Maurice Hope

Maurice Hope (born 6 December 1951 in St. John's, Antigua) is a former boxer from England, who was world Jr. Middleweight champion. Hope lived in Hackney most of his life, but now lives in his place of birth, Antigua. He represented Great Britain at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany.

Maurice Hope moved at a very young age to England. In England, where boxing is a popular sport, he learned how to box. Hope's aptitude towards boxing was evident early in childhood; he began to train as a very young boy.

After being a star amateur fighter, Hope made his professional debut on 18 June 1973, defeating John Smith by decision in eight rounds at Nottingham.

On Hope's second fight, held on 25 September of that year, he scored his first knockout win, a victory in three rounds over Len Gibbs in Shoreditch. Hope won his first four professional fights.

On 21 November, he suffered his first defeat, being beaten by Mickey Flynn over eight rounds by decision.

After that loss, Hope went on to win five fights in a row, four by knockout, before winning his first regional belt, when he beat Larry Paul, 5 November 1974, by a knockout in round eight of a fifteen-round bout, at Wolverhampton, to win the British Jr. Middleweight title.

Hope then won three more fights, including one (a fourth-round knockout of Don Cobbs on 11 February 1975 at Royal Albert Hall) which was refereed by legendary referee Harry Gibs, who also oversaw the refereeing of the Wilfredo Gómez-Carlos Zarate bout, among many other famous fights.

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