Just watched the Super Bowl halftime show, great performance by Bad Bunny, loved the part where he brought out Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas shadow boxing and walked underneath them.
Frankie Webb (right) helping Ken Overlin train for his fight with middleweight great Fred Apostoli in 1942, this photo was taken while Overlin was in the Navy.
Congratulations to Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks on their Super Bowl 60 win, I'm happy for Darnold, we had him here in Carolina for a brief spell and he's a hard working guy and a class act. Good to see him reach the mountaintop and get a ring.
This is the only photo I can find from Ken Overlin's two fights with the great Ezzard Charles, which were both won by Overlin. This is from their first fight, Ezzard Charles was on a 23-fight winning streak at the time, he was only 19-years old had not yet hit his prime and become the monster he would later become. Before their first fight, overlin, a real veteran, said "no kid with only 22 fights is going to beat me." and he was right.
This is a photo from Ken Overlin's fight with the great Freddie Steele in 1937. Steele defeated Ken Overlin by a 4th-round knockout on September 11, 1937, at the Civic Auditorium in Seattle to retain the World middleweight title. Steele, known as "The Tacoma Assassin," dominated the fight, it was the only time Overlin was knocked out in his 157-bout career.
Ken Overlin and Al Hostak on November 21st, 1941, at Madison Square Garden. Overlin decisively outboxed Hostak, winning all but the 8th round, according to the New York Times. Both fighters were cut over the left eye in the 6th round, with Overlin's cut resulting from a clash of heads. Overlin had a great chin, he stood up to Hostak and Steve Belloise who were brutal punchers, Freddie Steele was the only one able to KO Overlin in 157 fights.
"Opponents were aware that if they were going to get hammered by Joe Frazier, the left hook would do the damage. They knew it but couldn't do an awful lot about it because I delivered the punch with speed and accuracy, and it kept coming. l wore a son of a b*tch out with that hook.'"
Konami brought the Contra series into the 16-bit era with The Alien Wars, and it became one of the most explosive run-and-gun shooters on the SNES. With bigger weapons, insane bosses, and cinematic flair, it felt like an action movie packed into a cartridge.
🔫 Weapon Mayhem: Players could carry two weapons at once, switching between them on the fly. Flamethrowers, spread guns, and homing missiles turned every level into controlled chaos.
🚁 Epic Boss Battles: From giant robotic turtles to alien war machines and even a city-destroying battleship, the game’s bosses pushed the SNES hardware to its limits. Each fight felt like a spectacle.
🎮 Stage Variety: Alongside traditional side-scrolling levels, Contra III introduced top-down stages where players fought swarms of enemies with 360-degree shooting. These kept the pacing unpredictable.
🔥 Co-Op Carnage: Two-player mode doubled the action—and the chaos. Dodging bullets, sharing power-ups, and trying to survive together made it one of the best couch co-op games of the era.
Contra III didn’t care about your feelings or your extra lives—it chewed them up and spit them out. And somehow, we kept coming back for more punishment.
Oscar "Ringo" Bonavena, 1960s and 70s heavyweight from Buenos Aires, Argentina, shows where he got his physical strength from as he is lifted well off the ground by his mother Dominga Grillo.
I'm not sure where this photo was taken but it's a really cool image of Juan Domingo Roldan hitting the heavy bag out in the country. Roldan was a rough, hard-hitting middleweight that fought from 1977-1988.
The bronze statue of Marvelous Marvin Hagler in Brockton, Massachusetts, at the intersection of Marvelous Marvin Hagler Way and Petronelli Way. Unveiled in June 2024, it sits in a park directly across from the site of the former Petronelli Gym, where Hagler trained throughout his career.
I've always found TV viewership to be fascinating, I make a habit of checking the Super Bowl halftime show viewership every year and I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw this, Kid Rock's halftime show was outdone by The Puppy Bowl.
In 1992, Llanelli southpaw Neil Haddock outpointed Steve Robinson at the Bowls Centre to win the vacant Welsh super-feather title. Seconds after the final bell, Haddock's eye swelled dramatically, as shown in the picture. In his next fight, Neil became British champion.
"Ain't nothing cool about taking punishment. People can say, 'He's a runner,' or whatever they want. Truth is, l've been at the top for 17 years. You think l could say that if l just stood there and traded punches?"
Davey Boy Green, British Empire and European welterweight champion, a blood-and-guts guy, tough warrior, the kjnd of fighter that would take it to you with everything he had, win or lose. He always left it all in the ring.
THE REAL 'FEN TIGER' DAVID ROBERT GREEN
May 23, 2019
Contributed by guest sportswriter Paul Zanon
The Fen Tiger is a legendary, almost mythical creature, from Fenland, Cambridgeshire. With apparent numerous sightings of the fearsome beast over recent decades, there is no solid evidence of the illusive cat’s existence.
Dave Boy Green, however, the man who adopted the Fen Tiger moniker, was anything but illusive. The gritty come forward fighter possessed a tenacity in the square ring that earned him the right to challenge for world title honours twice, against Hall of Fame boxing royalty.
So how did the son of a farmer end up transcending Fenland folklore?
