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Name: Wally Thom Born: 1926-06-14 Nationality: United Kingdom Hometown: Birkenhead, Merseyside, United Kingdom Record: click

The digger you dig into the ring record of Birkenhead Wally Thom the more impressive becomes the fight career of a man who must rank very high on the list of Merseyside’s all time boxing greats. As an amateur he was a junior ABA finalist on two occasions, a senior ABA finalist, was to box internationally against Denmark, reaching the finals of the European Championships in Dublin, and also won a Welsh title.

As a professional boxer he suffered greatly from cuts around his eyes in the later stages of his career yet he met and beat some of the top fighters in the world. He reigned as the British and Empire welterweight champion and in a professional career lasting from 1949 to 1956 he won 42 of his 54 contests, with 11 defeats – mostly due to cuts -, and one draw.

He was one of the most effective southpaws of all time, yet if the old Birkenhead club trainer Tommy Murray would have had his way Wally would have been an orthodox boxer. Wally’s interest in boxing was stirred by his father who bought him a speed ball from a sports shop in Grange road Birkenhead.

“ I had great fun with it but had not thought of taking up boxing until one day at school – Tollemache road , Birkenhead – a teacher called for volunteers to represent the school in the Birkenhead boys championship for the Blake cup. I had a go and won through to the event at Byrne Avenue Swimming Baths, Birkenhead, only to be declared half a stone under the weight required”.

I eventually boxed in a specialist contest and although I lost to Jimmy Finch I treasured the medal I received.. The Birkenhead heavyweight Johnny Cooke was in my corner and he suggested I join the Birkenhead club. I took his advice but trainer Murray wouldn’t let me box as a southpaw despite being left handed.

Birkenhead was no different to any other club, as southpaws where discouraged everywhere. I was 12 years old at this time but when we lost our gym during the early wartime bombing we were allowed to train with the pros at Alex Powel’s gym in Edgerton Street. Alex quickly allowed me to develop my natural southpaw stance and I never looked back. 2

In 1945 Wally, then 19, had returned from Army service in Belgium where his commanding officer had entered him in the Welsh Championships. Although he was overweight for the welter title he knocked out three opponents to become middleweight champion. The same year he stopped every opponent to reach the ABA final at Wembley where he lost on points to Randy Turpin after dropping him twice. The same thing happened in 1949 when he every championship stage but lost in the final to Alex Buxton.

“we had a strong team in Birkenhead at that time which made it more difficult to get opponents. I felt it would be degrading to box for money but after many offers I took, age 23, the plunge in 1949.”

Under the Birkenhead manager Johnny Campbell Wally had success after success winning his first 23 contests – most inside . This run included a points defeat over Jimmy Molloy for the Central Area title and British title eliminator wins over Alf Danahar and Cliff Curvis.

However contest number 23 was to prove unlucky in bringing the first of the eye injuries which would become more severe during his career. Two months after Wally, as the underdog, took the British title from Eddie thomas , the Welsh miner, beating him on points at Harringay.

He followed up this win with wins over Titi Clavel, Dutch champion Gil De Roode, Terry Radcliffe , and a draw with Danny Womber . He lost his title, his first defence of it, to the Welsh southpaw Cliff Curvis who KO’d him in nine rounds at Liverpool stadium. This was on 24 July 1952, and just over year later he retained his title.

In 1953 he lost to his fellow Birkenhead boxer Peter Fallon on points in a final eliminator but he went on to win over Billy Wells, Bernie Newcombe and Kit Pomey. When Curvis relinquished the title Wally was matched with Fallon for the vacant title at Liverpool stadium on 24 September 1952. Wally was to win with the slimmest of margins over 15 rounds.

In 1954 Wally added the European title to his collection when he stopped the Frenchman Gilbert Lavoine in 10 rounds. Two months later on 19 October 1954 he made the Lonsdale belt his own by knocking out Lew lazar in six rounds. This was Wally’s last championship victory. He was stopped with cuts by American Jimmy King and by the South African Benny Nieuwenhuizen, then dropped his European title to Frenchman Idrissa Dione on points at Liverpool.

Wally made a successful move up to middleweight to score a treble of great wins, but when cuts forced him to retire in five rounds against Peter Waterman on 6 June 1956 he felt it time to hang up his gloves. The call of the ring was so strong that he almost immediately applied for a referee’s license and got this in 1957.

