The British fighter, as soon as labelled one of many world’s hardest-hitting heavyweights, passes away on the age of 93
BOXING misplaced one in all its iconic hyperlinks to the Fifties London boxing scene this week with the passing of Jack Hobbs of Shepherds Bush. Jack campaigned efficiently at heavyweight for 4 brief years between 1950 and 1954, and he will likely be remembered by a lot of our older readers.
Jack was an excellent novice within the providers simply after the struggle, and he gained the RAF title in 1949 earlier than dropping out to Arthur Worrall within the semi-final of the Inter-Service championships. Being an enormous lad, he was quickly observed, and he was snapped up by supervisor Arthur Boggis to field professionally. He made his debut at Harringay area, on the evening that Terry Allen gained the world flyweight title, when Jack gained a heavyweight novice competitors beating all three of his rivals in a complete of 4 rounds. That kind of punching energy quickly noticed him in nice demand, and he proceeded to rack up a string of inside-the-distance victories in London rings, a lot of them within the first spherical.
It was at this level, in early 1951, that he had a really unhealthy bike accident that just about noticed him lose his leg. He spent over a 12 months in hospital and had to pay for his personal remedy. He was, nonetheless, decided to resume his ring profession though few thought that doubtless.
In 1953, nevertheless, he entered the ring once more. Still solely 22, he carried a limp and he had to display his talents earlier than Board officers earlier than his licence was reissued. In his comeback contest, at Manor Place Baths, Walworth, towards Hugh Ferns of Edinburgh, he was stopped after solely two minutes with a horrible reduce over his left eye.
Well used to adversity by now, Jack didn’t let this setback deter him and he then launched into a run of six wins, with 5 of them being achieved by stoppage. In September 1953, after Jack had stopped Reg Andrews of Deal in solely fifty seconds the BN headline requested if Jack might be “The World’s Hardest Hitting Heavyweight”. The reporter additionally famous that Hobbs was careless along with his all-out attacking model and that he “should be careful with those borderline smashes. One of these days, rightly or wrongly, a referee is going to rule him out and that would be a tragedy, for if anyone seems destined to punch his way to the world’s title, it is Jack Hobbs”.
After two extra victories that prophecy got here true. It was throughout a rematch with Ferns, the one man to beat him, that Hobbs took issues too far, and he was thrown out within the second spherical for a low blow that the reporter thought was professional, even when the referee didn’t.
In 1954, his closing 12 months as an expert, Jack beat two Belgians, one after the opposite. He comfortably outpointed Prosper Beck at his dwelling venue, Lime Grove Baths, after which travelled to Leicester to hammer Al Bernard in eight rounds, regardless of having been below appreciable strain himself within the fifth. This victory arrange a British heavyweight title eliminator between Jack and Rugby’s Johnny Williams and promoter Jack Solomons rapidly matched them in a 10-rounder on the White City Stadium, with the winner to battle both Jack Gardner or Don Cockell for the title. Unfortunately, Jack misplaced this, his most essential contest, on cuts and he by no means fought once more.
Jack died on Sunday, September 18, aged 93 years previous, and I spoke to his son Rod about him. After his profession had ended, Jack stayed within the recreation the place he was the mainstay behind two novice golf equipment, Hammersmith ABC and Southall ABC. One day a younger lad walked into his fitness center and Jack noticed one thing in him. The two turned mates for all times, and a few years after Jack had acquired him began, the younger lad gained an Olympic gold. His identify? Chris Finnegan.
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