Fearless-Freddie Mills Story

[BoztheMadman]

Freddie Mills was one of the best English and British boxers ever. He boxed mostly in the light heavyweight division, where he accomplished his greatest triumph: winning the world title. He was nicknamed "Fearless" because of his attitude in the ring-he never backed away from a brawl, no matter the odds. His style was gritty, rough and unpolished, he was your typical come forward and slug it out fighter. He was Britain's biggest boxing idol in the postwar period. After he ended his career in the ring at the age of 30, he became a night club owner and started hanging out with some shadowy people, most notably the Kray brothers. This new lifestyle ultimately led to his untimely demise, at the age of 46. This is the story of Fearless Freddie Mills.

 

Born Frederick Percival Mills in Bournemouth, Dorset, on 26 June 1919, he was youngest of four children born to James Mills, a totter and marine store dealer and Lottie Hilda Grey, his wife. He received a pair of boxing gloves at 11 and used to spar with his brother Charlie. He began fighting in fairground bouts and venues on the south coast. He had his first official boxing match on 26 February 1936, at a local ice rink and won by a first round ko. His first 64 fights, of which most were at light heavyweight, resulted in a result of 48 wins, 9 losses and 7 draws. He lost too many early fights because of his unschooled boxing style and also got disqualified once. He then stepped up in class in August 1940 and beat Jock "Rochdale Thunderbolt" McAvoy, who was a hard puncher, by a 12-round decision. In December 1941 he faced Jack London, the future British heavyweight champion in a heavyweight fight and won on points. Despite standing only 5'10 and a half inch, Freddie's natural resilience and strength, together with his relentless style, made him equipped to deal with bigger men than himself. He had a rematch with McAvoy in February 1942 but it ended too soon as McAvoy was forced to retire after one round due to a back injury. On 20 June he went to White Hart Lane in London to fight Len Harvey, the British and Commonwealth light heavy champion and knocked him out in sensational fashion, knocking him through the ropes in the second round and Harvey was counted out while lying outside the ring. He then beat another heavyweight, Al Robinson, first stopping him by retirement after 6 rounds and then knocking him out in 2. He also beat the Scotsman Bert Gilroy by TKO 8 and Canadian heavyweight Al Delaney by KO 5, showing his natural punching power. He then had a crack at the Commonwealth heavyweight title but was beaten on points by Jack London after 15 rounds. On 14 May 1946 he got a shot at the world light heayvweight title against champion Gus Lesnevich from USA. The fight was held in Harringay, London and it would be an unforgettable fight. Lesnevich was a very strong fighter physically and could punch and he sent Mills down twice in the second round. Mills received such a punishment in this round that had it been held today, the fight would most certainly be stopped. But he continued fighting and did very well, taking the fight to Lesnevich and cutting him above both eyes, until the 10th when he again got knocked down twice, before the referee stopped the fight. Johnny Sharpe of The Ring called it one of the greatest fights in British boxing history.

 

Having lost his first world title fight, Mills decided it was again time to try himself at the higher weight class and took on the British champion, the knockout artist Bruce Woodcock, who knocked out Lesnevich. He put on another brave fight but was down in the 4th round and lost a 12-round decision. He then won one fight by knockout before taking on the solid American heavyweight contender Joe Baksi, who would go on to stop Woodcock after this fight. Mills was no match for the 6'1 and 212 pound Baksi, himself coming in at 184 pounds. Baksi punished him for 6 rounds until Mills quit in the corner, with both eyes badly cut. He mounted a comeback, winning 3 fights by knockout but then again ran into an obstacle in the form of the top American light heavyweight Lloyd Marshall: Marshall put him down once in the 2nd and three times in the 3rd before knocking him out with a left hook in the 5th. Mills looked like damaged goods and it seemed his career at world stage was over. Too many movings up and down in weight had clearly harmed him. In his next fight in September '47 he won the European title however by KO 4 against Pol Goffaux of Belgium. He made his first defense in February next year, at his adopted home arena in Harringay, against the Spanish Paco Bueno. Bueno barely made the weight and was knocked out in the 2nd round. He then beat Ken Shaw by KO 1 in an eliminator for the British heavyweight title, but then decided to forfeit that attempt when he received a rematch from Lesnevich. The fight happened on 26 July 1948 in White City Stadium in London. Lesnevich had trouble making the weight and it showed, for he was remarkably listless in the start and Mills opened aggressively, cutting him over both eyes. The fight then settled into a remarkably dull affair, with boos from the crowd. Mills then exploded in the 10th and floored Lesnevich heavily twice. After that Lesnevich mounted a comeback in the 12th and 13th round but Mills stood his ground and returned the attacks. The fight went the 15 round distance and Mills was proclaimed as the winner by unanimous decision, amidst a great euphoria.

