:Johnny Basham

Johnny Basham was born in Newport in southern Wales in 1890.{{cite web|last=Staff|title=The boxer Johnny Basham and his manager W. T. Dodman, Wrexham, c. 1920s|url=http://www.gtj.org.uk/en/small/item/GTJ18257/|publisher=Gathering the Jewels|accessdate=21 February 2012}} BoxRec have his first professional fight against Boxer Ryan on 18 October 1909, fought at Campbell Bannerman Hall in Newport.{{Unreliable source?|date=November 2011}}{{cite web | url=http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=047752&cat=boxer&pageID=2 | title=Johnny Basham: page 2 | work=BoxRec | accessdate=25 October 2011}} The six round fight only lasted until the third when Basham took the match via a knockout. He followed this win with a series of regular contests throughout 1910, mainly taking place in Newport or the surrounding areas of Wales. These were against fighters with limited experience, and his results were patchy, having won three, lost three and drawn one by June 1910, including losing to Fred Dyer, the Singing Boxer on Dyer's debut.{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Gareth |title=The Boxers of Wales: Cardiff |year=2009 |publisher=St David's Press |location=Cardiff|page=45 |isbn=978-1-902719-26-9}} Only one match is recorded for the second half of 1910, his first fight outside Wales, when he beat Jim Ashen in the first round at the Frank Gess' Pavilion in Gloucester.{{Unreliable source?|date=November 2011}}{{cite web | url=http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=047752&cat=boxer&pageID=1 | title=Johnny Basham: page 1 | work=BoxRec | accessdate=25 October 2011}} Basham began 1911 with a draw with Young Walters in Pontnewydd on 6 February. No other bouts are recorded until August, but Basham then undertook a heavy schedule of fights, taking in nine matches in the second half of the year. Basham only lost one of the fights, of which three were fought in Wrexham in north Wales, and two in Liverpool.

In 1912 Basham joined the Royal Welch Fusiliers and was stationed at Hightown Barracks in Wrexham. Over the years he rose through the ranks and achieved the rank of Sergeant. His move to north Wales resulted in most of Basham's fights now occurring either in Wrexham or across the border in Liverpool. Several of his fights were fought at Hightown Barracks or in the Poyser Street drill hall, Wrexham. Of the thirteen matches recorded in 1912, he lost just one, losing to Matt Wells on Boxing Day when he was knocked out in the seventh of a fifteen-round contest.{{cite book |editor1-first=Peter |editor1-last=Stead|editor2-first=Gareth |editor2-last=Williams |title=Wales and its Boxers, The Fighting Tradition |year=2008 |publisher=University of Wales Press |location=Cardiff|page=182 |isbn=978-0-7083-1915-4}}

During the first half of 1913 Basham experienced a dip in form, losing three and drawing one of the first seven fights. The last of these contests was the first of three consecutive fights against Frank Madole. Basham lost the first encounter with Madole via technical knockout before winning the second by the same result and then taking the third fight on points. He later drew against Tom McCormick at Liverpool Stadium before a win over Will Brooks at the American Skating Rink in Cardiff.

Basham was next scheduled to face South African fighter Harry Price in Liverpool on 21 August 1913. The fight, held at Liverpool Stadium, was scheduled for fifteen three-minute rounds, and in a hotly contested encounter both men traded heavy blows from the start.{{cite web | url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=GRA19130903.2.59 | title=Fatal Fight | publisher=Grey River Argus |work=paperspast | date=3 September 1913 | accessdate=24 October 2011}} The Grey River Argus recorded the fight being even up to the ninth, but in the tenth round Basham landed with a left hook that put Price down for a count of nine. Price recovered but in the eleventh he was knocked down again, but when he landed his head made "violent contact with the boards of the ring". Price failed to rise and doctors entered the ring and had him sent to hospital in an unconscious state. Price died the following morning. After the fight Basham was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm, and Price's subsequent death led to a manslaughter charge.{{cite web | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15444847 | title=Fatal Boxing Bout | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=23 August 1913 | accessdate=24 October 2011}}{{cite web | url=http://www.merseyboxers.org.uk/archive.php?showType=boxer&boxer_ID=114 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330075610/http://www.merseyboxers.org.uk/archive.php?showType=boxer&boxer_ID=114 | url-status=usurped | archive-date=30 March 2012 | title=Johnny Basham | work=Merseyside Boxing Archive | accessdate=24 October 2011}} Basham gained public sympathy for his plight, and he was acquitted when the magistrate in charge of the investigation concluded that the fight had been conducted "fairly and sportingly".

