Johnny Cuthbert
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox boxer
| name = Johnny Cuthbert
| image = JohnnyCuthbert.jpeg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| realname =
| nickname = Young Cuthbert
| weight = Featherweight, lightweight
| height =
| reach =
| nationality = British
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1904|07|09}}
| birth_place = Sheffield, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1987|08|29|1904|07|09}}
| death_place =
| style =
| total = 175
| wins = 124
| KO = 37
| losses = 34
| draws = 17
| no contests =
| medaltemplates =
| show-medals =
}}
Johnny Cuthbert (9 July 1904 – 29 August 1987) was a British boxer who was British featherweight champion between 1927 and 1928, and again from 1929 to 1931, winning the Lonsdale Belt outright, and British lightweight champion between 1932 and 1934.
Career
=Early career and featherweight title=
Born in Sheffield in 1904, Johnny Cuthbert was taught boxing by Ben Stanton as a reward for attending the Reverend Harold Ewbank's Sunday School classes.Kent, Graeme (1998) Boxing's Strangest Fights: Incredible but true encounters from over 250 years of boxing history, Robson Books Ltd, {{ISBN|978-0860517153}}{{cite news |title=In Charge of Boxing at Crookes |work=Sheffield Evening Telegraph |date=13 June 1949 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000706/19390613/303/0012|url-access=subscription }}
He made his professional boxing debut in February 1920. After facing inexperienced opposition during his first two years as a pro, he beat then Scottish Area bantamweight champion (and future British, Empire, and European flyweight champion) Elky Clark on points in January 1924. During a 15-fight unbeaten run between 1923 and 1924 he beat Harry Corbett and Billy Hindley, before travelling to the United States for a series of fights. After losing his first five US fights, including a defeat at the hands of Chick Suggs, he won his final fight before returning to England.
In March 1925, he lost to former British, Empire, and European bantamweight champion Bugler Harry Lake, but avenged this two months later, only three weeks after beating Johnny Curley over 15 rounds.{{cite news |title=Johnny Curley... |work=Dundee Courier |date=6 July 1925 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000164/19250706/104/0006|url-access=subscription }} In another successful run during 1925 he also beat Jack Kid Berg, but in August he lost to Corbett, starting a run of four straight defeats, including losses to European bantamweight champion Johnny Brown, Joe Fox, and Berg.{{cite news |title=Win for Brown |work=Western Daily Press |date=7 September 1925 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000264/19250907/068/0009|url-access=subscription }}
He was unbeaten again in 20 fights between March and December 1926, including wins over Lake, Curley,{{cite news |title=Cuthbert Defeats Curley |work=Western Daily Press |date=24 September 1926 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000264/19260924/113/0011|url-access=subscription }} and Corbett (twice), finally earning him a shot at Curley's British featherweight title in January 1927; Cuthbert took a points decision to become British champion. He lost the title to Corbett in March 1928 in the last British title fight over 20 rounds.{{cite news |title=New "Feathers" Champion |work=Yorkshire Evening Post |date=13 March 1928 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000273/19280313/207/0012|url-access=subscription }} In November 1928 he drew with World bantamweight champion Al Brown in Paris.{{cite news |title=Johnny Cuthbert Draws: Grand Display with Al Brown in Paris |work=Hull Daily Mail |date=19 November 1928 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19281119/007/0002|url-access=subscription }}
He challenged for the title again a year later against Corbett, but the fight ended in a draw. He regained it at the second attempt in May 1928, beating Corbett on points at Olympia. He successfully defended the title in May 1929 against Dom Volante, and retained it in November 1930 after a drawn bout against Nel Tarleton.{{cite news |title=30,000 Crowd to See M'Grory's Title Bid |work=Dundee Evening Telegraph |date=23 September 1936 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000563/19360923/147/0008|url-access=subscription }} He beat Al Brown in June 1931, Brown disqualified for hitting low.{{cite news |title=Al Brown Disqualified |work=Exeter and Plymouth Gazette |date=16 June 1931 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000511/19310616/075/0008|url-access=subscription }} His third defence, against Al Foreman (with the British Empire title also at stake), also ended in a draw. He lost the title in October 1931 when Tarleton took a points decision at Anfield. Cuthbert ran the Old Brown Cow pub in Sheffield and trained in a gym at the back of it.{{cite news |title=Johnny Cuthbert in Training |work=Aberdeen Journal |date=28 September 1931 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000577/19310928/126/0009|url-access=subscription }}
=Lightweight=
