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Dick Richardson (boxer)








Dick Richardson (boxer)


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Dick Richardson
Statistics
Real name
Richard Alexander Richardson
Weight(s)
Heavyweight
Height
6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Nationality
Wales Welsh
Born
1 June 1934
Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales
Died
15 July 1999 (aged 65)
Stance
Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights
47
Wins
31
Wins by KO
24
Losses
14
Draws
2
No contests
0

Dick Richardson (1 June 1934 – 15 July 1999) 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 one of a quartet of outstanding British heavyweights in the 1950s and early 1960s, along with Henry Cooper, Joe Erskine and Brian London, who held out the possibility of a British heavyweight world champion.


Richardson defeated a number of top heavyweights in his career, including; Ezzard Charles, Karl Mildenberger, Bob Baker, Brian London and Hans Kalbfell.




Contents





  • 1 Career


  • 2 European title


  • 3 Retirement and death


  • 4 Boxing quotes


  • 5 Professional boxing record


  • 6 Sources & external links


  • 7 References




Career[edit]


He was born Richard Alexander Richardson but was known as Dick. He was 6 feet 3 inches (191 cm) tall and weighed about 14 stone 4 pounds (200 lb; 91 kg). He had a few amateur bouts before being called up for his national service in 1953. He served in the Royal Army Service Corps where he became boxing champion. However he was beaten in the inter-services boxing championships by Brian London, later to become British heavyweight boxing champion, and fighting under his real name of Harper. He turned professional in 1954, being managed by Wally Lesley and trained by Johnny Lewis at a gym in Blackfriars, London. In September 1954, he lost his first professional bout on points against Henry Cooper’s twin brother, George, fighting under the ring name of Jim Cooper. He avenged this defeat in March 1955 with a technical knockout in the second round.


Richardson began to build up an impressive list of victories, many of them inside the distance. In May 1956 he fought fellow Welsh heavyweight, Joe Erskine, in the Maindy Stadium, Cardiff, in front of 35,000 fans. Despite knocking Erskine down in round five, Richardson lost on points. Richardson continued to look for higher-class opponents and in October 1956, he fought the ex-world champion Ezzard Charles in a fight that became a farce when the American was disqualified in round two for persistent holding. He next fought the world-class Cuban, Nino Valdes in December 1956, but was forced to retire in the eighth round.


Richardson’s first title fight was for the Commonwealth (British Empire) Heavyweight Title against the holder, the Jamaican, Joe Bygraves, in Cardiff in May 1957. The fight, over fifteen rounds was a draw and Bygraves retained his title.


In October 1957, Richardson, was easily out-pointed in a bout against the future world light-heavyweight champion, Willie Pastrano. His career appeared to be faltering when he was beaten by Henry Cooper in September 1958, on a technical knockout in the fifth round, and also lost to Joe Erskine on points in June 1959.



European title[edit]


However, in March 1960, he was matched against the German boxer Hans Kalbfell, for the vacant European heavyweight title. He had previously beaten Kalbfell in four rounds, in Porthcawl, and he won this bout, held in Dortmund, Germany, by a technical knockout in the thirteenth round. The defeat of Kalbfell provoked a riot amongst the German fans, and Richardson needed a police escort to reach his dressing room.


Richardson defended his European title in August 1960, against Brian London, in Porthcawl, winning by a technical knockout in the eighth round. This result provoked a brawl, when London’s father and brother, with Richardson's brothers coming in to defend as the Londons invaded the ring to protest that Richardson had used his head to open a cut on his opponent.


Richardson also won a return bout against Hans Kalbfell in Dortmund in February 1961, gaining a points decision.


Richardson won the next defence of his title, in February 1962, against the German, Karl Mildenberger, by an astonishing first-round knockout. The bout was held in Dortmund. Mildenberger would fight Muhammad Ali for the world title several years later.


