Tim Pickup - Boxing

Boxing

Tim Pickup was heavily involved with John Lewis and the Newtown Police Boys PCYC during Australian Boxing's Golden Age, during the 1980s. He used to take a 40 minute circuit class twice a week that was patronised by future Boxing World Champions Jeff Fenech, Jeff Harding and Joe Bugner, as well as 1st grade Rugby League players Steve Mortimer, Billy Johnstone, Pat Jarvis and Geordie Peats among others.

Pickup became Harding's manager after the boxer was selected the Australian team for the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland. All members needed to raise $5,000 to get on the plane, so Pickup appealed to Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs boss Peter Moore, who signed off on the request. Grateful for the assistance, Harding walked into the ring for the Gold medal bout wearing a Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs jersey, minus the required Australian tracksuit. Harding lost the bout and had to settle for a Silver medal, and was told in no uncertain terms by officials that he had better turn professional as he had just fought his last fight as amateur,as far as they were concerned. They felt Harding had disrespected the Australian team by wearing the Bulldogs jersey.

With John Lewis as his trainer, Harding approached Pickup to be his manager as a professional fighter following the assistance that he provided in getting the boxer to Edinburgh. Pickup originally declined but was eventually talked into it by his good friend Lewis. Harding scaled the ranks quickly, for his style was much more suited to the professional ranks as opposed to the amateur criteria. Harding quickly went into World Title calculations after leaving behind him a trail of battered foes. He was undefeated when he was called upon as a last minute replacement to fight WBC Light-Heavyweight champion Denis Andries in Atlantic City, USA in 1989.