10. Damon Hague
WBF middleweight champion 2003
WBF super-middleweight champion 2004
I know I’m pushing it here by including a WBF champion, but bear with us . . . These were strange times indeed as the BBC tried to sell a born-again Christian from Derby as the middleweight champion of the world at a time when the rest of the world recognised some fella called Bernard Hopkins. No question, Hague, a former street fighter from the Ingles’ gym, was a good story and he had good fights – he got off the floor to chin Wayne Pinder for the WBF belt – but was barely British-title level, as proved by Carl Froch. He whacked out Hague in a round and he never boxed again. See also, Lester Jacobs.
9. Glen Catley
WBC super-middleweight champion 2000
The Bristolian – his city’s first world champion – had a brief, but dramatic reign as world champion.
Even Richie Woodhall thought Catley was unfortunate not to take the WBC title off him and when he got another chance, he beat Markus Beyer in dramatic style with a 12th round stoppage in Germany.
The belt was lost in South Africa, to Dingaan Thobela, and another bid for the WBC belt ended in defeat against Eric Lucas in Canada.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRLxSM-hQpM
8. Paul ‘Silky’ Jones
WBO light-middleweight champion 1995-1996
Jones retired after a stoppage loss to Paul Wesley, came back a couple of years later, got a world ranking by winning the WBO Intercontinental belt and with boyhood pal Prince Naseem Hamed at ringside, he won the WBO belt, outboxing Verno Philips over 12 after being dropped in the first. Jones, a slippery switch hitter with long arms, was stripped after failing to agree terms with Bronco McKart for a mandatory defence. He lost his next fight, to Ryan Rhodes, for the British title and fought on until 2002.
7. Henry Akinwande
WBO heavyweight champion 1996-1997
This huge, gangly product of Lynn ABC who once worked sweeping London’s streets, became the WBO heavyweight champion by chinning wild banger Jeremy Williams in three rounds.
He made defences against Alexander Zolkin and Scott Welch, then vacated and challenged Lennox Lewis for the WBC title.
The only time Akinwande threw a punch with any intent, he made Lewis touchdown, with a right hand in the third.
The referee chose not to count – and threw Akinwande out in the fifth for persistent holding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE9Pt5jA_-M
6. Herbie Hide
WBO heavyweight champion 1994-1995 & 1997-1999
Until the emergence of Daniel Dubois sent journalists looking through their record books to find Britain’s youngest world heavyweight champion, Hide’s achievements have been largely forgotten outside hardcore fans and his home city, Norwich.
Hide was a two-time holder of the WBO belt who is probably best remembered for the nights when he lost the title, to Riddick Bowe and Vitali Klitschko respectively, rather than the nights he won it, against Michael Bentt and an over-the-hill Tony Tucker.
Hide was always bonkers and his autobiography – Nothing But Trouble – is worth a read.
5. Michael Bentt
WBO heavyweight champion 1993-1994
Bentt spent his first six years living with an aunt in East Dulwich and once he settled in New York, he took up boxing.
He was a world class amateur, turned pro with Emanuel Steward – and got knocked out inside a round on his debut.
Bentt reappeared after a sparring session with Gary Mason rebuilt confidence – and got a shot at WBO champion Tommy Morrison.
Morrison had already to challenge WBC champion Lennox Lewis for a $7.25 million purse, but decided he needed “experience for the bigger fights that lie ahead” – and Bentt knocked him out in 93 seconds.
The title was lost to Herbie Hide and afterwards Bentt was in a coma for around four days.
He made a full recovery and is now a successful actor.
4. Murray Sutherland
IBF super-middleweight champion 1984
Sutherland fought Michael Spinks (twice), Matthew Saad Muhammad and Thomas Hearns, is in record books as the first world super-middleweight champion – and he was Scottish.
Sutherland was born in Edinburgh, emigrated to Canada as a boy and after losing his first two pro fights, he relocated to the States and turned his career around.
He became the first world 12 stones champion in 1984 with a points win over Ernie Singletary for the vacant IBF belt – but was dethroned four months later, losing an up-and-downer to Chong-Pal Park in Korea.
Sutherland always wore tartan shorts when he fought.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzg_rIb1r64
3. Jason Matthews
WBO middleweight champion 1999
Matthews thought he was fighting on the undercard at the Doncaster Dome, but with the show only five days’ away, Bert Schenk pulled out of his WBO-title defence against Ryan Rhodes – and Matthews got the call. The heavy-handed Hackney slugger took his chance, dropping Rhodes in the opening round and again in the second for a sensational upset. Matthews was subsequently upgraded to full WBO champion – and then lost the title to Armand Krajnc, picking up an eye injury during the fight that finished his career.
2. Nicky Cook
Well beaten for the WBO featherweight title by Steve Luevano, Cook, a good stylist from Dagenham who was plagued by hand trouble throughout his career, took the 9st 4lbs belt off Alex Arthur with a unanimous points win on the Amir Khan-Breidis Prescott undercard in Manchester in September, 2008.
He only held the belt for seven months, losing it in his first defence to Roman ‘Rocky’ Martinez. Cook was stopped in four after earlier hurting the Puerto Rican.
Martinez then lost the belt to Ricky Burns – and Cook got another shot.
His challenge lasted only 93 seconds. Nicky was ruled out with a back injury.
1. CHRIS PYATT
WBO middleweight champion 1993-1995
Pyatt blames himself for his inclusion on this list. Because of his partying, Pyatt says he never sought publicity for fear of his private life being exposed – and with a low profile and no big domestic fights to raise it, he stayed in the shadows.
He actually won every major honour in his 51-fight career, culminating in the WBO middleweight title, secured with a points win over Sumbu Kalambay in May, 1993.
Even then, he had to share the headlines in his local newspaper, the Leicester Mercury. On the same night, Leicester City won a play-off semi-final in Portsmouth to reach Wembley.
Pyatt, schooled by John-David Jackson in a previous bid for the WBO 154lbs belt, made a pair of low-key defences, then lost the belt to Steve Collins.
He stayed in boxing as a trainer, at an amateur club and then with Jahmanine Smyle, but quit boxing after Smyle left him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9aLlNMNjj0