After repeatedly struggling to make featherweight, Cuthbert moved up to lightweight and after beating Volante in an eliminator faced Jim Hunter in August 1932 for the vacant British title, winning via knockout in the tenth round.{{cite news |title=Johnny Cuthbert Beats Volante |work=Dundee Courier |date=2 February 1932 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19320202/174/0009|url-access=subscription }}"[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article61591235 Boxing: Cuthbert Knocks Out Hunter]", Townsville Daily Bulletin, 13 August 1932, p. 10. Retrieved 27 August 2015 via trove.nla.gov.uk Between those two fights he lost on points to Cleto Locatelli in Paris.{{cite news |title=Cuthbert Beaten on Points |work=Aberdeen Journal |date=4 April 1932 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000577/19320404/033/0004|url-access=subscription }} In October 1932 he beat Tommy Bland on points but suffered a broken jaw during the fight. Two weeks later he announced his retirement from boxing.{{cite news |title=Johnny Cuthbert: Former Champion Decides to Retire |work=Derby Daily Telegraph |date=10 November 1932 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000520/19321110/082/0010|url-access=subscription }}
In February 1933 he came out of retirement and a month later beat Jim Learoyd at Leeds Town Hall, but lost just a week later to French champion Victor Deckmyn in Paris.{{cite news |title=Cuthbert Back to Action |work=Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette |date=4 February 1933 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000640/19330204/291/0009|url-access=subscription }}{{cite news |title=Johnny Cuthbert's Come-Back |work=Dundee Courier |date=14 March 1933 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19330314/187/0010|url-access=subscription }}{{cite news |title=Johnny Cuthbert Beaten: French Champion Springs a Surprise |work=Dundee Courier |date=21 March 1933 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19330321/065/0004|url-access=subscription }}
He defended his British title in January 1934, losing to Harry Mizler on points at the Royal Albert Hall.{{cite news |title=New British Lightweight Champion |work=Dundee Evening Telegraph |date=19 January 1934 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000563/19340119/049/0004|url-access=subscription }} He had three further fights, a defeat to British featherweight champion Seaman Tommy Watson, a win over Canadian lightweight champion Tommy Bland, and a loss to NBA World featherweight champion Freddie Miller, before retiring from the sport for good."[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=110&dat=19341123&id=fKkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dUADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6383,5448972 Fred Miller KO's Johnny Cuthbert]", Ludington Daily News, 23 November 1934, p. 4. Retrieved 27 August 2015 via Google Newspapers
=After boxing=
Cuthbert had first applied for a referee's licence in April 1934, and refereed several bouts in 1935;{{cite news |title=Boxing |work=Lincolnshire Echo |date=4 April 1935 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000332/19350404/052/0003|url-access=subscription }}{{cite news |title=Dick Dibley's Best Promotion |work=Lincolnshire Echo |date=10 April 1935 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000332/19350410/104/0002|url-access=subscription }} By 1933 he had moved to Boston, Lincolnshire, where he ran The Old Mill pub.{{cite news |title=Cuthberts's Roadhouse |work=Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette |date=8 June 1935 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000640/19350608/280/0009|url-access=subscription }} He again planned to move into refereeing in the late 1930s.{{cite news |title=Johnny Cuthbert... |work=Hull Daily Mail |date=18 April 1934 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19340418/094/0013|url-access=subscription }}{{cite news |title=Johnny Cuthbert |work=Leicester Daily Mercury |date=31 January 1939 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000760/19390131/166/0018|url-access=subscription }} He went on to become a boxing trainer, working at the Consett Gym with the likes of Glenn McCrory, and at the Boston ABC."[http://www.britishboxers.co.uk/2010/06/in-ring-with-former-world-cruiserweight.html Interview with former World Cruiserweight Champion Glenn McCrory] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402100506/http://www.britishboxers.co.uk/2010/06/in-ring-with-former-world-cruiserweight.html |date=2 April 2015 }}", britishboxers.co.uk, 13 June 2010. Retrieved 27 August 2015"[http://www.bostonamateurboxingclub.co.uk/clubhistory.html Club History]{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}", Boston Amateur Boxing Club. Retrieved 27 August 2015 He boxed an exhibition bout in a charity tournament in aid of Grantham Hospital in August 1944.{{cite news |title=A Grand Boxing Tournament |work=Grantham Journal |date=11 August 1944 |accessdate=27 August 2015 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000400/19440811/145/0005|url-access=subscription }}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.boxinghistory.org.uk/records/31651-Johnny-Cuthbert-Sheffield.pdf Career record] at boxinghistory.org.uk
- {{BoxRec|9871}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuthbert, Johnny}}