So we are nearly five years on from the original post.
It's an appealing bill on paper; though the Northen promoter went a bit OTT billing the Northern Championship in London. Clear signs of the Leeds-Bradford clique with Morrell, Baldwin and young Colbeck. (Was Colbeck ever young?)
Only now do I notice the great discrepancy between the bill and the write-up. Colbeck defeated Kidd. So they mangled the bill for some reason. At the time they were desperate to mirror boxing's serious structure. But you couln't imagine an important boxing bill being rejigged like that. The excesses and the rejigging annd the northen title would all have combined to make it look not very serious at all.
Norman would have been sure of his claim that this was London's largest venue. Sir Atholl must have seen that and got his dander up. The rest is history. He ditched Harringey for Kensington Gore.
This poster mis-spells his name.It is Mountevans(one word).One interesting peice of info he was one of the few British people to speak Norewegian and knew King Haakon VII.Also buried in Oslo.
His grandson the present Lord Mountevans was the 688th Lord Mayor of London and also speaks Norwegian!
If Max Crabtree had done that we’d be up in arms: A British championship bout with no rounds. A novelty format for the title ! Very poor. And 75 minutes. ... what’s that all about?
Yes it appears that Colbeck kept the old Mountevans belt and it became a different title in name. Not that any fan would've got close enough to spot that.
In the early 50's you can find some really interesting stuff, all local promotional activity around title changes and challenges. Late 1952 - early 1953 especially with the welterweight titles.
As I was re-reading this I noticed the images of older Colbeck with belt. By that time he was long-term European Welterweigtt Champion. so that would be a different belt, not British Lightweight.
Yes as time goes on we are finding more evidence of title changes and different champions among a lot of the weight classes during the early to mid 1950s.
Just re-reading this thread, it struck me that on the post by Ruslan dated Dec 2 2018;on the bill Relwyskow for Sept 2 1952, Bernard Murray was described as Welterweight champion of Gt Britain.
I have posted before that Murray was one with the ability but never held a title.
Is this title a genuine fact or a Relwyskow "make believe"?
In 1971 they used a Mountevans belt to represent the European Middleweight title. Later in the decade they had another belt constructed (The one Mal Sanders was photographed wearing).
I don't know what happened to Norman Walsh's Mid-Heavyweight title but it must have been damaged or misplaced shortly after that photo was taken. Because in the mid 1960's they ended up using a different belt to represent that championship:
So we are nearly five years on from the original post.
It's an appealing bill on paper; though the Northen promoter went a bit OTT billing the Northern Championship in London. Clear signs of the Leeds-Bradford clique with Morrell, Baldwin and young Colbeck. (Was Colbeck ever young?)
Only now do I notice the great discrepancy between the bill and the write-up. Colbeck defeated Kidd. So they mangled the bill for some reason. At the time they were desperate to mirror boxing's serious structure. But you couln't imagine an important boxing bill being rejigged like that. The excesses and the rejigging annd the northen title would all have combined to make it look not very serious at all.
Norman would have been sure of his claim that this was London's largest venue. Sir Atholl must have seen that and got his dander up. The rest is history. He ditched Harringey for Kensington Gore.
I love the linguistic trivia, thanks Peter!
This poster mis-spells his name.It is Mountevans(one word).One interesting peice of info he was one of the few British people to speak Norewegian and knew King Haakon VII.Also buried in Oslo.
His grandson the present Lord Mountevans was the 688th Lord Mayor of London and also speaks Norwegian!
[
TIME, TIME, TIME GOES BY SO FAST...STILL NO ANY SINGLE PHOTO OF THE MOST HISTORICAL BELT - THE ORIGINAL LORD MOUNT EVANS BELT FROM THE 50s.
Hi Anglo. There was also a European title fight on that bill, 100 mins no rounds.
Good solid bill though.
If Max Crabtree had done that we’d be up in arms: A British championship bout with no rounds. A novelty format for the title ! Very poor. And 75 minutes. ... what’s that all about?
Yes it appears that Colbeck kept the old Mountevans belt and it became a different title in name. Not that any fan would've got close enough to spot that.
In the early 50's you can find some really interesting stuff, all local promotional activity around title changes and challenges. Late 1952 - early 1953 especially with the welterweight titles.
Thanks all.
Promoters-don't you just love them.
I was happily cocooned in Newcastle, believed everything that I read and now you spoilsports have told me that it wasn't all true !
And now it gets really silly. Two Champions both in Aberdeen but two promotions.
Here is something odd. This is where Murray won it.
Strange because he won it on a DQ.
Looks like it had been a grudge series as well
As I was re-reading this I noticed the images of older Colbeck with belt. By that time he was long-term European Welterweigtt Champion. so that would be a different belt, not British Lightweight.
Yes as time goes on we are finding more evidence of title changes and different champions among a lot of the weight classes during the early to mid 1950s.
Here is a bit of evidence and he did beat Colbeck that night.
I think it is probably made up Bernard. I don't recall ever seeing Bernard Murray listed as British Welterweight Champion.
Just re-reading this thread, it struck me that on the post by Ruslan dated Dec 2 2018;on the bill Relwyskow for Sept 2 1952, Bernard Murray was described as Welterweight champion of Gt Britain.
I have posted before that Murray was one with the ability but never held a title.
Is this title a genuine fact or a Relwyskow "make believe"?
In 1971 they used a Mountevans belt to represent the European Middleweight title. Later in the decade they had another belt constructed (The one Mal Sanders was photographed wearing).
Hi Hack, that last photo is how I would have expected Norman Walsh to look in the early to mid 60's.
Go back to the photo of the champions and there, Walsh looks like he did about 1950-2 time.
I don't know what happened to Norman Walsh's Mid-Heavyweight title but it must have been damaged or misplaced shortly after that photo was taken. Because in the mid 1960's they ended up using a different belt to represent that championship:
Another early sighting of the 1950 Mountevans lightweight title, sent in by Main Mask
Hi Hack, you said that you thought that the photo of JP champions was taken sometime about May 61 to July 63.
I agree that this ties up with the belt holders, but I am amazed at how young Norman Walsh looks.
Les Prest saw him after I moved away, can we ask for his opinion?
Another photo of Jim Breaks with original Lord Mount Evans Belt.