.

James ‘Jem’ Wharton

James ‘Jem’ Wharton was one of the most successful boxers in Britain in the first half of the nineteenth century. He was popularly known as the ‘Young Molineaux’ after the famous black American boxer of the preceding generation, Tom Molineaux. Wharton’s early life remains uncertain; he described himself as a Moroccan who arrived in England in 1820 but his place of birth was recorded as London in the 1851 census. Winning his first bout in 1833, he retired undefeated in 1840. In later life, he worked as a trainer and promoter and ran a tavern in Liverpool. This portrait hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.

Harry Brown

In 1896 a well-known Liverpool boxer Harry Brown was attracting the attention of the boxing world demonstrating his sporting proficiency in the boxing ring, by being crowned coloured champion of the North West of England in the lightweight division. Little is known of Harry Brown, beyond the fact that his professional career lasted from 1896 till 1912. Other Liverpool black boxers from the early twentieth century include William Lawson (Young Snowball), the hard-hitting Jamaican bantam and the only Merseyside based boxer to defeat the late great Ike Bradley at Birkenhead Drill Hall.

He began his career in 1905 and retired in 1916. During this period, he fought at the Skating Rink Dale Street, as well as the Adelphi Theatre and the Old Pudsey Street Stadium, in Liverpool. Boxing was a grim and soul destroying business. He fought with equal passion and commitment in his trail blazing efforts to secure fairer and better conditions for both his fellow boxers and those who followed in his foot steps.

Peter Banasko

Peter Banasko, “some said he was the best of the best,” was born in Liverpool in 1915 to his father, Isaac Immanuel Banasko from the Gold Coast, Ghana and his mother Lillian Banasko, nee Doyle, from Liverpool. By aged 14 he had contested over 100 fights. To his credit, by age 13 his claim to fame included the achievement of being the first black Liverpool fighter to win a British Title by winning the schoolboy championship of Great Britain in 1929 and again in 1930.

In 1932, at the age of 17, he turned professional under the guidance of well-known Liverpool boxing promoter Johnny Best Senior (father of the celebrated ‘fifth’ Beatle, Pete Best.) Unfortunately, for him his boxing career was blighted by the disgraceful ‘Colour Bar,’ that prohibited any none white fighter from challenging for a British Boxing title, from 1911 to 1947. At bantamweight, he contested 54 professional fights: won 39 lost 13 and drew 2 from 1933 till his retirement in 1945.

As the first black manager in Liverpool and the UK, under the tutelage of Peter Banasko, Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey became one of Liverpool and the world’s greatest boxers. By the 1950’s Banasko’s celebrity status had made both himself and Liverpool a household name in Lagos and the Gold Coast, West Africa.

On his passing in November 1993, Ian Hargraves, famous sports journalist at the Liverpool Echo declared, ‘Peter Banasko, a rare talent…..one of the true greats’

Kid and Allan Tanner

Standing on the shoulders of those who’ve gone before them, the famous Tanner brothers, Kid and Allan made their name in some memorable contests both here in Liverpool and their birthplace Demerara (Guyana), throughout a twenty two year period from Kid, in 1933, till Allen hung up his gloves in 1955. Following a distinguished boxing career in Demerara, on 19th July 1937, Kid Tanner sailed for England. His first fight was promoted and managed by the famous Johnny Best, which he won by knocking out top ranked British flyweight champion, Kevin Barrett in the seventh round. During this period, he defeated top class fighters, including world title holders. It must be remembered that boxing is a tough and brutal sport but black boxers based in Liverpool faced additional handicaps in the form of blatant racism discrimination and bigotry, that was altogether too prevalent in British social, cultural and sporting circles.

Following a successful bout against former world champion, Jackie Brown, it was remarked that upon beating British white boxers, ‘he was to dark and could not be seen.’ Subsequently, he was forced to wear white gloves, perhaps the only boxer in the world to do so, at that time.

Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey

Born in Creek Town, Calabar, Nigeria on 3rd June 1932, Okon Bassey Asuquo (Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey) MBE was one of five children. As a teenager, in Nigeria, he turned professional, and won many bouts, although these were never recorded. By 1949, he had won and lost the Nigerian fly weight title, and by 1951 he was both Nigerian and West African champion at bantam weight.

At the end of 1951, he arrived in Liverpool, a first and second home to a multitude of communities from every corner of the Commonwealth. A place where he would lay his roots and begin a mutual love affair with the South End of Liverpool. In January 1952, in his British debut bout he defeated Ray Hilliyard with a fourth-round stoppage. A further 19 bouts ensued in that calendar year. In November 1955 Bassey won the British Empire featherweight title in Belfast by knocking out the Irishman Billy “Spider” Kelly with a perfectly delivered right hook in the eighth round. This was the platform for a hugely successful boxing career which lay ahead. He fought and beat Cherif Hamia, a French-Algerian for the World Featherweight Championship, in Paris, in 1957.

He would go onto successfully retain his title over the next two years before finally being defeated in 1959 and retiring from boxing. In 1963, the Nigerian government appointed him as the Director of Physical Education in respect of his boxing achievements which elevated Nigeria as a sporting nation. In 1973 he was awarded the Lion of Africa and was awarded Nigeria’s highest honour of Member of the Order of Nigeria. In 1980, he accompanied the Nigerian Olympic Team to the Moscow Olympics.

Accompanied by the ‘Matriarch of Liverpool,’ Bessie Braddock MP, in 1959 he attended Buckingham Palace to receive his MBE from Her Majesty the Queen for his services to boxing.

Dick Tiger

Dick Tiger, original name Richard Ihetu was born on 14th August 1929, in Amaigbo, Orlu, Nigeria. One of four children, he came from a poor urban environment but was not deterred by the challenges which lay ahead. His drive and determination led him to excel at his chosen career. British Military Officers stationed in Nigeria facilitated the boxing skills of Dick Tiger and his love of the sport. In 1952, he won the Nigerian Middleweight division championship. In 1955, after he had conquered the Nigerian boxing scene, he left the shores of his homeland, Nigeria and emigrated to Liverpool, England where there was an already well-established Igbo community. He signs a management deal with Peter Banasko, the well-known and well-respected former Liverpool boxing champion. Despite losing his first four bouts, that self believe and determination drove him to improve rapidly to such an extent on 27th March 1958, at the Liverpool Stadium he knocked out Pat McAteer to become the British Commonwealth middleweight champion. This win would lay the foundation for future success over the next twelve years, where he would go onto achieve the greatest of accolades by winning six World Boxing Council (WBC) Light Heavy Weight titles between 1962 and 1968.

Joe Bygraves

Joe Bygraves was born into a large family of 11 siblings, in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1931. He emigrated to Britain at the age of 15 and settled in Liverpool with one of his brothers. He began his amateur career at the age of 17 first as a light heavyweight and then moving up to the heavyweight division. He was successful at both weights, winning amateur and county titles for both Lancashire and Cheshire. He represented England at amateur level with future opponents, Henry Cooper, Peter Waterman and Pat McAteer. He turned professional in 1953 with his first fight at Liverpool Stadium on 12th February stopping Don Maxwell (Nottingham) in the first round. Over the following twenty-two months he had by modern day standards, competed in an astonishing twenty-eight fights, resulting in 24 wins and 4 loses.

Boxing in the Uk and abroad, Joe Bygraves was able to bring his experience to match his undoubted talent to eventually win the vacant Commonwealth Heavyweight title against Tongan Kitione Lave at the Empire Pool London on 26th June 1956. He defended the title on three occasions, knocking out Henry Cooper and holding Dick Richardson to a draw before losing the title to Joe Erskine. After losing the title Joe laid off training for several months. However, despite living in the UK for ten years, Joe was denied a shot at the British Heavyweight Championship because he didn’t qualify for British citizenship, determined by the punitive immigration legislation introduced by the Conservative government of the day.