Two months after the Price fight, Basham was back in the ring and finished 1913 with a string of four wins. He began 1914 with a strong win, beating future welterweight champion Albert Badoud by points on New Year's Day. He followed this up with wins over Young Nipper, Dick Nelson and Henri Demlen before fighting for the first time at the National Sporting Club in London, beating Sid Stagg.{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Boxing at the N.S.C|newspaper=The Times|date=28 April 1914}} A win over Gus Platts back in Liverpool led to Basham's first title fight, a contest against Johnny Summers for the British Welterweight belt.{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Welter-weight championship won by sergeant Basham|newspaper=The Times|date=15 December 1914|page=5}} Summers, originally from Yorkshire, was a far more experienced boxer with over 140 fights behind him and had held the title in 1912. The bout, fought at the National Sporting Club, was scheduled for twenty rounds; but in the ninth round Summers was stopped via knock-out, giving Basham his first major title.

Basham was awarded the Lonsdale Belt on 21 December 1914 at the National Sporting Club after winning it from Johnny Summers{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Boxers and the army|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33592394|accessdate=21 February 2012|newspaper=Kalgoorlie Western Argus|date=16 February 1915}} becoming the first outright winner of the welterweight version of the belt. Tony Lee in his 2009 book All in My Corner, states that "By 1914, Freddie Welsh, Jim Driscoll, Newport's Johnny Basham and Jimmy Wilde had all won the Lonsdale Belts outright;".Lee (2009) p. 37 A Wrexham County Council heritage site records Basham taking the belt both in 1914{{cite web | url=http://www.wrecsam.gov.uk/english/heritage/wrexham_town_walk/town_hill.htm | title=Wrexham Town Walk : Town Hill | work=wrexham.gov.uk | accessdate=25 October 2011}} and in 1916.{{cite web | url=http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/heritage/famous_people/johnny_basham.htm | title=Johnny Basham | work=wrexham.gov.uk | accessdate=25 October 2011}} The National Library of Wales records Basham winning the Lonsdale Belt in 1916, while The Toronto World newspaper of May 1916 writes that Basham was the holder of the Lonsdale Belt when he faced Badoud in their European title encounter in October 1915.{{cite web | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=22&dat=19160502&id=T9QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4300,2305768/ | title=This European War has Wonderful Record | work=The Toronto World| date=2 May 1916 | accessdate=25 October 2011}}

