Two marvelous scraps involving Dunn and McIvor spotlight what a distinctive championship it used to be
Standard viewers of this column will know just how a lot of a admirer I am of space title contests. In a piece that I developed back in January 2019 I mentioned that “I continuously find that the most effective contests are individuals that consider location for an space title”. In these days of Inter-Continental titles and so-identified as ‘regular’ entire world championships, there are a assortment of routes together which an up-and-coming boxer can opt for to acquire on his way to the leading. Many British fighters elect not to chase the British title and so it is no shock that the area titles have been significantly diminished around the training course of the final 40 years or so.
In the 1970s the place titles were being a good stepping-stone on the way to the British title, and several fantastic boxers obviously took this route. The Southern Area title was generally a single of the most hotly contested, with boxers of serious high-quality and assure normally remaining matched. As considerably back as the 1930s several Southern Location championship contests had been also classed as British title eliminators, these types of was the competitors. In the 1970s and 1980s, for instance, Chris Finnegan, Clinton McKenzie and Clyde Ruan all fought in this kind of contests, and prior to them so did Arthur Danahar, Harry Mason and Vince Hawkins, and all three of these grew to become British champions.
I try to remember two cracking bouts for the Southern Place lightweight title that took position in 1974 and 1975 involving Reading’s Tommy Dunn and Noel McIvor of Luton. These two lads consistently featured in the prime 5 or six at the weight in the country and although neither turned a British champion, they were being both superb fighters.
The two adult men met for the initial time at Examining Town Hall on 11 December 1974 and they produced a incredible contest that BN described as “Britain’s modest hall combat of the year”. McIvor was the champion, owning received the title in 1972 by blasting out Alan Salter in two rounds at the Countrywide Sporting Club, and he was a significantly additional experienced expert than Dunn, who had only turned pro before in the calendar year after an illustrious amateur job, and McIvor, as a result, was fancied to win.
The fortunate ringside reporter was Harry Mullan, in the times in advance of he became the editor of BN, and he was entire of praise for Dunn, stating that “it is early times nonetheless, but he is beginning to look like the natural successor to Ken Buchanan. The two fought with the kind of courage and ferocity which would have graced a main advertising. Dunn won over and above dispute, but gritty McIvor fought his coronary heart out. He lost his title at the initial defence, but he can not often have figured in a far better combat.”
Noel been given some straightforward advice from his supervisor Johnny Barclay half-way by way of the bout when he was informed that “There’s six rounds long gone and you are six rounds driving, you have bought to knock him out.” That set matters up a for a terrific summary.
7 months afterwards the two achieved once again, this time at the Globe Sporting Club in Mayfair. Dunn came into the bout on the back again of a shock two-spherical defeat at the fingers of Jarrow challenging guy, George McGurk, and, as he had also been stopped by Alan Salter, he experienced something to verify. McIvor had drawn with McGurk two months beforehand and so this title rematch was delicately poised.
This time Dunn’s victory was additional very clear-cut and, as soon as yet again, Mullan was the reporter. “McIvor chased him relentlessly, but the attractive Studying youngster never dropped command of the exchanges. Referee Sid Nathan referred to as a halt soon after 1-20 of the seventh, with blood pouring from a gash more than McIvor’s remaining eye.”
The following week Tommy went to Edinburgh to spar Ken Buchanan, and he lost the location title the future calendar year to Johnny Claydon, another great from this era. McIvor and Dunn retired in 1977 and 1978 respectively but their legacy, at space amount, is rock good.