Rudkin vs McGowan II - a wee history lesson from me

Flea Man · Oct 28, 2009

'McGowan lost his footing on the slippery ring mat, which was correctly not ruled a knockdown' ???

GPater11093 · Oct 28, 2009

fleaman said: ↑

'McGowan lost his footing on the slippery ring mat, which was correctly not ruled a knockdown' ???
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**** off

its staying as it is

im getting advice on english from a scouser and a junkie

what next atsch

Flea Man · Oct 28, 2009

I'll have you know I have an A level in English. Means **** all but......**** it :rofl

GazOC · Oct 28, 2009

"The slippery slippyness of the slippy canvas caused McGowan to slip"

Flea Man · Oct 28, 2009

GazOC said: ↑

"The slippery slippyness of the slippy canvas caused McGowan to slip"
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:rofl

bennie · Oct 29, 2009

GPater11093 said: ↑

Rudkin vs McGowan II Brutal, British Battle

On the 6th of September 1966, two fighters embraced as the bell rang and waited anxiously for the referee to make a decision on who had won.
In one corner was the slick Scottish Flyweight Walter McGowan who was WBC World Flyweight Champion. The other was the reigning British and Empire Bantamweight champion and he was named Alan Rudkin.

The decision was given. McGowan had won a controversial decision, most believing Rudkin had taken it, although respected veteran broadcaster Reg Gutteridge believed McGowan had done enough but just. There were calls for a rematch that seemed inevitable. However, Rudkin felt hard done by feeling he won the fight and had been stolen of his titles.

22 months later the fighters re-entered the ring in the long awaited rematch. It was a natural to sell; the first fight was an epic and close fight and ended with a disputed decision. And here it was.

McGowan had lost his Flyweight title to the great Chatchai Chinoi in a war but eventually his eye gave out and he lost on cuts. In the rematch he was ahead on the cards before his left eye fell to pieces and again he lost on cuts. He took 8 months out before signing to fight Rudkin again.

Rudkin on the other hand was quite successful in the interim with 6 wins including 2 stoppages. However he had lost on points in a fight for the European Bantamweight crown but still longed for his British and Empire titles. After the defeat by Mimoun Ben Ali (for the European title) he rebounded with a brilliant second round KO over the touted American Ronnie Jones, landing a perfect right hand to lay Jones out.

The action got under way.

The early rounds were close with McGowan the pure boxer he was landing fast jabs but Rudkin fought back well with the harder shots and edged these early rounds. Both fighters produced beautiful boxing of the highest quality.

As the fight wore onto the middle rounds Rudkin hid fine form in the eight he turned up his pressure and McGowan started to struggle as Alan forced himself forward with hard straight punches to the head and brutal body shots. He continued this in the 9th causing TV commentator, Harry Carpenter, to a liken him to a Bulldog. A few seconds later Alan seemed to floor Walter with a wicked right hand but the legendary referee Harry Gibbs ruled it a slip, which was highly plausible as the ring was very slippy. But, Alan turned it on believing Walter to be hurt and really bullied the Scotsman for the rest of the round. In the 10th Rudkin kept the pressure and looked to be in complete control with the average card being 8-2 to the scouser and Rudkin was keeping a ferocious pace.

Walter sat down on his stool after the 10th his right eye was shut and in the last round Rudkin had opened a cut over his left cheek bone. Looking at him you wouldnt have expected what was about to happen.

The bell for the 11th rang. McGowan sensing the need for a big push in the late rounds got up on his toes and started to land beautiful combinations and fast jabs on the advancing Rudkin. No-one could believe it Walter looked to be fading in the last few rounds but had started this amazing comeback but could he keep it up.

As Walter came out for the 12th round he walked onto a brilliantly placed shot by Rudkin that seemed to shake the Scotsman. Watching it I had the feeling this could be the end for the Scotsman as he tied up Rudkin to avoid his follow up attacks. As they broke Walter got up on his toes and proceeded to box as he had done in the last round but this round he was landing with authority and landed a precise right uppercut onto the onrushing Alans chin, forcing Alan back. This brilliant comeback continued in the 13th as Walter boxed brilliantly but Alan was always forcing the pace. Now the solid lead for Rudkin had evaporated and now the fight was in the balance but all Rudkin needed to do was win 1 of the last 2 rounds to secure victory.

The 14th round commenced and Alan tore straight into McGowan with punishing body shots. The tide started to turn as Rudkin found the target more and more with hard accurate shots. Commentator, again Harry Carpenter, commented Rudkin had Savage Intensity which summed it up brilliantly, Alan wasnt going to be denied of his titles that he believed rightfully belonged to him. Alans Savage Intensity caused a horrific cut over the cut-prone McGowans left eye.

Seconds Out, 15th and Final round Shouted the timekeeper.

Both men rose from their stools Rudkin cut over his left eye and McGowan with both eyes shut and cuts above and below his left eye. You knew these guys had been in a fight. They got to centre ring and touched gloves and proceeded to tear into each other like hungry dogs. Rudkin landed furiously to the body making sickening BOOMs every time they landed. Walter threw fast flurries to the body back in an attempt to keep Alan off of him but he couldnt as they both kept trading. McGowan had to give ground and he did as Alan stalked him landing bloodying combinations as McGowan leaped in with fast flurries in a brilliant last round.

As the bell sounded both men embraced tightly and Walter planted a kiss, instead of a hook, on the cheek of Rudkin, which summed up the love and respect each guy had for each other. In a fight of such savagery they could embrace like this was a testament to their sportsmanship.

