Johnny Summers (boxer)

Johnny Summers (21 January 1883 – 27 March 1946) was an English boxer who competed from 1901 to 1920. He was a British and British Empire (Commonwealth) welterweight champion.

Johnny Summers
Statistics
Real name	Johnny Summers (born Johnny Somers)
Weight(s)	Featherweight Lightweight Welterweight
Height	5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Nationality	British
Born	21 January 1883 Middlesbrough, England
Died	27 March 1946(1946-03-27) (aged 64)
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	164
Wins	96
Wins by KO	38
Losses	31
Draws	28
No contests	11

Early Life

Summers was born on 21 January 1883 in Middlesbrough, and raised in Canning Town.[1]

Boxing career

Early career

Summers made his debut on 1 April 1901 at the Gaiety Athletic Hall, Sydney, Australia, forcing Bob Cooper to retire from the bout in the third round.[2]

On 1 October 1906, Summers fought Boss Edwards for the NSC British featherweight title, winning the twenty round bout on points. He lost the title two months later to Spike Robson on 17 December, Summers being disqualified in the fourth round.[2]

From May 1907 to April 1908, Summers boxed in the United States, beginning with a bout against Harlem Tommy Murphy on 22 May, at the National A.C. in Philadelphia, the bout ending in a draw. Summers ended his tour of the United States with a win over Steve Sullivan on 30 April 1908, at the Eureka A.C. in Baltimore.[2]

On 8 November 1909, Summers fought Freddie Welsh for the NSC British and EBU European lightweight titles. This was also the first-ever contest for the Lonsdale Belt.[3] Summers, bleeding as early as the third round, lost the twenty round bout on points.[4]

British welterweight champion

On 11 April 1912, Summers fought Young Joseph for the BBBofC British welterweight title, at the Liverpool Stadium, Liverpool. Summers won the twenty round bout on points. He then faced Artur Evernden for the vacant NSC British welterweight title on 17 June 1912, winning the twenty round bout after forcing Evernden to retire in the thirteenth round. Summers defended the NSC title on 9 December 1912 against Sid Burns, winning the bout on points.[5]

In a rematch against Burns on 11 June 1913, Summers again emerged victorious, retaining the BBBofC British welterweight title, and winning the British Empire (Commonwealth) welterweight title. Shortly after he travelled to Australia, where he defended both titles against Artur Evernden at Barker's Pavilion, Melbourne, on 11 June 1913, Summers winning the bout on points.[2]

While still only twenty, New York Jewish boxer Harry Stone defeated Summers on 18 May 1913 in a non-title twenty round points decision at Olympic Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. Though less experienced and six years younger, Stone was considered by most reporters to have outpointed Summers in nearly every round. Years later, Stone wrote Summers "was a fighter with a world-wide reputation, and he had a wallop that would stop any clowning if he landed it, but his speed was not comparable to mine".[6][7] In September, Stone defeated Summers again in a twenty round points decision in Sydney.

On 10 January 1914, Summers lost both titles to Tom McCormick by a points decision at the Sydney Stadium, Sydney. He got a rematch against McCormick on 14 February, but failed to win back the titles, being knocked out in the first round.[8]

Later career

The NSC did not officially recognise the bouts in Australia, and so upon returning home, Summers contested the vacant NSC welterweight title against Johnny Basham on 14 December. Summers, the more experienced fighter, was the favourite going into the bout, but suffered a knockout to the up and coming Basham.[9] Summers would get one more title opportunity, against Bob Marriott for the NSC lightweight title on 23 June 1919. Summers was disqualified in the tenth round for holding.[10]

Notable bouts

Result	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	Bob Marriott	DQ	10 (20)	1919-06-23	National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London	For vacant NSC British lightweight title.
Loss	Johnny Basham	KO	9 (20)	1914-12-14	National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London	For vacant NSC British welterweight title.
Loss	Tom McCormick	PTS	20	1914-01-10	Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales	Lost BBBofC British welterweight and British Empire welterweight titles.
Win	Artur Evernden	PTS	20	1913-06-11	Barker's Pavilion, Melbourne, Victoria	Retained BBBofC British welterweight and British Empire welterweight titles.
Win	Sid Burns	PTS	20	1913-06-11	National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London	Retained BBBofC British welterweight title; won British Empire welterweight title.
Win	Sid Burns	PTS	20	1912-12-09	National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London	Retained NSC British welterweight title.
Win	Artur Evernden	TKO	13 (20)	1912-06-17	National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London	Won vacant NSC British welterweight title.
Win	Young Joseph	PTS	20	1912-04-11	Liverpool Stadium, Liverpool, Merseyside	Won BBBofC British welterweight title.
Loss	Freddie Welsh	PTS	20	1909-11-08	National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London	For European lightweight and NSC British lightweight titles.
Win	Jack Goldwain	TKO	14 (20)	1908-11-12	National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London	Won NSC British welterweight title.
Loss	Spike Robinson	PTS	20	1906-12-17	National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London	Lost NSC British featherweight title.
Win	Boss Edwards	PTS	20	1906-10-01	National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London	Won NSC British featherweight title.
Win	Seaman Arthur Hayes	PTS	20	1906-03-19	National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London	Won NSC British super featherweight title.
Win	Spike Robson	PTS	20	1906-01-29	National Sporting Club, Covent Garden, London	Won vacant NSC British featherweight title.
Win	Bob Cooper	TKO	3 (10)	1901-14-01	Gaiety Athletic Hall, Sydney, New South Wales	Debut.

See Also

• List of British welterweight boxing champions
• List of British featherweight boxing champions

References

1. "The night Johnny lost his teeth: Johnny Summers v Johnny Basham". Welsh boxers. 14 December 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
2. Boxing record for Johnny Summers from BoxRec. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
3. "A Belting Good Idea". BBBofC. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
4. Gallimore, Andrew (2006). Occupation: Prizefighter: The Freddie Welsh Story, p. 119. Seren Books, Bridgend, Wales. ISBN 978-1-85411-395-5.
5. Harding, pp. 32-33.
6. "Watched Kanga and Learned to Hop", Brisbane Mail, Brisbane, Australia, pg. 35, 13 March 1938
7. "American Boxer Defeats British Champ in 20 Rounds", Vancouver Daily World, Vancouver, B.C., pg. 14, 19 May 1913
8. Harding, p. 33.
9. Harding, p. 62.
10. "The Light-Weight Championship: Johnny Summers Disqualified in the Tenth Round for Holding". Dundee Courier. 24 June 1919. Retrieved 28 March 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.

Bibliography

• Harding, John (2016). Lonsdale’s Belt: Boxings Most Coveted Prize (1st ed.). Durrington, UK: Pitch Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78531-195-6.

External links

• Boxing record for Johnny Summers from BoxRec

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Sporting positions
Regional boxing titles
Preceded by Young Joseph	BBBofC British welterweight champion 11 April 1912 – 10 January 1914	Succeeded by Tom McCormick
New title	British Empire welterweight champion 11 June 1913 – 10 January 1914
Vacant Title last held by Artur Evernden	NSC British welterweight champion 17 June 1912 – 10 January 1914 Vacated	Vacant Title next held by Johnny Basham
Preceded by Boss Edwards	NSC British featherweight champion 1 October 1906 – 17 December 1906	Succeeded by Spike Robinson