Born on 2 June 1953 (the day of the Queen’s Coronation), after dabbling with football and cross country running, Green joined Chatteris Amateur Boxing Club in 1967, where he was trained by Arthur Binder, the man who had tutored none other than Eric Boon. The dapperly dressed Boon, often seen wearing tweed, coupled with a faultless haircut, would go on to star in a few of the famous ‘Carry On’ movies. He had a fight record as long as your leg, and of his 141 bouts, he won an incredible 114, losing 21, drawing five with one no-contest. However, despite Boon’s popularity in the media, he was never successful beyond domestic honours. The opportunity for Green to raise the bar was something he relished and embraced with gusto.
After 105 amateur contests, with 83 victories, Green turned professional on 10 December 1974, with a two round demolition of Zambia’s Yotham Kunda. By 1 June 1976, Green had racked up an impressive 15 wins, 12 by stoppage and had earned himself the right to challenge the super lightweight Lonsdale belt holder, Joey Singleton, for his British strap.
Dressed in a tiger print dressing gown, Green walked to the ring at the Albert Hall supremely confident. Unleashing an unmerciful barrage of hooks to both the head and body, the Merseyside fighter soon battled cuts over both eyes and was forced to retire in the sixth session.
Six fights and six months later, the newly crowned British super lightweight champion returned to the Kensington venue to take on Jean-Baptiste Piedvache, who boasted a 39-1 record. Despite a gallant attempt to mix it with Green, the Frenchman, who was behind on the scorecards, was unable to come out for the ninth round.
Keeping busy, Green beat Argentine ring veteran Mario Omar Guillotti two months later, before stepping through the ropes to face the former WBC world welterweight champion, John H Stracey, a mere six weeks later on 29 March 1977. Green by this stage was 23-0 with 18 stoppages to his name.
Stracey had lost his WBC crown nine months earlier against Carlos Palomino and was focused on the rematch, while for Green it was an opportunity to shine on the world stage for the first time. The fight was a final eliminator to challenge Palomino for the crown, and after a relentless performance from Green, inflicting major damage to Stracey’s left eye, the Fen Tiger turned the screw in the tenth and final round, winning the contest by TKO.
On 14 June 1977, the scene was set at the British Empire Pool, Wembley for Green to challenge for world honours. Despite Fenland’s favourite fighting son giving everything he had to offer, the wily American travelled to Green’s backyard, boxed beautifully against his barrages, then sent him to the canvas with a crunching left hook to the jaw, causing an 11th round stoppage.
The loss against Palomino was the first time Green had hit the canvas as a professional, but he didn’t hang around to lick his wounds. Over the next 15 months he clocked up a further four wins, propelling him into prime position to take on the defending European welterweight champion, Luton’s Henry Rhiney, at the Albert Hall on 23 January 1979. Both fighters possessed power and had similar styles. Shortly after the fight was announced, tickets were sold out as the fans expected to see fireworks. They weren’t disappointed.
From the opening bell, both fighters went at each other all guns blazing, with neither man backing down. A thunderous right hand from Green in the fifth session brought the contest to a halt, making him a two-weight European champion. The first Brit in fact since Ted ‘Kid’ Lewis, who achieved the feat in 1920, beating Johnny Basham.
Five months later, the ‘Boy’ (more a colloquial term at the time used as ‘mate’ in Norwich), lost his European title to Danish battler, Joergen Hansen. Despite knocking down the Dane in the second session, Green was floored twice in the next round, losing his European strap. Racking up a further two wins before the end of 1979, including a points victory over Dick Eklund (the brother of ‘Irish’ Micky Ward), he was then thrown into the lion’s den against an all time great.
On 31 March 1980, Green earnt a career high £125,000 payday and a second shot at the WBC welterweight strap. Since his loss to Palomino, the WBC crown had passed hands a few times but was now in the custody of a certain Ray Charles Leonard, more commonly known as ‘Sugar Ray’.
Predictably, Green was eventually stopped in four. Talking about the fight, he would later say, “I wouldn't have beat him if I'd have trained for fifty years, the man was so good. He never trained as hard as me, but he didn't need to because he was so clever.” With another four victories and one loss, Green finally hung up the gloves on 3 November 1981, cementing his place in British boxing history.
As well as his notable ring achievements, Green was awarded an MBE in 2012 for services to boxing and his charity work in Cambridgeshire. He retired with a professional record of 37 wins in 41 contests, including wins 29 inside the distance.
A couple of items from the Davey Boy Green-Joey Singleton fight in 1976. The top item is an on-site poster and the bottom item is a souvenir program from the fight.
"At Royal Albert Hall, sensational Dave Green, 139 1/2, stopped Joey Singleton, 136 1/4, in the 6th round to capture the British light welterweight championship. Green pounded the game Singleton from the opening bell, cutting him over both eyes. Joey's corner refused to let him come out for the 7th round." - International Boxing, October, 1976 issue
Davey Boy Green vs Jean-Baptiste Piedvache in 1976, Green won the European light welterweight championship when Piedvache couldn't answer the bell for the 9th. Brutal back and forth fight.