Richardson’s fourth defence of his title was in June 1962, against the hard-punching Swede, Ingemar Johansson. Johansson had been world heavyweight champion after beating Floyd Patterson, but had subsequently lost the title to Patterson in June 1960. The bout was held in Gothenburg, Sweden in front of 50,000 spectators, and Richardson was knocked out in the eighth round.


Richardson’s last fight was in March 1963, when Henry Cooper defended his British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles against him at Wembley. Richardson was knocked out in the fifth round.



Retirement and death[edit]


Richardson retired at the relatively early age of 28, and ran a small chain of butcher's shops in Surrey.
Dick Richardson, offered advice to Newport Heavyweight David Pearce. Dick believed if David had signed with a promoter from London he would have become a World Champion. David would not leave his father due to his loyalty [1]
He died from cancer on 15 July 1999, aged 65. He was married to Betty Richardson with one son, Gary and one daughter Lyn, from which he has six grandchildren.


In his 47 professional bouts, he won 31 (24 on knock-outs), and lost 14 (4 on knock-outs). Two of his bouts were drawn.



Boxing quotes[edit]



Professional boxing record[edit]



































































































































































































































































































































































































31 Wins (24 knockouts, 6 decisions, 1 DQ), 14 Losses (4 knockouts, 7 decisions, 3 DQs), 2 Draws [1]

Result

Record

Opponent

Type

Round

Date

Location

Notes
Loss

26-8-1

United Kingdom Henry Cooper
KO
5
26/03/1963

United Kingdom Empire Pool, Wembley, London

BBBofC/Commonwealth Heavyweight Titles.
Loss

24-2

Sweden Ingemar Johansson
KO
8
17/06/1962

Sweden Nya Ullevi, Gothenburg

EBU Heavyweight Title.
Win

30-1

Germany Karl Mildenberger
KO
1
24/02/1962

Germany Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia

EBU Heavyweight Title. Mildenberger knocked out at 2:35 of the first round.
Loss

37-22-8

United States Howard "Honeyboy" King
PTS
10
05/09/1961

United Kingdom Empire Pool, Wembley, London

Win

26-6-1

Germany Hans Kalbfell
PTS
15
18/02/1961

Germany Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia

EBU Heavyweight Title.
Win

23-6

United Kingdom Brian London
TKO
8
29/08/1960

Wales Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Porthcawl

EBU Heavyweight Title.
Loss

39-7-1

United States Mike DeJohn
DQ
8
27/07/1960

Wales Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Porthcawl

Win

25-5-1

Germany Hans Kalbfell
TKO
13
27/03/1960

Germany Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia

EBU Heavyweight Title.
Loss

38-7-1

United States Mike DeJohn
PTS
10
01/12/1959

United Kingdom Empire Pool, Wembley, London

Loss

34-3-1

Wales Joe Erskine
PTS
10
24/06/1959

Wales Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Porthcawl

Win

25-16-4

United States Bert Whitehurst
PTS
10
10/03/1959

United Kingdom Empire Pool, Wembley, London

Win

13-5

United States Garvin Sawyer
PTS
10
28/10/1958

United Kingdom Harringay Arena, Harringay, London

Loss

15-7-1

United Kingdom Henry Cooper
TKO
5
03/09/1958

Wales Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Porthcawl

Win

50-12-1

United States Bob "The Grinder" Baker
PTS
10
09/07/1958

Wales Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Porthcawl

Win

29-18-6

Germany Hans Friedrich
KO
4
17/05/1958

Wales Newtown Pavilion, Newtown, Powys

Loss

39-2

United States Cleveland Williams
DQ
4
25/03/1958

United Kingdom Empress Hall, Earl's Court, Kensington, London

Win

13-18-4

France Maurice Mols
TKO
6
03/03/1958

Wales Carmarthen Market Hall, Carmarthen

Loss

49-11-1

United States Bob "The Grinder" Baker
PTS
10
10/12/1957

United Kingdom Harringay Arena, Harringay, London

Loss

41-5-5

United States Willie Pastrano
PTS
10
22/10/1957

United Kingdom Harringay Arena, Harringay, London

Win

17-2

Germany Hans Kalbfell
TKO
4
31/07/1957

Wales Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Porthcawl

Draw

35-9

Jamaica Joe Bygraves
PTS
15
27/05/1957

Wales Maindy Stadium, Cardiff

Commonwealth Heavyweight Title.
Win

17-5-1

Italy Giannino Luise
TKO
5
01/04/1957

United Kingdom Nottingham Ice Stadium, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

