Wally Swift (10 August 1936 – 10 November 2012) was a British boxer who won the British welterweight title in 1960 and twice fought for the Commonwealth title before moving up to

middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

, becoming British champion between 1964 and 1965. He went on to fight for the European super welterweight and

titles and the British and Commonwealth middleweight titles.

Career

Born in Nottingham and raised in a Bilborough council house along with seven siblings, Wally Swift took up boxing at the age of 10 and won three schoolboy titles.Yeomans, Ray (2012)
'Wally Swift was a local hero, a brave fighter who never knew when he was beaten'
, '' Nottingham Post'', 22 November 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2015 He joined the British Army where he became a PT Instructor and continued to box. He began his professional career in 1957 and won his first nine fights, while also working at Raleigh's factory in the city.McCarthy, Nick (2012)
Boxer Wally Swift's Knowle funeral attended by former boxers, friends and family
, '' Birmingham Mail'', 30 November 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2015 He won his first title in September 1959 when he stopped

Ray Corbett Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...

in the sixth round to take the Midlands Area welterweight title.Johnson, Ian (2012)
Former British champion boxer Wally Swift dies, aged 76
, '' Birmingham Mail'', 14 November 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2015 In February 1960 he beat Tommy Molloy to take the British welterweight title, but lost it nine months later to Brian Curvis with the Commonwealth title also at stake.Pro Boxing goes to Olympic Park
, supersport.com (via Reuters), 10 June 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2015 He challenged Curvis for both titles in May 1961 but again lost on points. Moving up to middleweight he won the Midlands Area title in October 1962 with a points victory over Maxie Smith. He lost the title the following year, but a run of eleven fights in which he was only beaten once set him up to challenge for Mick Leahy's British middleweight title; Swift took a points decision in December 1964 to become British champion at a second weight. He lost the title in his first defence in November 1965 when he was stopped in the twelfth round by

Johnny Pritchett John G Pritchett (born 15 February 1943) is an English amateur welterweight and professional light middle/ middle/light heavyweight boxer of the 1960s and '70s, and boxing manager of the 1970s and '80s. He fought as Johnny Pritchett. Boxing ...

due to an eye injury. Swift beat Peter Sharpe in May 1966 in an eliminator to face Pritchett, winning on points. In February 1967 he faced Pritchett at the

Nottingham Ice Stadium The Nottingham Ice Stadium was an ice rink in Nottingham, England from 1939 to 2000. It had a seating capacity of 2800 for Ice hockey games. The building was first opened in 1939 but it was quickly called upon for other purposes. Throughout Wor ...

for the title, losing on points over fifteen rounds. In September 1967 Swift faced Sandro Mazzinghi for the European super welterweight title in Milan; The fight was stopped in the sixth round due to injuries to Swift. In March 1968 Swift challenged

Juan Carlos Duran ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of '' John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanis ...

for the European middleweight title. Swift lost the fight after being disqualified in the tenth round for butting. Swift's final fight came in July 1969 when he met

Les McAteer Les McAteer (born 19 August 1945 in Birkenhead) is an English amateur and professional light middle/ middle/light heavyweight boxer of the 1960s and '70s who as an amateur won the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) 1960 Schools Inter ...

for the vacant British and Commonwealth middleweight titles. A cut to Swift's left eye forced him to retire in the eleventh round. In his career he had 88 fights, winning 68.Yeomans, Ray (2012)
City's 'fearless' boxing favourite Wally Swift dies in hospital at 76
, '' Nottingham Post'', 15 November 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2015 After retiring from boxing Swift became a bookmaker but retired after injuring his back in a fall from a ladder; He went on to become a trainer, manager, and promoter, working with fighters such as former British champions Del Bryan and Roy Smith, as well as his two sons Wally Jr, who became British light-middleweight champion, and Tony, who fought for the Commonwealth welterweight title. Wally Swift died at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham on 10 November 2012 after being taken ill with a chest infection. He was 76. His funeral was held at Knowle Parish Church.

References

External links

Career record
at boxrec.com
Career record
at boxinghistory.org.uk {{DEFAULTSORT:Swift, Wally 1936 births 2012 deaths Military personnel from Nottingham British Army soldiers 20th-century British Army personnel Boxers from Nottingham English male boxers Middleweight boxers Super-middleweight boxers Welterweight boxers