Davey Boy Green with his arm around the Argentina fighter Mario Omar Guilotti on February 22nd, 1977, at London's Royal Albert Hall, Green narrowly defeated Guilotti over 10-rounds. Guilotti was tough as old leather boots, Green would later say Guilotti was the toughest opponent he faced during his career.
On March 28, 1977 at the Empire Pool, Wembley, Dave Boy Green faced off against John H. Stracey at age 23. John Stracey was the one who ended the career of the legendary Jose Napoles by defeating him for the WBC and lineal welterweight titles on December 6, 1975 at the Monumental Plaza de Toros México in Mexico City, Napoles' home turf, where Stracey won by a technical knockout (TKO) in the sixth round. By the time Dave Boy Green and Stacey met, Stacey had lost the welterweight title to Carlos Palomino. Green was coming into this fight with a record of 24-0 (19 KO), and Stracey was 26 years old and with a record of 44-4-1 (36 KO). Green stopped Stracey via TKO in the 10th round. This fight set Dave Boy Green up for a shot against Carlos Palomino for the welterweight crown. Here are some images from the Green-Stracey fight.
Davey Boy Green vs Carlos Palomino on June 14th, 1977 at Empire Pool in Wembley was one hell of a fight. Palomino was heavily favored to win. The undefeated Green was the No. 2 welterweight contender in the WBC ratings. Green gave Palomino all he could handle in this fight and was ahead on the cards when Palomino caught him with a terrific left hook that rendered Green unconscious. He almost had Palomino until he walked into that left hook.
The Associated Press reported: "A tremendous left hook to the chin by Palomino put Green down as though he had been hit by a bolt of lightning and the Briton's head struck the canvas with a tremendous blow. A doctor ran into the ring to tend to him and two or three minutes passed before he could be helped to his feet."
"It was one of my toughest fights, but when I noticed that his eye had closed in the 10th I started to pressure him, and it paid off. It was a little too close for comfort. I am so glad it ended the way it did." - Carlos Palomino
"Palomino was a very persistent opponent. I tried everything but he just kept coming forward. I felt good in the early part of the fight, but my vision began to blur in the 9th round and then disappeared completely during the 10th. It seems he got me before I got him." - Dave 'Boy' Green
I love these two images of Dave Green and Carlos Palomino before their fight. I've always found it to be interesting the way fighters can get along and even be good friends outside the ring but once the bell rings they don't hesitate to unleash hell on eachother. Boxing is fascinating.
These are photos from Dave Green vs Roy Johnson. Green defeated Roy Johnson by a fourth-round knockout (KO) on February 21, 1978, in a non-title bout held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom. Green, the European light-welterweight champion, dominated the fight, which was stopped by referee Sid Nathan in the fourth round.
Dave Boy Green defeated Andy Price by a 10-round points decision in their 1977 fight at the Empire Pool, Wembley. This victory for Green followed his first career loss against Carlos Palomino. Both fighters struggled with the weight, with Price requiring multiple attempts to make the limit, yet the match is remembered as a competitive, high-profile fight for Green.
Dave "Boy" Green defeated Henry Rhiney by fifth-round TKO on January 23, 1979, at the Royal Albert Hall to win the European welterweight title. The all-British fight was a fast-paced, high-intensity match that ended when Green dropped Rhiney with a solid right hand.
Davey Boy Green vs Sugar Ray Leonard, March 31st, 1980, at Capitol Center in Landover, Maryland. Sugar Ray Leonard defeated Dave "Boy" Green via a brutal fourth-round knockout, Leonard landed a devastating left hook after a combination that snapped Green's head back, knocking him unconscious and ending the fight at 2:27 of the round. The knockout is considered one of the most spectacular of Leonard's career. You have to hand it to Green, he went for it. Cobra33 on boxing forum 24 put it well:
"But you know what? Green left it all in the ring. He was always trying to win no matter how much he was getting hit. Never looked to survive and say hey I went the distance with Leonard. He was trying to win. I have the highest respect for that to keep pressing into a fighter who is faster and stronger than you and not giving up."
The Fen Tiger: Dave ‘Boy’ Green talks highlights, Sugar Ray Leonard and the greatest man in his corner
David Robert Green MBE, better known as Dave ‘Boy’ Green, self-admittedly over-achieved during his tenure as a professional boxer. “If I had finished my career as a British champion I would have been over the moon,” was how he explained it, but after capturing the Lord Lonsdale belt in just his 16th professional outing his ambitions began to grow vastly.
Green went on to become a two-weight European champion (the first Englishman to achieve such a feat) and fought for a world title on two occasions, going toe-to-toe with, arguably, the greatest to lace up gloves in the modern era. What was the secret to Green’s success?
“I had the greatest man in my corner,” said Green. The man in question was his lifelong manager and ‘father-figure’ Andy Smith.
Their first meeting was at Smith’s boxing gym in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, when Dave, a young amateur, visited from the small Fenland town of Chatteris searching for sparring partners. Along with the sparring he ever-so needed came the man who would guide Green throughout his entire boxing career.
“I was a good fighter, but then Andy came along and changed me into a great fighter,” Green told Boxing Social. “I was getting good sparring with very good fighters like Mickey Laud and ‘Dezzy’ [Des] Morrison. Andy and I clicked right from the off.”
