Kray brothers gearing up for a box.
BoxingCultureLocal

Famous champion boxers from the East End, the beating heart of the boxing world

The most machismo of sports, boxing is woven into the fabric of the East End. The five square miles East of the centre of London has produced more champions than the rest of the nation combined.

Despite the aggression of the sport, boxing has served as a cultural bridge. Talented boxers from marginalised groups have challenged divisions in our communities. From Daniel Mendoza, a Jewish boxing legend in the 18th century who used his fists to fight antisemitism, to Maurice Hope, a black boxer, who transcended racism to fight at the 1972 Munich Olympics talent has trumped racial and ethnic prejudice.

Before gloves were introduced all that was needed were fists, which were never in short supply. The East End has been long mired in poverty but boxing was accessible to all.  And, in a pre-influencer world, the sport provided the most viable route to turn rags into riches. 

Repton Boxing Club, founded in 1884, has been a breeding ground for champions: producing a contender in every Olympics since 1968. Many boxers credit the institution with keeping them on the straight and narrow as boys, although some returned to crime after retirement.

York Hall is another stalwart of East End boxing. This world-famous institution, founded in 1929, was where Joe Calzaghe famously took down Frank Minton in an unthinkable 85 seconds in 1995. With no age restrictions, a melee of prams, furs and tracksuits gather to share the venue’s electric vibes.

For centuries, boxing has been embedded into the soul of the East End: 

‘If you could fight then you were a real man,’ said Sammy McCarthy, a former British featherweight champion and Stepney resident when interviewed for Alex Daley’s book, Fighting Men of London.

While not exhaustive, we delve into the lives of legendary boxing figures who have brought pride to the East End.

Daniel Mendoza aka “Mendoza the Jew” 

Etching portrait of Daniel Mendoza, the Jewish Boxer from Bethnal Green
Etching of Daniel Mendoza

One of the first sporting superstars, Jewish boxer Daniel Mendoza was born in Stepney on 5 July 1764 and is credited with inventing the left jab, side stance and ducking technique that is still so common today. 

Born to a Portuguese Jewish family, aged 16 he was spotted mid-skirmish by noted boxer Richard Humphries. 

Under Humphries’s mentorship, he became the lightest heavyweight boxer ever, technically middleweight at 72kg he held the heavyweight title for 26 years. He stood side-on to compensate for his slight physique, and darted around the ring, deftly ducking and jabbing- this technique is still standard today.

From his home at 3 Paradise Row, he started a boxing school and wrote ‘The Art of Modern Boxing’ in 1788 setting out the foundation of modern boxing theory. 

At the peak of his career, a fight against Humphries attracted thousands of spectators and after 72 rounds he was declared victorious.

After the fight, his fame became astronomical, sparking headlines in France and America.

He was granted patronage by the Prince of Wales. By the end of his career he was a wealthy man yet he squandered his fortune.  He briefly ran the Admiral Nelson Pub in Whitechapel but an opulent lifestyle meant he lost it to the bank after it became steeped in debt. He died penniless and blind at 72 on September 3, 1836. 

Ted Kid Lewis aka “The Decoy”

Ted Kid Lewis Bethnal Green welterweight from the  East End

An Aldgate boy, Ted Kid Lewis was born on 24 October 1894 to a Jewish cabinet maker and became the youngest world welterweight champion at 21 and is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

He won his first world title in New York’s Madison Square Garden on 31 August 1915 by defeating American Jack Britton. 

Britton was Lewis’ main nemesis; they fought 20 times over 224 rounds. Lewis lost only 41 of his 300 fights and won the British and European featherweight championships by defeating Johnny Brown at the Royal Albert Hall in 1924. 

Despite his Jewish roots, he joined Oswald Mosley’s fascist Blackshirts party and ran for parliament in Whitechapel and St George’s in 1931, securing only 153 votes.

The infamous Kray twins used him as a decoy in a planned prison escape, and after his success in America, he befriended Charlie Chaplin. 

Nearly blind and suffering from Parkinson’s, he died in 20 September 1970 in Clapham, in the Nightingale House where a blue plaque commemorates his life.

Tom King aka “The Fighting Sailor”

Known as the ‘fighting sailor’, Tom King was born on Silver Street in Stepney On August 14 1835. 

Thomas King Boxer from Bethnal Green in the East End

Renowned for downing copious amounts of gin before fights, he sailed the Horn of Africa multiple times with the Navy honing his boxing skills in dockyards around the world.

His notoriety at sea meant he was scouted for illegal boxing matches in London, which still attracted large crowds, sums of prize money and established structures.  

King beat Norfolk-born Jem Mace on the banks of the River Medway on  26 November 1862 for £200 stealing the unofficial British heavyweight title.

