A GREAT favorite of mine in the journeyman class from the late Nineteen Fifties and the Nineteen Sixties is Tommy Tiger, a Nigerian boxer who settled in Leicester.
He took half in 120 skilled contests, managing to win solely 30, however he was common round British rings throughout that interval. Nowadays there are a lot of journeymen with data like Tommy, however again then he was fairly uncommon. He was one in all the final UK-based boxers to hit 100 contests earlier than they went out of trend for about 20 years, again in the Seventies. Ray Fallone was the final of the bunch.
Tommy began out in his native Nigeria, the place he competed for the Nigerian featherweight title in 1958. He boxed different lads there who additionally came to visit to the UK to earn higher cash, with Sammy Etioloja, Ola Michael, Nye Ankrah and Love Allotey amongst them. He arrived throughout 1959 and rapidly settled with a Leicester-based supervisor, Johnny Griffin. Fellow stablemates included Jimmy Assani, Sunny Osemegie, Costa Lawrence and Joe Falcon, for Griffin specialised in selecting up lads from round the Commonwealth. I’m pretty sure that Tommy could have been on the bum-end of the deal, not solely with choices, but additionally together with his purse dimension, as black fighters at the moment weren’t handled in addition to they need to have been. This is not any reflection on Griffin, who might have tried his hardest for his lads, however the promoters could have turned the screws on him to just accept a decrease purse.
Tommy is probably best remembered for the two contests that he had with the up-and-coming Ken Buchanan in 1966. Both contests came about at the National Sporting Club, then located at the Café Royal in London’s West End. The BN report for the bout is brief and candy, however revealing, “Former ABA champion Ken Buchanan clearly outpointed Tommy Tiger over eight rounds, but knew he had had a fight when the final bell sounded.”
Buchanan was joyful to fulfill him once more, two-and-a-half months later and this time Buchanan extra clearly demonstrated his authority in what was solely his seventh professional bout. “Ken Buchanan, one of Britain’s brightest prospects, conceded six and a quarter pounds to Tommy Tiger, and finished a clear points winner over eight rounds. The Scot’s left jab dominated the fight and he frequently hit the tough Tiger with three or four jabs without reply. Buchanan had the usually quiet members breaking out with spontaneous applause with his brilliant and speedy boxing.”
After this bout Tommy met one other ABA champion, Al White of Dulwich, at Walworth’s Manor Place Baths. This what a hat-trick for Tiger throughout 1966, having additionally boxed Ron Smith, of Liverpool, in the bout instantly previous the second bout with Buchanan. Smith outboxed Tiger at Blackpool after which White did the similar, with BN stating that “Buchanan, Smith and White all know they have had to fight before getting out of the ring. Tiger takes everything in the way of a jab, is tireless and can throw a useful short counter punch to the head and body. He is just about the best lightweight trial-horse in the business.”
Tommy additionally boxed Maurice Cullen, Vic Andreetti, Des Rea, Pat McCormack and, in his final contest, Jim Watt. All have been British champions, and all have been good, with Watt changing into the world light-weight champion in 1979. Tiger additionally had a very good collection with Bermondsey’s Vic Chandler, and he beat Ray Fallone in a battle of the centurions in 1968.
When he lastly hung up his gloves, in 1969, Tommy remained in Leicester, the place he had lived all through his profession, after loyally staying with Griffin for eleven years, and he turned a coach at the East Goscote ABC, taking notably curiosity in the improvement of the schoolboy boxers.
His actual title was Babatunde Taiwo, and I ponder if he’s nonetheless round. He was a cracking little fighter again in the day.
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