Dave’s relentless, front-foot fighting style suited the professional ranks and after one final attempt at the ABA title, losing in the semi-final to five-time champion Terry Waller, he made the switch.
Beginning his campaign at light-welterweight in December 1974, ‘The Fen Tiger’ dismantled his opponents with a relentless work-rate and impressive power, claiming the British title after just 18 months as a professional when he stopped Joey Singleton.
Momentum started to build with every victory, which included European title success against Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Piedvache and his greatest victory, moving up in weight to halt recently dethroned world welterweight champion John H. Stracey.
Next up for Green was his first attempt at the world title and the first blemish on his professional record against Mexican Carlos Palomino.
“He was a very tough and a very underrated fighter. That fight was my best performance, against Palomino,” said Green, reviewing the contest in a positive light. “I was two rounds up before he got me. His face was marking up nicely, I cut him, and he was swelling up. Most boys would have pulled out, but he kept going and got the win. He was a very good fighter and a very nice man.”
Two years after the Palomino defeat, Green was back to winning ways, picking up a European title at a second weight by defeating Henry Rhiney. During that time, the world welterweight title had changed hands twice. The famous WBC belt was now in the hands of a young American fighter named ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard.
“[Promoter] Mickey Duff called Andy [Smith] and told him ‘’Sugar’ Ray wants to fight Dave’. No hesitation, Andy said, ‘set it up’. And that was that,” said Green. “We were soon on a plane to America, we flew over, shook hands with Ray’s team and signed the paperwork.
“I got paid £125,000 for the fight and I was happy with that. I was told; ‘if you beat ‘Sugar’ Ray, you’ll be earning what he gets for the rest of your career.’ [A clause in the contract guaranteed Green a $1 million purse for his first title defence if he had beaten Leonard]. But, of course, that never happened!” he chuckled.
Unfortunately for Green, Leonard would show the boxing world a glimpse of what was to follow in his illustrious career, outboxing the challenger before finishing him off with a devastating flurry of punches, knocking the Englishman out cold in the fourth round.
“My dad thought I was dead! It was one hell of a knockout and a lot of people were worried for me. Even Ray said he was worried. At the time, I thought, ‘if I just get in his face, keep on his chest and walk him down, I can beat this guy!’” said Green, unable to contain his laughter. “It didn’t matter what I had done, the boy was so good. I couldn’t beat him no matter what.”
The Leonard fight would mark the end of Green’s endeavours at world level. “I was in the mix with some seriously talented fighters throughout my career and I would have never had got that far if it weren’t for my manager Andy Smith,” he said.
“He did it properly with me. He knew me better than I did, and that is what made him a great manager and a great man. He knew when I was ready to move up in level and he got it right every time.
“Andy used to have me stay around his house in the week of my fights so he could sort out my food for me and kept an eye on me, made sure I was focused and ready for every fight. He was like a second father to me.”
After Leonard, Green racked up four straight victories against domestic opposition before suffering a shock loss to an 8-7 Reggie Ford in November 1981. This would prove his final fight as a professional.
“We agreed that when my time is up, no questions, let us just walk away, and that is exactly what we did,” said Green. “Andy called the ref over at the end of the fifth against Reggie Ford to wave off the fight, then he took the MC’s mic and announced to everyone my retirement. The timing was spot on, just like everything else we did.”
Even in retirement from the ring, they stayed close friends until the day Andy Smith died at the age of 78 in 2005. Boxing lives on in the Smith household through his son Robert W. Smith, a former professional fighter and now the General Secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control.
Today, Dave ‘Boy’ Green is Managing Director of a marketing logistics company and lives in his hometown of Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, with his wife Kay. After a successful career in the ring, Green showed he had a knack for business, too, something else he made sure Smith got the praise for.
“Even after boxing, Andy helped me. He got me a job and, within a year, I had a 50% share in the company,” said Green.
“I was lucky enough to mix it with some great people throughout my life. Meeting Muhammad Ali, my favourite footballer Bryan Robson is another highlight. But if you were to ask me ‘who’s the greatest person you’ve ever met in your life?’ The answer is very easy – Andy Smith.”
Comments
This is a photo of Ken Overlin with his wife Sylvia and his mother Comilla. His mother was actually blind at this point in her life.
Just watched the Super Bowl halftime show, great performance by Bad Bunny, loved the part where he brought out Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas shadow boxing and walked underneath them.
Ken Overlin on the cover of The Ring magazine in May of 1937. Love this cover, with the image of the Navy battleships behind him.
Epic photo of Henry Armstrong and Ken Overlin sparring. Two greats.
Frankie Webb (right) helping Ken Overlin train for his fight with middleweight great Fred Apostoli in 1942, this photo was taken while Overlin was in the Navy.
Congratulations to Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks on their Super Bowl 60 win, I'm happy for Darnold, we had him here in Carolina for a brief spell and he's a hard working guy and a class act. Good to see him reach the mountaintop and get a ring.
An in-your-face shot of Ken Overlin.
