Gavin Rees (born 10 May 1980) is a retired Welsh former professional boxing world champion who competed from 1998 to 2014. He held the WBA

super lightweight Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight or super lightweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional boxing In professional boxing, light welterweight is contested between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, ...

title from 2007 to 2008 and challenged once for the WBC

lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight b ...

title in 2013. At regional level, he held the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English ...

lightweight title twice between 2010 and 2012, and the

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European lightweight title from 2011 to 2012.

Career

After a successful amateur career, Rees turned professional in 1998.

World champion

In 2007, Rees defeated

Souleymane M'baye Souleymane M'baye (born March 21, 1975) is a French professional boxer and is the former WBA super-lightweight champion. He won the vacated title by a fourth technical knockout on September 2, 2006 against Raul Horacio Balbi. His defeats came ag ...

to become the WBA Light Welterweight champion with a unanimous decision after 12 rounds. Rees however lost his World title in his first defence via a 12th-round TKO loss to

Andreas Kotelnik Andriy Mykolayovich Kotelnyk ( uk, Андрій Миколайович Котельник; born 29 December 1977), best known by germanicized name Andreas Kotelnik, is a Ukrainian professional boxer who competed from 2000 to 2014, and held the ...

in March 2008.

Further success

Following his world title loss Rees was out of action for more than a year before returning in August 2009 to beat Johnny Greaves in 4 rounds. On 4 December, Rees entered the light welterweight prizefighter competition beating Ted Bami in the quarter-finals, Jason Cook in the semi-finals and

Colin Lynes Colin Lynes (born 26 November 1977) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1998 to 2017. He held the IBO super lightweight title from 2004 to 2005. At regional level, he held the British super lightweight title in 2007; the E ...

in the Final to win the £32,000 prize Following his Prizefighter victory, Rees moved down to the (lightweight) division where he enjoyed instant success winning the British title in 2010 (which he then vacated). He has since won the European title in June 2011 and most recently regained the British title in July 2012. Rees fought

Adrien Broner Adrien Jerome Broner (; born July 28, 1989) is an American professional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in four weight classes, including the WBO super featherweight title from 2011 to 2012, the WBC lightweight title from 201 ...

for the

World Boxing Council The World Boxing Council (WBC) is an international professional boxing organization. It is among the four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federatio ...

lightweight world title at

Boardwalk Hall Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, formerly known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is a multi-purpose arena in Atlantic City in Atlantic County, New Jersey. It was Atlantic City's primary convention center until the opening of the Atla ...

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

on 16 February 2013. He lost the fight via 5th-round TKO.

Personal life

Rees lives in Pantside,

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

and has five children all girls. Rees is now a boxing trainer in his hometown of Pantside, Newbridge at The Rocks Gym.

Professional boxing record

References

External links

* , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Rees, Gavin 1980 births Living people Welsh male boxers People from Newbridge, Caerphilly Sportspeople from Caerphilly County Borough Lightweight boxers Prizefighter contestants British Boxing Board of Control champions European Boxing Union champions World light-welterweight boxing champions World Boxing Association champions