Good article on British HWs

With David Haye returning to HW, ESPN did a wonderful article about British HWs throughout history. Here's a few excerpts, enjoy;

"Bob Fitzsimmons is claimed as a British world heavyweight champion because he was born in Cornwall in the west of England, but he was raised from an early age in New Zealand, turned professional in Australia and never boxed in Britain. "


"Lennox Lewis was a British-born world champion who could perhaps equally be claimed as champion by Canada, where he was raised from the age of 12 by his mother, while his spiritual identity is most closely associated with his mother's Jamaican homeland."

"Don Cockell was another courageous loser, standing up to some big punches as well as roughhouse tactics before being overpowered in the ninth round by Rocky Marciano in San Francisco in 1955. "Brave lad, Cockell," his manager, John Simpson, told the press afterwards. "I would have stopped it in the sixth round because Marciano doubled him up with three low punches but Don told me in the corner he couldn't let England down by quitting."

"Not all British heavyweights have exactly covered themselves with glory, though. Phil Scott was knocked out so many times he inevitably came to be known as Phainting Phil. Scott, for instance, tried to win by disqualification when hit by a low blow from Jack Sharkey in their 1930 world title elimination bout in Miami. Referee Lou Magnolia gave Scott a minute's rest and waved the fight off when the British heavyweight declined to continue."

"Bombardier Billy Wells was another British heavyweight with a reputation for fragility, losing by knockout to the smaller French great, Georges Carpentier, in 1913. Wells, it is generally accepted, could box skillfully, could punch and looked the part physically, but his chin was unreliable."

"Now David Haye is throwing his hat into the heavyweight ring. He looks like the real thing and is heavily favored to defeat Barrett, but British heavyweight history is so littered with letdowns that fans in the UK will no doubt be holding their collective breath when Haye answers the bell for the opening round on Saturday."

Full article;

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3695085