This is the only photo I can find from Ken Overlin's two fights with the great Ezzard Charles, which were both won by Overlin. This is from their first fight, Ezzard Charles was on a 23-fight winning streak at the time, he was only 19-years old had not yet hit his prime and become the monster he would later become. Before their first fight, overlin, a real veteran, said "no kid with only 22 fights is going to beat me." and he was right.
This is a photo from Ken Overlin's fight with the great Freddie Steele in 1937. Steele defeated Ken Overlin by a 4th-round knockout on September 11, 1937, at the Civic Auditorium in Seattle to retain the World middleweight title. Steele, known as "The Tacoma Assassin," dominated the fight, it was the only time Overlin was knocked out in his 157-bout career.
Ken Overlin during a sparring session.
Ken Overlin recovering from an illness at home before his fight with Freddie Steele.
Ken Overlin (left) shaking hands with legendary actor Errol Flynn while Overlin's manager Chris Durdie looks on.
Ken Overlin and Al Hostak on November 21st, 1941, at Madison Square Garden. Overlin decisively outboxed Hostak, winning all but the 8th round, according to the New York Times. Both fighters were cut over the left eye in the 6th round, with Overlin's cut resulting from a clash of heads. Overlin had a great chin, he stood up to Hostak and Steve Belloise who were brutal punchers, Freddie Steele was the only one able to KO Overlin in 157 fights.
Ken Overlin in the pinstripe suit.
Great shot of Ken Overlin in a fight pose.
Ken Overlin whispers advice into the ear of heavyweight giant Abe Simon. This photo was taken when Simon was training for his bout with Joe Louis.
I called Abe Simon a giant because he was just that, 6'4", 250 lbs, big dude.
The great Ken Overlin.
Music break.
"Opponents were aware that if they were going to get hammered by Joe Frazier, the left hook would do the damage. They knew it but couldn't do an awful lot about it because I delivered the punch with speed and accuracy, and it kept coming. l wore a son of a b*tch out with that hook.'"
Brutal game.
Did You Know? - Contra III: The Alien Wars (1992)
Konami brought the Contra series into the 16-bit era with The Alien Wars, and it became one of the most explosive run-and-gun shooters on the SNES. With bigger weapons, insane bosses, and cinematic flair, it felt like an action movie packed into a cartridge.
🔫 Weapon Mayhem: Players could carry two weapons at once, switching between them on the fly. Flamethrowers, spread guns, and homing missiles turned every level into controlled chaos.
🚁 Epic Boss Battles: From giant robotic turtles to alien war machines and even a city-destroying battleship, the game’s bosses pushed the SNES hardware to its limits. Each fight felt like a spectacle.
🎮 Stage Variety: Alongside traditional side-scrolling levels, Contra III introduced top-down stages where players fought swarms of enemies with 360-degree shooting. These kept the pacing unpredictable.
🔥 Co-Op Carnage: Two-player mode doubled the action—and the chaos. Dodging bullets, sharing power-ups, and trying to survive together made it one of the best couch co-op games of the era.
Contra III didn’t care about your feelings or your extra lives—it chewed them up and spit them out. And somehow, we kept coming back for more punishment.
Oscar "Ringo" Bonavena, 1960s and 70s heavyweight from Buenos Aires, Argentina, shows where he got his physical strength from as he is lifted well off the ground by his mother Dominga Grillo.
I'm not sure where this photo was taken but it's a really cool image of Juan Domingo Roldan hitting the heavy bag out in the country. Roldan was a rough, hard-hitting middleweight that fought from 1977-1988.
The bronze statue of Marvelous Marvin Hagler in Brockton, Massachusetts, at the intersection of Marvelous Marvin Hagler Way and Petronelli Way. Unveiled in June 2024, it sits in a park directly across from the site of the former Petronelli Gym, where Hagler trained throughout his career.
Some cool photos of Marvelous Marvin Hagler's statue before it was put in place.
I've always found TV viewership to be fascinating, I make a habit of checking the Super Bowl halftime show viewership every year and I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw this, Kid Rock's halftime show was outdone by The Puppy Bowl.
In 1992, Llanelli southpaw Neil Haddock outpointed Steve Robinson at the Bowls Centre to win the vacant Welsh super-feather title. Seconds after the final bell, Haddock's eye swelled dramatically, as shown in the picture. In his next fight, Neil became British champion.
Epic photo of "The Bellflower Bomber" Jerry Quarry, leaning against a concrete wall with the hand wraps. Love this image.
Music time, great song.
"Ain't nothing cool about taking punishment. People can say, 'He's a runner,' or whatever they want. Truth is, l've been at the top for 17 years. You think l could say that if l just stood there and traded punches?"
Davey Boy Green, British Empire and European welterweight champion, a blood-and-guts guy, tough warrior, the kjnd of fighter that would take it to you with everything he had, win or lose. He always left it all in the ring.
THE REAL 'FEN TIGER' DAVID ROBERT GREEN
May 23, 2019
Contributed by guest sportswriter Paul Zanon
The Fen Tiger is a legendary, almost mythical creature, from Fenland, Cambridgeshire. With apparent numerous sightings of the fearsome beast over recent decades, there is no solid evidence of the illusive cat’s existence.
