New HW Boxers Rated

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Here is Alf Brown revisted. Added a fair amount of new Bio info and updated his rating.

ALF BROWN - HW - ENLAND
Career Record: W11(KO 5) / L7(KO 4) / D2

TITLES:
BBBofC Southern Area Heavyweight Title

Unknown information has been left blank.
DOB and DOD noted on Boxerlist.com
BoxRec Wili page lists he died in 1999 at age of 78 and his height was 188cm (6ft 2in).

BoxRec Wiki page notes Alf Brown was the 1938 Light Heavyweight Champion.

Ring Magazine Feb 1944 - Alf Brown who was in the Army, the article notes also he was the cruiserweight A.B.A Champion was making his professional debut, scoring a 3 round decision over Tommy Reddington(R.A.F). 3rd round being Brown's best to win the fight.
Found a short note of this upcoming fight in the Coventry, West Midlands, England Envening Telegraph that Brown was a Bombadier apparently in the Army.

16 Feb 1944, Wed Evening Standard, London, England - Bombadier Alf Brown (R.A.) of Catford won the Scottish Command professional heavweight championship to qualify for the Northern Area Army championship to be held on March 1st. If he were to win that then he'd qualify for the Army professional finals at Blackpool on March 8th.

14 Sep 1944, Thu Birmingham Gazette, West Midlands, England - Alf Brown drew with Al Marson (Stepney) in a heavyweight bout.

22 Mar 1945, Thu Daily Herald, London, England - Alf Brown and George Preston fought a lively, all action heavyweight brawl which Brown won on Points. Brown showed to be a little better boxer. Preston was floored twice for eight in the opening round. Bown also was down for two. Early in the fourth, Brown received a bad cut near the left eye. He got good treatment for it in his corner adn the eye did not seem to trouble him after. Brown used excellent straight lefts in the seventh to gain control of the fight.

12 April 1945, Thu, Daily News London - Manuel Abrew was disqualified in the fourth round for holding, giving the decision to Alf Brown.

14 May 1945, Mon Leicester Evening Mail, Leicestershire, England - In an interservice boxing tournament at Antwerp in the professional heavyweight contest, Jock Porter, RAF was knocked out by Alf Brown.

24 Sep 1945, Mon Leicester Evening Mail, Leicestershire, England - Ken Shaw (14st/196lbs), Scottish heavyweight weighed in against his opponent, British Army champion Alf Brown (13st 6-1/2lbs/188.5lbs) for their upcoming fight. Brown was being regarding at the time a "dark horse" for the British title currently held by Bruce Woodcock.

25 Sep 1945, Tue Western Morning News Plymouth, Devon, England - Ken Shaw of Dundee, the Scottish Heavyweight champion gained a points decision over Alf Brown in eight rounds. Shaw found it difficult to penetrate Brown's defence and failed to land any good punches in the early rounds. Brown connected with a left in the fifth round that jarred Shaw, but Brown ran into trouble by the next round when he was put down for a five count. It was a close decision that the crowd was mixed on the outcome.

09 Apr 1946, Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, England - As part of the Bruce Woodcock v Bert Gilroy fight Card in King's Hall, The Intellingencer described the undercard heavyweight match between Alf Brown and Tom Reddington as a "very disappointing affair.

06 Nov 1946, Belfast Telegraph, Northern Ireland - Only noted Alf Brown KO'd Charlie Collett in the first round. Interstingly not finding a lot on Brown's fights during this 1946 period.

20 Feb 1947, Londonderry Sentinel, Northern Ireland - Reported that Alf Brown, Catford, who won the Southern Area heavyweight title in London the previous night, challenged Jack London, ex-heavyweight champion.

18 Feb 1947, BoxRec reports Andrews was down once in the 6th, twice in the 7th and once in the 8th before being KO'd by right to the jaw from Alf Brown. I only found a couple UK newspaper accounts noting Brown knocking out Andrews in the 8th.

May 15, 1947 Boxing News - Alf Brown v Denis Juliani. BoxRec lists Juliani's Nationality and Residence as France and his record shows fighting pretty much in France. Interesting note in this Boxing News account of this fight, it notes also most of Juliani's fights in France, but says Juliani was Italian. Juliani did not present himself with much boxing skill relying on a right swing to the head which he occasionally connected with. Brown though used a good straight left and right crosses and inside he used jabs to the body and uppercuts. Juliani was floored for a six counts in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Juliani came back to the attack in the fourth, but in the 5th he was down again for another six. Then Brown connected with a well timed right sending Juliani to the canvas again. After a three count he got to his feet but then holding onto the ropes he just slid back down to the deck. The referee DQ'd him for going down without being hit!

