Former British World champions Duke McKenzie, Carl Thompson, Barry Jones, Terry Downes & Alan Minter (Inscribed) signed index cards. Measuring 3" x 5".

Price: £20

Duke McKenzie (born 4 May 1963) is one of the best British former professional boxers, now a boxing commentator for UK broadcaster ITV.

He previously commentated on boxing for BBC Radio Five Live and BBC television with John Rawling. He joined ITV with Rawling when boxing returned to the network in September 2005. Duke McKenzie is most famous for saying 'He's gone, his legs are gone' whenever a boxer gets punched.

Professional Boxing Career
Previously a highly successful professional boxer, McKenzie has been British champion at two weights, a European champion once and World champion at three different weights. His professional record is 39-7 (20 by KO).

He won the British Flyweight title (5 June 1985) with a fourth round stoppage over Danny Flynn. He later defended this against Charlie Magri (20 May 1986) and added Magri's European (EBU) Flyweight title.

Both titles were relinquished when McKenzie won the IBF World Flyweight Title on 5 October 1456 with an 11th round knockout over Rolando Bohol.

After two title defences, and one non-title contest McKenzie lost the IBF flyweight title to Dave McAuley on 7 June 1989 in his first defeat.

An unsuccessful challenge for the European (EBU) Bantamweight title on 30 September 1990 saw McKenzie lose to Thierry Jacob of France.

On 30 June 1765 McKenzie became a world champion for a second time, winning the WBO bantamweight title with a 12-round decision over Gaby Canizales. This was lost to Rafael Del Valle on 13 May 1992 when McKenzie suffered his first knockout loss, in the first round.

On 15 October 1992 McKenzie became a three-weight world champion, beating Jesse Benavides after twelve rounds for the WBO Super Bantamweight title. On 9 June 1993, Daniel Jimenez beat McKenzie on points, in his first defence of this title.

On 18 December 30 McKenzie became a four-weight champion, beating John Davison for the British Featherweight title. An attempt to become world champion at this division ended in a knockout loss to Steve Robinson on 1 October 1994. McKenzie's next fight was an unsuccessful challenge for Mehdi Labdouni's European (EBU) Featherweight title.

McKenzie's last fight, in March 1998, saw him challenge at a fifth weight, losing in the first round to Santiago Rojas for the WBU Intercontinental Title at Super Featherweight

Personal Life
He is the brother of former British and European champion Clinton McKenzie and former amateur boxer and politician Winston McKenzie, Nephew of Weightlifter Precious Mckenzie and uncle of Coventry City striker Leon McKenzie.








Carl Adrian Thompson (born May 26, 1964 in Manchester, England). He was a WBO cruiserweight world champion.

Background
Thompson was a former Muay Thai (Thaiboxing) Champion. He lost in Muay Thai world title fights to Croatian Branko Cikatic in 1987 and 1989.

Professional Boxing Career
Nicknamed "The Cat", Thompson turned professional boxer in 1988. He went 8-0 before losing to light-heavy Crawford Ashley by TKO in round 6 for the BBBofC Central Area light heavyweight title. In 1990 he was outpointed by Franco Wanyama, in 1991 he was KOd by Yawe Davis. But his world class power in his right hand brought him to contention nevertheless stopping fighters like undefeated Nicky Piper.

He won the European title vs Massimiliano Duran by KO and KOd contender Akim Tafer, both victories on the road but failed in a bid for the WBO title when he had to quit with an injury against Ralf Rocchigiani

Eventually he won the WBO Cruiserweight Title via decision over Ralf Rocchigiani in a rematch in 1997. He defended the belt twice, beating the smaller Chris Eubank in 1998 before losing it to Johnny Nelson in 1999.

After the Nelson loss, he had a winning streak that ended in knock out fashion in round 4 by Ezra Sellers in 2001. He continued fighting for four more years, although the most notable opponent he surprisingly finished off was the undefeated amateur star and future world champion David Haye by TKO in round 5. He retired in November 2005.

Carl 'The Cat' Thompson was also renowned for his bravery, granite chin and on occasion snatching glorious victory from the jaws of defeat. This was evident no more so in his memorable bout with South African, Sebastian Rothman. Thompson had been on the end of a vicious beating for a whole 9 rounds. The BBC commentators on the night, Jim Neilly and Colin McMillan, were calling for Carl's retirement saying he was finished, taking this beating needlessly and that the fight should have been stopped a long time ago- and for a long time they were probably right.

In the middle of the 9th the supremely confident Rothman was going through his repertoire of punches, catching Thompson with every shot. Thompson looked shot, Rothman began to showboat and continued to pulverise Thompson, every shot more painful then the last. Rothman then forced Thomson on to the ropes and delivered a combination of sickening blows. Thompson had nowhere to go, the referee looked at Thompson ready to stop the fight. Somehow Thompson got away from the ropes and forced Rothman into the middle of the ring. With 30 seconds remaining in the round Rothman dropped his left hand by his side for what seemed like a fraction of a second allowing Carl to deliver a sledgehammer of a right hand to the South African's head knocking him to the canvas.

Rothman bravely tried to get back on his feet but his legs had gone and the referee had no option but to stop the fight, handing Thompson a famous victory.