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The Times

Wednesday December 5 - 1951

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Boxing News

19 March 1952

Radcliffe Outclassed by Welterweight Champ

Any title aspirations which Terry Radcliffe may have had were swept aside by the British and Empire welterweight champion Wall Thom, who knocked out the young Bristol boilermaker in the ninth round.

Radcliffe went down from a flurry of blows to the body and although hurt and winded he was still in command of all his faculties, but completely misjudged the count.

Thom had been on top throughout the contest so much so that we did not score a single round in favour of his opponent. In the second session Thom whipped home a left to the jaw which put Terry on the canvas for “nine” but he managed to keep his feet for the remainder of the round.

Wally kept up a steady attack driving home straight rights and lefts to the head and body. Ratcliffe had no answer to Thom’s southpaw stance and despite the fact he improved a little as the fight progressed he was sourly outclassed.

It looked like the end when Ratcliffe went down in the seventh from a left to the head. As he rose at the count of “eight” Thom nailed him again with a left that sent him spinning to the canvas for “nine”.

Wally pressed home his attack and battered his opponent to the floor once again from lefts and rights to the body. It was lucky for Terry that the bell sounded the end of the round as the count reached “eight”.

Ratcliffe backpedalled a good deal in the following round but scored with straight lefts to the head, and for the first time landed with a good right hand .

Thom was quite confident as he had been from the first gong, and when the end came midway through the ninth it caused no surprise. Both boxers weighed inside the stipulated 10st 9lb. 5

Boxing News

16 April 1952

Thom holds Womber to Draw

Full marks to Freddie Mills for providing a lively nights entertainment at the Empress hall, his second venture as a London promoter. Wally Thom did not give quite enough to justify Freddie’s hopes that he could be matched with Kid Gavilan, but our welter champion certainly made himself very popular by the way he met the vigorous onslaughts of nonstop Bang-Bang Womber.

The verdict of a draw at the end of ten rounds favoured Thom a little, but Womber came in for several cautions while he hit with an open glove at times. A percentage of the spectators thought the American 6

consistent attacking should have earned him the decision, but quite as many applauded Thom’s great efforts in the last three rounds .Which undoubtedly influenced the referee’s decision.

Womber opened the fight with a fierce attack, driving Thom to the ropes, where he landed a succession of swings to the body. Wally got clear, then surprised the American by hanging a hefty left hook on his chin.

As he reeled from the effects of the blow Wally chinned him again with the left but Womber was in grand condition and recovered quickly after hanging on for a few seconds. They punched away freely but Thom’s blows carried more weight.

Danny took the second, beating Thom to the punch with his left and then whaling away at the body two fistedly. Wally hit back fiercely but he was on the retreat and the American made up his mind to keep it that way.

Womber was the most versatile of the pair. He swung, hooked, jabbed and and although Thom took the bulk of these on his elbows and gloves some proportion got through. When stung Wally would sail into his man and punch away furiously to the delight of the onlookers, but these spells were both infrequent and short lived. 7

Rounds four and five went to the American, who now and again changed to southpaw stance, at which did look surprisingly well. It looked odd to see them jabbing at each other with the right, but Thom had more practice at this art and Womber soon reverted to the .

THE American came in for several rebukes for resting his head on Thom’s chest while he banged away to the body, but generally Danny showed great sportsmanship. Moreover, in the next two rounds he did all the work and was always coming forwards.

Realising he was behind, Thom made a great effort in the eighth. He moved in and slugged Womber with vicious left hooks and jabbed him hard to the face with a long right. Several times danny was sent reeling, but he came back to attack the body, although many of his punches were blocked or went round the Britisher’s back.

The ninth was a great round with both belting away. Thom was now bleeding from the nose and had a slight cut over his right eye. Womber was also bleeding from the nose and mouth, but he did not ease up from his efforts, although for the first time he was forced to back up as Thom landed hurtful blows.

When they came up for the tenth the score was about even, but by going all out and pressing his rival to the utmost , we thought this last session would go to Womber and with it the verdict. Thom was tiring fast and on the defensive, but he stood his guns to the end and thus shared the decision. Both weighed 10st 7 ¼ lb.

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Boxing News

11 July 1951 In the final eliminating contest for the British welterweight championship Wally Thom ( Birkenhead ) , Central Area welterweight champion, beat Cliff Curvis ( Swansea), who was disqualified for hitting before the referee had given the order to “box on “ in the ninth round.

This was a disappointing ending to a really excellent contest in which both boys had given a great display of boxing and fast hitting. Curvis opened his account with a right to the head and a left to the ribs. Thom sent both hands to the head and then Curvis smashed both gloves to the middle. The pace was hot and Thom was shaken with blows to the head.

