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Does anyone remember Walter McGowan?


The_budweiser
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Does anyone remember Walter McGowan? How good was he?

 

He didn't stay to far from me. He sadly passed away aged 73 on Monday.

 

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Boxing promoter Alex Morrison has called the late Walter McGowan, the Hamilton boxer who became world flyweight champion in 1966, the best pound-for-pound fighter Scotland has produced. McGowan died aged 73 on Monday.

 

Former lightweight world champion Ken Buchanan, who used to spar with McGowan, said he was "a lovely man" and "right up there with Benny Lynch and Jackie Paterson".

 

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WIKI

 

Walter McGowan, MBE (13 October 1942 – 15 February 2016), was a Scottish boxer born in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was renowned for having been lineal world flyweight champion.

 

He was the son of Thomas McGowan, who had boxed under the name of 'Joe Gans'.

 

He was a skillful boxer, who showed brilliant footwork and knew how to use the ring. However, he suffered throughout his career with cuts, often having fights stopped despite being ahead on points. Without this failing, he would have had an even more successful career.

Amateur career

 

McGowan was the 1961 ABA Flyweight Champion.

 

He suffered only two defeats in 124 amateur bouts.

 

Fought amateur David Ferguson for 3 rounds and only won on point decision.

 

Professional career

 

He had his first professional fight in August 1961 when he fought George McDade at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, winning by a technical knockout in the third round.

 

He lost his third fight to Jackie Brown on points, but then continued to build up an impressive list of wins. In his tenth fight he fought Jackie Brown for the British and Commonwealth flyweight titles. The fight was in May 1963 at the Ice rink, Paisley, and Mcgowan won by a knockout in the twelfth round.

 

In September 1963, he defended his Commonwealth title against Killer Salomon from Jamaica. The fight was in Paisley, and McGowan won by a technical knockout in the ninth round.

 

In April 1964, he challenged for the European flyweight title, held by Italian, Salvatore Burruni. The fight was held in the Olympic Stadium, Rome, and McGowan suffered the second defeat of his career, losing on points over fifteen rounds.

 

In December 1965, he stepped up a weight and challenged for the European bantamweight title, held by Italian, Tommaso Galli. The fight was again in Rome and ended as a draw after fifteen rounds.

 

In June 1966, he again fought Salvatore Burruni, this time for the lineal world flyweight championship, which Burruni held. They met at the Empire Pool, Wembley, and McGowan won a fifteen-round points decision to gain the lineal world title, despite sustaining a badly gashed eye in the seventh round. Cuts were to prove a major problem in his career.

 

In September 1966, he fought Alan Rudkin at the Empire Pool, for the British and Commonwealth bantamweight titles that he held. McGowan scored another fifteen-round points win, despite suffering a cut eye in the tenth round.

 

In December 1966, he defended his lineal world title against Chartchai Chionoi in Bangkok, Thailand. The Thai fighter won and took the title when McGowan suffered a badly cut nose in the ninth round, and the referee was forced to stop the fight.

 

The two boxers had a re-match at the Empire Pool in September 1967, but again the Thai boxer won and kept his title, when cuts to both McGowan’s eyes and his forehead caused the referee to stop the fight in the seventh.

 

In McGowan’s next fight, in May 1968, he lost his British and Commonwealth bantamweight titles to Alan Rudkin. The fight was at Belle Vue, Manchester and Rukin won by a fifteen-round points decision.

 

McGowan fought six more fights, all against foreign boxers, winning them all, before retiring. His last fight was in November 1969 against Domenico Antonio Chiloiro.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_McGowan

 

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Scottish boxing legend Walter McGowan has died, aged 73

 

FORMER world boxing champion Walter McGowan has died, aged 73.

 

The Scottish sporting legend’s finest hour came in 1966 when he defeated Italy’s Salvatore Burruni at Wembley to land the world flyweight title.

 

He followed up his triumph by beating Alan Rudkin, again at Wembley, to take the British and Empire title at bantamweight.

 

As an amateur fighter, McGowan lost only two out of 124 bouts and won the British ABA flyweight title in 1961.

 

He turned professional under the guidance of his father Thomas, a former miner known in the ring as Joe Gans.

 

McGowan, who was awarded an MBE after his world title success, won 32 of his 40 professional fights before retiring in 1969.

 

Scottish boxing legend Walter McGowan has died, aged 73 - Daily Record

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Re: Does anyone remember Walter McGowan?

 

His greatest moment:

 

1966-06-14 Walter McGowan vs Salvatore Burruni (WBC World Flyweight title)

Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England

 

1965-08-20 Walter McGowan vs Ronnie Jones

Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland

 

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