John H. Stracey

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox boxer John Henry Stracey MBE (born 22 September 1950) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1969 to 1978. He is a former welterweight world champion, having held the WBC and lineal welterweight titles between 1975 and 1976.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At regional level, he held the British and European welterweight titles between 1973 and 1975, and is ranked by BoxRec as the eighth best British welterweight of all time.

Amateur career

Stracey competed for Great Britain as a lightweight at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He was defeated in the Round of 16 by eventual gold medallist Ronnie Harris.<ref name="SportsRef">Template:Cite Sports-Reference</ref> Stracey won the 1969 ABA light-welterweight championship.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Professional career

Early career

Stracey began his professional career on 17 September 1969, knocking out Santos Martins in two rounds. Stracey won his first twelve fights, eleven by knockout, but against obscure opposition. Fight number thirteen was against Teddy Cooper, on 19 January 1971. Cooper was not a big name in boxing either, but this fight ended in controversy when Stracey won by a fifth round disqualification. On 5 October 1971 Stracey drew (tied) in ten rounds against Frankie Lewis.

Stracey produced five more wins before being matched with Marshall Butler, on 25 May 1972, at the Royal Albert Hall, suffering his first defeat after being outpointed by Butler over eight rounds.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He then put a string of four more wins together, before facing Bobby Arthur for the British welterweight title, on 31 October, at the Royal Albert Hall. He lost the fight with another controversial ending: This time, Stracey found himself disqualified in round seven.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Stracey then won five more bouts in a row. In February 1973, Stracey traveled to the United States, where he fought Danny McAloon on the undercard of the first Ali vs. Bugner fight, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, on 14 February. Stracey won the bout via unanimous decision.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He then met Bobby Arthur in a rematch on 5 June, this time winning the British title with a fourth-round knockout.<ref name="Gole">Golesworthy, Maurice (1988) Encyclopaedia of Boxing, 8th edition, Robert Hale Limited, Template:ISBN, p. 229</ref>

Stracey vs. Menetrey

On 27 May 1974, Stracey got his chance at the European welterweight title, fighting Roger Menetrey at the Stade de Roland Garros, in Paris, France. Stracey won via eighth-round knockout.<ref name="Gole" /> On 29 April 1975, he defended his European title against Max Hebeisen, at the Royal Albert Hall, winning via RTD in the sixth round.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Stracey vs. Nápoles

During the 1970s, it was a common practice to give world title shots to boxers that held continental titles. For example, the OPBF (Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation) champion would be given priority over other challengers for world title fights. Stracey was not the exception, and, after winning five more fights in a row (including a win over Ernie Lopez), he received his first world title shot: challenging WBC welterweight champion José Nápoles, in Nápoles' home-town of Mexico City, Mexico, on 6 December 1975. Stracey was sent down in round one, but he recuperated to close Nápoles' eye and have referee Octavio Meyran stop the fight in the sixth round, Stracey winning the world championship by a technical knockout.<ref name="Gole" /> The new champion declared, "He [Nápoles] could have knocked me down in every round but I'd have won it anyway". It was Nápoles' last fight.

1976

On 20 March 1976 he retained the title against perennial world title challenger Hedgemon Lewis by a knockout in round ten,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but on 22 June, at Wembley, he lost the world title, being knocked out in twelve rounds by California-based Mexican Carlos Palomino.<ref name="Gole" /> In his next fight, he lost to future world title challenger Dave Boy Green, with a badly damaged eye in round ten.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Stracey retired as a winner when he knocked out George Warusfel in nine rounds in Islington on 23 May 1978.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Outside the ring

A business associate of Stracey bought the Three Horseshoes pub in Briston, Norfolk, in 1975 and renamed it the John H Stracey. In 2011 the pub reverted to its original name.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He also had, at one point, a boxing school in London.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

John also had a hotel in Bournemouth with a public bar called The Ringside.when he was married to Michele, they also had a daughter called Laura. He is now a supporter and patron of the Devon based Kings Boxing Academy. https://www.kingsboxingacademy.co.uk/patrons/