In his 72 professional fights joe fought some of the country’s, and indeed the world’s top heavyweights, including Cooper, Erskine, Richardson and Johansen. He also fought such boxers as Zora Folley, Karl Mildenberger, Billie Walker and Willie Pastrano. He fought a total of 19 contests in Liverpool. His last fight being a fifth-round disqualification against Roy Shiel in August 1963.

Alongside his boxing profession, Joe Bygraves embarked upon a successful entrepreneurial career by opening The Beacon night club on Parliament Street Liverpool 8. It was an integral part of the world-famous Liverpool 8 night club scene.
On retirement from boxing Joe purchased a 160-acre pig farm in Stanmore Middlesex. As well as the farm, he established a boxing training camp within the grounds of his villa in Portugal.

Prior to the landmark arrival of the SS Windrush at Tilbury Docks, London in 1948. Joe Bygraves, like many other ‘Caribbean Scouser’s had already settled in Liverpool. Where their contribution to Liverpool’s social, cultural and economic life was exemplified by Joe’s success in the boxing ring.
“I reckon boxing is in my blood, you can laugh & joke at me as much as you like when I’m not in the ring, but man once I’ve climbed into the ring, you’re no friend of mine.”

Steve and Ray Aka

The Ako brothers, Steve and Ray were born in Liverpool. Steve was born in 1942 whilst Ray came into the world in 1945.

Jimmy Price

Locally born Jimmy Price began his amateur boxing career at the York House Youth Club in the mid 1970’s. He then moved to Wavertree and Golden Gloves amateur boxing clubs, before moving to Holy Name ABC, where he established himself as middleweight of international standing.
He fought in both the ABA and NABC tournaments reaching the quarterfinals, and after reaching the ABA semi-finals in 1979, he went onto the win the light middleweight title at Wembley in 1980. Astonishingly, despite this victory, Jimmy was not considered good enough, as it was the loser of this bout, Nick Wiltshire, who was selected ahead of Jimmy to represent England at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.
This astonishment was justified when at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Jimmy Price knocked out Doug Sam to bring home the Gold medal. In addition to gaining another middleweight ABA title this endorsed his position as the country’s top middleweight of considerable international standing.

Not to risk the real possibility of a repeat of the Moscow debacle, in 1984, Jimmy decided to turn professional, rather than wait for the England Boxing team selection of 1984 for the Las Angeles Olympics.

Fighting under Frank Warren’s banner, Jimmy fought an impressive 19 fights, winning 17, losing only two, between 1983 – 1986, including his British Middleweight title bid with Errol ’Bomber’ Graham.

His outstanding boxing career was prematurely curtailed with an unrelated medical condition when an X- ray revealed an abnormality on a brain scan.
Jimmy Price was one of the many boxing stars who emerged from the ‘South End.’ His achievements need to be recognised, respected and remembered.

John Conteh

Toxteth born John Conteh MBE is a four-time World Light Heavyweight Champion of the World. He is one of Liverpool’s greatest sporting sons which included outstanding achievements in both the amateur and professional boxing worlds. Born to an Irish mother and a Sierra Leone merchant seaman father. He was one of ten children. He began his boxing career when his father took him and his brothers to Kirkby Athletic Club, where he taught them to box. Having progressed through the amateur ranks to senior level, he knuckled down and trained hard and won the 1970 ABA middleweight title, the 1971 light heavyweight title and the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games middleweight gold.

He turned professional in October of 1971 and went onto to have a glittering career, beating some of the world’s greatest fighters along the way. Following his first professional victory over, Okacha Boubekeur. John Conteh went onto contest 39 fights. Despite his well reported struggles against the masa nations of the political and financial power brokers of the boxing world he nevertheless challenged for the world championship on seven occasions, winning it four times.

In his post-boxing life, John became an actor in tv and film. Appearing in Man at the Top and Tank Mailin. He has also become a hugely successful after dinner speaker. In 2017 he was awarded the MBE.

He was considered by many knowledgeable boxing observers to be Britain’s finest light heavy weight boxer of all time.

