Willie Stack

From a boxing family, Willie Stack began his career at the Leamington club that had recently produced professional world middleweight champion Randy Turpin. Stack followed in Turpin’s footsteps at regional level by becoming Midlands champion and then in 1964 won his first ABA national title at middleweight. Despite his status as national champion he was not initially selected for the Tokyo Olympics and it was only after he recorded a series of impressive victories against international opposition that he was chosen to travel to Japan. His year-long unbeaten record was ended quickly when he fell to eventual silver medallist Emil Schulz in his first Olympic fight.

Stack won another national title in 1966 but his hopes of a second Olympic appearance ended with a defeat at the semi-final stage of the 1968 ABA championships. A second national final in 1970, where he lost at light-heavyweight, signalled the end of his long career at the highest amateur level and he became a coach for his home town club. Stark was a foundry worker at a Coventry car plant throughout his working life.