Professional boxing record

Template:Abbr	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
51	Template:Yes2Win	Template:Nowrap	Georges Warusfel	TKO	9 (10)	23 May 1978	Template:Small
50	Template:No2Loss	44–5–1	Dave Boy Green	TKO	10 (10)	29 Mar, 1977	Template:Small
49	Template:No2Loss	44–4–1	Carlos Palomino	TKO	12 (15), Template:Small	22 Jun, 1976	Template:Small	Template:Small
48	Template:Yes2Win	44–3–1	Hedgemon Lewis	TKO	10 (15), Template:Small	20 Mar, 1976	Template:Small	Template:Small
47	Template:Yes2Win	43–3–1	José Nápoles	TKO	6 (15), Template:Small	6 Dec, 1975	Template:Small	Template:Small
46	Template:Yes2Win	42–3–1	Keith Averette	DQ	8 (10)	30 Sep, 1975	Template:Small
45	Template:Yes2Win	41–3–1	Ruben Vazquez Zamora	TKO	8 (10)	30 Jun, 1975	Template:Small
44	Template:Yes2Win	40–3–1	Max Hebeisen	RTD	6 (15)	29 Apr, 1975	Template:Small	Template:Small
43	Template:Yes2Win	39–3–1	Ernie Lopez	TKO	7 (10)	29 Oct, 1974	Template:Small
42	Template:Yes2Win	38–3–1	Tony Garcia	TKO	3 (10)	1 Oct, 1974	Template:Small
41	Template:Yes2Win	37–3–1	Roger Menetrey	TKO	8 (15)	27 May 1974	Template:Small	Template:Small
40	Template:Yes2Win	36–3–1	Vernon Mason	KO	4 (10)	23 Apr, 1974	Template:Small
39	Template:Yes2Win	35–3–1	Jack Tillman	TKO	4 (10)	26 Mar, 1974	Template:Small
38	Template:No2Loss	34–3–1	Cuby Jackson	TKO	3 (10)	11 Dec, 1973	Template:Small
37	Template:Yes2Win	34–2–1	Marc Gervais	TKO	4 (10)	13 Nov, 1973	Template:Small
36	Template:Yes2Win	33–2–1	Urban Baptiste	TKO	4 (10)	30 Oct, 1973	Template:Small
35	Template:Yes2Win	32–2–1	Jose Papo Melendez	TKO	3 (10)	10 Sep, 1973	Template:Small
34	Template:Yes2Win	31–2–1	Bobby Arthur	KO	4 (15)	5 Jun, 1973	Template:Small	Template:Small
33	Template:Yes2Win	30–2–1	Pat Murphy	TKO	5 (10)	9 May 1973	Template:Small
32	Template:Yes2Win	29–2–1	Jose Peterson	PTS	8	13 Mar, 1973	Template:Small
31	Template:Yes2Win	28–2–1	Danny McAloon	UD	10	14 Feb, 1973	Template:Small
30	Template:Yes2Win	27–2–1	Otha Tyson	KO	3 (10)	15 Jan, 1973	Template:Small
29	Template:Yes2Win	26–2–1	David Melendez	TKO	7 (10)	5 Dec, 1972	Template:Small
28	Template:No2Loss	25–2–1	Bobby Arthur	DQ	7 (15)	31 Oct, 1972	Template:Small	Template:Small
27	Template:Yes2Win	25–1–1	Les Pearson	TKO	2 (12)	10 Oct, 1972	Template:Small
26	Template:Yes2Win	24–1–1	Joe Yekinni	TKO	2 (10)	6 Jun, 1972	Template:Small
25	Template:Yes2Win	23–1–1	Antonio Torres	TKO	6 (8)	22 May 1972	Template:Small
24	Template:No2Loss	22–1–1	Marshall Butler	PTS	8	25 Apr, 1972	Template:Small
23	Template:Yes2Win	22–0–1	Ricky Porter	PTS	8	4 Apr, 1972	Template:Small
22	Template:Yes2Win	21–0–1	Des Rea	TKO	2 (8)	7 Mar, 1972	Template:Small
21	Template:Yes2Win	20–0–1	Bernie Terrell	TKO	2 (8)	15 Feb, 1972	Template:Small
20	Template:Yes2Win	19–0–1	Yvon Mariolle	KO	4 (8)	25 Jan, 1972	Template:Small
19	Template:Yes2Win	18–0–1	Guy Vercoutter	TKO	7 (10)	17 Nov, 1971	Template:Small
18	Template:Yes2Win	17–0–1	Dave Wyatt	TKO	3 (8)	27 Oct, 1971	Template:Small
17	Template:DrawDraw	16–0–1	Frankie Lewis	PTS	8	5 Oct, 1971	Template:Small
16	Template:Yes2Win	16–0	Bouzid Ait Elmenceur	PTS	8	4 May 1971	Template:Small
15	Template:Yes2Win	15–0	Dante Pelaez	PTS	8	16 Mar, 1971	Template:Small
14	Template:Yes2Win	14–0	Yvon Mariolle	KO	6 (8)	23 Feb, 1971	Template:Small
13	Template:Yes2Win	13–0	Teddy Cooper	DQ	5 (8)	19 Jan, 1971	Template:Small
12	Template:Yes2Win	12–0	Ferdinand Ahumibe	TKO	4 (8)	8 Dec, 1970	Template:Small
11	Template:Yes2Win	11–0	Willie Rea	TKO	3 (8)	6 Oct, 1970	Template:Small
10	Template:Yes2Win	10–0	Billy Seasman	RTD	5 (8)	29 Sep, 1970	Template:Small
9	Template:Yes2Win	8–0	David Pesenti	PTS	9	12 May 1970	Template:Small
8	Template:Yes2Win	8–0	Harri Piitulainen	RTD	6 (8)	27 Apr, 1970	Template:Small
7	Template:Yes2Win	7–0	Bernard Martin	RTD	3 (8)	17 Mar, 1970	Template:Small
6	Template:Yes2Win	6–0	Tei Dovi	TKO	3 (8)	10 Feb, 1970	Template:Small
5	Template:Yes2Win	5–0	Tommy Carson	TKO	7 (8)	20 Jan, 1970	Template:Small
4	Template:Yes2Win	4–0	Bryn Lewis	TKO	6 (8)	9 Dec, 1969	Template:Small
3	Template:Yes2Win	3–0	Ray Opuku	TKO	3 (6)	18 Nov, 1969	Template:Small
2	Template:Yes2Win	2–0	Ronnie Clifford	TKO	2 (8)	2 Oct, 1969	Template:Small
1	Template:Yes2Win	1–0	Santos Martins	KO	2 (6)	17 Sep, 1969	Template:Small

See also

• List of world welterweight boxing champions
• List of British world boxing champions

External links

• Template:Boxrec

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