02 Mar 1948, Tue, Belfast Telegraph, Northern Ireland - This account of the first Alf Brown v Austian heavyweight champion Jo Weidin described both fighters as poor heavyweights. Mentions Weidin hardly knew what he was doing but was declared the winner. Weidin took a right swing flush on the jaw for a short count in the second. Brown though suffered a bad cut right eye and had to retire from the fight.

Boxing New July 14, 1949 - Interesting that Boxing News listed some ratings of British boxers in the different weight divisions had Alf Brown rated 3rd behind Ken Shaw and Jack London. He was followed by Reg Andrews, Jack Smith, Charlie Collett, Frank Ronan, Matt Hardy, George Dawson, and Bill Brennan. Heard of many of these?
Recording Alf Brown's return match against Jo Weidin says that Brown started off well getting some lefts to Weidin's body which didn't seem to both the Austrian. Weidin came in then with both hands and following some short right jabs to the jaw, Brown went down and failed to get up before the 10 count.

Feb 1949 Ring British Ratings for 1948 had Brown ranked 8th heavyweight.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

I started looking at Lloyd Walford, Jamaican heavyweight from the 1960s to mid 1970s. A fighter I did a rating on back around 2004 I think. Very early in the history of New HW Boxers Rated. I'm going to use him to kind take a deep dive look at British boxing back in the 1960s-70s as part of ongoing The Big Men of Boxing a Retrospective. But, doing this kind deep dive approach I'm not going to look at Walford exclusively to work through his entire care and post that history and rating here. I decided I'd pick his history apart fight by fight through his career. Look into also his opponents and their careers some. Part of this looking into the history more of British heavyweight boxing in general in this time period. 60s and 70s has always been my favorite era of boxing. I have all the Boxing News, Ring and Boxing Illustrated from this time period so I have a good source for information.

I'd done some looking at old boxing venues and referees in the past and plan to dive into those also as I work through Walford and his opponents' careers. Looking to focus this Big Men Retrospective project instead of kind of ranging all over the place.

That said, here is a boxing Venue I've come across. Found a couple nice photos I believe is the building mentioned in fight accounts in Boxing News. Couldn't find much on it's history at all, but, If you are interested in British boxing at all, it can add to your boxing fantasy world.

Corn Exchange
Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England
Gate a site rating of 1 with capacity of 500.

From a Pinterest site, In the Middle of Doncaster Markets stands the 1870's Corn Exchange which is now restored and refurbished after a serious fire in 1994.

Boxing events took place as early as the 1920s. BoxingHistory.org.uk has record of fights that took place far back as 1920. No information found on the seating capacity for the boxing mataches. Assume it to be fairly small.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Walsall Town Hall
Walsall, West Midlands County
Leicester Street, England
Site Rating 1, Seating Cap 500

From Wikipedia: Walsall Town Hall is located at Leicester Street in Walsall, West Midlands County, England. No information on seating capacity.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Maesteg Town Hall, Wales
Talbot Street
Site Rating 1, Seating 500

Maesteg Town Hall was officially opened Oct 22, 1881. Queen Mary attended a social services function at the town hall in April 1938, the actor Richard Burton performed as a child at a local festival in the building in 1939 and the contralto singer, Kathleen Ferrier, made an appearance on 13 May 1944. Another visitor was Arnold Schwarzenegger performing a bodybuilding contest there in 1967. No information found in regards to boxing being held there.

A couple websites say that it houses a 550 seat theater. Possibly where boxing matches were held?

[Rocco Del Sesto]

THORNER AHSMAN - HW Sweden
Offering up a little redo of this Swedish heavyweight from the late 50's-60's. Didn't fight long but a hand injury apparently decided the early end of his career.
I had a rating from the TBCB3 DB Team but his name was spelled Thoerner Aahsman? Not sure why. I think Mike Myers originally rated him way back when. I didn't make a separate rating but I adjusted a little bit the ratings because in my play testing his KO's were coming out around 3 per and his W/L slightly under.
I Lowered his Punches Missed from 64 to 61
Raised his HP 3 to 4
3Pt Jabs adjusted 2 to 3
2Pt Combinations lowered 17-16
After that I was getting pretty decent replication of his record.
I also did some updating of his Bio information from what I had.
Career Record: W11(KO 5) / L3(KO 2) / D2

Unknown information has been left blank.

