Benny Lynch – Former world flyweight champion.

[WelshDevilRob]

Benny Lynch – Former world flyweight champion.

 

Alcohol ravaged the career of the brilliant Scot Benny Lynch. His career burned brightly in the mid-1930s, but soon fell away like a shooting star.

 

Born in Clydesdale on April 12, 1913, Lynch learned the game in the boxing booths and soon turned professional, aged just 18, in June 1931. He won the Scottish title in 1934, before boxing a 12 round draw in a non-title fight with world and British champion Jackie Brown in March 1935.

 

But in September 1935, Lynch fought Brown with the British and NBA world titles on the line and floored the Mancunian 10 times before the fight was stopped at the end of the second round. He defended his crown with an eighth round knockout of Pat Palmer in Glasgow in September 1936 and unified the title with a 15 round points win over Filipino Small Montana in January 1937.

 

That October, Lynch retained his title with a thrilling 13th round knockout over Peter Kane in Glasgow, but his life was in freefall now and he forfeited his title when scaling an incredible seven pounds over the weight limit for a scheduled defence against Jackie Jurich in June 1938. The fight went ahead anyway and Lynch pounded out his frustrations on the American before knocking him out in the 12th round.

 

Lynch retired that same year after suffering his only career knockout to Aurel Toma and he died of malnutrition in Glasgow on August 6, 1946. He was a superb boxer and a venomous puncher and, even though he squandered his immense talent, Lynch is regarded as one of the greatest flyweights the world has ever seen.

 

Benny Lynch: Fights 102, Wins 77 Losses 10 Draws 15 (Knockouts 32).

 

By Mark G. Butcher

[londoner]

He was the best Scottish boxer of all time IMO.