I am now the official goodwill ambassador for the Americans vs Brits feud going on..

[PRPOWERPUNCHES]

chew on this......The early 1900s saw America dominate the sport but there were a handful of British fighters who made an impact on the boxing world.

London produced several world champions including George ‘Digger’ Stanley (World Bantamweight Champion 1910), Bill Ladbury (World Flyweight Champion 1913) and Teddy Baldock (World Bantamweight Champion 1927). In 1956 East London boxer Terry Spinks won the flyweight gold in Melbourne.

1960 was the year Cassius Clay, later Muhammad Ali, had his first professional fight and became the world's most famous boxer and sportsman. The United States held many of the boxing titles during the latter part of the 20th Century but several London fighters did claim world titles. They included;

Terry Downes, Middleweight 1961
John H. Stracey, Welterweight 1975-76
Charlie Magri, Flyweight 1983
Lloyd Honeyghan, Welterweight 1986
Terry Marsh, Light-Welterweight 1987
Duke McKenzie, Fly, Bantam & Super Bantamweight 1988-93
Nigel Benn, Middleweight 1990, 1992-96
Chris Eubank, Middleweight 1990-91, 1991-95
Frank Bruno, Heavyweight 1995-1996
Lennox Lewis, Heavyweight 1993-1994, 1997-2001, 2001-2004
David Haye, Cruiserweight 2007

Ted 'Kid' Lewis (1894 - 1970), Getty Images
Ted 'Kid' Lewis
One of the greatest English fighters of the early 1900s was Ted 'Kid' Lewis from London's East End. Lewis, who was born Gershon Mendeloff, had his first fight at fourteen and went on to win the World Welterweight Championship in 1915 when he beat American Jack Britton - the first of twenty epic fights between them. 'Kid' Lewis had a total of 279 bouts and was the first Britain to make an impact in America. He also won many more British, European, Empire and World titles.

Henry Cooper
The 1900s were particularly bleak for the British Heavyweight division but one fighter came very close to making an impact on the American domination.

At Wembley Stadium on June 18 1963, toward the end of the fourth round, Henry Cooper hit Cassius Clay with one of the best left hooks seen at the famous stadium. Clay went down but managed to get up and back to his corner as the bell sounded for the end of the round. Clay was given extra time to recover after a split glove needed attention and he then went on to win in the fifth. The title rematch at Highbury in 1966 also saw Cooper retire with cuts in the sixth round.

Heavyweights
It took until 1993 for Britain to win a World Heavyweight title when London born Lennox Lewis won the WBC Heavyweight Championship where he defeated Tony Tucker in Las Vegas. Lewis was in fact awarded the belt before this fight but this was his first fight as Champion.


Lennox Lewis in action (Getty Images)
Lewis defended his title three times before losing it to Oliver McCall in September 1994. He regained heavyweight titles in 1997, 1998 and beat Evander Holyfield in 1999 after their first bout was controversially called a draw. He went on to beat Mike Tyson and is regarded as one of the best heavyweight boxers of his time.

Other British champions during the 20th Century were Frank Bruno (WBC champion, 1995-1996) who won the title from Oliver McCall in 1995 to fulfil his dream of becoming world champion, Henry Akinwande (WBO champion, 1996-1997) and Herbie Hide (WBO champion, 1994-1995, 1997-1999).

Nigel Benn, Middleweight 1990, 1992-96
Chris Eubank, Middleweight 1990-91, 1991-95
Frank Bruno, Heavyweight 1995-1996
Lennox Lewis, Heavyweight 1993-1994, 1997-2001, 2001-2004
David Haye, Cruiserweight 2007

I recognize those guys above, but thats it..

Now should I post up how many world champions we've had and have?

[1g5a22]

Nigel Benn, Middleweight 1990, 1992-96
Chris Eubank, Middleweight 1990-91, 1991-95
Frank Bruno, Heavyweight 1995-1996
Lennox Lewis, Heavyweight 1993-1994, 1997-2001, 2001-2004
David Haye, Cruiserweight 2007

I recognize those guys above, but thats it..

Now should I post up how many world champions we've had and have?

did you read my previous posts??

yes please do..

im sure you have plenty of free time,whereas i just copy and paste!!

[Stickman]

Nigel Benn, Middleweight 1990, 1992-96
Chris Eubank, Middleweight 1990-91, 1991-95
Frank Bruno, Heavyweight 1995-1996
Lennox Lewis, Heavyweight 1993-1994, 1997-2001, 2001-2004
David Haye, Cruiserweight 2007

I recognize those guys above, but thats it..

Now should I post up how many world champions we've had and have?

If you were to take the population base of England, compared to the US and did a little per capita math, you'd probably see (haven't done the math myself) that they stand up reasonably well to the US, as far as champions per capita. Whether that's the case or not, though, like someone else mentioned earlier....boxing is primarily a US sport, at least over the last hundred years or so, though that's changing slowly. Sort of like the Canadians almost always winning ice hockey championships. No brainer.

