Bruce Woodcock book

Thats on my list of must haves. The first boxing book I read was a 1950s autobiography by Woodcock, a flowery read but good nonetheless. He was local to me and I was lucky enough to meet the man on several occasions.

 

Very good fighter was Woodcock, although he just never had enough big wins to be considered a true British great. There's a strong case for him being in the top 10 at heavyweight, though.

Hopefully the book is a good read :good

 

Used to go in his pub at lunch when working in Doncaster.One day he came and sat with us telling a few jokes.One of the lads,surprisingly,had never heard of him.Said after,what were you laughing at,weren't very funny.So I said,if he tells me a joke,Im gonna laugh.

 

I remember seeing a cutting of his death, there was a picture of him sitting on a bench, he looked a right bigman even as an elderly man and he possessed that look that so many many of his era had; one of quiet toughness, gentle and respectfull but you could see if it came down to it you'd know what it meant to be a prpoer fighter.

I don't know what paper it was but I was in Glasgow at the time, it must have been a national paper I would have thought, however might have been a local cutting from Doncaster.

I would have loved to have met Bruce Woodcock and like so many, I too believe he was rushed along so desperate was the British need for titles in the heavier divisions. One more year even would have helped Bruce out in the States, though it has to be said he was beating Mauriello before he got caught with a good one!

 

Yes mate,he was a decent guy,not up his own backside as you'd imagine somebody in todays era might be who'd achieved the same,but a lot more money.For me,hard to gauge how good a boxer he was.Maybe slightly below Henry in British heavyweight terms?