Terry Downes dead: Britain's oldest surviving former world champion passes away, aged 81
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Britain's oldest world champion Terry Downes has died at the age of 81.
Downes excited fans with his aggressive hard-hitting style and claimed the world middleweight title in 1961 before beating a fading Sugar Ray Robinson the following year.
The Londoner, who spent two years in the US Marines, made his professional debut in 1957 and overcame a couple of early defeats to claim the British and Commonwealth middleweight belts.
Downes was much under-rated and the high point of his career came in his trilogy with American Paul Pender in the early 1960s.
(Image: Daily Mirror)
Downes lost the first fight after seven rounds on cuts in Pender’s native Boston in January 1961 to set up a rematch at Wembley’s Empire Pool that July.
He overcame a cut nose on his last day of sparring to force Pender to quit on his stool after nine rounds.
Downes’ reign as world champion was shortlived and he lost his third encounter with Pender back in Boston in April 1962 on points.
That September, he beat Robinson on points, although he knew the great man was no longer the force he once was.
(Image: Daily Mirror)
“I didn’t beat Sugar Ray,” he said. “I beat his ghost.”
Downes challenged for a world title again in 1964 when he was stopped by light-heavyweight king Willie Pastrano in 11 rounds.
He retired after that loss with a record of 35 wins, 28 inside the distance, and nine defeats at the age of 28.
Downes remained popular in boxing circles and was awarded the BEM in 2012.