Mace was predicted to win 4-1 and had the upper hand until the 20th round when King secured a stunning knockout. 

King defended his title against American boxer John Heenan in December 1863, winning the match and £1000. 

Tom refused to meet Mace, who had four inches and twenty pounds on him, again in the ring even when Mace picked a fight with him street- fearful of losing his title.

After King’s retirement in 1963, he became a prolific rower and was a successful bookmaker at race tracks up and down the country. 

King died at home in Clapham in October 3 1988, a wealthy man with an estate of over £54,000 roughly £4 million in today’s money. 

Joseph Anderson aka “The Last Bare-Knuckle Fighter”

The last bare-knuckle fighter, Joe Anderson was born in Bethnal Green, 26 Crispin Street on 14 October 1869 and worked as a market porter at Spitalfields.

He beat Tom Ireland to win the All-England Boxing medal at Excelsior Hall in Bethnal Green on 24 July 1987, winning £40.

His silver championship prize belt was featured on BBC’s Antique Roadshow in April 2015.

After retirement in 1911, he moved to North London where he died in 1943.

Ronnie and Reggie Kray aka “London’s most notorious gangsters”

Ronnie and Reggie Kray from Bethnal Green, East End with American heavyweight boxer Joe Loui in 1960

The infamous Ronnie and Reggie Kray, born and bred on Vallance Road in Bethnal Green, were reportedly boxing-obsessed and trained at the iconic Repton Boxing Hall

According to their brother Charlie and coach Tony Burns, Reggie was the better of the two, cool, cautious and able to listen to instructions and hold back when necessary. By contrast, Ronnie was a brave boxer but incapable of holding back. 

The Krays made their professional debut at the Mile End Arena in 1951 and fought at the Albert Hall as the undercard of British lightweight champion Tommy McGovern.

Ronnie won four of his six fights by knockout and lost the other two by decision. Reggie was unbeaten in all seven of his professional fights.

Their careers ended in 1952 when they were called up for national service, Ronnie reportedly punched a corporal in the jaw during the signup process, and after dishonourable discharge, they returned to a life of crime. 

When they were given life sentences in 1969 their farewell was a silent shadow boxing match in their adjoining cells where they mirrored each other’s moves. 

Ronnie died on 17 March 1995 after a heart attack in Broadmoor prison having been certified insane. Reggie died five years later in Norfolk on 1 October 2000 having been allowed to leave prison whilst dying of cancer. 

Sammy McCarthy aka “The Nicest Man in Boxing”

The son of a Stepney costermonger, Sammy McCarthy fought his way from the fruit and veg cart to win the British featherweight title twice and the lightweight champion once.

Mccarthy was born on 5 November 1931 and trained as a boy at St George’s Gym in Stepney where he won 83 of his 90 amateur fights. He achieved overnight stardom when he represented England four times. 

He won his first 28 professional matches and was known as the nicest man in boxing. Highly articulate with impeccable manners the paragon of self-effacement, he admitted that his Queen’s English resulted from resenting his working-class roots. 

At 26, he was the youngest person ever featured on the TV program ‘This is Your Life’ in 1957. 

His boxing career won him great wealth, and after retirement, he bought ‘The Prince of Wales’ pub known as Kate Odders in Ducket St, Stepney. After frittering away his money, he became a bank robber and served three sentences of three, six and fourteen years. 

McCarthy died whilst living in Wanstead aged 88 on 10 February 2000.

Ted Berry who taught the Krays

Ted Berry was born to a Bethnal Green family of hawkers in 1905. He was a promising pugilist, with 19 straight wins in 1954 before his retina was detached during a fight. 

During Berry’s brief career, he developed an astonishing following, attracting large crowds. After retirement, he taught the Kray twins who lived on the same street as him when they were growing up. 

They used to come around to his childhood home for tea. 

He died in 2000 but he is still remembered for his promise despite his career being thwarted by injury.

Albert Carroll one of the Great Train Robbers

Bethnal Green native Albert Caroll, who was born in 1935, challenged some of the greats from Brian Curvis to Tommy Molloy. He became the South East welterweight champion in 1952 and challenged for the British title. 

A talented boxer he came tantalisingly close to the top of the sport but his love of the drink hindered his success. 

Carroll was also associated with the Great Train Robbers. In his memoir, he admits involvement with the 1969 robbery of a Royal Mail train worth £4.2 million (roughly £67 million in today’s money). Not identified as a ringleader or actively involved on the day he was never charged. 

John H Stracey, a Bethnal Green fairytale

A classic Bethnal Green fairytale, John Stracey trained at Repton Boxing Club from 11 years old and became the world welterweight champion under trainer Tony Burns in 1975.

