Lionel Rose
| Lionel Rose | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Lionel Edmund Rose |
| Nickname(s) | "Slim" |
| Rated at | Bantamweight |
| Height | 5 ft 6 1⁄2 in (169 cm) |
| Nationality |
 Australian |
| Born |
21 June 1948 Drouin, Victoria |
| Died | 8 May 2011 (aged 62) Warragul, Victoria |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 53 |
| Wins | 42 |
| Wins by KO | 12 |
| Losses | 11 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
Lionel Edmund Rose MBE (21 June 1948 – 8 May 2011) was an Australian bantamweight boxer, the first Indigenous Australian to win a world title. He later became the first Indigenous Australian to be named Australian of the Year.
Born and raised at Jacksons Track in Victoria, Australia as well as the town of Warragul, Rose grew up in hardship and learned to box from his father. Roy (his father) was a skilled fighter at local house shows.
Later at the age of 10, Rose was given a pair of gloves by his teacher Ian Hawkins (who observed him shadow boxing). Aged about 15, he went under the tutelage of Frank Oakes, a Warragul trainer (whose daughter Jenny he later married). He won the Australian amateur flyweight title at 15. He is the God-father to model/actress Ruby Rose.
After missing selection for the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Rose began his professional boxing career at age 16, on 9 September 1964, outpointing Mario Magriss over eight rounds. This fight was in Warragul, but the majority of Rose's fights were held in Melbourne. Along the way he was helped by Jack and Shirley Rennie, in whose Melbourne home he stayed, training every day in their backyard gym.
After five wins in a row, on 23 July 1965, Rose was rematched with Singtong Por Tor, whom he had beaten in a 12-round decision. Por Tor inflicted Rose's first defeat, beating him on points in six rounds. On 14 October of the same year, he had his first fight abroad, beating Laurie Ny by a decision in 10 rounds at Christchurch, New Zealand.
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