Birth Name: Gustav Edgar Torner Ahsman

DOB and DOD from a Wikipedia site on Thoerner.

Represented Sweden in the 1956 Olympics. He defeated Patrick Sharkey of Ireland by third round KO but then lost to Lev Mukhin of the Soviet Union by first round KO.

Swedish national heavyweight champion 1954,55, and 57. He boxed for Landala AK Boxing Club in Gothenburg.

The Wiki page on BoxRec notes that Thoerner retired in 1962 after he won a fight over Belgian Jose Peyre but Ahsman broke his thumb in the early rounds and underwent an operation after.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Introducing Lloyd Walford's first career opponent in England, LHW Roy Seward. Following him through his fights noted in Boxing News, he was done in much of the time getting his face cut up stopping him in several fights. I'm bummed I did not run across a photo of him through all the articles I went through in Boxing News. Maybe run across something later as I go through Walford's career.

ROY SEWARD - LHW - England
Career Record: W9(KO 6) / L12(KO 11) / D1

Unknown information has been left blank.

DOB from BoxerList.com.

11/03/61 Boxing News - At the Town Hall, Walsall, Roy Seward won by 6th round TKO against Harold Kaye with the fight stopped because of a cut under Kaye's eye. Seward landed a series of lefts on Kaye's nose and mouth, but Harold didn't let that bother him to come in with a flurry of rights and lefts to put Seward down for an eight count in the second round.

01/26/62 Boxing News - On Jan 15, Roy Seward drew 6 rounds with Jimmy Blanche at the Corn Exchange in Doncaster. Nobbins were tossed to Seward and Blanche for the exciting fight they put on for the crowd. Each fighter put the other down for nine counts and both were in trouble at times in the fight and each suffered cut eyes.

02/23/62 Boxing News - Fight record notes Stuart Price's debut at age 19 putting birth year around 1943? Price took the decision, and the account also mentioned Price as "tall". No height given.

03/02/62 Boxing News - Roy Seward was down for counts three times in the 3rd round but came back in the fourth to decision Razza Bailey who hadn't fought last since April 1961. It was Bailey's last fight.

03/16/62 Boxing News - Roy Seward was able to fight off the slashing hooks and swings his opponent, Brian Coxhead kept throwing at Seward through most of the fight to weather through it and gain a six round points decision over Coxhead.

04/27/62 Boxing News - The referee stopped the scheduled 6 rounder between Roy Seward and Joe Leeming , Rugby when Seward suffered a cut over his right eye.

08 Jun 1962, Fri Leicester Evening Mail, England - Jack Bodell won the Midlands Area Light Heavyweight title when the referee stopped the fight in the fifth round. Roy Seward, his opponent suffered a badly cut right eye. It was a slugfest fight with Bodell appearing as the harder puncher. Early in the first round he sent Seward's gumshield flying and raised a bump over Roy's left eye. It was a fast pace fight with Seward appearing to tire in the fourth. Bodell caught Seward with a right hook after the bell wrung the end of the fourth. Seward retaliated before referee Frank Parkes intervened. Toward the end of the fifth, Bodell had tagged Seward with some left hooks cutting Sewards right eye. At the end of the bell the referee looked at the cut and then stopped the fight.

09/21/62 Boxing News - Nigerian cruiserweight Joe Louis stopped Lincoln's Roy Seward at 2 minutes and 15 seconds of the 1st round of a scheduled 8. Seward actually connected in the fight first with a good left to Louis' body which stung him. Immediately, Louis countered and sent Sewards mouthpiece flying with a right jab. Roy tried to back away but not before Louis connected with another right to the face sending Seward down to take an eight count in the neutral corener. Seward rose slowly but quickly went down again from another right to the head by Louis. Seward got up again but a left had him down again for a seven count. The referee stopped the fight then.

12/14/62 Boxing News - Jack Bodell retained his Midland Area Light Heavyweight title but stopping Roy Seward in the 3rd round, again a cut over the right eye doing Seward in. Seward fought hard and actually had Bodell bleeding from the nose but was stopped again with that bad cut that took 4 stitches afterward. Bodell actully weighed in 1 lb over the LHW limit but was given and hour to shed the pound to the correct 175!

