Eric Boon
Encyclopedia
Eric Boon was a champion British lightweight
boxer. Born in Chatteris
Cambridgeshire
, he was known by the nicknames Boy Boon and the Fen Tiger. Of a total of 119 fights, he won 92 (KO
62), lost 21 (KO 13) and drew 5.
He beat Dave Crowley on 15 December 1938 to become British Lightweight Champion, a title he held for three years until 12 August 1944. His match against Arthur Danaher from the Harringay Arena was the first televised boxing match, broadcast on BBC television and shown live in several cinemas on 23 February 1939.
Boon v Danaher was the first occasion that the BBC had been permitted to televise a boxing match but also the first time a transmission had been shown live to a paying audience in cinemas (the Marble Arch Pavilion and the Tatler News Theatre). This was achieved on Baird
projection equipment using a 16-inch projection tube running at 45,000 volts, producing light levels comparable to that of normal films. Each projection unit contained two projection tubes, one acting as a backup in case the first one failed. This preceded the first televised heavyweight boxing
match (Max Baer vs Lou Nova
, from Yankee Stadium) which was held on 1 June 1939.
Boon married Wendy Elliot in 1940 and, following his retirement from the sport, played a number of small roles in British films such as Champagne Charlie
and Carry On Sergeant
.
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
boxer. Born in Chatteris
Chatteris
Chatteris is a civil parish and one of four market towns in the Fenland district of Cambridgeshire, England, situated in The Fens between Huntingdon, March and Ely...
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, he was known by the nicknames Boy Boon and the Fen Tiger. Of a total of 119 fights, he won 92 (KO
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
62), lost 21 (KO 13) and drew 5.
He beat Dave Crowley on 15 December 1938 to become British Lightweight Champion, a title he held for three years until 12 August 1944. His match against Arthur Danaher from the Harringay Arena was the first televised boxing match, broadcast on BBC television and shown live in several cinemas on 23 February 1939.
Boon v Danaher was the first occasion that the BBC had been permitted to televise a boxing match but also the first time a transmission had been shown live to a paying audience in cinemas (the Marble Arch Pavilion and the Tatler News Theatre). This was achieved on Baird
John Logie Baird
John Logie Baird FRSE was a Scottish engineer and inventor of the world's first practical, publicly demonstrated television system, and also the world's first fully electronic colour television tube...
projection equipment using a 16-inch projection tube running at 45,000 volts, producing light levels comparable to that of normal films. Each projection unit contained two projection tubes, one acting as a backup in case the first one failed. This preceded the first televised heavyweight boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
match (Max Baer vs Lou Nova
Lou Nova
Lou Nova aka Cosmic punch was an American boxer and actor. Born in Los Angeles, California, the Nova was the U.S. and World Amateur Boxing Champion in 1935. After turning pro, he remained undefeated in his first 22 matches, and won 40 fights in total...
, from Yankee Stadium) which was held on 1 June 1939.
Boon married Wendy Elliot in 1940 and, following his retirement from the sport, played a number of small roles in British films such as Champagne Charlie
Champagne Charlie (film)
Champagne Charlie is a 1944 British musical film made by Ealing Studios. It is based on an 1860s play that depicted the real life rivalry between George Leybourne, who first performed the song of that name, and Alfred Vance....
and Carry On Sergeant
Carry On Sergeant
Carry On Sergeant is the first Carry On film. Its first public screening was on 1 August 1958 at Screen One, London. Actors in this film who went on to be part of the regular team in the series were Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Connor and Terry Scott...
.