IT will be incomprehensible for today’s fans to understand that because of an accepted colour bar, black men were banned from fighting for British titles until 1948.
Imagine a situation where world champions like Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno, Anthony Joshua, John Conteh, Lloyd Honeyghan and Maurice Hope, wouldn’t have been allowed to wear the Lonsdale Belt because of the colour of their skin.
It was a sustained campaign by national newspaper boxing writers at the end of World War II, that persuaded the British Boxing Board of Control, to abolish its blatantly racist policy.
And it was Dick Turpin, elder brother of the illustrious Randy Turpin, who made history by outpointing Vince Hawkins, to become British middleweight champion.
Sadly we are aware there are still various forms of hidden and overt racism in our major sports on and off the playing field.
It may surprise people but it’s boxing that can hold its head high with pride for being this country’s least racist.
That’s not my opinion but the considered view of the articulate and experienced black former champions I’ve spoken to on the subject.
You would think with black and white fighters knocking lumps out of each in the ring and in the gym it would lead to many instances of racial animosity.
But it appears the complete opposite is the norm.
It was Duke McKenzie, who held world titles in three weight divisions, who led me to conduct my mini-survey – admittedly completely unscientific.
I heard Duke say in a Sky interview not once in his 16-year career had he ever suffered the slightest racism from his white opponents, sparring partners or the fans.
And when I asked James Cook, the former European middleweight champion – who runs the famous Pedro youth club in Hackney – and Johnny Nelson, who held the world cruiserweight title for six years, they agreed wholeheartedly with McKenzie.
Cook, 61 told me: “We all had white trainers, white managers and promoters and we were treated no differently from the white guys.
“I never experienced a single incident of racial abuse inside or outside the ropes and I was 12 years a pro, had 35 fights and sparred hundreds and hundreds of rounds.
“If you want to know the reason why boxing is completely different from what goes on in football, it’s simply the nature of the sport.
“Fighters learn discipline and respect for their opponents, whoever they are and wherever they come from, the moment they lace on their first pair of gloves.
“There was only one occasion when I thought I was going to be in trouble.
“I’d knocked out Sam Storey in Belfast and the following morning I was at the airport waiting for my flight to London.
“Two huge Irish guys I knew were Storey fans started walking menacingly towards me.
“I was prepared for the worst but all they wanted to do was pat me on the back and buy me the largest whisky I’ve ever seen.”
Nelson said: “I was trained and managed by Brendan Ingle who ran the most multi-cultured gym in the world.
“We had all colours and creeds in there and the word racism wasn’t in our vocabulary because it simply didn’t exist.”
Robert Smith said in the 11 years he’s been the BBBofC’s secretary he hasn’t had to deal with a single fighter complaining he had been racially discriminated against.
When I asked him how many black fighters there were in Britain he said: “I haven’t a clue.
“When a boxer applies for a licence we don’t ask what colour he is or religion he belongs to.”
It would be naive in the extreme to claim there’s not a racist bone in boxing’s body.
But world heavyweight champion Joshua, a member of SE’s Time for Change panel, backed up the assertion that in the main boxing is racism-free.
AJ said: “I was never held back in boxing due to the colour of my skin. With other sports there may be issues.”
His evidence should be good enough for everyone.