Noel Quarless

Another of Liverpool’s famous sons was Noel Quarless. Born on 6th November 1962. He was one of three children born to his famous musician father Wally Quarless of the well reknowned local Liverpool group ‘The Incrowd’ and his Liverpool born mother Cathy. After a short amateur career, in the heavyweight division, he made his professional debut at the Stadium Liverpool, on the 24th September 1981, which he won on a TKO. From here, he went onto contest 31 fights against top class opponents, including John Tate, John L Gardner and culminating in his final contest, in 1990, against the future world heavyweight champion, Lennox Lewis. His all aggressive boxing style made him a favourite amongst the Liverpool boxing fraternity and beyond. Throughout his life Noel, has always been a pigeon keeper. To this day he still maintains his fascination for the art and science of breeding domestic pigeons into champions. Following on from his boxing career, he dedicates his energies to working with young people helping them to find positive pathways in their lives.

‘Noel was a great guy who also saw something in me and put a fair bit of work into me’ Tony Bellew WBC Cruiserweight World title holder

Larry Paul

At the age of 14 years a young black lad from Liverpool 8 embarked on the road to an illustrious boxing career by starting out at the Florence Institute (The Florrie), a well reknowned boxing club in South Liverpool. Larry Paul, born on the 19th April 1952, to an Irish mother and Trinidadian father. One of four children, he attended St James SM School, in the South End of Liverpool, where he was introduced to the noble art of boxing. After leaving school at fifteen, he entered the amateur ranks. Of his 110 amateur fights he won 100. During this period, he won the National Association of Schoolboys title, and at junior and senior ABA level. He also represented England on numerous occasions at international boxing tournaments around the world. At 20 years old, Larry Paul left Liverpool. Like so many scousers he had to leave his home town to seek his fame and fortune by moving to Wolverhampton.

Like those other famous scousers, he found it by turning professional. His first professional fight against Lesley Avoth at the Bedfordshire Sporting Club on the 29th January 1973 was to eventually lead him to becoming the first British boxer to attain the newly created weight division of ‘light middleweight champion’ in September 1973. He achieved this feat by knocking out, his opponent, Bobby Arthur, in the tenth round at the Civic Hall (South Staffordshire Sporting Club) Wolverhampton. He went on to successfully defend his title against Kevin White before losing it in his second defence against Maurice Hope. Throughout his career he contested forty bouts, winning thirty of them. Larry Paul was described as a formidable boxer and inspired many young boxers to realise their professional ambitions. After retiring from boxing, he became a legendary fundraiser for many a good cause in his adopted home town of Croydon.

Sugar Gibiliru Jr

The son of a former and famous Ghanaian boxing champion, Sugar Gibiliru Snr, who moved to Liverpool in 1961 from Ghana and married a local woman. Sugar Gibiliru Jnr, acquired his dad’s talent for boxing and went onto commit himself to a career in the professional ranks. Despite early setbacks he demonstrated true grit in winning the Central Area lightweight title against Tony Foster at the 400 Club in Manchester in January 1990. He then moved down a weight, to Super Featherweight to secure a victory over Peter Gabbitus to win the Central Area title. These victories were succeeded by an even bigger achievement winning the British Super Featherweight title against Robert Dickie, stopping him in the ninth round, at the Town Hall Stockport, in April 1991. He fought for the Commonwealth Super Featherweight title on two unsuccessful occasions in the early 1990’s.

Tony Bellew

On the 4th March 2017 at the O2 Arena, Tony Bellew took on his biggest challenge yet, in his boxing career, when he fought fellow Briton and former WBA title holder, Dave Haye. Tony Bellew went onto win the fight with a TKO in the eleventh round of a contest he had dominated throughout. This was the culmination of a career which began at the Rotunda ABC, Kirkdale, in Liverpool. He enjoyed a glittering career as an amateur boxer, winning three ABA heavyweight championships. He turned professional on the 6th October 2007, winning his first fight against Jamie Amber with a TKO. This led to a highly distinguished career where his determination and resolution fed his charge to the top of the boxing tree. Starting with four successive victories for the Commonwealth Light Heavyweight title between March 2010 and July 2018. He also won the British Light Heavyweight title against Ovill McKenzie, at the Liverpool Arena on the 16th July 2011. The next target in his sights was the EBU European Cruiser weight title, which he duly secured with a unanimous points decision against Mateusz Masternak at the O2 Arena London.

