Howard Winstone

Howard Winstone
Statistics
Real name	Howard Winstone
Nickname(s)	The Welsh Wizard
Rated at	Featherweight
Nationality	Welsh
Born	15 April 1939 Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
Died	30 September 2000 Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	67
Wins	61
Wins by KO	27
Losses	6
Draws	0
No contests	0

Howard Winstone, MBE (15 April 1939 – 30 September 2000) was a Welsh world champion boxer, born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. As an amateur, Winstone won the Amateur Boxing Association bantamweight title in 1958, and a Commonwealth Games Gold Medal at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff.

In his early amateur days Winstone was very much a two-fisted fighter, but as a teenager, whilst working in a local toy factory, he lost the tips of three fingers on his right hand in an accident. As a result, he lost much of the punching power in his right hand and so had to change his style to rely much more on a straight left.

Winstone won 83 of his 86 amateur fights, and in 1958 he was the ABA bantamweight champion.

Representing Wales at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Winstone won the gold medal at bantamweight. Winstone won the first of his three BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year awards the same year (1958) – winning his second in 1963 and his third in 1967.

Winstone turned professional in 1959 and was managed by former European welterweight champion, Eddie Thomas.

Winstone made his professional debut in February 1959 at Wembley Stadium, London, when he beat Billy Graydon on points over six rounds. He then proceeded to win his first 24 fights, at which point he was considered ready for a shot at the British featherweight title.

In May 1961 he fought Terry Spinks the holder of the British featherweight title at the Empire Pool, Wembley. He out-boxed Spinks, forcing him to retire after ten rounds, and so claimed the British title.

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