Maurice Hope
Maurice Hope | |
---|---|
Born | St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda | 6 December 1951
Nationality | British |
Statistics | |
Weight(s) | |
Height | 5 ft 8+1⁄2 in (174 cm) |
Reach | 69 in (175 cm) |
Stance | Southpaw |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 35 |
Wins | 30 |
Wins by KO | 24 |
Losses | 4 |
Draws | 1 |
Maurice Hope (born 6 December 1951) is a British former boxer, who was world junior middleweight champion. Born in Antigua, he grew up in Hackney, London. He represented Great Britain at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany.
Boxing career
Amateur career
Maurice Hope was born in
Professional career
Hope made his professional debut on 18 June 1973, defeating John Smith by decision in eight rounds at Nottingham.
On Hope's second fight, held on 25 September of that year, he scored his first knockout win, a victory in three rounds over Len Gibbs in Shoreditch. Hope won his first four professional fights.
On 21 November, he suffered his first defeat, being beaten by Mickey Flynn over eight rounds by decision.
After that loss, Hope went on to win five fights in a row, four by knockout, before winning his first regional belt, when he beat Larry Paul, 5 November 1974, by a knockout in round eight of a fifteen-round bout, at Wolverhampton, to win the British Jr. Middleweight title.
Hope then won three more fights, including one (a fourth-round knockout of Don Cobbs on 11 February 1975 at
After these three wins, Hope went up in weight to fight for the vacant British Middleweight title, vacated by Kevin Finnegan, who, in turn, lost four times to Alan Minter. On 10 June, Hope was defeated by knockout for the first time, losing to Bunny Sterling in the eighth round for that regional title.
Hope's career took on an upwards movement after the loss to Sterling. He followed that loss with a knockout in a rematch against Larry Paul on 30 September at London's
Having won three regional titles, Hope was ranked among the top Jr. Middleweight challengers by the WBC, and so, he obtained his first world title try, on 15 March 1977, against the WBC's world champion, Eckhard Dagge, in Berlin, Germany. After fifteen rounds, the fight was declared a draw (tie).
Hope regrouped with six wins in a row, before getting his second world title try. On 4 March 1979, he faced the then WBC world champion
On 25 September, he defended the WBC's world title for the first time, knocking out Mike Baker in the seventh round, at London.
Hope went to
After one more defeat, to
who, like all the boxers apart from Scottish hero Watt, was based in East London. They all trained in the famous East End fight academy run by Lawless at the Royal Oak in Canning Town. Most of their major fights were under the umbrella of leading London promotion team of Harry Levene, Mike Barrett and Mickey Duff.Professional boxing record
35 fights | 30 wins | 4 losses |
---|---|---|
By knockout | 24 | 2 |
By decision | 6 | 2 |
Draws | 1 |
No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
35 | Loss | 30–4–1 | Luigi Minchillo | SD | 12 | Mar 30, 1982 | Wembley Arena, Wembley, London, England, U.K. | |
34 | Loss | 30–3–1 | Wilfred Benítez | KO | 12 (15) | May 23, 1981 | Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Lost WBC light-middleweight title |
33 | Win | 30–2–1 | Carlos Maria del Valle Herrera | UD | 15 | Nov 26, 1980 | Wembley Arena, Wembley, London, England, U.K. | Retained WBC light-middleweight title |
32 | Win | 29–2–1 | Rocky Mattioli | TKO | 11 (15) | Jul 12, 1980 | Conference Centre, Wembley, London, England, U.K. | Retained WBC light-middleweight title |
31 | Win | 28–2–1 | Mike Baker | TKO | 7 (15) | Sep 25, 1979 | Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England, U.K. | Retained WBC light-middleweight title |
30 | Win | 27–2–1 | Rocky Mattioli | TKO | 9 (15) | Mar 4, 1979 | Teatro Ariston, San Remo, Liguria, Italy | Won WBC light-middleweight title |
29 | Win | 26–2–1 | Alfonso Hayman | TKO | 5 (10) | Sep 26, 1978 | Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England, U.S. | |
28 | Win | 25–2–1 | Melvin Dennis | PTS | 10 | Apr 4, 1978 | Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London, England, U.S. | |
27 | Win | 24–2–1 | Vincenzo Ungaro | KO | 5 (10) | Jan 24, 1978 | Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London, England, U.S. | |
26 | Win | 23–2–1 | Joel Bonnetaz | KO | 5 (15) | Nov 8, 1977 | Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England, U.S. | Retained EBU light-middleweight title |
25 | Win | 22–2–1 | Tony Lopes | TKO | 6 (10) | Sep 27, 1977 | Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England, U.S. | |
