Lonsdale Belt


The Lord Lonsdale Challenge Belt, commonly known as the Lonsdale Belt, is the oldest championship belt in British professional boxing. Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale introduced the prize on behalf of the National Sporting Club, intending it to be awarded to British boxing champions. Arthur Frederick Bettinson, manager of the NSC, introduced terms and conditions regarding the holding of the belt, which ensured its lasting prestige. Freddie Welsh won the first Lonsdale Belt in 1909 after winning the NSC British Lightweight title. Heavyweight Henry Cooper was the first and only boxer to win three Lonsdale Belts during his 17-year professional career. In 1929 the British Boxing Board of Control assumed responsibility for awarding the belt, which continues to be awarded to British champions since then.
Only six boxers have won two Lonsdale belts each outright since 1934, which led to the BBBofC introducing more stringent rules of attainment in the 1980s and 1990s. The last winner of two belts was Clinton McKenzie in 1987. The Lonsdale belt is a coveted prize with great monetary and sentimental value, finding homes in private collections, museums and has been auctioned for large sums of money. Belts have been stolen on numerous occasions, none of which have ever been found. Since 1909, only 161 boxers have won a Lonsdale belt outright across all weights. In 2013 the BBBofC in a move to further acknowledge the esteem held for outright Lonsdale belt winners introduced the Lonsdale Badge, which outright winners of the belt are now entitled to display on their boxing shorts during bouts.

History

1909–1936: National Sporting Club

Lord Lonsdale was the first president of the National Sporting Club. In 1909, he introduced the Lonsdale Belt—originally the Challenge Belt—as a new trophy for British boxing champions in each weight division. A 9-carat or 22-carat gold belt composed of two heavy chains with a central enamel medallion depicting a boxing match, the centrepiece is flanked by enamel medallions showing single boxers and gold medallions with a scroll on which is inscribed the names of belt winners. The medallions are interspersed with smaller gold medallions depicting the Union Rose. The belts are backed with a red, white and blue ribbon. The first belts were made in the Birmingham workshop of jewellers Mappin & Webb The silversmiths and trophy makers Thomas Fattorini Ltd, were commissioned to make the belts in sterling silver in the early 1970s and have been making them since. The manufacturer and the date a belt was manufactured can be identified by the hallmark on the parts. Each portrait of Lord Lonsdale is uniquely hand painted in vitreous enamel.
A total of 22 Lonsdale belts were issued by the NSC; 20 were won outright.
The manager of the NSC Arthur Frederick Bettinson published details about the terms and conditions of holding the belt agreed by the NSC in Sporting Life on 22 December 1909. The main rules were:
The first recipient of this belt was Freddie Welsh, who defeated Johnny Summers on 8 November 1909 for the NSC British Lightweight title.
ChampionReign beganDefeatedWeight class
Freddie Welsh8 November 1909Johnny SummersLightweight
Tom Thomas20 December 1909Charlie WilsonMiddleweight
Young Joseph21 March 1910Jack GoldswainWelterweight
Jim Driscoll18 April 1910Spike RobsonFeatherweight
Digger Stanley17 October 1910Joe BowkerBantamweight
Billy Wells24 April 1911Iron HagueHeavyweight
Sid Smith4 December 1911Joe WilsonFlyweight
Dick Smith9 March 1914Dennis HaughLight-heavyweight

1936–present: British Boxing Board of Control

The NSC became virtually defunct in 1929 and lost control of the sport to the British Boxing Board of Control, which started to issue the Lord Lonsdale Challenge Belt in 1936. Lonsdale consented to the use of his name and image on the belt in perpetuity; an image of his face remains on it. In 1939 the last 9-carat gold belt was launched by the BBBofC and won by the lightweight Eric Boon that year. The last 9-carat gold belt was won outright by Henry Cooper in 1959. Belts made from 1945 are composed of hallmarked silver and the laurel-leaf border has the thistle, daffodil and shamrock added to the extant rose to represent the four national flowers of the UK. The belt was machine-made for a short time in the 1970s before the BBBofC decided to have it hand-made again, passing the contract to Thomas Fattorini Ltd, who continue to make the belts. Each belt costs £14,000.
ChampionReign BeganDefeatedWeight class
Benny Lynch16 September 1936Pat PalmerFlyweight
Johnny McGrory24 September 1936Nel TarletonFeatherweight
Jimmy Walsh19 October 1936Harry MizlerLightweight
Jock McAvoy27 April 1937Eddie PhillipsLight-heavyweight
Johnny King31 May 1937Jackie BrownBantamweight
Tommy Farr15 March 1937Ben FoordHeavyweight
Jock McAvoy25 October 1937Jack HyamsMiddleweight
Jake Kilrain21 February 1938Jack LordWelterweight