In round two both landed with rights to the face. Curvis missed with a right but rights to the head caused Wally to move to the ropes. It was a keen battle of southpaws, ech jabbing with his right to the head. In some close exchanges Thom hurt his rival with two terrific lefts to the stomach.

Curvis Is Hurt

In the third Curvis rushed at Thom only to take hard blows to the body. The boys pasted each other all round the ring with the crowd yelling encouragement. Thom sent a left to the stomach and Curvis caught him with a savage left hook to the mouth.

Curvis twisted his body as Thom sent a blow to the ribs and he was badly hurt, the effects showing in a decided limp which disturbed him for the next two rounds.

Curvis was most dangerous with his fine left hooking, and he would cleverly draw Thom inside where he would slam him in the middle. As Wally drew away Cliff would bring over his left to the head with force. But Thom was punching hard and in round four a stiff right to the mouth sent Cliff’s head back. Again Thom slammed with power to head and body.

Round five saw Curvis scoring well with both fists to the head. Thom rushed at him but was halted with swift punches to the mid section. Wally fought back savagely a right to the head catching the Welsh boy as he backed against the ropes.

Curvis did well in the sixth where he forced Thom into a neutral corner and slammed to the body. Thom however quickly turned him around to punish Cliff with a body attack. In a general exchange both boys fought strongly each taking a hammering in turn.

Cliff Takes Over

Thom appeared to have a lead in the early rounds but from the sixth Curvis was slowly wiping it of. Those dangerous left hooks were landing to head and body, thogh Thom to did his share of “handing it 9

out” as he walked into Curvis with two handed blows to the head and ribs. Indeed it was a fight wich appealed to all as both refused to give way an inch.

True, there were times in which neither would lead, each eager for the other to come to him. But this was strategically rather than otherwise.

Round eight was a hard affair, Thom jabbed with his right to the face, but a left hook to the stomach hurt Wally and made him wince. Curvis seeing a chance moved inside but was met with a hard left to the stomach.

In the ninth during a general exchange of punches a hard left to the stomach ade Curvis wilt. Cliff had Wally against the ropes and their heads collided, following which Curvis was pulled up and warned for alleged butting. Thom was in great distress shaking his lowered head and in obvious pain. Before the referee had given the usual “box on” command Curvis hit his rival with a hard left to the head, whereupon the referee unhesitatingly awarded the contest to Thom.

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Boxing News

16 July 1952 BATTLING SOUTHPAWS

CURVIS SHOULD BEAT THOM THIS TIME

For the first time in British boxing two southpaws will be meeting in a championship contest when Wally Thom defends his British and empire welter titles against Cliff Curvis at Liverpool Stadium tomorrow week. At one time right foot foremost boxers were a rarity, but of late they have become more the mode and so it is not really remarkable that two of these unorthodox stylists be meeting under championship conditions.

The pair are old enemies. Matched last in a final eliminator for the right to challenge Eddie Thomas a year ago, their fight ended sensationally in the ninth round when the Welshman was ruled out for hitting his opponent before the referee had given them the order to “box on”.

For the first five rounds Thom built up a slight lead but after that Curvis slowly wiped off all the arrears and they were punching it out in a give and take fashion when the affair came to its untimely end.

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There had been a collision of heads and Curvis was being cautioned when he decided to deal the defenseless Thom another blow. This brought instant disqualification at a stage when it seemed as though the Welshman’s extra experience might see him returned a point’s winner.

Cliff has been in near championship class for so long that it is about time he won a title. He lost a featherweight eliminator to Al Philips in 1946, a lightweight eliminator to Harry Hughes in 1949 and a welterweight title fight to Eddie Thomas in 1950. Now he gets a second crack at the 10st 7lb championship – about his last chance to reach the top.

The Swansea lad is only 24 and has eight years of pro boxing behind him. Compared with Thom he is a veteran in experience for Wally has been half that time in the paid ranks. Again Curvis has boxed in far better company than that with which Thom has been asked to mingle. The Welshman should enter the Liverpool Stadium ring next week as the pronounced favourite – will he let his admirers down again ?.

TRAINING IN LIVERPOOL

Curvis will complete his training on Merseyside, using the Transport Gymnasium run by the Vairo brothers , which the well known managers have placed at his disposal. This will enable him to get the right atmosphere for the title bout and he could not wish for a better equipped headquarters.

The champion is getting down to it at his second home, the Haymarket Club in Birkenhead under the able guidance of Manager Tommy Murray.