2/1/63 Boxing News - The News' publication of British Ratings for beginning of the year interstingly had Roy Seward the 8th rank cruiserweight! After the 4 consectutive beatings he took?!

Some newspaper articles in March 1063 note Roy Seward pulled out of a scheduled fight against Derek Richards. No reason found why.

5/31/63 Boxing News - Roy Seward after more than 5 months out of the ring stopped Dave George in the 3rd round. George took most of the beating in the fight and sustained an injury to his left eye in the second round and part way through the third the referee decided to stop the fight.

12/06/63 Boxing News - Jack Grant won the vacant Midlands area Light Heavyweight title stopping Roy Seward in the 3rd round in Seward's 3rd try at the Midlands crown. At the end of the 3rd round, Grant who showed possessing the heavier punch, had beaten Seward into a sorry looking condition with several facial injuries when referee Frank Parkes stopped the fight. Seward at the beginning of the fight took the action to Grant, but the long lefts he was throwing had little punch to them and Grant countered with a right to the head that had Seward back on his heals. Early in the second round Grant opened a cut across Sewards forehead and Grant pressed Seward around the ring with a two handed attack. A cut was opened then early in the 3rd round over Seward's left eyebrow and Grant continued to apply punishement to Seward's head before the referee stopped it.

03/13/64 Boxing News - News account of the Roy Seward v Mick Basten bout at the Corn Exchange on March 9th notes this as a heavyweight contest. Not mention of fighter weights. Baston is listed as heavyweight in BoxRec and his fight weights listed show this. The 6th round TKO loss to Seward was Baston's last career fight listed. Seward was in the lead in this fight from the start scoring readily with straight lefts which opened a blood stream from Basten's nose. In the fourth round Basten did manage to drop Seward to his knees for a seven count.

04/17/64 Boxing News - Cruiseweight Freddie Cross who returned to the ring for the first time in almost 4 years was just too good for Roy Seward despite Cross' lengthly absence. Cross had Seward down for a count of nine in the third with a long solid right to the head. The fight was stopped in the third then with a bad cut over Seward's left eye leading the referee to stop it.

06/12/64 Boxing News - Young McCormick worked Roy Seward around the ring pretty much at will while snapping combinations with sharp, short punches. Halfway through the second round, referee Harry Gibb wisely sent Sewards to his corner and held up McCormick's right arm in victory. With this fight, the Boxing News accounts on Roy's fights started refering to him as Sewards? The Boxing News Annuals from the early/mid 1960s listed him a Roy Seward even though the paper was writing Sewards?

7/10/64 Boxing News - Lloyd Walford, stationed out of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England was making his first appearance in the UK from his native Jamaica in a heavyweight match against Lincoln's Roy Seward. Account says Seward was now fighting as a heavyweight. Seward won when the referee stopped the fight in the sixth round. Walford was subsituting for Mick Basten and controlled the first round putting Sewards down for a nine count. Seward connected with some strong rights and used the left to keep Walford away most of the round. Walford did manage to connect with some good shots to Seward head and body, including a real good right cross. Starting slow, Seward kept improving his game as the rounds progressed, managing to put Walford down twice for nine counts in the fourth. Seward kept up the pressure through the fifth and in the sixth round he put the Jamaican down for counts of nine, seven and nine again before the referee stopped the growing one sided fight.

09/11/64 Boxing News - Malcolm Price won 5th round TKO over Roy Seward after referee Ike Powell stopped the action at the end of the 5th after Seward sustained an eye injury.

12/04/64 Boxing News - This account of Seward's 2nd round KO of Johnny James, mentions Seward height being 6 ft. "The tall bustling cruiser", had a noted advantage with his greater height and reach. Seward used right crosses to the head, but while Seward attacked high, James managed at time to duck in under Seward's guard and score to the body. Both fighters banged away hard, but Seward connected with a right that had James almost doubling up and falling through the ropes! In the second round Seward dropped James for and eight count with another right, and no sooner had James recovered, than Seward got a short right to the body to put James down again and this time for the full count.

12/25/64 Boxing News - Young McCormack won his 14th fight in 16 stopping Roy Seward, 3rd round TKO. McCormack outpunched Seward throughout continually landing punches to Seward's chin and body. A large lump developed hear Seward's left out near the end of the 2nd round. The 3rd round, Seward came out strong in the third, but McCormack boxed him off and connected some more to Seward's head and body with both rights and lefts. The fighters tussled on the ropes and both came out of it with cuts near thier right eyes, but Seward's was the worse by far helping to end the fight.

