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TERRY DOWNES .. R I P

Lincsaddick
Lincsaddick Posts: 32,348
in Other Football and Sports
One of my childhood heroes, one time middleweight boxer Terry Downes died on Friday aged 81.

He was a world champion in an era when that really meant something.
Downes was a U S Marine for a time, as his family went to live in the states, and it was in the marines where he learned to box.

A one time toughie in an age of toughies .. R I P Terry

Comments

  • Starinnaddick
    Starinnaddick Posts: 4,342
    R I P Terry
  • Johnnysummers5
    Johnnysummers5 Posts: 8,469
    RIP Terry
    A true world champion
  • SoundAsa£
    SoundAsa£ Posts: 22,477
    edited October 2017
    He was an Oakland Raiders fan (same as myself) and in 1984 the Super Bowl was beamed back to Leicester Square Odeon.....and who was sitting next to me, none other than the great man himself.
    We chatted quite a bit during the game, in between nodding off once in a while if I remember rightly......didn’t get out of there until around 3.00am!
    It was a comfortable win for The Raiders V The Redskins.
    Tough honest pro with the heart of a lion......tremendous non stop work rate, never gave his opponent a moments respite.

    RIP Terry.....It was an honour to have met you.
  • Daarrzzetbum
    Daarrzzetbum Posts: 1,236
    one proper "Ard" man was Terry, one of my old dad's boxing greats.
  • stonemuse
    stonemuse Posts: 33,998
    RIP had no idea he was that age.
  • Bedsaddick
    Bedsaddick Posts: 24,736
    RIP
  • Big in Brasov
    Big in Brasov Posts: 743
    Uncanny that a few of us were reminiscing about him Saturday afternoon. Had no idea he'd passed.

    RIP Terry
  • Rob
    Rob Posts: 11,786
    Sad. One of the boxing greats of that time.
  • uie2
    uie2 Posts: 4,596
    RIP
  • Bangkokaddick
    Bangkokaddick Posts: 4,295
    I used to go to boxing quite regularly in the 1980s, partly due to the free tickets my company had for the Albert Hall. He was always in attendance, though generally when the ring announcer introduced the boxing celebrities in the audience, the announcement was inevitably greeted by shouts from the crowd of "He's in the bar!"

    RIP Terry
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  • bobmunro
    bobmunro Posts: 20,843
    edited October 2017
    Bangkokaddick said:

    I used to go to boxing quite regularly in the 1980s, partly due to the free tickets my company had for the Albert Hall. He was always in attendance, though generally when the ring announcer introduced the boxing celebrities in the audience, the announcement was inevitably greeted by shouts from the crowd of "He's in the bar!"

    RIP Terry

    Me too - the Albert Hall and Wembley, and he was always there. He was very approachable and always prepared to have a chat (along with Chris Finnegan who was also always in the bar!!).

    Couple of quotes from him. When asked what it felt like to beat the great Sugar Ray he replied "I didn't beat Sugar Ray, I beat his ghost.". And after a tough fight he was asked who he would like to fight next, he replied "The bastard who made this match!" (source wikepedia).

    Top man, Terry - and as tough as they come.

    RIP Champ.
  • Brendan_O_Connell
    Brendan_O_Connell Posts: 8,938
    RIP
  • soapy_jones
    soapy_jones Posts: 21,351
    RIP. As said above I had no idea he was that age.
  • man_at_milletts
    man_at_milletts Posts: 5,620
    Pocket dynamo. RIP Terry.
  • HantsAddick
    HantsAddick Posts: 2,423
    One of my Dad's favourites. R.I.P. Terry
  • ShootersHillGuru
    ShootersHillGuru Posts: 50,619
    RIP. I have an autograph he kindly signed for me when I was a kid at Wembley Pool I think. Agree with everything the OP has written.
  • Dippenhall
    Dippenhall Posts: 3,919
    R.I.P. My uncle was an ex boxer from Stepney and in the 1960s organised all the charity raising events for the Ex Boxers Association. Terry fronted the Association and was always there to support every event, a real popular character. Still got my kid's autograph book he signed for me.
  • LenGlover
    LenGlover Posts: 31,651
    Probably the first British boxer, along with Henry Cooper, that I was aware of as a child.

    He had a fine career and was a good ambassador for his sport.

    RIP
  • SoundAsa£
    SoundAsa£ Posts: 22,477
    edited October 2017
    He used to own a very swish cafe in Monmouth Street........ mid 60’s.
    I think some of his relatives used to run it.
  • Simonsen
    Simonsen Posts: 5,502
    edited October 2017
    I'm saddened by this.

    I played a lot of cricket with one of his sons (Richard) and Terry would often pop along. He even turned up with his wife to watch us play in Jersey....having flown over in his own plane (he was a pilot).

    Back in 1984 Terry bought me my first ever curry (in Huddersfield!). He would sometimes give our coach a wad of cash after the game and get him to take us all out for a meal..."the boys played well today...."

    He was very hard to understand when he spoke because of all the whacks he'd taken but he was very generous and very funny.

    There was a nice little article in The Sunday Times about him....summed him up very well. It said he greeted the journalist with a number of good natured expletives. That's the Terry I remember.
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  • Jensenwasclass
    Jensenwasclass Posts: 835
    Dod he beat Paul Pender (known as the Boston Crab) for a world title fight.
    One of our all time greats! Sure at one time he owned a lot of Betting Shops.
  • blackpool72
    blackpool72 Posts: 23,670
    Simonsen said:

    I'm saddened by this.

    I played a lot of cricket with one of his sons (Richard) and Terry would often pop along. He even turned up with his wife to watch us play in Jersey....having flown over in his own plane (he was a pilot).

    Back in 1984 Terry bought me my first ever curry (in Huddersfield!). He would sometimes give our coach a wad of cash after the game and get him to take us all out for a meal..."the boys played well today...."

    He was very hard to understand when he spoke because of all the whacks he'd taken but he was very generous and very funny.

    There was a nice little article in The Sunday Times about him....summed him up very well. It said he greeted the journalist with a number of good natured expletives. That's the Terry I remember.

    Great post.
  • SoundAsa£
    SoundAsa£ Posts: 22,477
    Jensenwasclass said:

    Dod he beat Paul Pender (known as the Boston Crab) for a world title fight.
    One of our all time greats! Sure at one time he owned a lot of Betting Shops.

    Yes and yes.
  • nth_london_addick
    nth_london_addick Posts: 35,919
    Only seen him fight online but he never seemed to have a dull fight and was a game man

    RIP
  • Lincsaddick
    Lincsaddick Posts: 32,348
    there was a comprehensive and very interesting obituary in the 'Times' ..
    one especially funny story, it might even be true ..

    Micky Duff was TD's promoter/match maker and in his early career put him in with the late great Dick Tiger .. Tiger had Downes on the floor six times and the fight was stopped in the 6th .. later that evening, Downes was asked who he'd like to fight next .. he pointed to Duff .. 'that fucker there' ... hahahha

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