24 | Win | 21–2–1 | Frank Wissenbach | MD | 15 | May 7, 1977 | Congress Centre, Hamburg, West Germany | Retained EBU light-middleweight title |
23 | Draw | 20–2–1 | Eckhard Dagge | SD | 15 | Mar 15, 1977 | Deutschlandhalle, Charlottenburg, Berlin, West Germany | For WBC light-middleweight title |
22 | Win | 20–2 | Vito Antuofermo | TKO | 15 (15) | Oct 1, 1976 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Roma, Lazio, Italy | Won EBU light-middleweight title |
21 | Win | 19–2 | Tim McHugh | TKO | 4 (8) | Jun 1, 1976 | Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London, England, U.K. | |
20 | Win | 18–2 | Tony Poole | TKO | 12 (15) | Apr 20, 1976 | York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, England, U.K. | Retained BBBofC British light-middleweight title; Won vacant Commonwealth light-middleweight title |
19 | Win | 17–2 | Kevin White | TKO | 4 (10) | Mar 20, 1976 | Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England, U.K. | |
18 | Win | 16–2 | Mimoun Mohatar | TKO | 2 (10) | Mar 2, 1976 | Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London, England, U.K. | |
17 | Win | 15–2 | Carl Speare | TKO | 4 (8) | Feb 25, 1976 | York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, England, U.K. | |
16 | Win | 14–2 | Larry Paul | TKO | 4 (15) | Sep 30, 1975 | Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England, U.K. | Retained BBBofC light-middleweight title |
15 | Loss | 13–2 | Bunny Sterling | TKO | 8 (15) | Jun 10, 1975 | Café Royal, Piccadilly, London, England, U.K. | For vacant BBBofC middleweight title |
14 | Win | 13–1 | Jürgen Voss | KO | 3 (10) | Apr 2, 1975 | Cunard Hotel, Hammersmith, London, England, U.K. | |
13 | Win | 12–1 | Don Cobbs | TKO | 4 (10) | Feb 11, 1975 | Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London, England, U.K. | |
12 | Win | 11–1 | Cuby Jackson | TKO | 7 (8) | Dec 10, 1974 | Ice Rink, Nottingham, England, U.K. | |
11 | Win | 10–1 | Larry Paul | KO | 8 (15) | Nov 5, 1974 | Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, U.K. | Won BBBofC British light-middleweight title |
10 | Win | 9–1 | Dave Davies | TKO | 8 (10) | May 13, 1974 | Hilton Hotel, Mayfair, London, U.K. | |
9 | Win | 8–1 | John Smith | KO | 2 (8) | Apr 17, 1974 | Piccadilly Hotel, Manchester, Lancashire, U.K. | |
8 | Win | 7–1 | Mike Manley | TKO | 4 (8) | Apr 1, 1974 | Café Royal,, Piccadilly, London, England, U.K. | |
7 | Win | 6–1 | Mick Hussey | KO | 3 (8) | Mar 12, 1974 | Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England, U.K. | |
6 | Win | 5–1 | Mike Manley | PTS | 8 | Jan 28, 1974 | Great International Sporting Club, Nottingham, England, U.K. | |
5 | Loss | 4–1 | Mickey Flynn | PTS | 8 | Nov 21, 1973 | Grosvenor House, Mayfair, London, England, U.K. | |
4 | Win | 4–0 | Arthur Winfield | TKO | 4 (8) | Oct 23, 1973 | Ice Rink, Nottingham, England, U.K. | |
3 | Win | 3–0 | Pat Brogan | PTS | 8 | Oct 1, 1973 | Great International Sporting Club, Nottingham, England, U.K. | |
2 | Win | 2–0 | Len Gibbs | RTD | 3 (8) | Sep 25, 1973 | Shoreditch Town Hall, Shoreditch, London, England, U.K. | |
1 | Win | 1–0 | John Smith | PTS | 8 | Jun 18, 1973 | Great International Sporting Club, Nottingham, England, U.K. |
Later life
Hope continued in the public eye in England, doing various jobs, and he has enjoyed his earnings as a boxer. Furthermore, with Benitez suffering from diabetes and boxing-related conditions, he has become a frequent visitor to Puerto Rico, where he and Benitez sometimes spend days talking about their old days as boxers. Hope now lives Hackney and Was involved with boxing training for the local residents and youths in upper Clapton. Hope also has property in Antigua after being given land by the government to mark his achievements in the ring. Hope has been an outstanding ambassador for Antigua and is happily involved in the island's tourist industry.
In recognition of Hope's achievements while a resident, the London Borough of Hackney named a major cycle route after him.
See also
- List of world light-middleweight boxing champions
- List of British world boxing champions
- List of outright winners of the Lonsdale belt
References
- ^ "Boxing Legend Says World Title Was Equally Antigua's Although He Fought For Great Britain". The Daily Observer (Antigua). Retrieved 7 October 2022.
- ^ "Hope Stops Baker in 7th And Retains W.B.C. Title". The New York Times. 26 September 1979. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
- ^ "Government Steps In To Help Ailing Former Champ". Associated Press. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
External links
- Boxing record for Maurice Hope from BoxRec (registration required)
- Maurice Hope at Olympedia