Tommy Pardoe

Between 1929-33 Tommy Pardoe created a record by winning five consecutive ABA flyweight tiles. Not only was he the first man to achieve this feat he was, at 2020, the only man to have done so. Pardoe nearly added a British Empire Games title to his record in 1930, but lost to the South African Jacob Smith in the final. At the Los Angeles Olympics two years later, Pardoe reached the semi-final and then gave his American opponent Lou Salica a walk-over in the bronze medal contest. Pardoe won his fifth ABA title in 1933 but came close to not taking part following the death of his brother shortly before the Championships.

During his amateur days Pardoe was a farmer at Church End, Birmingham. He turned professional in 1933, and in a four-year career showed early promise, winning nine of his first 11 contests, including the Southern Area flyweight title against the experienced Bert Kelly. However, it all then went wrong for Pardoe, and he won just one of his remaining 15 contests, to end with a career record 10-15-1. One of Pardoe’s best performances was in going nearly 14 rounds with the future world champion Benny Lynch in 1935.