Don Cockell was an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
boxerBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
He fought for most of his career as a light-heavyweight and became the British and European champion at that weight. Later in his career he moved up to heavyweight and held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles. He is best remembered for fighting against
Rocky MarcianoRocky Marciano , born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was the heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956, when he retired as the only heavyweight champion in boxing history to retire having won every fight in his professional career.- Early years :Marciano was an...
for the world heavyweight championship.
His full name was Donald John Cockell and he was born on 22 September 1928 in
BalhamBalham may refer to:*Balaam, Biblical figure*Balham, London, a place in the London Borough of Wandsworth, England*Balham station, a National Rail and London underground station in the place of the same name in London...
,
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, the son of Kate Cockell, a domestic servant from
BatterseaBattersea is a place in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is an inner-city district located 2.9 miles south west of Charing Cross. It has a population of 75,651 people .-Geography:...
.
Don Cockell was an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
boxerBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
He fought for most of his career as a light-heavyweight and became the British and European champion at that weight. Later in his career he moved up to heavyweight and held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles. He is best remembered for fighting against
Rocky MarcianoRocky Marciano , born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was the heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956, when he retired as the only heavyweight champion in boxing history to retire having won every fight in his professional career.- Early years :Marciano was an...
for the world heavyweight championship.
Early life
His full name was Donald John Cockell and he was born on 22 September 1928 in
BalhamBalham may refer to:*Balaam, Biblical figure*Balham, London, a place in the London Borough of Wandsworth, England*Balham station, a National Rail and London underground station in the place of the same name in London...
,
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, the son of Kate Cockell, a domestic servant from
BatterseaBattersea is a place in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is an inner-city district located 2.9 miles south west of Charing Cross. It has a population of 75,651 people .-Geography:...
. He never knew his father. He was a blacksmith by trade and as a result, developed a strong physique. He began boxing in fairground booths and soon rose through the amateur ranks until he was ready to turn professional in 1946.
Professional career
Cockell had his first professional fight on 26 June 1946 against Trevor Lowder and won it by a knockout in the fifth round. He continued to build up an impressive fighting record marred by the occasional defeat. By 1950 he was ready to challenge for the vacant British light-heavyweight title recently vacated due to the retirement of
Freddie MillsFreddie Mills, was an English boxer, who was the world light heavyweight boxing champion from 1948 to 1950. He was born in Poole, England.- Early life :...
. On 17 October at
Harringay ArenaHarringay Arena was a sporting and events venue on Green Lanes in Harringay, North London, England. Built in 1936, it lasted as a venue until 1958.-Construction:...
he fought Mark Hart and took the title with a knockout in the fourteenth round.
Cockell fought and won two more fights before fighting the
FrenchmanFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
Albert Yvel for his European light-heavyweight title. The bout took place on 27 March 1951 at
Earls CourtEarls Court is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It is an inner-city district centred on Earl's Court Road and surrounding streets, located 3.1 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It borders the sub-districts of South Kensington to the East, West...
, London and Cockell won by a technical knockout in the sixth round.
Cockell had two more wins before defending his British and European titles against
Albert FinchAlbert Finch was a British boxer from Croydon in South London, who was active from 1945 to 1958. He fought as both a middleweight and light-heavyweight, becoming British middleweight champion in 1950....
, who had previously been British middleweight champion. The bout was held on 16 October 1951, at
Harringay ArenaHarringay Arena was a sporting and events venue on Green Lanes in Harringay, North London, England. Built in 1936, it lasted as a venue until 1958.-Construction:...
, and Cockell won by a knockout in the seventh round.
Cockell decisively lost his next fight against the
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavyweight Jimmy Slade. Fighting at Harringay Arena, Cockell was knocked down twice in the first round, once in the second, and twice more in the fourth. The referee then stopped the fight. Cockell followed this defeat with a points win against
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
light-heavyweight Renato Tontini, despite being knocked down twice in the second round.
Cockell then fought against Randolph Turpin, who the year before, had beaten
Sugar Ray Robinson'Sugar Ray Robinson was a professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances at the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight...
to become world middleweight champion, before losing his title in the re-match. Cockell was defending his British title, and both fighters were contesting the vacant Commonwealth light-heavyweight title. The bout was at the
White City StadiumWhite City Stadium was built in White City, London, for the 1908 Summer Olympics, often seen as the precursor to the modern seater stadium and noted for hosting the first modern distance marathon.-History:...
on 10 June 1952. Cockell was knocked down three times during the fight and lost on a technical knockout in the eleventh round.
