Two fabulous fights between Dunn and McIvor highlight how special the championship used to be.
REGULAR readers of this column will know what a fan I am of area title contests. In an article I produced in January 2019, I stated that “I always find that the best contests are the ones for an area title.” In these days of intercontinental titles and so-called ‘regular’ world championships, there are a variety of routes along which an up-and-coming boxer may choose to take their way to the top. Many British boxers choose not to chase the British title, so it’s no surprise that area titles have declined considerably over the course of the last 40 years or so.
In the 1970s, area titles were a solid stepping stone on the road to the British title, and many excellent boxers naturally took this route. The South Area title was always one of the most disputed, with boxers of true quality and promise often equaled. As early as the 1930s many Southern Area championship contests were also qualified as British title heats, such was the competition. In the 1970s and 1980s, for example, Chris Finnegan, Clinton McKenzie and Clyde Ruan wrestled in such contests, and before them so did Arthur Danahar, Harry Mason and Vince Hawkins, all three becoming British champions.
I remember two incredible Southern Area lightweight title fights that took place in 1974 and 1975 between Tommy Dunn of Reading and Noel McIvor of Luton. These two boys were regularly ranked in the top five or six in the country at weight and although neither became British champion, they were both excellent fighters.
The two men first met at Reading Town Hall on December 11, 1974 and produced a tremendous contest that BN described as “Britain’s small hall fight of the year”. McIvor was the champion, having won the title in 1972 by defeating Alan Salter in two rounds at the National Sporting Club, and was a far more experienced professional than Dunn, who turned pro earlier in the year after an illustrious career. amateur race. , and McIvor therefore believed that he would win.
The lucky front-row reporter was Harry Mullan, in the days before he became BN’s editor, and he praised Dunn, stating “it’s still early days, but he’s starting to look like the natural successor to Ken Buchanan”. . The two fought with the kind of courage and ferocity that would have graced a major promotion. Dunn won hands down, but the brave McIvor fought with all his heart. He lost the title to him in the first defense, but rarely could he have featured in a better fight.”
Noel got some honest advice from his manager, Johnny Barclay, midway through the fight when he was told, “It’s six rounds to go and you’re six rounds behind, you have to knock him out.” That set things up for an excellent conclusion.
Seven months later, the two met again, this time at the World Sporting Club in Mayfair. Dunn came into the fight after a stunning two-round loss at the hands of Jarrow’s tough man George McGurk, and since Alan Salter had also stopped him, he had something to prove. McIvor had drawn McGurk to a draw two months earlier, so this title rematch was delicately crafted.
This time Dunn’s victory was clearer, and once again Mullan was the reporter. “McIvor hounded him relentlessly, but the dashing youngster from Reading never lost control of the exchanges. Referee Sid Nathan called a halt after 1-20 of the seventh, with blood oozing from a wound over McIvor’s left eye.
The following week, Tommy went to Edinburgh to train Ken Buchanan, and lost the area title the following year to Johnny Claydon, another great of this era. McIvor and Dunn retired in 1977 and 1978 respectively, but their legacy, at the area level, is rock solid.