2/19/65 Boxing News - Interesting again, Roy Seward shows up again in the Boxing News British Ratings, this time listed the #10 Cruiserweight!

2/26/65 Boxing News - Roy Seward was a late subsitute against Young McCormack. Again no issue for McCormack, though he was wild and often over anxious in the fight. The News described his effort as "completely novice like at times".

12/17/65 Boxing News - Roy Seward came out of what looked like a retirement from the ring not having fought in 10 months, to beef up to heavyweight and take on 20 year old Jim McIlvaney in Jim's debut fight. McIlvaney took some good shots to the head in the first couple rounds, but as Seward tired (what did he do in 10 months?), McIlvaney took over and over the last two rounds, Seward wore a mask of blood per an account in the Birmingham Daily Post on 12/10/65. Referee Chris Maggs the Daily commented probably should have stopped it a round earlier instead of in the 6th.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Second career fight for Lloyd Walford was Carl Gizzi and which this was Gizzi's 3rd fight. Looked back in the Forums and David Myers appeared to have posted a 1st rating for him back in early 2005. Least that's one that I found. Current rating in my DB is the TBCB DB 3 rating. Gizzi had a career record of 31-12-0 so I got a good amount of looking to find I hope some good info on Gizzi the fighter and his career in my Boxing News and other info I have.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

In beginning to look into Carl Gizzi's pro career which started off in early July 1964, I decided to look through the Boxing News from the bigging of the year 1964. Found some good information. Gizzi had apparently built-up a good reputation in the amateurs up to 1964 to the point he was being hailed as a heavyweight representative in the 1964 Olympics. Well, then events of early 1964 turned those aspirations south and events which led him to decide to go professional.

01/17/64 Boxing News - Carl Gizzi was being hailed as a possible Gold Medal candidate in the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo. Well he took a bad turn on that journy as 19 year old Billy Gray outpointed Gizzi in a contest that Gray took on at last minute notice.

2/7/64 Boxing News - The speedy Tony Brogan used left hooks that he connected with accuracy and punch to them to defeat Carl Gizzi. Gizzi was the taller and heavier opponent, but he couldn't get out of the way of Brogan's lefts.

2/28/64 Boxing News - Carl Gizzi won the Welsh ABA Heavyweight title though his two opponents in the competition were deemed weak, thus not doing much to enhance Gizzi's reputation.

3/27/64 Boxing News - Carl Gizzi won a close decision over Torbay's southpaw Tony Brogan. Brogan started out well, beating Gizzi into retreats with solid hooks to the head and left crosses to the body, but Gizzi eventually brought his heavier weight and strength to bear in the fight. In the 2nd and 3rd rounds Gizzi was able to win back the points lost to Brogan, forcing him into retreating scoring with solid long left jabs. Gizzi used his size advantage to also crowd Brogan into clinches.

04/24/64 Boxing News - The heavyweight title for the 76th ABA Championships to be held at Empire Pool, Wembley, Middlesex, is felt to be contested in the end between London Champion and England international Colin Woodhouse vs Welsh Champion and International Carl Gizzi. Two other heavyweights are contending though, "giant soldier" Bruce Robertson and Droylsden's Ron Davies. Gizzi is felt by many it would seem as the favorite as he has been trumpeted for awhile as an Olympic hopeful.

05/01/64 Boxing News - Big dissapointment, Carl Gizzi turned out to be at the 76th ABA Championships as he was outpointed by Colin Woodhouse in the semi-finals. It was felt Gizzi was out hustled by Woodhouse and Gizzi did not take advantage of his height and reach.

5/22/64 Boxing News - Big letter headline on page 14 of the News.."Gizzi Shock-Stopped in First Round". Carl Gizzi was stopped in the first round at Abercynon in a Wales v. Holland match. He showed no defense getting boxed all around the ring and was quickly bloodied at the nose and mouth by his opponent E. Kiks.