One of the reasons for the defeat was the difficulty that Cockell had in making the weight for light-heavyweight fights. He therefore decided to subsequently fight as a heavyweight. His next three fights, at heavyweight were all won by technical knockouts. The third one was against the
WelshmanWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
,
Tommy FarrThomas George Farr was one of the most famous British boxers of all time. Born in Clydach Vale, Wales and nicknamed "the Tonypandy Terror", he became British and Empire heavyweight champion on 15 March 1937...
, who had been an excellent heavyweight, fighting against the great
Joe LouisJoseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949....
, but was now at the end of his career.
The fight against Farr was a final eliminator for the British heavyweight title, and so put Cockell in line for a title challenge against the holder
Johnny WilliamsJohnny Williams was a British former professional boxer in the 1940s and 1950s and was at one time both the British and Empire heavyweight champion....
. The bout British and Commonwealth titles was held at Harringay Arena on 12 May 1953, and Cockell won on points over fifteen rounds.
Cockell then had two more wins before defending his Commonwealth title against Johnny Arthur in
JohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi or Jo'burg, is the largest city in South Africa. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
,
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
. He won the fight on points after fifteen rounds.
Cockell moved rapidly up the heavyweight rankings by scoring three wins against American fighters. First he beat
Roland La StarzaRoland La Starza was a retired American boxer and actor. Originally from the Bronx, La Starza fought 66 professional bouts from July 7, 1947 to May 8, 1961. He won 56 of the fights, 31 by knockout....
on points at Earls Court Arena, then he had successive victories over Harry (Kid) Matthews, first at the White City Stadium and then at Sicks' Stadium, Seattle.
These victories put him in line for a title fight against the world champion
Rocky MarcianoRocky Marciano , born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was the heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956, when he retired as the only heavyweight champion in boxing history to retire having won every fight in his professional career.- Early years :Marciano was an...
. This was the first British world title bid since Tommy Farr had fought Joe Louis in 1937.
World heavyweight title fight
On 16 May 1955, Cockell fought Marciano for the world heavyweight title at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, CA. Cockell was a 10-1 underdog and weighed 205 pounds against Marciano’s 189. For the first three rounds the fight was fairly even, but as it progressed further Cockell began to take more and more punishment, without being able to hurt Marciano at all. Cockell ended the eighth round hanging through the ropes after withstanding a terrific beating. Marciano won the fight by a technical knockout 54 seconds into round nine after Cockell had been knocked down twice, for counts of eight and seven. After the fight, Marciano stated, "He's got a lot of guts. I don't think I ever hit anyone else any more often or harder."
Many boxing fans in Britain felt that Marciano employed unfair tactics, such as hitting after the bell and low punches, but although the
British Boxing Board of ControlThe British Boxing Board of Control is the governing body of professional boxing in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1929 from the old National Sporting Club and is headquartered in Cardiff.- Councils :...
protested, Cockell himself made no complaints.
Aftermath
The title fight had taken much out of Cockell, and he lost his subsequent two fights. In September 1955 he lost to the
CubanThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
, Nino Valdes at the White City Stadium by a technical knockout in the third round. He weighed 216 pounds for the fight. In April 1956 he was knocked out in the second round Kitione Lave, known as the “
TonganTonga , officially the Kingdom of Tonga , an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprises 169 islands, 36 of which are inhabited, and stretches over a distance of about 800 kilometres in a north-south line...
Terror”. That was his final fight. In May 1956 he was stripped of his Commonwealth title and in July he surrendered his British title and retired.
Cockell sued the
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after the newspaper had described him as being ‘overweight and flabby’ for his last fight, and not giving his all. He received £7500 damages with costs.
Retirement
He tried various jobs including running a farm, being a
publicanA public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises in countries and regions of British influence. Although the terms often have different connotations, there is little definitive difference between pubs, bars,...
, and running a haulage firm. His last job was as an emergency maintenance man. He died of
cancerCancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis...
on 18 July 1983 at a hospital in
TootingTooting is a suburb in the London Borough of Wandsworth in south London. It is south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
. He was married to Patricia Mary Cockell.
Fight record
He had 81 official fights winning 66 with 38 knockouts and lost 14 with one draw .
See also
Sources
- Oxford DNB article: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/57257
- Description of Marciano fight: http://www.britishboxing.net/news_701-Fifty-years-ago-Cockell-took-on-Rocky.html