Dick Richardson

RICHARD Alexander Richardson, better known to 1950s boxing fans as the fighting Newport, Gwent, milkman Dick Richardson, was an enigma. A devoted fan outside the ropes of that icon of Hollywood wholesomeness, Doris Day, inside the ring Richardson figured in two of the dirtiest ring bouts in British boxing history.

In the first of these controversial clashes - on October 2, 1956,

in London's Harringay Arena, Richardson's ruthless rough-and-tumble tactics forced American former world heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles to clutch like a limpet until Glasgow referee Frank Wilson controversially disqualified the erstwhile conqueror of the great Joe Louis in the second round.

This led to Wilson having his licence temporarily suspended pending a Board of Control inquiry, which eventually exonerated him.

That incident early in Dick Richardson's career was a highly symbolic microcosm of the pattern of Richardson's 10 year campaign in pro-boxing rings, where controversy lurked like an invisible ring second every time Richardson entered the square circle to do battle.

In this connection, when Richardson successfully defended his European title by stopping Blackpool's Brian London inside eight foul-filled rounds on August 29, 1960, in Porthcawl in Richardson's native Wales, the tough Newport milkman and his handlers ended up brawling with members of rival London's family, seconds, and spectators in a wild ring-centre melee.

The scenes were filmed and subsequently shown at Tulliallan police training college to Scottish police cadets in the 1960s as a training film on how to deal with riots.

The son of a circus wall-of-death bike rider, Richardson remarkably had never donned a boxing glove until, as a 19-year-old National Serviceman, his drill instructor in the Royal Army Service Corps, former boxer Johnny Lewis,

invited him to try it.

Despite his crude early efforts as an army amateur boxer Richardson impressed Lewis enough for the Londoner to fix him up on demob with former 150-bout bantam weight boxer and veteran fight manager Wally Lesley.

Lesley set about transforming Richardson, a former rugby player, into a serious pro-heavyweight

contender. In his eighth contest Richardson stopped British and European heavyweight champion Henry Cooper's twin brother, Jim, having previously lost on points to the same opponent in his first paid bout in September 1954.

But the real significance of this win was the basis of a deep per-sonal antipathy between Richardson and Henry Cooper; a mutual loathing that was aggravated when Richardson had 'Enery on the verge of defeat during the first five rounds of their September 1958 bout, only for Richardson to walk on to Cooper's deadly left hook and be counted out in the fifth.

But this was the essence of Richardson's career. A ferocious puncher, few of his wins were obtained on points, but he, in turn, did not absorb a hard punch well. However, against light punching world-class opponents, such as American world light-heavyweight champion Willie Pastrano, Richardson could go the distance if only to lose the decision. The fact remains that Richardson's biggest enemy was his own impetuosity, evidenced by his disqualification loss in

1955 to the modestly talented

former Clydeside shipyard worker, Hugh Ferns.

Again, attempts by leading

London-based post-war boxing promoter Jack Solomons to turn Richardson into Britain's first

twentieth-century world heavyweight champion foundered against top notchers such as Cuban Nino Valdes and Americans Bob Baker, Mike DeJohn, and Howie Turner.

Nevertheless, at European level he enjoyed considerable success, winning the European heavyweight title in March 1960 by stopping German Hans Kalbfell in Dortmund in the 13th round.

He successfully defended this crown against fellow Briton Brian London in the disgraceful riot at Porthcawl in 1960, and then again beat Kalbfell in another 1961 return bout inside the distance.

Indeed, it took someone of the class of former Swedish world heavyweight champion Ingemar Johansson to beat Richardson for his European title, the Swede knocking out the defending champion in the eighth round in Gothenburg's Ullevi Stadium in June 1962, in front of members of the Swedish royal family.

Richardson was not finished with boxing after the Johansson defeat. Remarkably, although a

former European champion, he had never fought for the British title and Lonsdale belt.

So it was that on March 26, 1963, boxing for the rival London promoter Harry Levene at Wembley, that Richardson met his hated

former nemesis, Henry Cooper, for the latter's British and Empire crowns. Cooper won, knocking out Richardson in the fifth round,

having been badly cut by the Welshman in the first.

The programme notes for that bout described Richardson as ''Richo - The Rich Pug'', no mere pun for here again, contrary to expectations, Richardson, the reckless and impetuous roughneck inside the ropes, was extremely canny with his ring earnings and left boxing with his money intact and widely invested.

His finest moment was undoubtedly his first round knockout of German southpaw Karl Mildenberger in Germany in defence of

his European title early in 1962. Mildenberger had taken a prime Muhammad Ali 12 rounds in 1967. Richardson still holds the best record of any British boxer competing in German rings.

Following his ring career, and having settled in Staines, Middlesex, Dick Richardson was a keen attender at London Ex-Boxers' Association meetings.