5/28/64 Boxing News - Carl Gizzi found himself in the middle of another sensation story in amatuer boxing. He was due to represent Wales June 1st in a meet against Czechosiovakia in Prague. There started with some trouble concerning Gizzi needing to send his passport to the WABA. There was back and forth between WABA chairman, John Llewellyn and Carl and his father Don Gizzi who in the end notified the WABA he would not allow Carl to box for Wales if he, the father was allowed to travel to Prague with Carl. In the end, the WABA did not allow this and Carl was replaced on the Wales team. "Mr. Gizzi said that he had spent much money and time training Carl and brining him up to what he was in boxing, and it was time he, himself, got some reward and some return for his outlay." Hmmmm....forboding of what was to shortly come...

6/12/64 Boxing News - The page 15 headlines..."CONTROVERSIAL WELSH ABA CHAMPION TAKE BIG PLUNGE CARL GIZZI TURNS PRO AFTER ROW WITH WABA" After a week of conjecture if Gizzi would decide to turn pro after the altercation with the WABA, he makes that decision. Not the best of situations starting off a career after the rough year performance wise Gizzi had shown in the year up till now, but his new manager, Eddie Thomas from Merthyr's, felt that could all be wiped off the map with some hard work.

I'll include all this in his bio as I explore through is career.
Rocco

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Here is a young amateur Carl Gizzi.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Instead of waiting for some time for me to go through all of Gizzi's career gathering bio info, I'll give you a little feed every 2 or 3 fights or so going through it. If I run across some interesting new Venue info I'm going to continue with that also. Lot of small out of the way placing boxing took/takes place in the UK it seems.

Here's some notes on Carl Gizzi's first two pro fights....

7/3/64 Boxing News - Carl Gizzi made his professional debut, stopping Billy Wynter, Antigua in the 3rd round of thier scheduled 6. Gizzi used his left Jab and displayed some good defense to fight in close range.

7/19/64 Sunday Mirror, London, England - Short article was placing Carl Gizzi getting ready to make his professional debut at Bill Long's Ebbw Vale show against Jamaican Ken Coleman? This is after 6/30/64 fight against Wynter in BoxRec? The article mentions Gizzi's height at 6ft. 3in. A 6/18/64 short piece in the Daily Mirror, London, notes the upcomming fight with Wynter on June 30th. The July 17th Boxing News then found a short piece announcing Gizzi to fight Ken Coleman on July 20th. It mentions also Gizzi's height at 6ft 3in.

7/24/64 Boxing News - Some more confusion here. Article notes that Cliff Purnell is a substitue in the fight against Carl Gizzi, apparently for Coleman. Gizzi stops Purnell in 2 mins 7 sec of the second round. Gizzi was in control of the fight and combinations from him had Purnell into a neutral corner when the referee, D.S. Davis decided to halt the fight! The crowd and Purnell roundly protested the stopping of the fight. Purnell was making a comeback after about a year away from the ring. He paced the fight in the first round attacking Gizzi's body while Carl tried to attack from a distance with his jabs. Gizzi started to turn the fight when he connected with a right cross to Purnell's jaw. Purnell closed in to hang on to Gizzi but Carl forced him away with a barrage of fists to the head. Carl continued this in the 2nd round. Then in the 2nd, Purnell was warned for a low blow and a punch in the back while they were in a clinch. Gizzi then muscled Purnell into a corner and rained "at least 20 punches" on Purnell's head before the referee decided he felt Purnell had endured enough. This Boxing News article has this fight being held in Bristol while they list some other fights at Ebbw Vale. BoxRec has these venues switched with Gizzi's fight being at Ebbw Vale. I checked a fighter named Peter Richards from Bristol is part of the card that Box News shows at Ebbw Vale but BoxRec records that card at Bristol. Thinking Boxing News has the locations incorrect in thier 7/24/64 issue. Would seem to make sence Gizzi fighting his 2nd fight in Wales which is where Ebbw Vale is?

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Looked at the two venues that appeared to get mixed up in Boxing News account of Gizzi's 2nd fight, that with Cliff Purnell

Ebbw Vale Indoor Cricket Club
Ebbw Vale
Newchurch Road, Newton, Wales
Site Rating 1
Seating Capacity ? 8000 for outdoor events.

