David Pearce (boxer)

David 'Bomber' Pearce (8 May 1959 – 20 May 2000) was a British heavyweight boxing champion.

Early years

He was born in Newport, Monmouthshire.

He was one of seven boxing brothers and boxed out of Alway Boxing Club in Newport, of which six went Professional.

He also boxed out of St Josephs ABC.

He coached Junior & Senior boxers at Alway ABC before his Death.

Around 2000 people attended his Funeral in Newport at Stow Hill.

British Heavyweight Boxing Champion

• Pearce Retired in 1984 and then returned to fight in the USA 6 Years later.

• Pearce won the Welsh and British heavyweight boxing titles in 1983.

• Pearce Knocked down Lucien Rodriguez Twice in Limoges for the European Heavyweight Title.

• Micheal "Jack" Johnson was ranked number 5 with the WBA

• Pearce was Ranked No.3 in the WBC World Cruiser Weight Rankings after the KO of Micheal "Jack" Johnson.

• Pearce came 2nd in Welsh Personality of the year.

• Steve Lillis the boxing journalist and co-presenter of Box-Nation voted David 'Bomber' Pearce in his Top Ten most Underrated British boxing champions (Lonsdale Belt Holders) of all time.

• Pearce weighed exactly the same weight as Johnny Nelson when he fought Dennis Andries,

Pearce's KO of Dennis Andries was 15 years earlier when Andries was in his prime.

Professional boxing record

18 Wins (13 knockouts, 4 decisions), 4 Losses (2 knockouts, 2 decisions), 1 Draw
Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	13-9	Percell "Magic" Davis	TKO	8	10/12/1990	Hyatt Regency Hotel, Dearborn, Michigan, United States
Loss	36-8-1	Lucien Rodriguez	PTS	12	30 March 1984	Palais des Sports de Beaublanc, Limoges, Haute-Vienne, France	EBU Heavyweight Title.
Win	11-2	Michael "Jack" Johnson	TKO	5	28 January 1984	Victoria Hall, Hanley, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
Win	20-12-1	Neville Meade	TKO	9	22 September 1983	St David's Hall, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom	BBBofC British Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 2:57 of the ninth round.
Win	35-4-2	Albert Syben	KO	1	07/04/1983	Lyceum Ballroom, The Strand, London, United Kingdom	Syben knocked out at 2:25 of the first round.
Win	24-5-3	Felipe "Boleros" Rodriguez	PTS	10	07/12/1982	Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London, United Kingdom	98-98.
Win	20-5	Gordon Ferris	KO	5	01/06/1982	Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London, United Kingdom	BBBofC British Heavyweight Title Eliminator. Ferris knocked out at 1:44 of the fifth round.
Win	13-4-1	Dennis Andries	TKO	7	12/10/1981	Bloomsbury Centre Hotel, Bloomsbury, London, United Kingdom	Referee stopped the bout at 2:15 of the seventh round.
Win	15-9	Ishaq Hussein	TKO	1	08/06/1981	Porter Tun Rooms, Moorgate, United Kingdom
Win	4-0	Larry "Congressman" McDonald	KO	3	16 March 1981	National Sporting Club, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom
Win	15-27-1	Bonny McKenzie	PTS	8	02/03/1981	National Sporting Club, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom	79.5-78.5.
Loss	2-1	"Scottish" John Rafferty	DQ	3	26 January 1981	St.Andrew's Sporting Club, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom	Rafferty disqualified at 1:32 of the third round due to hitting a downed opponent.
Loss	14-11-1	Neville Meade	TKO	2	22 January 1980	Double Diamond Club, Caerphilly, United Kingdom	BBBofC Wales Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 2:48 of the second round.
Win	8-3	Denton Ruddock	TKO	7	30 October 1979	Double Diamond Club, Caerphilly, United Kingdom
Win	8-12	Theo Josephs	TKO	2	05/07/1979	Afan Lido, Port Talbot, United Kingdom
Win	7-3	Winston Allen	PTS	6	03/04/1979	Caerphilly, United Kingdom
Win	11-14	Bonny McKenzie	PTS	8	19 February 1979	Mayfair Sporting Club, Mayfair, London, United Kingdom	79-78.
Win	1-0-1	Mal Tetley	KO	1	22 January 1979	Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Win	4-3	Bobby Hennessey	TKO	2	22 January 1979	Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Win	6-10	Theo Josephs	PTS	8	11/12/1978	Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom
Win	0-1	Bob Bleau	KO	1	01/12/1978	Minster-in-Thanet, United Kingdom
Win	--	Osborne Taylor	TKO	1	15 November 1978	Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, United Kingdom

