Dai Dower

Dai Dower qualified for the British Olympic team for the Helsinki Games by winning the ABA flyweight championship whilst still only 18-years-old. He won two bouts in Finland before falling to the Soviet champion Anatoly Bulakov via a split decision in the quarter finals. Dower did not immediately defect to the professional ranks but waited until 1953 at which time he had compiled a record of 100 wins and just 4 defeats as an amateur. He made rapid progress as a professional and in only his 13th fight defeated former world champion Terry Allen by knockout. In the space of four fights at the end of 1954 and start of 1955 he won the British, British Empire and European titles and was set for a shot at the world title before losing his unbeaten record in an upset defeat to Young Martin of Spain. Dower rebounded with a succession of victories until his career was put on hold for compulsory military service. He had been out of the ring for eight months when a chance to fight Pascual Perez for the world title was offered to him and he was given permission to travel to Argentina for the fight. Ring-rusty and struggling to make the weight limit he was easily dispatched by Perez within three minutes. Dower fought just twice more before retiring from the ring at the age of 25 and later worked as a physical education teacher at Ringwood Grammar School in Bournemouth and at Bournemouth University. He was awarded the MBE in 1998.