Michael Stack

One of nine children, Michael Stack was born in Ireland before the family moved to Leamington Spa, England, when he was a youngster. He took up boxing and joined the Leamington Boys’ Club, which produced several champions over the years including world middleweight champion Randolph Turpin, who became Stack’s brother-in-law in 1947 when he married his sister Mary.

Stack was the 1946 Midland Boys’ Clubs’ champion and in 1948 won the senior Midland counties middleweight title before losing to the eventual champion Johnny Wright in the ABA semi-final. Also that year, Stack made his international début for England against Denmark and was a reserve at the London Olympics. After retaining his Midlands tile in 1949, Stack then lost in the ABA semi-final, again, to Ron Crookes when he was unlucky to be disqualified in the third and final round for a punch to the back of his opponent’s head when Stack was leading on points at the time.

Stack turned professional later in 1949 and in a five-year career in the paid ranks, won 23 of his 45 pro fights, with 20 defeats and two draws. Michael’s youngest brother Willie was a middleweight boxer at the 1964 Olympics.