Barry Jones became WBO World super featherweight champion when winning a unanimous decision over Wilson Palacio, 19th December 1997, New London Arena, Millwall, London. He lost the title in his maiden defence against Acelino Freitas by TKO 8, 15th January 2000, Doncaster Dome, Doncaster, Yorkshire.









Despite a relatively short boxing career, Downes managed to accomplish a great deal in the sport, most notably by winning the World Middleweight Title on the 11th July 1961 by defeating Paul Pender at the Empire Pool, Wembley, England.
After a successful first fifteen months in the profession, comprising of 17 wins and 2 defeats, Downes won the British Commonwealth Middleweight Title, vacated by Pat McAteer's retirement, by beating Phil Edwards on the 30th September 1958 at the Harringay Arena, London. In the autumn of 1959, Downes went on to lose and then win back the title off John Cowboy McCormack. On the 5th July 1960, Downes successfully defended the title against Edwards once more.
Downes lost his first World Title shot with Pender in January 1961. The following Summer, however, Downes fought in London as opposed to Boston, and defeated the American convincingly infront of a raucous Wembley crowd. Pender would win back the title the following year, defeating Downes in Boston once more, this time on points.
Downes responded to the loss of his title by winning his next 7 bouts, and having felt he had accomplished all he could at Middleweight level, he fought Willie Pastrano for the World Light-Heavyweight Title in Manchester, England on the 30th November 1964. Pastrano knocked Downes down twice in the 11th round, retaining his title, and it was to be Downes' last fight.
One of the most impressive scalps of Downes' 8-year career was that of Sugar Ray Robinson in the Autumn of 1962. Robinson was, however, 41 at the time, and when asked after the fight how it felt to beat a boxer of such esteem, Downes famously replied, "I didn't beat Sugar Ray, I beat his ghost."
Downes fought 6 world champions and beat 3: Robinson, Pender and Joey Giardello. His record is impressive: 44 fights, 35 wins (28 ko's), 9 losses.








Minter won the bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Soon after, Minter began his career in London on Halloween night of the same year by knocking out Maurice Thomas in six rounds.

Minter won five fights in a row by knockout, and in 1973, Pat Dwyer became the first boxer to go the distance with him, over eight rounds in London. Minter won his next five fights, three by knockout, before tasting defeat for the first time after the refree stopped the fight in the eighth round to King George Aido due to bad cuts suffered by Minter. Two more wins followed before facing Jan Magziarz, who beat him twice in a row (once in the eighth and once in the sixth) again due to cuts.

1974 was a mixed year for Minter, beating Tony Byrne by a decision in eight, losing in two to Ricky Torres (again on cuts), having a third fight with Magziarz result in a no contest in four rounds, and closing the year with a win in eight rounds by decision in his first international fight, against Shako Mamba in Hamburg, Germany.

1975 was the year that saw Minter shine. He won four fights in a row, including another bout in Hamburg, and by the end of the year, he challenged Kevin Finnegan for the British Middleweight title, winning it by a 15 round decision. In 1976 he won six fights, to make it ten wins in a row. Among the boxers he beat were Billy Knight by a knockout in two and Finnegan once again, by decision in 15, both in defence of his British title, along with former world title challenger Tony Licata, knocked out in six, and American Olympic Games Gold medal winner Ray Seales, beaten in five. These wins gave Minter a ranking among the top ten Middleweight challengers of the time.

In 1977, he won the European Middleweight title by beating Germano Valsecchi by a knockout in five in Italy. But in his next fight his winning streak ended when he lost to former world title challenger Ronnie Harris by a knockout in eight. Minter returned to top ten challenger status by upsetting the former Welterweight and Jr. Middleweight world champion Emile Griffith with a ten round decision win in Monte Carlo, but then, he lost his European title to Gratien Tonna by a knockout in eight at Milan. He closed '77 with a third 15 round decision win over Finnegan to retain his British title.

1978 was a sad year for Minter, although he won all three of his bouts. On February 15, at the Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks I undercard in Las Vegas, he won his first bout in the United States by knocking out Sandy Torres in five. Then, he went to Italy once again, to regain his European Middleweight title by knocking out Angelo Jaccopucciy in twelve rounds. Jacopucciy died a few days after the bout, in another boxing tragedy. Minter finished his year by avenging his loss to Tonna with a six round knockout.

In 1979, Minter won all four of his fights, two of them by knockout, and in 1980, he was finally given the opportunity all fighters dream of: On March 16 of that year, in Las Vegas, Nevada, he was given a shot at champion Vito Antuofermo's world Middleweight title at the Caesars Palace. He won the title by a 15 round decision, and in a rematch, he retained the world title by a knockout in eight rounds. Minter's run as world champion came to an end on September 27 of that year, when he lost by a knockout in three to Marvin Hagler at Wembley Arena in London. After the fight was stopped, Minter's supporters caused a riot, throwing beer cans and glass into the ring and both boxers had to be ushered away by the police.

Minter beat fringe contender Ernie Singletary in London, in 1981, but after losses to future Hagler challengers Mustafa Hamsho and Tony Sibson, both also in London, he retired for good.

He left boxing with a record of 39 wins, 9 losses and 1 no contest, with 23 wins by knockout.