John Conteh
| John Conteh | ||||||||||
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Conteh c. 1973
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| Statistics | ||||||||||
| Rated at | Light-heavyweight | |||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | |||||||||
| Reach | 76 in (193 cm) | |||||||||
| Nationality | British | |||||||||
| Born |
27 May 1951 Liverpool, Merseyside, England |
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| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||
| Total fights | 39 | |||||||||
| Wins | 34 | |||||||||
| Wins by KO | 24 | |||||||||
| Losses | 4 | |||||||||
| Draws | 1 | |||||||||
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Medal record
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John Conteh (born 27 May 1951) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1971 to 1980. He held multiple light-heavyweight championships, including the WBC title from 1974 to 1978; and the European, British, and Commonwealth titles between 1973 and 1974.
John Conteh began boxing at the age of 10 at a boxing club in Kirkby that was a training ground for some of the best amateur boxers, such as Joey Singleton, Tucker Hetherington, and Stuart Morton. At 19, he won the middleweight gold medal at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games. He won the WBC light-heavyweight title in October 1974 by defeating Jorge Ahumada. He held the title until 1977 when he was stripped for not going through with a mandated defence.
Conteh lost a 15-round split decision to the Yugoslavian fighter Mate Parlov when he attempted to regain the title. He failed twice in further efforts to win back the crown, in 1979 and then again seven months later in 1980, on both occasions fighting the American Matthew Saad Muhammad. Muhammad won both bouts but the first victory was declared void because his cornermen used an illegal substance on a cut.
Conteh was one of the celebrities featured dressed in prison gear on the cover of the 1973 Wings album, Band on the Run. He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1974.
Conteh also has the distinction of being British Superstars competition champion in 1974, the second year of the televised sporting event. Conteh is now an after-dinner speaker and speaks at venues all across the country.
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