Dave Boy Green, however, the man who adopted the Fen Tiger moniker, was anything but illusive. The gritty come forward fighter possessed a tenacity in the square ring that earned him the right to challenge for world title honours twice, against Hall of Fame boxing royalty.
So how did the son of a farmer end up transcending Fenland folklore?
Born on 2 June 1953 (the day of the Queen’s Coronation), after dabbling with football and cross country running, Green joined Chatteris Amateur Boxing Club in 1967, where he was trained by Arthur Binder, the man who had tutored none other than Eric Boon. The dapperly dressed Boon, often seen wearing tweed, coupled with a faultless haircut, would go on to star in a few of the famous ‘Carry On’ movies. He had a fight record as long as your leg, and of his 141 bouts, he won an incredible 114, losing 21, drawing five with one no-contest. However, despite Boon’s popularity in the media, he was never successful beyond domestic honours. The opportunity for Green to raise the bar was something he relished and embraced with gusto.
After 105 amateur contests, with 83 victories, Green turned professional on 10 December 1974, with a two round demolition of Zambia’s Yotham Kunda. By 1 June 1976, Green had racked up an impressive 15 wins, 12 by stoppage and had earned himself the right to challenge the super lightweight Lonsdale belt holder, Joey Singleton, for his British strap.
Dressed in a tiger print dressing gown, Green walked to the ring at the Albert Hall supremely confident. Unleashing an unmerciful barrage of hooks to both the head and body, the Merseyside fighter soon battled cuts over both eyes and was forced to retire in the sixth session.
Six fights and six months later, the newly crowned British super lightweight champion returned to the Kensington venue to take on Jean-Baptiste Piedvache, who boasted a 39-1 record. Despite a gallant attempt to mix it with Green, the Frenchman, who was behind on the scorecards, was unable to come out for the ninth round.
Keeping busy, Green beat Argentine ring veteran Mario Omar Guillotti two months later, before stepping through the ropes to face the former WBC world welterweight champion, John H Stracey, a mere six weeks later on 29 March 1977. Green by this stage was 23-0 with 18 stoppages to his name.
Stracey had lost his WBC crown nine months earlier against Carlos Palomino and was focused on the rematch, while for Green it was an opportunity to shine on the world stage for the first time. The fight was a final eliminator to challenge Palomino for the crown, and after a relentless performance from Green, inflicting major damage to Stracey’s left eye, the Fen Tiger turned the screw in the tenth and final round, winning the contest by TKO.
On 14 June 1977, the scene was set at the British Empire Pool, Wembley for Green to challenge for world honours. Despite Fenland’s favourite fighting son giving everything he had to offer, the wily American travelled to Green’s backyard, boxed beautifully against his barrages, then sent him to the canvas with a crunching left hook to the jaw, causing an 11th round stoppage.
The loss against Palomino was the first time Green had hit the canvas as a professional, but he didn’t hang around to lick his wounds. Over the next 15 months he clocked up a further four wins, propelling him into prime position to take on the defending European welterweight champion, Luton’s Henry Rhiney, at the Albert Hall on 23 January 1979. Both fighters possessed power and had similar styles. Shortly after the fight was announced, tickets were sold out as the fans expected to see fireworks. They weren’t disappointed.
From the opening bell, both fighters went at each other all guns blazing, with neither man backing down. A thunderous right hand from Green in the fifth session brought the contest to a halt, making him a two-weight European champion. The first Brit in fact since Ted ‘Kid’ Lewis, who achieved the feat in 1920, beating Johnny Basham.
Five months later, the ‘Boy’ (more a colloquial term at the time used as ‘mate’ in Norwich), lost his European title to Danish battler, Joergen Hansen. Despite knocking down the Dane in the second session, Green was floored twice in the next round, losing his European strap. Racking up a further two wins before the end of 1979, including a points victory over Dick Eklund (the brother of ‘Irish’ Micky Ward), he was then thrown into the lion’s den against an all time great.
On 31 March 1980, Green earnt a career high £125,000 payday and a second shot at the WBC welterweight strap. Since his loss to Palomino, the WBC crown had passed hands a few times but was now in the custody of a certain Ray Charles Leonard, more commonly known as ‘Sugar Ray’.
Predictably, Green was eventually stopped in four. Talking about the fight, he would later say, “I wouldn't have beat him if I'd have trained for fifty years, the man was so good. He never trained as hard as me, but he didn't need to because he was so clever.” With another four victories and one loss, Green finally hung up the gloves on 3 November 1981, cementing his place in British boxing history.
As well as his notable ring achievements, Green was awarded an MBE in 2012 for services to boxing and his charity work in Cambridgeshire. He retired with a professional record of 37 wins in 41 contests, including wins 29 inside the distance.
A couple of items from the Davey Boy Green-Joey Singleton fight in 1976. The top item is an on-site poster and the bottom item is a souvenir program from the fight.
"At Royal Albert Hall, sensational Dave Green, 139 1/2, stopped Joey Singleton, 136 1/4, in the 6th round to capture the British light welterweight championship. Green pounded the game Singleton from the opening bell, cutting him over both eyes. Joey's corner refused to let him come out for the 7th round." - International Boxing, October, 1976 issue
Davey Boy Green vs Jean-Baptiste Piedvache in 1976, Green won the European light welterweight championship when Piedvache couldn't answer the bell for the 9th. Brutal back and forth fight.
