My buddy for over 30 years.. his dad's cousin is Freddie Mills. I've known my friend's dad very well and I remember him telling me this decades ago. Tonight my bud told us about Freddie Mills again over a scotch. I appreciate hearing it much more than I did long ago.
a true fighter, gutsy and game, a L-HW cum HW. But not many people know he was one of the most protected fighters in British Boxing! He NEVER defended his British title, not even once in 8 years, and with respect to his battles at HW win or lose it didn't matter the plan and approach was the L-HW title of the World and too this end his defeats at HW served to show ligitimacy for this world's L-HW title, and it worked... but the truth is he shouldn't have been there, there were at least 3 challengers to his British L-HW title, again which was never defend in 8 years, and the Scotsman Gilroy who actually beat him in a non-title fight save a cut eye stoppage in 44, and who later from 1945-48 when the Scotsman actually became a L-HW was No.1 and official challenger, yet it never happened, the war can't be blamed any longer for those years! never-the-less Mills was a tough and hard fighter, but he was carefully presented for the Worlds L-HW title, that he really had no right to be fighting for!!!
IF you do see these people Loufatski can you inquire too their knowledge about the above post? Mills threatened to quit Boxing twice publically for wrestling and all because of fan presure mid-40s, always asking him when he was going to defend his British L-HW title. Broadribb and Solomons told him you do the fighting we'll do the matches and that was it - he never did defend then, 8 years. older family will know about such things.
My friend, I know Kenneth Mills, who is Freddie Mills' cousin. Ken Mills is one of my best friend's father. I can visit him and ask, and maybe even video tape it. However, I don't know how much he knows. Ken Mills lived his whole life in New Jersey. He's probably about 80 years old now.
that sounds like Mills' stepson, whose real father was S. African HW, Don McCorkindale's son with Mills' wife, as they were married to each other first! SORRY you said cousin, Not son! lets us know what you find out, thanks!