The drive towards the top continued with stunning successes at both Cruiserweight and Light Heavyweight world title bouts with famous victories over Valery Brudov and Adonis Stevenson. As a fanatical Everton Football Club supporter, he was consumed with delight to win the WBC World Cruiserweight title at his beloved Goodison Park, home ground of the Blues. Two lucrative successful contests fought against David Haye secured his families future and enabled him to retire from boxing which enabled him to focus on business interests outside the ring and mentoring and developing young up and coming boxing talents.

Standing six feet two inches tall, Andy Palmer’s boxing all aggression style made him a huge favourite with the boxing fans throughout his eventful boxing career. He won all but four of his many bouts as an amateur, culminating in winning the ABA National Heavyweight title in 1979 and represented England on three occasions in the heavyweight class.

He made his professional debut at the Wembley Conference Centre, the same year. He amassed a total of eleven professional bouts where his do or die battling style ensured none of his bouts ended in a points decision. At the age of forty-seven years old, illness tragically took him away from his family, admirers and followers. John Ireland, a well- known figure in the Liverpool boxing world, said the following: “This is a very sad loss to Merseyside Sport. I was schoolboy champion when Andy was winning ABA championships. He was a wonderful man and great inspiration for myself and other young boxers growing up in the city. 

Tasha Jonas

As a great all-round sports woman, Natasha Jonas became Liverpool’s first female boxing great. Born in Liverpool on the 18th June 1984 to a family with historical Caribbean links. At the age of twenty, she took up the sport of boxing. Fighting out of the Rotunda ABC, Liverpool, her boxing talents and determination took her to the number five ranking in the International Boxing Association (AIBA) table, in the sixty-kilogram class. By 2010 she had won five ABA championships representing Rotunda ABC, in the sixty-four-kilogram division. In November 2009 she became the first female boxer to represent Great Britain and claimed the gold medal at the Womens European Union Amateur Boxing Championships in Bulgaria. In 2010 this was followed by another gold medal victory at the inaugural Great Britain Boxing championships in front of a boisterous home crowd at the famous Liverpool Echo Arena.

She became the first female boxer to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic Games, in London. She fought her way to the quarter finals, before losing valiantly to the eventual gold medal winner and four times world champion, Katie Taylor of Ireland. She entered the realms of professional boxing on the 23rd June 2017, winning with a TKO against Monika Antonik at the Walker Activity Dome, Newcastle. In April 2018, at the Echo Arena,

Liverpool she contested and won the World Boxing Association International Female Super Featherweight title against Taoussy L’Hadjl with a TKO. So far in her career she has won eight of her nine fights. Her many devoted fans continue to support her ongoing success.

Robin Reid

As a result of constant bullying and racism, from the age of eight, a young Robin Reid took up the noble art of boxing. Born in Liverpool and raised in Runcorn, he was the only dual heritage child in both his junior and senior schools. The sport of boxing was to prove a great comfort to this isolated child. From this humble start, he began a journey of sporting greatness through both his amateur and professional boxing careers.

From winning a bronze medal, at Light Middleweight division, at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona to winning his first professional contest, he would go onto win 42 of his 51 professional fights. This included, the World Boxing Council (WBC) World Super Middleweight title when he defeated Vicenzo Nardiello in Milan in October 1996. A title he would successfully defend on three occasions. He would further build upon this success by winning the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) Super Middleweight title against Mike Gormley in London, December 2000 and go onto successfully defend his title on a further five separate occasions. Indeed, from the year 2000 up to July 2002 all of his contests, six, were fought on the world title stage. In the summer of 2004, would be his final victory on the world stage, when he defeated Brian MaGee, in defence of his IBO Super Middleweight title in Belfast, in 2004. His record of world title victories, ELEVEN, places this Liverpool boxing great at the head of a long line of Liverpool boxing legends.