Strength, Power & Endurance == The Pearce Family

• David 'Bomber' Pearce is noted for boxing in the last 15-round British championship bout, as the contracts for the bout were finalised before the present 12-round rule was in place. He also knocked out Dennis Andries the three times WBC world light heavyweight champion in the 7th round, who went 6 years before being stopped again by Thomas 'Hitman' Hearns in the 10th. When fighting for the European heavyweight Title Pearce dropped Lucien Rodriguez the long serving European champion twice, with a broken hand. Both counts were over 10 seconds and observers felt Pearce was very unlucky not to get the verdict. Rodriguez had gone the distance with the great Larry Holmes for the WBC Heavyweight World Title. Pearce fought anyone and everyone on his way to the title he evenged his loss to Neville Meade to win the Welsh/British titles and had knocked down John Rafferty four times before he was DQ in the 3rd for punching after the referee had called break, which seemed very harsh as the refereeing was weak throughout the bout.

He was due to fight James (Buster) Douglas and Leon Spinks in Big Events in America and Canada respectively. (Contracts were signed)

The Leon Spinks fight fell through with 24hrs to go.

Lucien Rodriquez said when he retired in an interview to a journalist that David "Bomber" Pearce was the hardest and toughest man he had faced in his whole boxing career.

After a British & Commenwealth Bout in Brentwood, Essex. Frank Maloney said of David Bomber Pearce "They dont make them like him anymore! Pearce would have fought anybody..!"

He had an Iron Chin and would walk down Heavyweights taking a lot of punches just to unload his bombs, but he had devastating power and could take opponents out with one shot either to the head or body easily.

He normally used to give away two stone plus to most opponents.

A number of respected boxing critics think he would have been a World Champion Cruiserweight if he hadn't retired so early.

In his years out he sparred Lennox Lewis before Lennox's British Heavyweight Title fight and Tim Witherspoon. giving both fighters problems with his aggression and pressure.

When Pearce had been retired due to medical problems, "The King of the Gypsies", Bartley Gorman, offered to fight Pearce for the Unlicenced British Title for £20,000. Bartley said if he won he would fight for the world bare knuckle title. It was the only time in his book "King of the Gypsies" he said if he Won...! A massive Testament to David Pearce respect as a fighter and one of Britain's toughest men.

• Walter (Bimbo) Pearce the oldest of the brothers won the Welsh Heavyweight Championship in 1973. Walter (Bimbo) Pearce won amateur titles from Fly Weight to Heavyweight and was one of Wales most successful Amateur Boxers. Bimbo Pearce fought Alex Penarski over 10 rounds. Alex was later known as (Bolton & Chesterfield's Hardest Man).

Bimbo was known as one of Britain's Hardest Men, he squared up to Bonny Mckenzie after he bad mouthed his brother in Cardiff before their scheduled fight and against Andrew Gerrard outside court in Newport after he challenged David, Some say he was the Hardest puncher of the Pearce family and was never defeated outside of the ring. He was never the aggressor and only fought when bully's or chancers tried it on or tried to pick on his friends or family. "As Bimbo would say they crossed the line" (He is a gentleman and has a great temperament, but he is a deliberate man, you wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley) "Gary Pearce"

• Gary Pearce won the Welterweight and Light Middleweight Title, Gary Pearce also fought Hans Henrick Palm the European Champion and took him the distance in Randers Denmark losing by 1/2 point and dropping the Champion in the 6th round.

One Story about Gary Pearce which will go down in Boxing Folklore was when....

Gary Pearce was at a pro boxing show with friends and was drinking and enjoying the show when Frank Warren asked him to fight Gary Knight who's opponent had pulled out late notice, he went from the crowd and borrowed kit off all the fighters on the show and went in with the then number 1 Welterweight Gary Knight.

He was sick after the first few rounds but fought brilliantly to a ¹⁄₂-point loss over 10 Rounds in what local newspapers had him winning.

• Raymond Pearce a middleweight fought the 3 times WBC world champion Dennis Andries.

• Nigel Pearce had five fights as a professional and was notorious on the street.

• Luke Pearce won the Lightweight Combined services Title in the year 2000, And Represented the Army Boxing Team.

He also beat Chris Harman who went on to win the WABA Welsh Heavyweight Title and fight Mark Potter for the UK Cage Fighting Title.

Luke Pearce's God Mother is Debbie Pulis the wife of Tony Pulis the Football Manager.

• Simon Pearce the seventh brother starred in Starlight Express, Cats, and Mousetrap musicals in the West End.

Simon starred as Mr Soft in the TV Advert.

Simon was offered the chance to front the band steps but turned it down.

His friends Included Liza Minnelli and Frank Sinatra.

External links

• Professional boxing record for David Pearce from BoxRec
• BBC Wales Sports Hall of Fame