Ebbw Vale is a small town in Wales that has a cricket club who's history dates back some 165 years. Rugby also is played here. The Ebbw Vale Cricket Club has been in it's same location at Eugene Cross Park.
Image is of Eugene Cross Park. The building where the boxing events are held.
Capacity? No info on. Imagine Fairly small, unless the ring is set up outside. Capacity for outdoor events can be up to 8,000.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Colston Hall
Briston, Colston Street, England
Site Rating 1 (Make these what you want)
Seating Capacity 2000

Colston Hall is currently know a Bristol Beacon. Has been and still is a concert hall first opening in 1867. It became a popular place for classical music and theatre. In the mid 1900s starting around 1951 wrestling matches and probably Boxing during that time, came into presentation there. It was one of the most important rock music venues in Britain in the 1960s.

It's been redeveloped several times. It was gutted by fires in 1898 and 1945. The photo shown of it appears to be as it looked in the 50's and 60s at least then. A Getty Photo seen on line shows pretty much this same image with cars that look to be from that time era in front of it.

A Wiki aricle that much of this info is from note the hall capacity as 2,075. Sure that varies with what is being shown there. The decision to rename it was taken in 2017 to coincide with a major redevelopement of the venue after a number of years of debates and campaigns regarding Colston's ties to the Atlantic slave trade.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Looking into the history of different locations of the National Sporting club which was located in different venues after it's original location which is this at 43 King Street, Covent Garden, London

National Sporting Club 1
Covent Garden, London
43 King Street
England
Historical
Site Rating 4
Seating Capacity 1300
From Wikipedia, the National Sporting Club was founded on March 5th, 1891 and was located at 43 King Street, Covent Garden, London. It's attendence could number about 1300 members and guests. It was during this time in 1909 when the club's president introduced the Lonsdale Belt as awarded to the British Champion at each weight division.

In the 1920's boxing was growing into a sport of mass appeal to the more general public and larger venues were sought to make more money than at the N.S.C. This forced the club to open it's doors to the general public in October 1928 where before it was a privat club operation. In 1929 it closedd it's doors at the Covent Garden and for a while moved to The Stadium Club, Holborn but then finally moved to 21 Soho Square.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Three fights in September 1964 stretches his record to 5-0-0.

9/11/64 Boxing News - Carl Gizzi outpointed Lloyd Walford easily over six rounds. Gizzi started the fight out more strategic minded but he left jabbed Walford in the later rounds along with using a good right hand to the body. Walford saved himself from a knockout but clinching and running and just wilfull hanging on. The third round on was pretty much Gizzi's fight with Walford fighting after the second round pretty much one eyed according to the News account.

9/18/64 Boxing News - Gizzi picks up his 4th straight win one week after defeating Walford when Jim Monaghan was disqualified in the 4th round after being cautioned several times and two final warnings for hanging his left forearm on the back of Gizzi's neck. In the first couple rounds, Monaghan contested against Gizzi and in the second caught him twice with short rights to the chin. Those temporarily stung Gizzi. Using his left Jab, Carl speeded up his attack in the third connecting to Jim's head and also used a right hook to the body effectively.

9/22/64 Belfast Telegraph - Jim Monaghan closed this fight strong but the Irish heavyweight from Derry was narrowly outpointed by Carl Gizzi in thier second fight against each other in a week. The fight was at the Wyvern Sporting Club in Manchester. Article notes that Monaghan was now managed by Johnny Campbell of Birkenhead. Monaghan showed improvement in this second fight of the two but Gizzi showed better punching and alround better boxing. The Boxing News described Monaghan as "plodding". The full article of the card of fights that the Gizzi/Monaghan fight were part of noted this at the Wyvern Sporting Club, Manchester.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Thunder first posted the Midland Hotel under the Current Venues thread back in 2007. I had it in my data base with the information shown here. In my data base I've renamed it after the Wyvern Sporting Club.

Wyvern Sporting Club Midland Hotel
Manchester, England
16 Peter St.
Rating 1
Seating Capacity 500 (A wiki article on the history of the Midland notes it was built with a 1000 seat theater. The full front photo of the Midland is the one Thunder posted. I found the corner view photo on Wiki.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Carl Gizzi, Welshman heavyweight finished out 1964 with 3 more wins in October and November to run his early career record to 8-0-0, though after the first two TKO wins, the next 6 he's managed only 4, 6 round decisions and 2, DQ wins.

10/30/64 Boxing News - At the National Sporting Club, Carl Gizzi was not overly impressive looking against new comer Joe Johnson of Islington who was disqualified with about a minute to go in the 6th and last round of their heavyweight contest. About half way through, Johnson started holding and it got him into trouble for too much of it at the end.