Changes

In 1987, the BBBofC decided to award only one belt to any boxer in each division. A boxer can, however, win belts outright in different weight classes.
On 1 September 1999 the BBBofC changed the criteria for winning a belt outright; boxers must now win four—rather than three—championship contests in the same weight division. The rule also stipulates that one of the four wins must be a mandatory contest. The BBBofC general secretary John Morris cited the rising costs of making the belts as the chief reason for the rule change.
The BBBofC introduced the Lonsdale Badge in 2013; it is worn by outright winners. According to a Eurosport report:

Donations and auctions

The Lonsdale belt won by Bombardier Billy Wells in 1911 is now kept at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, London, and is not on display to the general public. Johnny Brown's Lonsdale Belt was donated to the Museum of London in 2010. In November 2000 the belt awarded to Randy Turpin in 1956 was auctioned for £23,000 while in September 2011, the belt won by the welterweight Jack Hood in 1926 fetched £36,000. Hood, who died in 1992, had displayed his belt above the bar at the Bell public house, of which he was the licensee, in Tanworth-in-Arden.
In 1993, Henry Cooper sold all three of his belts for £42,000 after losing heavily on the Lloyd's insurance market. One of the belts—the last one made of gold—was sold for £22,000. The others sold for £10,000 each. Cooper was expecting £70,000 for the sale but was content they were all sold together.

Theft

The belts have attracted targeted theft over the years. The first recorded in the media was Don Cockell's Lonsdale belt, which was stolen in 1952 from a glass cabinet at his home in London while he was out dancing. He did not own the £15,000 belt at the time, needing one more victory. In 2007, after attending a training camp, Bobby Vanzie returned to his home to Bradford and discovered his belt had been stolen. Tara promoter Jack Doughty said in the Manchester Evening News: "This is the best belt a boxer can win. It is better than those for world title fights, gold plated with a portrait of Lord Lonsdale in the middle."
Pat McAteer's belt was stolen from his son's home at Annapolis, Maryland, in 2012. The boxer's son, also named Pat, told the Liverpool Echo that since his father's death he has only had the belt out once to show his nine-year-old nephew Will. "Will was like ‘wow’ when he saw ‘Pop Pop’s’ belt. He was going to inherit the belt from me and he was to pass it to his son and so on, so it would stay in the McAteer family." Jack Petersen's Lonsdale belt was stolen from his son's home in Burnham, Buckinghamshire in 2013. His son Robert, managing director of Cardiff PR firm Petersens, told Wales Online: "It’s the  family’s crown jewels, a magnificent looking piece of art. It would be a terrible shame if it was melted down."

Current holders of the BBBofC Lonsdale Belt

This table is updated periodically using the British Boxing Board of Control Website

Outright winners of Lonsdale belt

Key

***Outright winner of 3 belts
**Outright winner of 2 belts

is the only man to have ever won three Lonsdale Belts outright.
went on to reign as the undisputed welterweight champion from 1986 to 1987 and held the WBC, Ring magazine and lineal welterweight titles twice between 1986 and 1989.
went on to become a three-time world heavyweight champion, a two-time lineal champion, and remains the last heavyweight to hold the undisputed title.
competed from 1995 to 2009. He was born to an Irish Traveller family in Longford, County Longford, Ireland
File:Jamie Moore 2013.jpg|alt=Jamie Moore. Survived a murder attempt in Spain, 2014|thumb|right|upright|Jamie Moore survived a murder attempt in Spain in 2014
competed from 2002 to 2014, and has since worked as a boxing analyst and commentator for Sky Sports.
was ranked as the world's fourth best active lightweight by BoxRec.


