Don Cockell

Don Cockell
Data
Birth Name	Donald J. Cockell
Weight class	Heavyweight
nationality	British
birthday	September 22, 1928
place of birth	Battersea , England
Date of death	1983
style	Left-hand boom
Combat Statistics
Struggles	81
Victories	66
Knockout victories	38
Defeats	14th
draw	1

Don Cockell (born September 22, 1928 in Battersea , England , † 1983 ) was a British boxer . He was European light heavyweight professional boxer champion .

Career

Amateur career

Don Cockell did only a short amateur period at ABC Earsfield, England. He achieved no major successes during this time.

Profile career

At the age of 18, Don Cockell switched to the professionals and signed a contract with manager John Simpsson. He played his first fight on October 7, 1946 in High Wycombe , Buckinghamshire , against Jimmy Sales in the middleweight division. In his second fight he had to take a point defeat against Jock Taylor in Watford , Hertfordshire , and lost to the same opponent on January 6, 1947 in High Wycomb even by knockout in the fifth round. He quickly overcame these early setbacks and had many successful development struggles over the next two years. On May 18, 1948, he stepped, meanwhile grown into the light heavyweight division, against the aspiring Johnny Williams in an important fight, which he won on points. After this victory, the English boxing public first became really aware of Don Cockell. On July 27, 1948, he lost the revenge against Johnny Williams in Birmingham , because he had to give up because of an eyebrow injury in the second round.

Don Cockell won his first victory against a foreign boxer on February 13, 1950 against the Belgian Georges Rogiers, who was not one of the first European garb, and whom he safely scored in eight rounds. More important was his victory over Lloyd Barnett on March 14, 1950 at the Royal Albert Hall in London . With this victory he fought for the right to fight for the English light heavyweight championship. On October 17, 1950 he won this title in London against Mark Hart, whom he knocked out in the 14th round.

Subsequently, Don Cockell fought twice in a row against Lloyd Marshall on November 14, 1950 and on February 27, 1951 . He won the first fight because Marshall had to be disqualified because of a low blow. Don Cockell also won the subsequent revenge, this time with a knockout in the first round. On March 27, 1953 Don Cockell fought in London against the Frenchman Albert Yvel for the European light heavyweight championship. He was far superior in this fight and celebrated a technical knockout victory in the 6th round over Yvel. He was thus European light heavyweight champion.

On October 16, 1951, Don Cockell defended his two titles in London, European champion and British light heavyweight champion, against Albert Finch and won by knockout in the seventh round. In his next fight against the dangerous American Jimmy Slade on December 4, 1951 in London, Don Cockell suffered a heavy defeat. Slade had sent Cockell to the ground five times in the first four rounds of this fight before the referee took the defenseless Don Cockell out of the ring.

After a long break, Don Cockell then defended his British light heavyweight title on June 10, 1952 in London against ex-world champion Randy Turpin . At the same time, this fight went for the British Empire Light Heavyweight Title. Don Cockell was down three times in this fight against Randy Turpin and was taken out of the fight by referee Tommy Little in the 11th round. Since Don Cockell had already resigned the European title without a fight, he was without a title from that point on.

Don Cockell switched to heavyweight after this fight because of his constant weight problems. He increased his combat weight within a few months from approx. 79 kg to approx. 92 kg. By a knockout victory over the Welsh veteran Tommy Farr on March 9, 1953 in Nottingham , Don Cockell won the right to challenge a fight for the British heavyweight championship. This fight then took place on May 12, 1953 against the title holder Johnny Williams in London. Don Cockell showed his strength as a heavyweight and won this fight over 15 rounds on points. He was again British champion and British Empire champion, but in the heavyweight division.

Don Cockell and his manager John Simpsson were now aiming for a fight for the world championship against the American Rocky Marciano . He also achieved this goal through victories over the US world numbering boxers Roland La Starza on March 30, 1954 in London and Harry (Kid) Matthews , whom he met on June 1, 1954 in London and on July 31, 1954 in Seattle , Washington , scored twice in a row.

On May 16, 1955 , the fight for the heavyweight world champion crown took place in the fully occupied Kezar Stadium in San Francisco , California . Don Cockell showed, surprisingly for all boxing experts, the undefeated world champion Rocky Marciano in the first six rounds of this fight, before the stronger physique of Marciano prevailed from the seventh round. After 54 seconds of the 9th round, Don Cockell ended when he had to be removed from the ring by referee Frankie Brown because of his inability to defend himself.

Don Cockell then sought a quick rematch against Marciano and fought on September 13, 1955 against the Cuban Niño Valdés for the right of challenge. Niño Valdés, a giant six feet tall, was too strong for Cockell. Don Cockell had to be taken out of the fight in the third round.

Don Cockell fought his last fight on April 24, 1956 in London against Kitione Lave from Tonga . He lost this duel by knockout in the second round and then withdrew from boxing.

Championship fights from Don Cockell

• 17th October 1950, knockout winner in the 14th round over Mark Hart in the fight for the British Light Heavyweight Championship ,
• March 27, 1951, points winner over Albert Yvel , France , in the fight for the European light heavyweight championship,
• October 16, 1951, knockout winner in the 7th round over Albert Finch in the fight for the European Championship and the British Championship in the light heavyweight division,
• June 10, 1952, knockout loss in the 11th round against Randy Turpin in the fight for the British Championship and the British Empire Championship in the light heavyweight division,
• May 12, 1953, points victory over Johnny Williams in the fight for the British Championship and the British Empire Heavyweight Championship,
• May 16, 1955, knockout loss to Rocky Marciano , USA , in the fight for the world heavyweight championship

Web links

• Don Cockell's fight record