British Boxing Board of Control
The National Sporting Club became virtually defunct in the early 1930s and lost control of the sport to the British Boxing Board of Control. The latter body began issuing Lonsdale belts from 1936 onwards.
The first holders of the B.B.B.C. belts were:-
- Flyweight — Benny Lynch, 1936
- Bantamweight — Johnny King, 1937
- Featherweight — Johnny McGrory, 1936
- Lightweight — Jimmy Walsh, 1936
- Welterweight — Jake Kilrain, 1938
- Middleweight — Jock McAvoy, 1937
- Light-heavyweight — Jock McAvoy, 1937
- Heavyweight — Tommy Farr, 1937
Henry Cooper (heavyweight) is the only man ever to win three Lonsdale belts outright. Besides Henry Cooper the following boxers have won two Lonsdale belts outright:-
- Nel Tarleton (featherweight)
- Ronnie Clayton (featherweight)
- Peter Keenan (bantamweight)
- Howard Winstone (featherweight)
- Brian Curvis (welterweight)
- Clinton McKenzie (light-welterweight).
In 1987 the B.B.B.C. decided no longer to award any fighter more than one belt in the same weight division. This still allows a fighter to win belts outright at two or more different weights.
The Lonsdale Belt won by Bombardier Billy Wells in 1911 is now kept at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, South East London, and is not on display to the general public.
In November 2000 the belt awarded to Randy Turpin in 1956 was auctioned for £23,000, while, in September 2011, that won by the welterweight Jack Hood in 1926, fetched £36,000. Hood, who died in 1992, had displayed the latter above the bar at the Bell public house in Tanworth-in-Arden of which he was the licensee.
Read more about this topic: Lonsdale Belt
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