ChampionWeight classYear achieved
Jim DriscollFeatherweight1910
Digger StanleyBantamweight1912
Freddie WelshLightweight1912
Bombardier Billy WellsHeavyweight1913
Johnny BashamWelterweight1915
Joe FoxBantamweight1917
Jimmy WildeFlyweight1917
Tancy LeeFeatherweight1917
Dick SmithLight-heavyweight1918
Pat O'KeeffeMiddleweight1918
Jim HigginsBantamweight1921
Johnny BrownBantamweight1925
Jack HoodWelterweight1926
Len HarveyMiddleweight1930
Johnny CuthbertFeatherweight1930
Jackie BrownFlyweight1932
Dick CorbettBantamweight1934
Nel Tarleton**Featherweight1934
Jock McAvoyMiddleweight1935
Jack PetersenHeavyweight1935
Johnny KingBantamweight1937
Eric BoonLightweight1939
Ernie RoderickWelterweight1941
Jackie PatersonFlyweight1943
Nel Tarleton**Featherweight1945
Billy ThompsonLightweight1950
Ronnie Clayton**Featherweight1950
Peter Keenan**Bantamweight1951
Ronnie Clayton**Featherweight1953
Terry AllenFlyweight1953
Wally ThomWelterweight1954
Randolph TurpinLight-heavyweight1956
Joe LucyLightweight1956
Peter Keenan**Bantamweight1957
Pat McAteerMiddleweight1957
Charlie HillFeatherweight1958
Terry DownesMiddleweight1960
Brian Curvis**Welterweight1961
Henry Cooper ***Heavyweight1961
Freddie GilroyBantamweight1962
Howard Winstone**Featherweight1962
Howard Winstone**Featherweight1963
Chic CalderwoodLight-heavyweight1963
Brian Curvis**Welterweight1964
Henry Cooper ***Heavyweight1964
Walter McGowanFlyweight1966
Maurice CullenLightweight1966
Henry Cooper ***Heavyweight1967
Johnny PritchettMiddleweight1967
Alan RudkinBantamweight1969
Jimmy AndersonSuper-featherweight1969
Ralph CharlesWelterweight1971
Ken BuchananLightweight1973
John McCluskeyFlyweight1974
Evan ArmstrongFeatherweight1974
Chris FinneganLight-heavyweight1975
Joey SingletonSuper-lightweight1975
Alan MinterMiddleweight1976
Maurice HopeSuper-welterweight1976
Jim WattLightweight1977
Jimmy BattenSuper-welterweight1978
Bunny JohnsonLight-heavyweight1979
Colin PowersSuper-lightweight1979
Johnny OwenBantamweight1979
Pat ThomasSuper-welterweight1979
Kevin FinneganMiddleweight1979
Clinton McKenzie**Light-welterweight1979
Pat CowdellFeatherweight1980
Roy GumbsMiddleweight1982
Tom CollinsLight-heavyweight1983
Dennis AndriesLight-heavyweight1984
George FeeneyLightweight1984
Hugh RussellBantamweight1985
Cohn JonesWelterweight1985
Lloyd HoneyghanWelterweight1985
Prince RodneySuper-welterweight1985
Tony WillisLightweight1986
Robert DickieFeatherweight1986
Clinton McKenzie**Light-welterweight1987
Kirkland LaingWelterweight1987
Lloyd ChristieSuper-lightweight1987
Charlie MagriFlyweight1987
Tony SibsonMiddleweight1987
Horace NoticeHeavyweight1987
Herol GrahamMiddleweight1988
Tony WilsonLight-heavyweight1989
Pat ClintonFlyweight1989
Billy HardyBantamweight1989
Paul HodkinsonFeatherweight1989
Johnny NelsonCruiserweight1990
Colin McMillanFeatherweight1991
John DohertySuper-featherweight1991
Carl CrookLightweight1991
Andy HolliganSuper-lightweight1992
Robbie ReganFlyweight1992
Lennox LewisHeavyweight1992
Andy TillSuper-welterweight1993
Crawford AshleyLight-heavyweight1994
Sean MurphyFeatherweight1993
Neville BrownMiddleweight1994
Drew DochertyBantamweight1994
Francis AmpofoFlyweight1994
Billy SchwerLightweight1994
Robert McCrackenSuper-welterweight1995
Ross HaleSuper-lightweight1995
Sam StoreySuper-middleweight1995
Delroy BryanWelterweight1995
Michael AyersLightweight1995
Floyd HazardSuper-featherweight1995
Terry DunstanCruiserweight1996
Richie WentonSuper-bantamweight1996
Ryan RhodesSuper-welterweight1997
Paul IngleFeatherweight1997
Ady LewisFlyweight1997
Ryan RhodesWelterweight1997
Geoff McCreeshWelterweight1998
Jon Jo IrwinFeatherweight1998
Charles ShepherdSuper-featherweight1998
Michael BrodieSuper-bantamweight1998
David StarieSuper-middleweight1999
Ensley BinghamSuper-welterweight1999
Derek RocheWelterweight1999
Julius FrancisHeavyweight1999
Michael GomezSuper-featherweight2000
Bobby VanzieLightweight2000
Bruce ScottCruiserweight2001
Nicky BoothBantamweight2001
Michael AlldisSuper-bantamweight2002
Danny WilliamsHeavyweight2002
Howard EastmanMiddleweight2003
Neil SinclairWelterweight2003
Mark HobsonCruiserweight2004
David BarnesWelterweight2004
Dazzo WilliamsFeatherweight2004
Jamie MooreSuper-welterweight2005
Junior WitterSuper-lightweight2005
Michael HunterSuper-bantamweight2005
Matt SkeltonHeavyweight2005
Scott DannMiddleweight2005
Alex ArthurSuper-featherweight2005
Graham EarlLightweight2005
Carl FrochSuper-middleweight2006
Carl JohannesonSuper-featherweight2007
Ian NapaBantamweight2008
Kell BrookWelterweight2009
Jason BoothSuper-bantamweight2009
John MurrayLightweight2010
John SimpsonFeatherweight2010
Stuart HallBantamweight2011
Brian RoseSuper-welterweight2012
Lee SelbyFeatherweight2013
Frankie GavinWelterweight2013
Billy Joe SaundersMiddleweight2013
Jon-Lewis DickinsonCruiserweight2014
Bradley SkeeteWelterweight2016
Martin J. WardSuper-featherweight2017
Ryan WalshFeatherweight2017
Lewis RitsonLightweight2018
Brad FosterSuper-bantamweight2020

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