Basham's career as a professional fighter slowed during the First World War, with Boxrec only recording 13 fights for Basham during the war period. Basham was posted as sergeant physical training officer in the British Expeditionary Force in France, making competitive fighting difficult. Basham was one of a group of fighters, known as 'The Famous Six', who were an elite corps of Army Physical Training Instructors under the command of Captain Bruce Logan. The other five men were Jim Driscoll, Jimmy Wilde, Bombardier Billy Wells, Pat O'Keefe and Dick Smith.Lee (2009) pp. 68–69{{cite web |url=http://www.johnnyowen.com/Rpts/Wilde/in_the_army.html | title= Back row: Bombardier Billy Wells, Pat O'Keefe, Johnny Basham, Dick Smith, Front row: Jimmy Wilde, Captain Bruce Logan, Jim Driscoll | work=johnnyowen.com | accessdate=5 November 2011}} At the London Opera House in March 1915, Basham won a 15-round fight "on points" against Matt Wells.{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Boxing at the Opera House|newspaper=The Times|date=23 March 1915|page=7}} In May 1915, Basham fought against Summers in a non-title fight at Liverpool Stadium. The fight went the distance with Basham being given the decision on points. In May 1915 the National Sporting Club arranged Basham's first defence of his welterweight title, his opponent being Tom McCormick who had held the title briefly in 1914.{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Championship again won by sergeant Basham|newspaper=The Times|date=11 May 1915|page=5}} The twenty round fight lasted until the thirteenth when Basham stopped McMormick through a technical knockout.{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Pugilism|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5467929|accessdate=21 February 2012|newspaper=The Advertiser|date=12 May 1915}} Basham knocked out Dan Roberts during the seventh round at a 13 August fight in Liverpool.{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Boxing in England|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1549015|accessdate=21 February 2012|newspaper=The Argus|date=14 August 1915}} On 22 October 1915, a fight was arranged for the vacant EBU (European) welterweight title between Basham and Swiss fighter Albert Badoud. Basham has fought Badoud twice previously, both ending in wins for the Welshman, but in the title encounter Badoud stopped Basham through a ninth-round knockout.{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Welter championship|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5484766|accessdate=21 February 2012|newspaper=The Advertiser|date=23 October 1915}}

In 1916 Basham defended his British title for the second time, again at the National Sporting Club in Covent Garden, facing Scotsman Eddie Beattie.{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Boxing at the N.S.C|newspaper=The Times|date=2 May 1916|page=5}} The match went as far as the nineteenth before Beattie was stopped via a technical knockout. Basham fought sporadically throughout the rest of the war years, mainly in Liverpool. Basham won over Sid Burns in May 1917 in Holborn, London. In December 1918, Balsham beat private A. Tierney at the British Empire and American Services Boxing Tournament held at the Royal Albert Hall.{{cite book|last=Goddard|first=G.H|title=Soldiers and sportsmen|year=1919|publisher=A.I.F. Sports Control Board|location=London|page=32|hdl=2027/njp.32101050399391?urlappend=%3Bseq=46|url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101050399391?urlappend=%3Bseq=46}}

On 27 January 1919, with the war behind him, Basham was again invited to the National Sporting Club where he beat American fighter Eddie Shevlin, who was introduced as the U.S. Navy's Welterweight Champion, after 15 rounds.{{cite book|last=Gardner|first=B.M|title=The Anglo-American year book|year=1920|publisher=International Development Company|location=London|page=452|hdl=2027/uc1.32106009197150?urlappend=%3Bseq=484|url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.32106009197150?urlappend=%3Bseq=484}} Basham won on points, and after beating Kid Doyle in February, he was called for a rematch at Covent Garden against Shevlin, where Basham again won with a points decision. He followed this with a draw against American Augie Ratner{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Johnny Basham vs. Angie Ratner|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40313657|accessdate=21 February 2012|newspaper=Cairns Post|date=19 June 1919}} and then a win over London fighter Willie Farrell on 22 July in Liverpool,{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Basham defeats Farrell|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51045032|accessdate=21 February 2012|newspaper=Examiner|date=23 July 1919}} which opened up another shot at the European Welterweight title.

Albert Badoud had successfully defended the European Welterweight title in August 1919, against Frenchman Francis Charles, but by the following month he had vacated the title, which allowed both Charles and Basham to contest the welterweight belt. The fight was arranged for 2 September at the Olympia in London and was scheduled for 20 three-minute rounds. The bout went the full distance, with the result going to Basham on points, making him the European Welterweight Champion.{{cite news|last=Staff|title=The coming of European champions|newspaper=The Sunday Mirror|date=8 August 1920}}

