The 5 Best Welsh Boxers Ever

While working in a toy factory in his teens, an accident cost Winstone the ends of three fingers on his right hand. This forced the young fighter to alter his style, which he did so under the guidance of trainer Eddie Thomas. Thomas shaped Winstone into a world class boxer through rigorous training. Defeating Japanese fighter Mitsunori Seki in 1968 to claim the world title was the pinnacle of Winstone’s career, and he returned to a hero’s welcome in Merthyr Tydfil.

Jim Driscoll

When ‘Peerless Jim’ Driscoll set out to prove himself in the USA, he was initially met with scepticism from the American public, not to mention the press. Unperturbed, Driscoll went on to win seven of nine matches, with two no-contests. He went on to defeat world featherweight champion Abe Attell, but failed to gain official recognition as champion due to Attell’s insistence that the fight be contested under a no-decision rule. Driscoll eventually became the first featherweight to wear a Lonsdale Belt.

Freddie Welsh

Welsh came from a more privileged background that many other fighters of his day. Fond of embellishing his life in interviews, it can be difficult to tell truth from fiction, but one thing is certain: he is one of the greatest lightweights of all time. After claiming the world title from Willie Ritchie, he embarked on an intense schedule of fights in the US, all of which were carried out under the no-decision rule. He held up incredibly well, but eventually lost out to Benny Leonard at the age of 31.

Joe Calzaghe

In March 2006, modern-day legend Calzaghe had maintained an undefeated streak of 40 fights and held onto the world crown for nine straight years. At this point, Calzaghe began to suffer the effects of a build-up of injuries, and Jeff Lacy believed he could defeat the long-reigning champion. Calzaghe, however, maintained his position with style, before going on to conquer America, defeating Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr and maintaining his 100% record.

Jimmy Wilde

Nicknamed ‘The Ghost with the Hammer in his Hand’ due to his incredible punch, Jimmy Wilde began his career in the boxing booths. At the peak of his 15-year career, Wilde claimed the world crown against Young Zulu Kid. Standing at a little over five foot and weighing just 100 pounds, Wilde’s was eventually forced to take on opponents who were much larger and heavier than him. This became to his downfall, as a fight against bantamweight Peter Herman left Wilde with severe concussion. It is believed that over the course of his career, Wilde fought over 1000 times and lost only four of his 149 official matches.