The great Dickie Burke, represented by his grandson, visits the ERT gym
On Thursday, July 13th, a part of boxing history paid a visit to the 100-year-old Everton Red Triangle gym, located in Albion Street, Liverpool.
Steve Barr, the grandson of Liverpool boxing royalty, Dickie Burke, who once fought at Anfield, paid a visit to his grandad’s old club whilst on vacation from the States.
The local boxing hero, born Richard Dominic Burke in 1912, known as the “Wonder Boy of the North”, not only fought at Liverpool FC but also over 20 times at the Liverpool Stadium in Pudsey Street, which was the country’s first ever purpose-built boxing arena and engineering marvel at the time.
Steve Barr and his family are proud long-time sponsors and supporters of the boxing club, which even has a special award in his late grandad’s name.
Head coach, Paul Stevenson, was there to welcome the honorary guest to the club during one of his daily training sessions for his group of active professional boxers.
Stevenson said, “Lovely to have a visit from deep in the Everton Red Triangle’s century-long history today.
“Steve Barr, grandson of Everton Red Triangle’s former world title challenger Dickie Burke, who boxed out of the club in the 1930’s, called in today to see the ERT’s current crop of professional fighters hard at training.
“Dickie Burke twice boxed all-time great bantamweight Panama Al Brown, losing on points over 12 rounds in their first fight in December 1932 and stopped on a cut eye six months later in the rematch.
“Grandson Steve and his family, though living in Washington, are regular visitors, sponsors and supporters of the Everton Red Triangle, and Dickie Burke is honoured at the club every year in the presentation of the ‘Dickie Burke Trophy’ for the boxer showing a high sense of the club’s values of sportsmanship, discipline, loyalty, dignity and respect.
“Great to see the old DNA revisiting the club from across the Atlantic Ocean nearly a century later!”
The aforementioned Panama Al Brown, known as “Kid Theophilo”, had an extraordinary career which spanned three decades between 1928-1942, winning 128 fights, but is best remembered for making boxing history as the first ever Latin American to become world champion.
Dickie fought Panama when he was just 20-years-old, having turned pro at 16, up against an opponent who had experienced over 100 bouts. It was on a Thursday night, December 1st, 1932 in Sheffield when the bantamweights clashed, which Panama won after 12 hard fought rounds.
In May the next year, the rivals met again, once more reaching the final round of 12, but this time a badly cut eye forced referee Artur Myers to stop the contest, awarding another win to Panama.
Burke went on to win 49 fights, losing just 16, and collected 30 knockouts, which is high scoring for a bantamweight. He hung up his gloves in 1939 after 10 years in the sport and is fondly remembered for being an exciting, all-action, game fighter with power in both hands that was willing to go anywhere for a fight.
He died in 1989, aged 76. A newspaper article summarizing his career provided a fitting tribute to the great man: “Few could match his hard hitting, all action style whilst outside the ring he mixed with ease with his fans and peers alike. He was a man for the people, one the supporters loved to cheer and the boxers used to respect – a British hero in an era of fighting legends.”
Another ERT success story in their rich history was Nel Tarleton, who boxed over 300 amateur fights for the club in the 1920s and is widely regarded as Liverpool’s greatest ever fighter.
He had a great pro career winning over 100 fights and becoming one of only seven fighters to win two Lonsdale belts outright.
As well as being British champion on three occasions, he also won European and Commonwealth titles and challenged for the world title twice in an era where there were just eight weight divisions, not 17 like there is now, and only one champion per weight, not four or five.
Affectionately known as “NelsonNella”, he sold out Anfield, which seated 30,000 at the time, and retired in 1945 as the reigning British and Commonwealth featherweight champion.
Fast-forward 78 years and the Triangle currently has another featherweight champion in Nick Ball, keeping the legacy of the club very much alive.
The 26-year-old is No.2 in the world rankings and itching for his shot at the world title. Ball won the coveted WBC Silver featherweight title in 2022 at Wembley Stadium and has defended it three times since, winning all contests by knockout.
Nick trains with Olympian Peter McGrail, his younger brother Joe McGrail, as well as world-ranked Andrew Cain, unbeaten Bradley Strand and heavyweight Boma Brown in a talent-packed gym that also has multiple amateur titlists adding to the club’s constant conveyor belt of champions.
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Article sponsored by HÖRFA