 

He then did something strange and went to South Africa to fight a heavyweight (today he would be a cruiserweight) called Johnny Ralph. He came in at 174 while Ralph came in at 190. The fight took place in Johannesburg 6 November and Mills floored Ralph five times in the 6th round before knocking him out in the 8th. It would be his final victory, as he again let his machismo get the better of him and decided to rematch Woodcock in a fight for the British, Commonwealth and European title on 2 June 1949. Mills conceded 20 pounds against the bigger man and though he managed to bloody Woodcock's nose, he was floored four times before getting knocked out in the 14th. He then finally made his first defense of the world light heavy title against Joey Maxim, the man who would become famous as the only man to stop Sugar Ray Robinson, on 24 January 1950 in Kensington, London. Mills as always opened strongly but Maxim was the superior boxer and after a while started to overwhelm him with his combinations. Mills looked for a knockout but in the 10th he was caught by a left-right combination and dropped. He took the count in the sitting position before he fell sideways and was counted out. This was his last fight and he announced retirement on 16 February.

 

In retirement, he used his boxing idol status to keep himself in the public eye and made several cameo appearances in films. He opened a nightclub in Soho and befriended the notorious Kray Brothers, Ronnie and Reggie, who were the most feared criminals in London at the time. He also taught boxing at a youth centre. He was plagued by headaches in his later phase of boxing career and it continued after the retirement. His nightclub, initially successful, started to suffer financially and he tried to sell it, without success. Most likely because of its' association with the Krays. He was in serious financial crisis when he was found on 24 July 1965 in his car, shot in the head, parked behind his nightclub. He was rushed to the hospital where he died. He was 46. The cause of death was ruled as suicide, but several theories have since surfaced, including one about him being a closet homosexual and one about him murdering eight prostitutes and killing himself to avoid getting caught. Chinese mobsters have also been blamed for his death. Whatever the truth, Fearless Freddie Mills was a victim of his own lifestyle. He is rated by most as the second best British light heavyweight, after John Conteh. He was a very brave and tough "little man" who will forever be known as much for his ring warrior heart as for his nice and charming personality.

Edited August 28, 2015 by BoztheMadman

[Gavin Harris]

Re: Fearless-Freddie Mills Story

 

A BBC doco is raising the question of whether Mills died of suicide or was actually killed by US gangster Myer Lansky.

 

Supposedly new evidence has come to light that supports the murder theory.

 

Was boxer Freddie Mills murdered or commit suicide BBC Four Murder in Soho | Daily Mail Online

[BoztheMadman]

Re: Fearless-Freddie Mills Story

 

A BBC doco is raising the question of whether Mills died of suicide or was actually killed by US gangster Myer Lansky.

 

Supposedly new evidence has come to light that supports the murder theory.

 

Was boxer Freddie Mills murdered or commit suicide BBC Four Murder in Soho | Daily Mail Online

Meyer Lansky??! Oh dear...he was not a man to be messed with, after Lucky Luciano the most powerful mobster in US, and back then it meant also the world, at the time.