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Boxer Peter Bates

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The death last week of Ingemar Johansson, Sweden's world heavyweight champion of the early 1960s, revives memories of Peter Bates, one of the stars of the Sheffield boxing scene in the 50s and 60s. In a 50-fight career from 1953, Bates fought most of the top British heavyweights. In Sept 1956 he beat Henry Cooper at Manchester. Three months later in Gothenburg Johansson KO'd him in the second round and Bates returned to Sheffield with a broken jaw. In July 1957 he was KO'd by Brian London. His last fight, against Billy Walker at Olympia in 1962, also ended in a two-rounds defeat. Bates, born in Salisbury in 1933, lived at Shirebrook. He died in 2004.

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Could this be the same Peter Bates, who was an ex boxer that owned a pub in chesterfield ?

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Only two boxers stopped Henry Cooper on cuts one was Peter Bates who was the other?

 

I knew Peter a bit in the 70s and met one of his ex wives in Tenerife a few years ago (Zelda???).

 

He kept the Red Lion in Chesterfield and later moved out to a pub in Glossop. Didnt know him well but seemed a nice guy.

The death last week of Ingemar Johansson, Sweden's world heavyweight champion of the early 1960s, revives memories of Peter Bates, one of the stars of the Sheffield boxing scene in the 50s and 60s. In a 50-fight career from 1953, Bates fought most of the top British heavyweights. In Sept 1956 he beat Henry Cooper at Manchester. Three months later in Gothenburg Johansson KO'd him in the second round and Bates returned to Sheffield with a broken jaw. In July 1957 he was KO'd by Brian London. His last fight, against Billy Walker at Olympia in 1962, also ended in a two-rounds defeat. Bates, born in Salisbury in 1933, lived at Shirebrook. He died in 2004.

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Only two boxers stopped Henry Cooper on cuts one was Peter Bates who was the other?

 

I knew Peter a bit in the 70s and met one of his ex wives in Tenerife a few years ago (Zelda???).

 

He kept the Red Lion in Chesterfield and later moved out to a pub in Glossop. Didnt know him well but seemed a nice guy.

I remember working at their pub in Chesterfield in a band in an upstairs room ran as a blues club in the 60s ,Zelda was a real stunner! ex Miss G.B. I think.

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I met Peter Bates a couple of times. I asked him a few questions about his career in boxing and he seemed very shy and reserved with his answers. He seemed to pass it off as one of those things that he just happened to have done. He came across as a very nice person.

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I can see him now down at the City, built like the proverbial brick outhouse. Seemed affable enough, the few times we spoke. He had a decent enough career and an all-round class act.

I was rummaging around on the Web a while back and came across an item that may interest some people. An old programme for sale on a site;- david@boxingtreasures.com

It's a U.S site, based in Connecticut.

The programme was from a show at the Edmund Road Drill Hall in 1954, promoted by G.R.G.

On it were the following:- Peter Bates v Eddie Hearn, Billie Cobb v Ken Tyson,

Eric Ludlam v Ron Crookes, Terry McDonald v Claire Redmond, Jackie Hudson v Don Bellamy, and George Spence v Johnny Delmere. The original price was 3d in old money. The price now is (wait for it, wait for it), $19.95. That's about 27 notes. Any takers?

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eric ludlam and ronnie crookes fought twice , they were next door neighbours on woodseats . last time I saw jackie hudson he was living on norfolk park , saw him in wetherspoons in town .

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Another good kid was Jackie, we went to the same gym for a while. I remember him when he had straight hair.

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Only two boxers stopped Henry Cooper on cuts one was Peter Bates who was the other?

 

I knew Peter a bit in the 70s and met one of his ex wives in Tenerife a few years ago (Zelda???).

 

He kept the Red Lion in Chesterfield and later moved out to a pub in Glossop. Didnt know him well but seemed a nice guy.

 

my dad used to go in the red lion regularly and was very good friends with peter and VALDA ,i use to to have a massive crush on their daughter Sheridan,but she didnt know it at the time!

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My god, this is going back some years now, my dad was a regular in the red lion....

I used to spar with Petes son (also called Pete if I remember) in the boxing ring they had above the pub.

In fact, some of you may have known my dad - anyone remember a bloke called Len Thomas ?

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This is weird.My older brother used to spar there as well, Steve.

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This is weird.My older brother used to spar there as well, Steve.
Small world aint it :D

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