Bruce Woodcock (boxer)

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Bruce Woodcock (b. Doncaster 18 January 1921, d. Doncaster 21 December 1997) was an English boxer. He was the British and Empire heavyweight champion 1945-1950, and European heavyweight champion 1946-1949. He had a large fanbase, and his participation in a competition often resulted in sellout crowds.

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[edit] Biography

In July 1945, at White Hart Lane, Tottenham, Woodcock defeated the current champion Jack London to take the British and Empire heavyweight tiles. Woodcock won by a knockout in round six after having London down three times in that round.

At Harringay in 1947 Woodcock earned a reputation for bravery when he fought Joe Baksi. He was floored 3 times in the first round and twice in the second and yet tried to come back before the referee stopped it in the seventh.

On June 2, 1949, Woodcock beat Freddie Mills for the vacant British and European and Empire heavyweight titles by a KO in 14/15.

He is perhaps best remembered for the fact that upon the retirement of World heavyweight champion Joe Louis, on June 6, 1950, the British promoter Jack Solomons matched Woodcock with American Lee Savold for the vacant world title at White City before over 50,000 spectators. This was done under the auspices of the British Boxing Board of Control but not recognized elsewhere. In the event, a 15 round contest, Savold opened a cut above Woodcock's left eye, and the fight was stopped in the fourth round.

Woodcock was known for his glass jaw, the fact that his face was vulnerable as the result of reopened cuts sustained through many bouts, and his weight which tended to be on the light side for a heavyweight. Nevertheless, he is fondly remembered as Britain's best and bravest heavyweight hope in the forties and early fifties.

[edit] Personal life

He married in 1947 Nora Speight, with whom he had one son and one daughter.

He ended his days in retirement after running a pub in his home town of Doncaster.

[edit] See also

[edit] Sources

  • Ronnie Wharton (2005), ‘’Fighting Men of the North’’, Tempus Publishing Limited, ISBN 0-7524-3551-5

[edit] External links

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