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'Mountain Fighters - Lost Tales of Welsh Boxing' by Lawrence Davies
For boxing fans everywhere and particularly for fans of Welsh boxing this book is a must read.
From the introduction we learn that:-
"For such a small country, Wales has made a significant, if largely unacknowledged contribution to the sport of boxing. While most boxing fans can probably name a handful of Welsh champions, it is unlikely that many will be aware that at the dawn of modern boxing in Britain the three greatest fighters to be found anywhere in the United Kingdom all came from Wales.
Yet in 1909 when the Lonsdale belts were first offered to establish the best boxers at lightweight, middleweight and featherweight weight classes, all three championship belts were quickly scooped up by a trio of remarkable boxers from South Wales."
You'll have to buy the book if you want to learn more about these, and other , fascinating characters from the history of Welsh boxing. Lawrence Davies' meticulously researched biographies of the dozen or so fighters featured in this book are a pleasure to read and I hope to write a fuller review some time soon.
Meanwhile to buy your copy of 'Mountain Fighters' please go to:- http://www.gwales.com/latest/?tsid=6
If you are keen to know who the Welsh holders of those first Lonsdale belts were, please go to:-
Croeso i AmeriCymru Lawrence and may I take this opportunity to repeat how thoroughly I enjoyed 'Mountain Fighters'
I should also add that we have an exclusive interview with Lawrence which I will be posting tomorrow. Watch this space!
Hi David, thanks for your kind comments regarding the book, and a big thank you to everyone who has supported it, either by assisting with the research or by buying a copy. If anyone has any further information on any of these great old fist fighters and mountain fighters or any others, I would be very gladto hear from you, cheers !
Sut Mae Lawrence; my grandfather Jockey (Bluestone) William Jones was a local mountain fighter, we have a silver medal for one of his fights. Every bare fist knockdown was a round in those days. I have also mentioned many great Welsh warriors and chieftains in my book called FOOTPRINTS IN THE STONE please visit http://www.aptwebsite.toucansurf.com for more info. Congratulations on your book Lawrence its great to look up good Welsh history.
Interesting factoids gleaned from 'Mountain Fighters'
Did you know that: -
'Mabon's Day' - Between 1888 and 1898 the first Monday in every month was a holiday in the South Wales coalfields. This right was taken away after a particularly bitter miners strike in the latter year. William Abraham a.k.a 'Mabon' won the holiday for the miners. These vacation days were usually marked by bouts of extreme drinking and bare knuckle fistfights in the hills around the mining valleys. Much more detail in the book
Interesting factoids gleaned from 'Mountain Fighters'
Did you know that: -
The Marquis of Queensberry ( boxing ) rules were in fact written by Welshman John Graham Chambers from Llanelli. Chambers looked to his friend the Marquis ( John Shoto Douglas ), who he met at Cambridge, to lend a degree of aristocratic respectability to the rules. This the Marquis was happy to do since he and Chambers shared a love of boxing. John's brother Charles ( Cyril? ) became he first president of the Welsh Rugby Union.
Even if you are not a boxing fan you will thoroughly enjoy Lawrence Davies' panoply of colourful and reckless characters and his superb descriptions of life in 19th and early 20th century Wales.
I particularly enjoyed his description of the easygoing pugilist Charles 'Toff' Wall who fought ( many times ) to prevent being dragged off to a training session when he was happily ensconced on a barstool with his pipe and a pint of ale. Also the description of the 'noble art' of shin kicking as practiced in Wales ( and Lancashire ) is a revelation. A meticulously researched, eye opening and immensely entertaining book
Nope not blind
That page has refreshed...here is the link you need:- http://ning.it/N5A4za
I've changed it in the post above as well.
Ceri, I used the link but couldn't find the book. Am I blind?