William James Wilde was a Welsh professional boxer who competed from 1911 to 1923. He held the IBU world flyweight title in 1916, the EBU European flyweight title twice; firstly in 1914 and again from 1916 to 1917, the BBBofC British flyweight title in 1916 and the National Sporting Club's British flyweight title from 1916 to 1918.
Howard Winstone, MBE was a Welsh world champion boxer, born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. As an amateur, Winstone won the Amateur Boxing Association bantamweight title in 1958, and a Commonwealth Games Gold Medal at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff.
The Lord Lonsdale Challenge Belt, commonly known as the Lonsdale Belt, is the oldest championship belt in British professional boxing. The 5th Earl of Lonsdale introduced the prize on behalf of the National Sporting Club (NSC), intending it to be awarded to British boxing champions. Arthur Frederick Bettinson, manager of the NSC, introduced terms and conditions regarding the holding of the belt, which ensured its lasting prestige. Freddie Welsh earned the first Lonsdale Belt in 1909 after winning the NSC British Lightweight title. Heavyweight Henry Cooper was the first and only boxer to win three Lonsdale Belts. In 1929 the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) assumed responsibility for awarding the belt, which continues to be bestowed on British champions.
Enzo Maccarinelli is a retired Welsh former professional boxing world champion who competed from 1999 to 2016. He held the WBO cruiserweight title from 2006 to 2008. At regional level, he held the European and British cruiserweight titles between 2010 and 2012, and the Commonwealth light-heavyweight title in 2013.
Edward Thomas MBE was a Welsh professional boxer and boxing manager. He was born in Merthyr Tydfil. After a highly successful amateur boxing career, he turned professional in 1946. He won the Welsh welterweight title in 1948 and the British welterweight title in 1949, becoming the first Welsh fighter to hold the belt for more than 30 years. He won the European welterweight title in 1951, retaining it for only four months. He held the British Empire title for a period in the same year.
Eddie Avoth is a Welsh former boxer and actor. He was British and Commonwealth Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion, with a record of 44 wins from 53 fights.
Welsh Italians are Welsh who are fully or partially of Italian descent, whose ancestors were Italians who emigrated to Wales during the Italian diaspora, or Italian-born people in Wales. Most Italian immigration to Wales took place in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with the largest number of migrants settling in Glamorgan and Newport.
Joseph William Calzaghe is a Welsh former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2008. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including unified and lineal titles at super-middleweight, and the Ring magazine light-heavyweight title.
Pietro Vincenzo "Enzo" Calzaghe was an Italian-born Welsh boxing trainer. He was the father of Joe Calzaghe and the head trainer for Team Calzaghe at the Newbridge boxing club. He, along with son Joe, was a co-founder of Calzaghe Promotions.
Jamie Arthur is a former professional boxer. Born in Scotland, Arthur moved to Wales at a young age and took up boxing. He was selected to represent Wales at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester in the men's lightweight division. After winning his opening four bouts, Arthur defeated Denis Zimba in the gold medal match to become the first Welsh fighter to win gold at the games for more than 40 years.
Terry Lawless was an English boxing manager and trainer who worked in London, most successfully during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
Nathan Cleverly is a retired Welsh former professional boxing world champion who competed from 2005 to 2017. He is a two-time light-heavyweight world champion, having held the WBO title from 2011 to 2013, and the WBA (Regular) title from 2016 to 2017. Additionally he held multiple regional light-heavyweight championships, including the European, British, and Commonwealth titles between 2008 and 2010.
The Newbridge Boxing Club is a boxing gym operated by Enzo Calzaghe and based in Newbridge in South Wales. The club has been one of the most successful of recent years, at one point in 2007 boasting three genuine world champions in Joe Calzaghe, Enzo Maccarinelli and Gavin Rees. Other fighters of note who have won belts at the club include former Commonwealth light middleweight champion Bradley Pryce and former WBU champion and world title challenger Gary Lockett who retired in Sept 2008.
Joe Calzaghe vs. Roy Jones Jr., billed as Battle of the Superpowers, was a boxing light-heavyweight superfight. The fight was held on November 8, 2008, at Madison Square Garden. The fight was for Calzaghe's Ring light-heavyweight championship.
Boxing is a popular sport in Wales, and since the early 20th century Wales has produced a notable number of professional boxers including several World Champions. The most notable boxers include Wales' first World Champion Percy Jones; Jimmy Wilde, who is seen as pound-for-pound one of the World's finest boxers and Joe Calzaghe, who ended his career an undefeated World Champion.
Freddie William Evans is a British professional boxer fighting in the 69 kg welterweight category. As an amateur, he won gold at the 2007 World Cadet Championships in Hungary and won gold for Wales at the 2011 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Ankara. He was the first Welsh boxer to achieve the feat in 86 years.
Joe Cordina is a Welsh professional boxer. He is a two-time super-featherweight world champion, having held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title since April 2023 and previously in 2022. At regional level, he held the British and Commonwealth lightweight titles between 2018 and 2019. As an amateur, he won a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and gold at the 2015 European Championships, both in the lightweight division. He also represented Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
This article is about the particular significance of the year 2015 to Wales and its people.
Gavin Gwynne is a Welsh professional boxer who has held the European lightweight title since 2023. He previously held the British lightweight title between 2022 and 2024 and the Commonwealth lightweight title between 2021 and 2022.