Harry Gibbs walked over to Rudkin and raised his hand; he had scored it to Rudkin by a round or half a point the closest it could be!

Rudkin was delighted he had redeemed himself and won back his treasured titles. The look on Rudkins face showed it all he was full of relief and joy for winning as he was raised onto someones shoulders and paraded around the ring as the crowd cheered for his and McGowans amazing performance. Oddly there was some booing but this writer believes it to be of fans disagreement with the decision but the booing was minimal.

Thus concluded the greatest most savage yet superbly skilled fight to take place in the British ring. Many would say that one of the Kevin Finnegan vs Alan Minter trilogy, or Jamie Moore vs Mathew Macklin. But for me this honour belongs too the incredible fight between two of the almost forgotten greats of the British ring in Alan Rudkin and Walter McGowan.
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A nice slice of nostalgia. I regret not being born earlier and watching the 'real' pros like Rudkin and McGowan at work. Boxing is the only sport in the world that has actually gone backwards, technically.

turpinr · Oct 29, 2009

i think mcgowan-baruni and cooper -ali were the first fights i'd seen,on tv.luckily they were in black and white .all that blood !!!!

finzwinz · Oct 29, 2009

I wish I had the pleasure of seeing Watty fight; alas I was not even born!

I did drink in Watty's pub in Carluke for years, which was run by his ex wife and her toyboy. Walter I believe has had many mental health problems since retiring, and his ex wife is reputed to have used his instability to take ownership of his pub, etc. Real shame for one of Scotland's sporting greats, as last I heard he was living in a high rise Motherwell flat.

Excellent post GPater, very interesting.

AlFrancis · Oct 29, 2009

finzwinz said: ↑

I wish I had the pleasure of seeing Watty fight; alas I was not even born!

I did drink in Watty's pub in Carluke for years, which was run by his ex wife and her toyboy. Walter I believe has had many mental health problems since retiring, and his ex wife is reputed to have used his instability to take ownership of his pub, etc. Real shame for one of Scotland's sporting greats, as last I heard he was living in a high rise Motherwell flat.

Excellent post GPater, very interesting.
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A real shame. I've been out drinking with me dad and Walter over the last 20 years, a great fella. The last few times over the last 10 years he wasn't his old self.

Flea Man · Oct 29, 2009

AlFrancis said: ↑

A real shame. I've been out drinking with me dad and Walter over the last 20 years, a great fella. The last few times over the last 10 years he wasn't his old self.
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A real shame.

GPater11093 · Oct 29, 2009

fleaman said: ↑

I'll have you know I have an A level in English. Means **** all but......**** it :rofl
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im doing my Higher in english my teacher hates my wrting as i write how i speak

GazOC said: ↑

"The slippery slippyness of the slippy canvas caused McGowan to slip"
Click to expand...

bennie said: ↑

A nice slice of nostalgia. I regret not being born earlier and watching the 'real' pros like Rudkin and McGowan at work. Boxing is the only sport in the world that has actually gone backwards, technically.
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thanks

turpinr said: ↑

i think mcgowan-baruni and cooper -ali were the first fights i'd seen,on tv.luckily they were in black and white .all that blood !!!!
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you are old!

finzwinz said: ↑

I wish I had the pleasure of seeing Watty fight; alas I was not even born!

I did drink in Watty's pub in Carluke for years, which was run by his ex wife and her toyboy. Walter I believe has had many mental health problems since retiring, and his ex wife is reputed to have used his instability to take ownership of his pub, etc. Real shame for one of Scotland's sporting greats, as last I heard he was living in a high rise Motherwell flat.

Excellent post GPater, very interesting.
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he was wel retired when i was born :good

brilliant brillaint boxer

AlFrancis said: ↑

A real shame. I've been out drinking with me dad and Walter over the last 20 years, a great fella. The last few times over the last 10 years he wasn't his old self.
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not god to hear

Flea Man · Oct 29, 2009

On another note Colin Hart wrote in The Sun today about Kirkland Laing being amongst the best British fighter never to have won a World title. Surely that honour should go to Alan Rudkin, the opposition he faced and the performances he delivered in those fights.....I mean Harada, Rose and Olivares are all top ten Bantams. The era they are from (with Jofre too) is probably the strongest group of Bantams you could hope to find yourself in against (though there is a case for Zarate, Pintor and Zamora but I think the others were just as fearsome, and also more technical)

Man Bantam is definitely my fave division historically.

KingCobra · Oct 29, 2009

GazOC said: ↑

You could re-jig the sentence rather than just straight swap the word out. I'm just leaving work to go home , I'll have a look when I get back.
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How about "ruled no knockdown" ?

GPater11093 · Oct 29, 2009

fleaman said: ↑

On another note Colin Hart wrote in The Sun today about Kirkland Laing being amongst the best British fighter never to have won a World title. Surely that honour should go to Alan Rudkin, the opposition he faced and the performances he delivered in those fights.....I mean Harada, Rose and Olivares are all top ten Bantams. The era they are from (with Jofre too) is probably the strongest group of Bantams you could hope to find yourself in against (though there is a case for Zarate, Pintor and Zamora but I think the others were just as fearsome, and also more technical)

Man Bantam is definitely my fave division historically.
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Laing is just the 'cool' answer to say, the guy had some talent but was nothing great and he was lazy as hell. All he did was beat Duran really.

Actually Jim Driscoll is the best brit not to win the title but Rudkin is a cloe second

KingCobra said: ↑

How about "ruled no knockdown" ?
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dont you start

bennie · Oct 30, 2009

Jock McAvoy also deserves a mention as one of the best Brits never to win a world title.

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