Alan Rudkin MBE (18 November 1941 – 22 September 2010) was a British national, Commonwealth, and European

bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports and weightlifting. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In mixed martial arts, MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class ...

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

champion (1965–1970). He was born in St Asaph (Wales), as his pregnant mother was evacuated from Liverpool during the second world war. He was brought up in

Dingle, Liverpool Dingle (known locally as the Dingle) is an inner city area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is located to the south of the city, bordered by the adjoining districts of Toxteth and Aigburth. At the 2001 Census, the population was recorde ...

, and was a member of the Florence Institute. Rudkin won domestic British, Commonwealth & European titles at Bantamweight where he held a Lonsdale belt & also won a British title at Featherweight. He was noted for his 2 close fights with the great Walter McGowan, each winning one. He was a three times challenger for the undisputed World Championship, in Japan, Australia & Mexico. Rudkin appeared to be ahead on points but lost contentious decisions against both Masahiko “Fighting” Harada & Lionel Rose. He was decisively beaten by

Rubén Olivares Rubén Olivares Avila (born January 14, 1947) is a Mexican former professional boxer and a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Olivares was a world champion multiple times, and considered by many as the greatest bantamweight champion ...

. He was appointed MBE in 1973. In 2007 the

Liverpool Echo The ''Liverpool Echo'' is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales – a subsidiary company of Reach plc and is based in St. Paul's Square, Liverpool, England. It is published Monday through Sunday, and is Liverpool's da ...

included him in its list of the 800 greatest Liverpudlians, as part of Liverpool's 800th anniversary. He was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1972 when he was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ ...

. Rudkin was found collapsed on Mount Street, Liverpool in the early hours of 21 September 2010. He died early on 22 September 2010, at the age of 68. The cause of death was unclear.Liverpool Echo report of death
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References

External links

Fighter online article on Alan
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John Conteh leads tributes to Rudkin
1941 births 2010 deaths Sportspeople from St Asaph Bantamweight boxers Boxers from Liverpool English male boxers Members of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century English sportsmen {{England-boxing-bio-stub

See also

References

External links