Alan Minter

Winner of the Amateur Boxing Association middleweight title in 1971 Alan Minter was chosen to fight for Great Britain at the 1972 Summer Games. In Munich he defeated opponents from Guyana, the Soviet Union and Algeria before losing in the semi-final to the home fighter Dieter Kottysch on a split decision.

He turned professional in October 1972 but his progress was checked by the susceptibility to cut easily and at one point he lost four out of seven fights this way. Minter recovered to win the British middleweight title in 1975 and added the European title in 1977. Having lost the European crown due to another stoppage on cuts he regained it in 1978 albeit in tragic circumstances. Fighting against Angelo Jacopucci in Italy, Minter dealt a savage beating to his opponent who later collapsed in his dressing room. Jacopucci lapsed into a coma and died the next day. The ringside doctor was later convicted of manslaughter.

After a run of victories Minter travelled to Las Vegas and won the undisputed world middleweight title with a victory over Italy’s Vito Antofuermo. After a defence in which he stopped Antofuermo he was matched with the leading contender, Marvin Hagler of the USA, the fight being held in London. In an interview prior to the fight, Minter told the BBC that “no black man is going to take my title away”. Although he later retracted the statement and said that he merely meant to say “no man is going to take my title”, this brought an atmosphere of racial tension to the match and when Hagler defeated Minter some sections of the crowd rioted, throwing beer cans and seats into the ring. Minter retired after losing an attempt on the European title in 1981.