Having hung up his gloves, he has committed himself to a life of raising awareness around the issues raised by bullying in society through knife crime. His interest in boxing has been sustained through his appointment to The Advisory Board of the World Boxing Organisation and acting as a judge in professional boxing bouts.

Carl Speare

After a glittering amateur career, which culminated in winning the bronze medal at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand, another celebrated pugilist from the south end of Liverpool, Carl Speare who was a hard hitting all or nothing middleweight boxer who fought with great tenacity and bravery between 1974 and 1978 to win 9 of his 17 professional contests. Retirement from the ring, saw him fully immerse himself in a career as a youth worker, working out of the Methodist Centre on Princess Avenue, as well as working in some of the toughest areas of Liverpool, where his youth programmes continue to operate to this day.

Wenton Family

A legendary figure of international vests and championship titles, Golden Gloves ABC boxer, Terry Wenton Snr was regarded as one of the greatest amateur boxers of his time. He is one of four siblings, born to a Sierra Leone father and Liverpool Irish mother. His other three brothers went onto achieve local and national success in the entertainment industry. After a string of amateur title successes, he made his England debut at the age of twenty-two in 1966 and continued to box competitively, up until the age of forty-eight. A lifetime of devotion to his beloved sport brought him, richly deserved successes, in the ring.

That devotion was shared through his two sons, Nigel Wenton, born on 6th April 1969, and Richie Wenton, born 28th October 1967, who he introduced to the sport. Their inherent talent and their dad’s tenacity would drive them to the very top in both their amateur and professional careers. Boxing out of Wavertree ABC, Nigel, went onto win 105 out of 110 amateur fights, securing, along the way, numerous domestic schoolboy and international titles.

Following his debut at the City Hall Sheffield winning against Steve Taggart with a TKO, he went onto contest thirty-one fights throughout his professional career. He spent several years in America, where he enjoyed considerable sporting success, winning 17 out of 18 professional contests. These achievements brought him to the attention of the internationally reknowned boxing promoter and manager, Frank Warren. Their joint endeavours brought him a shot at the WBO Super Light Welterweight Title against Vibo Valentia. After a spirited performance he was forced to retire from this bout and professional boxing, altogether, at the age of twenty-nine.

Following in the illustrious footsteps of his dad, Richie Wenton enjoyed a distinguished career at both amateur and professional levels. A brilliant amateur career saw him win 95 of his one 108 fights. Winning schoolboy and international titles, along the way. The outstanding abilities demonstrated during his amateur career were to extend into his professional career. Victory at British Super Bantam Weight title, at York Hall Bethnal Green on 26th April 1994 against Bradley Stone – who tragically passed away, several days after the contest – winning by a TKO. This was the start of a run of many title contests at British, European and world titles. This included triumphs at Everton Sports Centre Liverpool, against Michael Parris for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental Super Bantam Weight, on 30th June 1995: swiftly followed by the win over Wilson Docherty for the British Super Bantam Weight belt at the Festival Hall Basildon in 1996: his other three hotly contested fights for the European Super Bantam Weight Title, British Featherweight title and the vacant WBO World Super Bantam Weight title resulted in gallant and courageous loses.

The outstanding achievements of the Wenton boxing dynasty has to be recognised and applauded as one of Liverpool’s legacy of sporting milestones. Their inclusion in the Guinness Book of Records for their exceptional performance in May 1980 when all three won, on the same card, in England vests, at the Kirkby Civic Suite. This is a mere reflection of this family’s wonderful sporting life.

Nathan Quarless

The latest sparkling jewel in this diamond mine is Nathan Quarless who’s five victory’s out of five professional contests shows outstanding promise for the future. Standing on the massive shoulders of these champions, Nathan should be inspired to overcome the many hurdles that lay before him.
In conclusion, the HDCL is tremendously proud to have brought to your notice the outstanding sporting contribution made by the boxing athletes to the history of Liverpool’s sporting legacy, made by its citizens of African origin. Between them, a total of 30 World Titles and 17 British, Commonwealth and European championships have been won.