Davey Boy Green with his arm around the Argentina fighter Mario Omar Guilotti on February 22nd, 1977, at London's Royal Albert Hall, Green narrowly defeated Guilotti over 10-rounds. Guilotti was tough as old leather boots, Green would later say Guilotti was the toughest opponent he faced during his career.
On March 28, 1977 at the Empire Pool, Wembley, Dave Boy Green faced off against John H. Stracey at age 23. John Stracey was the one who ended the career of the legendary Jose Napoles by defeating him for the WBC and lineal welterweight titles on December 6, 1975 at the Monumental Plaza de Toros México in Mexico City, Napoles' home turf, where Stracey won by a technical knockout (TKO) in the sixth round. By the time Dave Boy Green and Stacey met, Stacey had lost the welterweight title to Carlos Palomino. Green was coming into this fight with a record of 24-0 (19 KO), and Stracey was 26 years old and with a record of 44-4-1 (36 KO). Green stopped Stracey via TKO in the 10th round. This fight set Dave Boy Green up for a shot against Carlos Palomino for the welterweight crown. Here are some images from the Green-Stracey fight.
There are photos of John Stacey (left) and Davey Boy Green after their fight.
Davey Boy Green vs Carlos Palomino on June 14th, 1977 at Empire Pool in Wembley was one hell of a fight. Palomino was heavily favored to win. The undefeated Green was the No. 2 welterweight contender in the WBC ratings. Green gave Palomino all he could handle in this fight and was ahead on the cards when Palomino caught him with a terrific left hook that rendered Green unconscious. He almost had Palomino until he walked into that left hook.
The Associated Press reported: "A tremendous left hook to the chin by Palomino put Green down as though he had been hit by a bolt of lightning and the Briton's head struck the canvas with a tremendous blow. A doctor ran into the ring to tend to him and two or three minutes passed before he could be helped to his feet."
"It was one of my toughest fights, but when I noticed that his eye had closed in the 10th I started to pressure him, and it paid off. It was a little too close for comfort. I am so glad it ended the way it did." - Carlos Palomino
"Palomino was a very persistent opponent. I tried everything but he just kept coming forward. I felt good in the early part of the fight, but my vision began to blur in the 9th round and then disappeared completely during the 10th. It seems he got me before I got him." - Dave 'Boy' Green
I love these two images of Dave Green and Carlos Palomino before their fight. I've always found it to be interesting the way fighters can get along and even be good friends outside the ring but once the bell rings they don't hesitate to unleash hell on eachother. Boxing is fascinating.
Photos from the Green-Palomino fight.
Dave Boy and Carlos after the fight.
This is a photo of Maurice Hope, Davey Boy Green, and Joe Bugner.
Dave Boy Green and his long-time trainer and manager Andy Smith. They made a great team.
Another good shot of Dave Green and Andy Smith.
One of my favorite images of Davey Boy and Andy Smith, love the intense look on Green's face.
These are photos from Dave Green vs Roy Johnson. Green defeated Roy Johnson by a fourth-round knockout (KO) on February 21, 1978, in a non-title bout held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom. Green, the European light-welterweight champion, dominated the fight, which was stopped by referee Sid Nathan in the fourth round.
Dave Boy Green defeated Andy Price by a 10-round points decision in their 1977 fight at the Empire Pool, Wembley. This victory for Green followed his first career loss against Carlos Palomino. Both fighters struggled with the weight, with Price requiring multiple attempts to make the limit, yet the match is remembered as a competitive, high-profile fight for Green.
Davey Boy Green with his mother after defeating Jean-Baptiste Piedvache in 1976, awesome image of Green in his Fen Tiger robe.
Dave "Boy" Green defeated Henry Rhiney by fifth-round TKO on January 23, 1979, at the Royal Albert Hall to win the European welterweight title. The all-British fight was a fast-paced, high-intensity match that ended when Green dropped Rhiney with a solid right hand.
Davey Boy Green vs Sugar Ray Leonard, March 31st, 1980, at Capitol Center in Landover, Maryland. Sugar Ray Leonard defeated Dave "Boy" Green via a brutal fourth-round knockout, Leonard landed a devastating left hook after a combination that snapped Green's head back, knocking him unconscious and ending the fight at 2:27 of the round. The knockout is considered one of the most spectacular of Leonard's career. You have to hand it to Green, he went for it. Cobra33 on boxing forum 24 put it well:
"But you know what? Green left it all in the ring. He was always trying to win no matter how much he was getting hit. Never looked to survive and say hey I went the distance with Leonard. He was trying to win. I have the highest respect for that to keep pressing into a fighter who is faster and stronger than you and not giving up."
Awesome shot of Davey Boy Green holding the heavy bag for Sugar Ray Leonard.
"Dave was a brave fighting man who never gave less than 100 percent whenever he put the gloves on."
Great interview with Davey Boy Green.