Loss

35-14-3

Cuba Nino Valdes
TKO
8
04/12/1956

United Kingdom Harringay Arena, Harringay, London

Win

91-20-1

United States Ezzard Charles
DQ
2
02/10/1956

United Kingdom Harringay Arena, Harringay, London

Win

24-14-1

Austria Kurt Schiegl
TKO
1
16/07/1956

Wales Maindy Stadium, Cardiff

Win

17-15-8

Germany Guenter Nurnberg
TKO
3
07/07/1956

Wales Park Avenue Field, Aberystwyth

Loss

27-0-1

Wales Joe Erskine
PTS
10
07/05/1956

Wales Maindy Stadium, Cardiff

Win

33-8-1

Belgium Marcel Limage
RTD
5
27/02/1956

Wales Cardiff

Win

33-10-5

Luxembourg Werner Wiegand
TKO
6
17/01/1956

United Kingdom Streatham Ice Arena, Streatham, London, England

Win

14-2-1

Belgium Alain Cherville
KO
2
06/12/1955

United Kingdom Harringay Arena, Harringay, London

Win

12-28-5

Germany Robert Warmbrunn
TKO
1
07/11/1955

Wales Abergavenny Market Hall, Abergavenny

Win

10-30-4

Belgium Robert Eugene
KO
4
18/10/1955

United Kingdom Harringay Arena, Harringay, London

Win

0-16-2

Belgium Emile DeGreef
KO
2
26/09/1955

Wales Carmarthen Drill Hall, Carmarthen

Win

18-4-1

United Kingdom Peter Bates
TKO
3
13/09/1955

United Kingdom White City Stadium, White City, London

Win

11-15-4

Luxembourg Jean Serres
TKO
3
29/08/1955

Wales Maindy Stadium, Cardiff

Win

0-14

Belgium Prosper Beck
PTS
8
18/07/1955

Wales Maindy Stadium, Cardiff

Loss

12-8-1

Scotland Hugh Ferns
DQ
5
13/06/1955

Wales Maindy Stadium, Cardiff

Win

12-11

United Kingdom Morrie Bush
KO
2
26/04/1955

United Kingdom Harringay Arena, Harringay, London

Win

6-5

United Kingdom Denny Ball
TKO
3
18/04/1955

Wales Maindy Stadium, Cardiff

Win

2-1

United Kingdom Jim "Twin George" Cooper
TKO
2
15/03/1955

United Kingdom Streatham Ice Arena, Streatham, London, England

Win

10-7

United Kingdom Sid Cain
TKO
3
28/02/1955

Wales Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Win

12-9-2

United Kingdom Johnny McLeavy
TKO
4
24/01/1955

United Kingdom Manor Place Baths, Walworth, London

Win

6-4-1

United Kingdom Sammy Clarke
KO
1
10/01/1955

Wales Maindy Stadium, Cardiff

Win

3-4-2

United Kingdom Johnny Hall
PTS
6
29/11/1954

Wales Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Draw

--

United Kingdom Bernie Jelley
PTS
6
12/10/1954

United Kingdom Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London

Win

--
Peter Green
KO
1
04/10/1954

Wales Maindy Stadium, Cardiff

Win

--

United Kingdom Jim "Twin George" Cooper
PTS
6
14/09/1954

United Kingdom Harringay Arena, Harringay, London


Sources & external links[edit]


  • Obituary: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19990716/ai_n14258636

  • Obit from the Guardian


  • Professional boxing record for Dick Richardson from BoxRec


References[edit]




  1. ^ http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/archive/









Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dick_Richardson_(boxer)&oldid=849819805"





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