Jack Stanner by Rob Snell


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Jack Stanner

Country United Kingdom

Global Id 153674

Hometown Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom

Birthplace Widnes, Cheshire, United Kingdom

Division Light Heavyweight

Born 1919-01-01

Died 1984-01-01

Career Record ©www.boxrec.com

Date Opponent Location Result

1937-10-21 Tom Reddington Liverpool, UK L TKO 3

1937-10-04 Bill Hardy Leicester, UK L PTS 10

1937-04-16 Cheo Morejon Liverpool, UK L PTS 12

1937-03-11 Ernie Simmons Liverpool, UK W TKO 7

1937-02-25 Jim Mount Liverpool, UK W TKO 4

1936-11-05 Johnny Summers Liverpool, UK W TKO 2

1936-09-10 Rienus De Boer Liverpool, UK L PTS 10

1936-08-27 Jack Robinson Liverpool, UK W KO 8

1936-06-25 Tommy Allen Liverpool, UK W KO 3

1936-06-11 Jack Robinson Liverpool, UK D PTS 10

1936-05-15 Barney Regan Liverpool, UK W KO 2

1936-03-26 Arthur Holsgrove Liverpool, UK W TKO 2

Record to Date

Won 7 (KOs 7)

Lost 4

Drawn 1

Total 12

Adaptation of article published in 1975

Merseyside has produced few light heavies and heavyweights of note but in the 1930’s Jack Stanner of Widnes, a well-proportioned six footer was going to make his mark. When world war two was declared He was set to resume his career which had been cut short due to an ear infection.

Because of the war his fighting after 1939 consisted of a few unrecorded, unpaid charity bouts against men such as Ginger Sadd and George Shaw. However he had all the action he needed outside the ring as a bomb disposal expert with the Royal Engineers in Britain and India, where he built up a close and lasting friendship with the Kirby fight personality Charlie Atkinson.

Jack, who lives in Penketh working as a maintenance fitter with British Steel at Warrington, came into boxing as a result of a deserved clip over the ear from a workmate, Lew Smith, for giving him lip when he was a new apprentice.

“Although I was big lad I had no idea of boxing. As I was friendly with the good Widnes fighter Bert Chambers I decided to join him under trainer Tommy Burns, who in his day fought Owen Moran and Pedlar Palmer and who ran the Coopers club over a cask making shop in Widnes.

I only had three amateur fights, beating Frank Lightfoot ( manager of the Castle Hotel in Runcorn ), Lot Corker and a Litherland fighter called Dave Finn for the area middleweight title. I was 16 at the time but saw an advert for a “White heavyweight hope†competition at Wembley organised by Sid Hulls. I decided to try my luck and went down with my trainer but lost in the 3rd series to Archie Norman.

I had forfeited my amateur status but Mr Burns didn’t want to rush me and in the next 12 months, as I prepared for the 1935 Wembley “White Hope†event. I had just one contest, knocking out a lad called McCormick in two rounds at the Borough Hall, Widnes. Eventually the Wembley date came round again and off we went .

Altogether I had five fights that night and won the trophy by beating Zachy Nicholas, a protégé of Len Harvey, in the final. In one of the early rounds I boxed George Davies, who scaled 20st and came from Banbury. He had all the best quality kit, including a splendid scarlet dressing gown, whereas I scaled 12st and wore plimsolls and rugby shorts. When Mr Burns saw the size of him he advised me to make it quick or be prepared for trouble.

So I knocked him out in the first round with a body punch. Tommy Loughran had promised to take the winner on an American tour, but my father advised me to stick to my apprenticeship, so I forfeited the trip.

Some 12 months later, aged 17, Jack won the Northern area light heavyweight title by knocking out the Holder, Jack Robinson of Nottingham at the Liverpool Stadium, after previously drawn with him.

The stage seemed set for Jack to move on to bigger things, but with few good cruisers around he found himself matched time and again with heavyweights and as he never scaled more than 12st 3lbs he was conceding weight almost every time he stepped into the ring.

However his speed was his main asset against the bigger men and he rated his best win was when he beat Seaman Harry Rolls on points at Earls Court on the Mizler-Walsh British title fight bill in 1936. Rolls a great prospect at the time and contender for the southern area title, blacked and closed jacks eye in the first round, but Jack battled on and beat him on points.

Jack also had a good win over Eddie Philips, a London taxi driver who was one of the very few Englishmen to beat Tommy Farr, when Farr was in his heyday. Phillips beat Farr three times including one win for the British light heavyweight title.

At Liverpool Stadium Jack had a great run winning nine, losing three and drawing the odd one of his thirteen bouts there spread over 1936 and 1937.

One of his toughest outings was at Granby Halls, Leicester against Bill Hardy. Jack was down three times in the first round and was hit so hard that a tooth was driven through his lip.he still has the scar to this day but although Hardy beat him on points he never dropped him again.

Jack was also outpointed by Cheo Morejon, the Cuban cruiser champion, a fighter so well muscled that he seemed to have two sets of shoulders, and he also dropped a points decision to Dutch champion Reinus de Boer.

Jacks finale came in October 1937 when he was stopped in three rounds by the highly rated Manchester Docker Tom Reddington. Jack developed a huge swelling behind his ear and was advised by the board of Control doctor to take a long rest from the ring of at least 12 months. He took the advice only to find the outbreak of war to quash his plans.

Stanner's trophy will hit the auction room

Apr 19 2007

Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News, Daily Post

A SOLID silver trophy awarded to Widnes boxing legend Jack Stanner in 1935 for winning five Wembley fights on the same day is being sold by his family.

Auctioneers Rogers-Jones of Colwyn Bay will sell the trophy together with a small archive of photographs and press cuttings on Tuesday, April 24.

The lot is estimated at £1,000-£1,500. The trophy relates to the 'great white hope' championships held annually with promoters inviting contenders to make a name for themselves on an unofficial but national stage.

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