart attack.
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...
lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of 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...
, who held the British Lightweight Title, defending it four times.
Boxing style
Cullen had a style that very much centred round his left jab. He had problems with his right hand during his early amateur days and this made him depend more on his left hand. He had large reserves of stamina due to an abnormally slow heart rate, known as bradycardia, and he would use his left jab to score points whilst using his mobility to keep away from his opponent’s punches. This did not always lead to an attractive contest, and Cullen was not as popular outside his native North-East as his talent would seem to merit.Early life
He grew up in Wheatley HillWheatley Hill
Wheatley Hill is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated to the west of Peterlee, near Thornley and Wingate.-External links:* *...
, 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...
, beginning work as an apprentice pipe fitter at the local colliery. He later move to nearby Shotton. He fought in National Coal Board
National Coal Board
The National Coal Board was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947...
boxing championships winning the featherweight title and later the lightweight title.
In 1959 he turned professional with his brother Terry as his manager. In his first professional fight, in November 1959 against Ricky Mcmasters, he won on points over six rounds.
For the next three years Cullen built up a record of 24 wins, 2 defeats and 2 draws. Of his wins in this period only one was by knockout and four by technical knockout.
Title challenge
Cullen’s record put him in line for a title challenge against the British lightweight champion, Dave CharnleyDave Charnley
Dave Charnley was an English lightweight boxer considered to be one of the greatest British fighters in his weight class...
. Charnley was a southpaw
Southpaw (boxing)
Southpaw is a boxing term that designates the stance where the boxer has his right hand and right foot forward, leading with right jabs, and following with a left cross right hook. Southpaw is the normal stance for a left-handed boxer...
, who had held the British title since 1957, and had twice unsuccessfully fought for the world title. The fight took place on May 20, 1963 at Belle Vue, Manchester
Belle Vue, Manchester
Belle Vue is an area of Gorton, in the city of Manchester, England. It lies in the eastern part of the city, close to its boundary with Tameside, and is bordered by the Hope Valley Line on the east and the Glossop Line on the west...
, and Charnley retained his title after fifteen rounds with a points decision. Cullen reportedly did not like fighting southpaws, but pushed Charnley all the way.
In October of the same year Carlos Ortiz
Carlos Ortiz
For the Cuban wrestler with the same name see Carlos Julian OrtízCarlos Ortiz is a Puerto Rican who was a three time world boxing champion, twice in the lightweight division and once in the Jr. Welterweights....
, the Puerto Rican world lightweight champion, came to England for a ten-round non-title fight against Cullen at the Empire Pool, Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
. Although Cullen was knocked down in the last round he hung on to lose on points, having given the world champion a hard fight.
British champion
In the meantime, Dave Charnley, had moved up to welterweightWelterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
and finally retired in December 1964, leaving the British lightweight title vacant. Following his defeat to Carlos Ortiz, Cullen had had three successive victories, and so was in a good position to contest the vacant championship. He fought the Liverpudlian
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
Dave Coventry at Liverpool Stadium
Liverpool Stadium
Liverpool Stadium was a stadium in Liverpool, England. It hosted many different events including boxing, wrestling, concerts, and political hustings.-External links:**-Bibliography:*Curley, Mallory...
in April 1965. Cullen spent fifteen rounds back-pedalling and poking his left jab into Coventy’s face without his opponent being able to do anything about it. This incensed some of the home crowd, who made their feeling clear, but Cullen easily gained the decision and became the new British lightweight champion.
Cullen fought two more bouts, gaining points victories before defending his title against Vic Andreeti, the Hoxton
Hoxton
Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, immediately north of the financial district of the City of London. The area of Hoxton is bordered by Regent's Canal on the north side, Wharf Road and City Road on the west, Old Street on the south, and Kingsland Road on the east.Hoxton is also a...
fighter whom he had beaten twice already. The bout was in November 1965 at Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, and Cullen gained another fifteen-round points decision, although Andreeti and some of his supporters thought that he should have been given the decision.
Cullen then fought two more bouts, winning them both, before defending his title against Terry Edwards, a boxer with a less than impressive record. The bout was held in June 1966 at the New St James Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. The hall was only half full, but those present witnessed Cullen winning by a technical knockout in the fifth round from a right-hand punch. With this victory Cullen won the Lonsdale Belt
Lonsdale belt
The Lonsdale Belt was a boxing prize introduced by Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, to be awarded to British boxing champions. It is still awarded to British champions today.-National Sporting Club:...
outright.
Cullen fought three more fights, winning two and losing the third to American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Lloyd Marshall by a ninth-round knockout. He then defended his title for the third time, in a rematch against Vic Andreeti. The bout was in April 1967 at the New St James Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. Cullen again won on points over fifteen rounds in front of a packed hall, despite a late scare due to a cut near his eye.
Cullen fought and won two more bouts, one in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and the other in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He then defended his title for the fourth time, against Ken Buchanan
Ken Buchanan
Ken Buchanan is a former boxing undisputed world lightweight champion. Many consider Buchanan to be the best boxer ever to come out of Scotland.- Early career :...
, a 22 year-old Scot
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
with twenty-three straight wins to his name. The bout was in February 1968 at the Hilton Hotel, Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, 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...
. Buchanan fought a fast, aggressive fight forcing Cullen to back-pedal. He caught Cullen with a number of solid punches, putting him down twice in the sixth and twice more in the ninth. He finally caught Cullen with a flurry of punches as he started to tire in the eleventh, and after going down, Cullen was unable to beat the count. He had been replaced as champion by a boxer who would go on to be world light-heavyweight champion. Cullen had retained the British title for nearly three years.
Cullen carried on fighting for two more years, and had seven more bouts, including a defeat in Sao Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and a victory and a defeat in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. He fought his last bout on January 14, 1970 against Victor Paul, in Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
. As usual he won on points.
Retirement
After retiring from boxing, Cullen worked in a chemical factory in HartlepoolHartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
and then became a milkman before retiring completely. In retirement he continued to keep fit, but in 1998 he collapsed while out running. He had a quadruple heart bypass operation to correct a congenital defect. He appeared to return to full fitness following his surgery, but in November 2001 he died of a heart attack.
Sources
- Ken Buchanan - Lightweight Champion of the World - Ken Buchanan site with detailed bio, statistics, full fights and more
- Ronnie Wharton (2005), ‘’Fighting Men of the North’’, Tempus Publishing Limited, ISBN 0-7524-3551-5
- Obituary: http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2001/12/4/152480.html