11/06/64 Boxing News - Lloyd Walford and Carl Gizzi fought for the second time in the young careers of both of these fighters when Walford stepped in as a last minute substitute for Ken Coleman at the Ebbw Vale Cricket Hall. This Boxing News account of this fight mentions and intersting note as it mentions Gizzi is fighting to earn enough money to pay for and expensive operation for his blind 15 year old sister Norma. Gizzi was the clear points winner at the end of this fight from referee D.S. Davies. Gizzi was exhibiting better discipline in his fighting to ward off his opponents attacks with longer hooks and better defense, then he would move inside to trade punches. Walford's style on the other hand looked awkward and kamakzie in his attacks. Walford with his aggression showed up some of Gizzi's weak spots in his game - "footwork, pacing and clean connection". Walford failed to score well himself allowing Gizzi to score up the point advantage.

11/27/64 Boxing News - Carl Gizzi was accurate with his left hand against Billy Wynter, Antigua. According to the News it was much the same thing in all six rounds, Gizzi putting his left hand into Wynter's face will occassionaly following that with right crosses while Wynter seemed to just watch and wait for some chance to land his right hand punch but never did. Gizzi the better fighter, ended up with another 6 round points win.

[Cap]

Good work there, Rocco.

Cap

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Originally Posted by Cap

Good work there, Rocco.

Cap

Thank you Cap! Appreciate very much. Decided I'd try this working a little bit at a time and posting especially when going through someone with a good size career. Making it easier to keep focused on.

Rocco

[Rocco Del Sesto]

Carl Gizzi picks up two more wins in February as he defeats Jim Monaghan again and in the first meeting of archrival Welsh heavyweights, he defeats Rocky James by decision in Gizzi's first 8 round fight.

He's starting to get some recognition in the boxing publication rankings.

01/22/65 Boxing News - Posted their British Ratings they post periodically, and they landed tied for 10th, Carl Gizzi and Rocky James. The News has made some previous comments trumpeting for these two to match up possibly for the Welsh HW title.

Jan 1965 Boxing Illustrated - Posted its British Ratings noted for fights up to December 13th and they have Carl Gizzi ranked 9th in the heavyweight top 10. Henry Cooper is the current British champion.

02/05/65 Boxing News - Not a lot on the Carl Gizzi 6 round decision over Jim Monaghan at the NSC, Piccadilly. The two fought it out evenly for four rounds but then Gizzi took command to win the bout.

2/19/65 Boxing News - Their new British rankings have Gizzi and Rocky James still tied, this case for 9th ranked British HW. They were still last in the list as the News dropped Ron Redrup totally out of the ranks from January.

2/19/65 Bristol Evening Post, England - Rocky James from Bristol was outpointed by Carl Gizzi in a matchup between the twop Welsh heavyweights that had been waited for some time. The first round James came out tearing into Gizzi but he was wild and erratic being to anxious apparently to get an early decision. As the fight progressed, Gizzi was racking up points with short lefts and rights to James' body and face which became bruised, but Rocky never seemed to be bothered by Gizzi's punches and continued his own attacking in the fight especially with a good 7th round catching Gizzi with a bunch of head and body punches. The fight lasted the full eight rounds, an entertaining fight for all from both fighters leaving everyone earch to see a rematch pitting them for the Welsh heavyweight championship.

Feb 1965 Boxing Illustrated - Still had Carl Gizzi the 9th ranked British HW thru Jan 11th, 1965.

Mar 1965 Boxing Illustrated - Dropped Carl Gizzi to 10th ranked British HW moving Ron Gray up to 9th thinking maybe while Gray hand stopped Rocky James in mid-December, Gizzi was inactive all of November and December to end 1964 before finally fighting and beating Jim Monaghan in another 6 round decision on Feb 1, 1965 when these new BI rankings went out.
Gizzi stayed there through the March 1st postings in the April BI.

[Rocco Del Sesto]

The first Gizzi / James fight happens at the Dumfries Place Drill Hall in Cardiff, Wales. My first crossing paths with this venue.

Dumfries Place Drill Hall Cardiff
Dumfries Place Cardiff, Wales
Site Rating gave a 1
Seating Cap, no idea I put a 1000 but probably not that much.

Found photo on a Facebook site where someone noted they saw wrestling matches there.
Found no other real information on to give any kind of indication number of boxing fans could watch a fight in it.

The same Facebook site, someone noted it was Battalion HQ of the 6th battalion the Welch Regiment.