The Fen Tiger: Dave ‘Boy’ Green talks highlights, Sugar Ray Leonard and the greatest man in his corner
David Robert Green MBE, better known as Dave ‘Boy’ Green, self-admittedly over-achieved during his tenure as a professional boxer. “If I had finished my career as a British champion I would have been over the moon,” was how he explained it, but after capturing the Lord Lonsdale belt in just his 16th professional outing his ambitions began to grow vastly.
Green went on to become a two-weight European champion (the first Englishman to achieve such a feat) and fought for a world title on two occasions, going toe-to-toe with, arguably, the greatest to lace up gloves in the modern era. What was the secret to Green’s success?
“I had the greatest man in my corner,” said Green. The man in question was his lifelong manager and ‘father-figure’ Andy Smith.
Their first meeting was at Smith’s boxing gym in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, when Dave, a young amateur, visited from the small Fenland town of Chatteris searching for sparring partners. Along with the sparring he ever-so needed came the man who would guide Green throughout his entire boxing career.
“I was a good fighter, but then Andy came along and changed me into a great fighter,” Green told Boxing Social. “I was getting good sparring with very good fighters like Mickey Laud and ‘Dezzy’ [Des] Morrison. Andy and I clicked right from the off.”
Dave’s relentless, front-foot fighting style suited the professional ranks and after one final attempt at the ABA title, losing in the semi-final to five-time champion Terry Waller, he made the switch.
Beginning his campaign at light-welterweight in December 1974, ‘The Fen Tiger’ dismantled his opponents with a relentless work-rate and impressive power, claiming the British title after just 18 months as a professional when he stopped Joey Singleton.
Momentum started to build with every victory, which included European title success against Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Piedvache and his greatest victory, moving up in weight to halt recently dethroned world welterweight champion John H. Stracey.
Next up for Green was his first attempt at the world title and the first blemish on his professional record against Mexican Carlos Palomino.
“He was a very tough and a very underrated fighter. That fight was my best performance, against Palomino,” said Green, reviewing the contest in a positive light. “I was two rounds up before he got me. His face was marking up nicely, I cut him, and he was swelling up. Most boys would have pulled out, but he kept going and got the win. He was a very good fighter and a very nice man.”
Two years after the Palomino defeat, Green was back to winning ways, picking up a European title at a second weight by defeating Henry Rhiney. During that time, the world welterweight title had changed hands twice. The famous WBC belt was now in the hands of a young American fighter named ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard.
“[Promoter] Mickey Duff called Andy [Smith] and told him ‘’Sugar’ Ray wants to fight Dave’. No hesitation, Andy said, ‘set it up’. And that was that,” said Green. “We were soon on a plane to America, we flew over, shook hands with Ray’s team and signed the paperwork.
“I got paid £125,000 for the fight and I was happy with that. I was told; ‘if you beat ‘Sugar’ Ray, you’ll be earning what he gets for the rest of your career.’ [A clause in the contract guaranteed Green a $1 million purse for his first title defence if he had beaten Leonard]. But, of course, that never happened!” he chuckled.
Unfortunately for Green, Leonard would show the boxing world a glimpse of what was to follow in his illustrious career, outboxing the challenger before finishing him off with a devastating flurry of punches, knocking the Englishman out cold in the fourth round.
“My dad thought I was dead! It was one hell of a knockout and a lot of people were worried for me. Even Ray said he was worried. At the time, I thought, ‘if I just get in his face, keep on his chest and walk him down, I can beat this guy!’” said Green, unable to contain his laughter. “It didn’t matter what I had done, the boy was so good. I couldn’t beat him no matter what.”
The Leonard fight would mark the end of Green’s endeavours at world level. “I was in the mix with some seriously talented fighters throughout my career and I would have never had got that far if it weren’t for my manager Andy Smith,” he said.
“He did it properly with me. He knew me better than I did, and that is what made him a great manager and a great man. He knew when I was ready to move up in level and he got it right every time.
“Andy used to have me stay around his house in the week of my fights so he could sort out my food for me and kept an eye on me, made sure I was focused and ready for every fight. He was like a second father to me.”
After Leonard, Green racked up four straight victories against domestic opposition before suffering a shock loss to an 8-7 Reggie Ford in November 1981. This would prove his final fight as a professional.
“We agreed that when my time is up, no questions, let us just walk away, and that is exactly what we did,” said Green. “Andy called the ref over at the end of the fifth against Reggie Ford to wave off the fight, then he took the MC’s mic and announced to everyone my retirement. The timing was spot on, just like everything else we did.”
Even in retirement from the ring, they stayed close friends until the day Andy Smith died at the age of 78 in 2005. Boxing lives on in the Smith household through his son Robert W. Smith, a former professional fighter and now the General Secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control.
Today, Dave ‘Boy’ Green is Managing Director of a marketing logistics company and lives in his hometown of Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, with his wife Kay. After a successful career in the ring, Green showed he had a knack for business, too, something else he made sure Smith got the praise for.
“Even after boxing, Andy helped me. He got me a job and, within a year, I had a 50% share in the company,” said Green.
“I was lucky enough to mix it with some great people throughout my life. Meeting Muhammad Ali, my favourite footballer Bryan Robson is another highlight. But if you were to ask me ‘who’s the greatest person you’ve ever met in your life?’ The answer is very easy – Andy Smith.”