In November 1919, a contest was arranged between Basham and Matt Wells, who had knocked Basham out when they met in Swansea in 1912. At stake were Basham's British Welterweight title and Wells' Commonwealth Welterweight title, which he had taken from Tom McCormick in an encounter in Sydney in 1914. Basham won the fight on points, making him the British, Commonwealth and European Welterweight Champion.{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Matt Wells beaten|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15873194|accessdate=21 February 2012|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=17 November 1919}} He then successfully defended his Commonwealth belt from a challenge from Australian Welterweight champion Fred Kay, before facing former World Welterweight Champion Ted "Kid" Lewis on 9 June 1920. Lewis, who had three months prior taken the vacant British middleweight title, challenged for all three of Basham's belts, in a contest held at the Olympia in Kensington. The more experienced Lewis won the contest in the ninth through a technical knockout (from cutting Basham's lip), taking Basham's titles.{{cite news|last=Butler|first=James|title=The fighting joker|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article30067387|accessdate=21 February 2012|newspaper=The Mercury|date=7 December 1935}}

Five months later, Basham was given an opportunity to challenge Lewis for the British and European titles he had lost in their first encounter. Contested at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Basham lasted until the nineteenth round when he was knocked out by Lewis.{{cite news|last=Staff|title=No title|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70144670|accessdate=21 February 2012|newspaper=Albany Advertiser|date=24 November 1920}} By 1921, Lewis had moved up to Middleweight, and Basham responded by doing the same. Gus Platts, a Sheffield fighter who had beaten Basham in Cardiff in 1911, was the present holder of both the British and European Middleweight titles, having won them respectively from Tom Gummer and Ercole de Balzac earlier in the year. Basham was allowed the first challenge for the two titles and faced Platts on 31 May 1921 at the Royal Albert Hall.{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Two big fights at the Albert Hall|newspaper=The Times|date=30 May 1921|page=4}} The twenty round fight went the full distance and Basham was awarded the contest on points, becoming the new British and European Middleweight champion.

Basham held the Middleweight titles for less than five months, losing both to his arch-rival "Kid" Lewis when the two met in October 1921. Again Basham was unable to last the distance, being stopped by technical knockout in the twelfth. Basham never challenged for a title again and he ended his career with a series of losses, being knocked out by World Champion Mike McTigue and a points loss to fellow Welshman Jerry Shea.{{cite news|last=Staff|title=Basham beaten by Shea|newspaper=The Times|date=18 November 1924|page=16}} Basham came out of retirement in 1929 to face "Kid" Lewis, but for the fourth time he was stopped within the distance.

Basham reportedly suffered from "cauliflower ear", or thickening and enlargement of his left ear, in his retirement due to trauma from boxing.{{cite book|last=Unterharnscheidt|first=Friedrich and Julia Taylor-Unterharnscheidt|title=Boxing: medical aspects|year=2003|publisher=Elsevier Science|location=London|page=151|isbn=9780080528250|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Vk9C_Cgo20C&q=%22johnny+basham%22&pg=PA151}} Basham died on 7 June 1947, aged 56.1948 Boxing News Annual, War Facts Press, p. 14{{cite news|agency=Australian Associated Press|title=Johnny Basham is dead|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49328896|accessdate=21 February 2012|newspaper=The Courier-Mail|date=9 June 1947}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book |last=Lee |first=Tony |title=All in My Corner: A tribute to some forgotten Welsh boxing heroes |year=2009 |publisher=TL Associates |location=Ammanford |isbn=978-0-9564456-0-5}}

• {{boxrec|id=47752}}
• [http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=17574 Johnny Basham in Training: video newsreel film] British Pathe newsreel 18 November 1920

{{British boxing}}

{{boxing}}

{{boxing History}}

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Category:Welsh male boxers

Category:Sportspeople from Newport, Wales

Category:Welterweight boxers

Category:Middleweight boxers

Category:1890 births

Category:1947 deaths

Category:Royal Welch Fusiliers soldiers

Category:British Army personnel of World War I

Category:European Boxing Union champions

Category:Welsh military personnel