[majestiC]

Nigel Benn, Middleweight 1990, 1992-96
Chris Eubank, Middleweight 1990-91, 1991-95
Frank Bruno, Heavyweight 1995-1996
Lennox Lewis, Heavyweight 1993-1994, 1997-2001, 2001-2004
David Haye, Cruiserweight 2007

I recognize those guys above, but thats it..

Now should I post up how many world champions we've had and have?

lol thats just the tip of the iceberg.....

Ken Buchanan - Lightweight
Edinburgh (1965-82; 61-8, 27KOs; WBA champion 1970, undisputed champion 1971-72)

Naseem Hamed - Featherweight
Sheffield (1992-2002; 36-1, 31KOs; WBO champion 1995-2000, IBF champion 1997, WBC champion 1999)

Howard Winstone - Featherweight
Merthyr Tydfil (1959-68; 61-6, 27KOs; WBC champion 1968)

Lloyd Honeyghan - Welterweight
London (1980-95; 43-5, 31KOs; undisputed champion 1986, WBC/IBF champion 1986-87, WBC champion 1988-89)

Freddie Mills - Light heavyweight
Parkstone, Dorset (1936-50; 77-18-6, 48KOs; world champion 1948-50)

John Conteh - Light heavyweight
Liverpool (1971-80; 34-4-1, 28KOs; WBC champion 1974-77)

Randy Turpin - Middleweight
Leamington Spa, Warks (1946-64; 66-8-1, 45KOs; world champion 1951)

I can keep going if u like?

[1g5a22]

lol thats just the tip of the iceberg.....

Ken Buchanan - Lightweight
Edinburgh (1965-82; 61-8, 27KOs; WBA champion 1970, undisputed champion 1971-72)

Naseem Hamed - Featherweight
Sheffield (1992-2002; 36-1, 31KOs; WBO champion 1995-2000, IBF champion 1997, WBC champion 1999)

Howard Winstone - Featherweight
Merthyr Tydfil (1959-68; 61-6, 27KOs; WBC champion 1968)

Lloyd Honeyghan - Welterweight
London (1980-95; 43-5, 31KOs; undisputed champion 1986, WBC/IBF champion 1986-87, WBC champion 1988-89)

Freddie Mills - Light heavyweight
Parkstone, Dorset (1936-50; 77-18-6, 48KOs; world champion 1948-50)

John Conteh - Light heavyweight
Liverpool (1971-80; 34-4-1, 28KOs; WBC champion 1974-77)

Randy Turpin - Middleweight
Leamington Spa, Warks (1946-64; 66-8-1, 45KOs; world champion 1951)

I can keep going if u like?

i would appreciate it..

others wouldnt,

do though its interesting stuff

[Bizzle_LDN]

How has Prince Naseem not been mentioned? A great British fighter, despite being exposed by Barrera! Great points made by the thread maker.

[majestiC]

Charlie Magri - Flyweight
Stephney, London (35-5-0) 23 KOs; 1983 WBC Champion

Dave McAuley - Flyweight
Northern Ireland (23-3-2) 9 KOs; 1989 IBF Champion

Walter McGowan - Flyweight
Hamilton, Scotland (40-7-1) 14 KOs; 1966 WBC Champion

Jim Watt - Lightweight
Glasgow, Scotland (38-8-0) 27 KOs; WBC Lightweight Champion 1979–1981

I can't be arsed to post more with there records so just have some names lol

Terry Marsh
Ricky Hatton
Dave Green
Maurice Hope
Colin Jones
John Stracey
Terry Downes
Herol Graham
Alan Minter
John Bugner
Chris Finnegan
Freddie Mills
Dennis Andries
Joe Calzaghe
Glen McCory
Johnny Nelson

There are many more who have held world titles, we don't do to badly at all!

[danny stash]

thanks to all the idiot hi jackers that missed my point.

[1g5a22]

Charlie Magri - Flyweight
Stephney, London (35-5-0) 23 KOs; 1983 WBC Champion

Dave McAuley - Flyweight
Northern Ireland (23-3-2) 9 KOs; 1989 IBF Champion

Walter McGowan - Flyweight
Hamilton, Scotland (40-7-1) 14 KOs; 1966 WBC Champion

Jim Watt - Lightweight
Glasgow, Scotland (38-8-0) 27 KOs; WBC Lightweight Champion 1979–1981

I can't be arsed to post more with there records so just have some names lol

Terry Marsh
Ricky Hatton
Dave Green
Maurice Hope
Colin Jones
John Stracey
Terry Downes
Herol Graham
Alan Minter
John Bugner
Chris Finnegan
Freddie Mills
Dennis Andries
Joe Calzaghe
Glen McCory
Johnny Nelson

There are many more who have held world titles, we don't do to badly at all!

preciate the effort there kid,i agree we dont.

[Stickman]

thanks to all the idiot hi jackers that missed my point.

Hey, buddy, that's MR. Idiot Hijacker, to you.