Top ten Merseyside boxers

Tony Quigley and Paul Smith square up at the Echo Arena in Liverpool tonight, with the British super-middleweight title on the line. But as important as the title, city pride is on the line.

There are few areas with a much boxing heritage as Liverpool. People will still fondly recall great nights at the Liverpool Stadium, title fights at Anfield, or the classic Shea Neary-Andy Holligan cracker in a tent on Stanley Park. Maybe, one day, nights at the Echo Arena will be spoken about in the same way.

To ark tonight's all-Liverpool clash, I've picked my own all-time Merseyside top ten.

1. John Conteh
Born in Toxteth but more closely associated with Kirkby, Conteh is rated by many as the greatest British boxer of the modern era. His talent took him to the WBC light-heavyweight title and at one time he was seen as a possible opponent for Muhammad Ali. But his party lifestyle and problems outside the ring meant that he was stripped of his world title and his time at the top was short-lived.

2. Ernie Roderick
Former British welterweight and middleweight champion of the Thirties and Forties, who beat the likes of Eric Boon during his career. Even went the 15-round distance with Henry Armstrong - one of the best five boxers of all time - for the world welterweight title in 1939 and Homicide Hank had more than 100 stoppage wins in his career.

3. Peter Kane
Born in Heywood, near Manchester, but Kane, who worked as a blacksmith, lived most of his career in the St Helens area. His greatest nights came in front of huge crowds at Anfield in 1938, drawing with Benny Lynch and then winning the world flyweight title by knocking down Jackie Jurich five times. 

4. Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey
Not strictly a scouser, but Bassey arrived in Liverpool from Nigeria in 1952 and went on to claim the world featherweight title by beating Cherif Hamia in Paris in 1957. Another Nigerian with a strong Liverpool connection was Dick Tiger, the world middleweight and light-heavyweight champion.

5. Paul Hodkinson
A marauding featherweight from the same amateur club, Kirkby, as Conteh, Hoko won the WBC title at the second attempt when he outpointed Marcos Villasana in Belfast in 1991. He made three successful defences before losing to Gregorio Vargas in Dublin and only twice in his professional career boxed in Liverpool, both times at a leisure centre in Kirkby.

6. Robin Reid
It is easy to forget that Robin Reid, from Runcorn, was once an exciting and explosive WBC super-middleweight champion who went to Italy to win the title. Losing the title to Sugar Boy Malinga was the start of a slippery slope which saw regular spells of inactivity punctuated by unsuccessful world title bids, although he took Joe Calzaghe to a split deceision and looked unlucky to lose to Sven Ottke for the WBA and IBF titles.

7. Alan Rudkin
A former British, Commonwealth and European bantamweight champion, Rudkin challenged three times unsuccessfully three times for the world title, in as faraway places as Tokyo, Melbourne and Los Angeles, bumping into champions like Fighting Harada, Lionel Rose and Ruben Olivares. Had big wins in Britain against John Caldwell, Walter McGowan and Johnny Clark.

8. Nel Tarleton
A supremely-gifted stylist who was British featherweight champion for a decade before the Second World War. Despite only having one healthy lung, he won two Lonsdale Belts outright and boxed until he was 39, although he died just ten years later.

9. Shea Neary
The Shamrock Express was WBU light-welterweight champion at a time when the WBU seemed destined to be something. Will always be remembered for his sensational stoppage win of Andy Holligan in a tent in Stanley Park in 1998 and he lost his title to Micky Ward two years later.

10. Pat McAteer
Birkenhead legend who died earlier this year. He won the British and Commonwealth middleweight titles in the Fifties and was good enough to get a draw with Dick Tiger.

Comments

[Kane Archer]

This article has truly edified me regarding the City of Liverpool's contribution to British sporting greatness.

We all know about the exploits of Liverpool FC and Everton FC (both domestically and in Europe) but I always thought the only sport at which our city excelled at was football.

[Ingo]

What happened 2 John Conteh is he still alive?? he was a great boxer.

[Ian Walsh]

I thought Joey Singleton would have sneaked in there.

[Jarrel]

Slightly pedantic correction: Robin Reid is not from Merseyside - Runcorn is in Cheshire.

[Alice]

Where's Graeme Souness?

[Nij, Manchester]

Spurious article to say the least. Peter Kane's well known in Heywood so to claim he's from Merseyside is ridiculous as it is Robin Reid who's from Cheshire and trained his whole career in Manchester under Brian Hughes. And it shows you're struggling to find ten when you include Hogan Bassey on the list who's bloody Nigerian!

[Ron Lewis]

Thanks for your input Nij. As far as I'm aware, Kane left Heywood before his first birthday, Runcorn, where Reid is from, is directly on the banks of the Mersey and Bassey spent nearly his entire boxing career based in Liverpool. As it was my list, I guess it's my choice what makes a Merseyside boxer.

[Neil]

Reckon Wally Thom could have been in the mix.

Also, Robin Reid was born in Sefton, not Runcorn.

[Gary Shaw]

An interesting list. Having written two books on Merseyside boxers (The Mersey Fighters (2004) and The Mersey Fighters 2 (2007)) my list would be slightly different although Conteh would definitely be number 1. Followed closely by Kane and Tarleton - although Kane was born in Lancashire he was always regarded as Liverpool fighter - as was Bassey. Dick Tiger less so as he won the Empire title just after he left Peter Banasko (a rarity at the time - a black boxing manager) and then went on to win world titles at two weights before dying of cancer aged just over 40. Tarleton was a much more accomplished boxer than Roderick so he would be higher in my list. A good shout for Wally Thom too - from Birkenhead - as was McAteer - who would rank in my top 5 Merseyside boxers any day. A true stylist PatMac was. Hoko would also make my list but I'm afraid Robin Reid and Jimmy Neary wouldnt make my top 10 - and possibly not even Alan Rudkin - one of the unluckiest boxers ever when it comes to boxing for world titles. 3 times and all away from home. I would also include Dom Volante, Joey Singleton (perhaps the most under rated Liverpool boxer ever) and one of the greatest amateurs ever in George Gilbody and John Lyon (insert pedantic argument over whether they are from Merseyside or not here!) - whilst few would begrudge Harry Scott a mention or Tommy Molloy, Harry Brown and last but not leat - Joe Curran - who would have been world champion if it hadnt been for the second world war. Tarleton was also due to meet Willie Pep for the world title before peps plane crash. Tarleton - with just one working lung - was 40 years old at the time. Thanks for reading - Gary Shaw www.merseyfighters.co.uk