Born on 22 September 1950 Stracey grew up on Collingwood Estate in the heart of Bethnal Green his father introduced him to boxing to help him control his aggression. 

In 1950 he told the ring: “It was a tough time just after the war; you’re still on rations.

“Growing up on a council estate in Bethnal Green, I was always one of the lads getting in trouble.”

Stracey represented Britain at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics where he lost on points to the eventual champion Ronnie Harris. However, Stracey won the world welterweight title beating  José Nápoles, in Nápoles’ hometown of Mexico City, on 6 December 1975. 

He also held the British and European welterweight championships for two years between 1973 and 1975. 

Ranked the 8th-best welterweight of all time by Boxing Rec the self-labelled council estate boy looms large in East End boxing folklore. 

Maurice Hope, the “Black Boxing Pioneer’ 

Maurice Hope Olympic hopeful getting ready to fight.

Audrey Hope was born in Antigua on 6 December 1951 but grew up in Hackney after his family emigrated in 1961. 

Hope became one of the first black boys to train at Repton. He was welcomed by the legendary Tony Burns with open arms but was taunted by the teenagers due to his race. Hope told Vice magazine that he would be spat at, and pushed out the shower because he was black but he pointed out that boxing was one of the few sports that didn’t have a colour bar. 

His critics were quickly silenced by his raw talent and he became the British junior middleweight champion in 1968.

At 21 Hope represented Britain in the 1972 Munich Olympics but lost to German Boxer Janos Kajdi in the quarter-finals. On 4 March 1979, he won the middleweight World Championship by knocking out Rocky Mattioli in Italy.

He defended this until losing to Wilfred Benitez in Las Vegas after a twelfth-round knockout which made international news reels.  Despite being hospitalised after the fight he married his girlfriend Elvis-style in a Las Vegas Chapel.  

Billy Taylor, Harry Potter and Drunken Yarns

Billy Taylor, Repton Boxing Club champion and actor, boxing on film, Bethnal Green
Billy Taylor boxing on film © Z360 Photography

Billy Taylor hailed from Hackney and was born on 14 September 1952.  Whilst at school at  Daneford School for boys near Columbia Road with John Stracey he joined Repton Club. He became a stalwart at the club both as a boxer and coach. A voracious boxer he competed as a featherweight in the Munich Olympics 1972 and won all of his five professional fights. 

Whilst his boxing career was short-lived he is also known for his role in the Harry Potter spin-off ‘The Fantastic Beasts and Crimes of Grindelwald.’

Dave Robinson the Repton Club chairman of 35 years praised his skill as a coach. 

He said: “He had a good eye for talent… he saw things I never saw.

“Being an Olympian with the senior squad of boxers for years with Tony Burns and Maurice Hope he could spot talent.”

Also known for drunken yarns at local boozers in Hoxton such as the now-demolished Acorn and Green Man club, he was a fixture in East End boxing culture.

Audley Harrison, the Olympic Heavyweight Champion

Audley Harrison Olympic Medal winner 2000.
Harrison showing off his Olympic Gold belt, 2000.

Audley Harrison, also a Repton Club graduate, was born in Stonebridge, Harlesden, on 6 October 1971 and won Olympic heavyweight gold in Sydney in 2000. 

After becoming the British and Commonwealth champion in 1998, he secured a £1 million deal with the BBC to broadcast 17 fights before they ceased airing boxing.

Growing up in a tough inner-city neighbourhood, he often spent time with troublemakers but credited boxing with keeping him on track. In 2010, he became the European heavyweight champion after defeating Michael Sprout.

Defying boxing norms, he won a second Prizefighter tournament in 2013 and showcased his footwork on Strictly Come Dancing, reaching the seventh round. After a brief return to boxing, where he was knocked out in 82 seconds, he retired in 2013. The following year he appeared Celebrity Big Brother, and was placed third. In 2015, he revealed he had suffered severe brain damage and vision problems from repeated knockouts.

Ruqsana Begum, the Muslim Mai Thuay Princess

Portrait of Ruqsana Begum at KO Gym.

A Bethnal Green native and trained architect, Ruqsana Begum, born on 15 October 1983, began her combat sports journey as a Muay Thai and kickboxer, winning the British Muay Thai Championship in 2010. 

While studying at the University of Westminster, she secretly trained in kickboxing under Bill Judd. After a traumatic arranged marriage, boxing became her therapy, and after five years she ‘came out’ to her parents about her love of the sport. 

Known for pioneering the sports hijab, now endorsed by brands like Nike, she signed with Joe Joyce’s handler, Same Jones, to transition into professional boxing. In 2018, she made her debut at York Hall and has since won five of her eight professional fights. 

Begum is the only Muslim woman to hold a national boxing title and teaches other women at KO boxing club. 

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