David "Bomber" Pearce (8 May 1959 – 20 May 2000) was a Welsh heavyweight boxing champion. Also known as The Welsh Rocky, Pearce held both the Welsh and the British Heavyweight titles and held the number one WBC Cruiserweight ranking from September 1983 to September 1985. In all he won 19 (15 KO) of his 24 bouts, losing three, with one drawn. He won two of his unlicensed bouts, losing one.

Biographical details

Pearce was born in Newport, Monmouthshire on 8 May 1959. He was one of nine children: seven brothers, six of whom boxed professionally and one who was a professional dancer, and two sisters. His mother was a relative of

Bob Fitzsimmons Robert James Fitzsimmons (26 May 1863 – 22 October 1917) was a British professional boxer who was the sport's first three-division world champion. He also achieved fame for beating Gentleman Jim Corbett (the man who beat John L. Sullivan), ...

. He boxed out of St Josephs ABC in Newport and coached junior and senior boxers at

Alway Alway is an electoral district (ward) and coterminous community (formerly civil parish) of the city of Newport. The ward is bounded by the Great Western Main Line to the south, Windsor Road, Chepstow Road and Beechwood Road to the west, the M ...

ABC in Newport before his death. Soon after his final unsanctioned boxing fight in 1994, in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, Pearce became seriously ill, in later years developing

epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrica ...

. There was no specific evidence that this had been brought on by repeated blows to the head, but he immediately retired from boxing on medical advice. He died 7 years later, at the age of 41, due to SADS (

Sudden Adult Death Syndrome Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) is a sudden unexpected death of adolescents and adults, mainly during sleep. One relatively common type is known as Brugada syndrome. The syndrome is rare in most areas around the world but occurs in p ...

). The ''

South Wales Argus The ''South Wales Argus'' is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Newport, South Wales. ''The Argus'' is distributed in Newport, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, and Torfaen. History The paper was founded as the ''South Wales Arg ...

'' described him as "Newport's most famous boxer." Around 2,500 people attended his funeral in Newport at Stow Hill Cemetery.

Boxing career achievements

* Pearce won the Welsh and British heavyweight boxing titles in September 1983. * Pearce challenged for the prestigious EBU European heavyweight title against Felipe Rodriguez and Lucien Rodriguez. * Pearce was ranked as high as number seven in the WBA Heavyweight World rankings before his career was cut short. * Pearce was ranked number one in the WBC Cruiserweight Rankings after his victory against Michael "Jack" Johnson, in a WBC final eliminator in 1984. * Pearce was scheduled to fight Buster Douglas in Columbus, Ohio, USA but was pulled out on three hours notice. Donnie Long replaced Pearce. * Pearce was medically retired in 1984, at the age of 24. * Pearce came 2nd in the

BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year The BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year is a televised sporting competition, broadcast on BBC Two every year; and the most prestigious annual Sport in Wales, sport award in Wales. It was first awarded in 1954, and is currently organise ...

in 1983. * Steve Lillis, boxing journalist and co-presenter of Box-Nation, voted David 'Bomber' Pearce in his Top Ten most underrated British boxing champions ( Lonsdale Belt Holders) of all time.

Welsh & British Heavyweight Titles

* Pearce suffered two setbacks on his road to the British title. A loss to Neville Meade when still only 20 and to John Rafferty. Pearce had knocked down Rafferty four times before he was disqualified in the 3rd round for punching after the referee had called break. * Pearce fought in a scheduled WBC eliminator and defeated

Dennis Andries Dennis Andries Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 5 November 1953) is a British former professional boxer who fought at light heavyweight. Professional career Andries turned pro in 1978 and won the WBC Light Heavyweight Title in 1986 in a ...

, the three times WBC world light heavyweight world champion, in the 7th round. Dennis Andries went 6 years before being stopped again, this time by

Thomas Hearns Thomas Hearns (born October 18, 1958) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 2006. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra", and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns's tall, slender build and oversized arms and shoulders allowe ...

in the 10th round. * Pearce, challenged and vowed to avenge his loss to

Neville Meade Neville Meade (12 September 1948 – 13 March 2010) was a British boxer from Swansea. Born in Montserrat, he moved to Wales at the age of nine. He rose to prominence when he won the gold medal in the heavyweight division at the 1974 Commonweal ...

to win the Welsh and British Heavyweight titles. * Pearce won the Welsh and British Heavyweight Boxing Titles in September 1983 at the

St David's Hall St David's Hall (Welsh: ''Neuadd Dewi Sant'') is a performing arts and conference venue in the heart of Cardiff, Wales. St David's Hall is the National Concert Hall and Conference Centre of Wales. It hosts the annual Welsh Proms and the bienni ...

against Commonwealth Gold Medalist and British Heavyweight Champion Neville Meade; Although the Welsh Title was won on the night, the title had to be relinquished by Pearce, due to his commitments of becoming British Heavyweight Champion.

European Heavyweight Title (EBU)

* David Pearce earned a draw with Felipe Rodriquez whilst fighting the EBU Heavyweight Title challenger. * Pearce lost his title fight for the European Heavyweight Title against Lucien Rodriguez who had won 14 of his last 15 fights after earning the number one EBU ranking.

Unsanctioned bouts

Pearce won two (both knock outs) of his three unlicensed bouts. Pearce took a fight with Percell Davis of Detroit at two days notice but was stopped in the eighth round. Pearce later had a second wind after sparring against

Lennox Lewis Lennox Claudius Lewis (born 2 September 1965) is a former professional boxer and boxing commentator who competed from 1989 to 2003. He is a three-time world heavyweight champion, a two-time lineal champion, and the last heavyweight to hold ...

who was in preparation for the Lewis-

Glenn McCrory Glenn McCrory (born 23 September 1964) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 1993. He held the IBF cruiserweight title from 1989 to 1990, and at regional level held the British and Commonwealth cruiserweight title be ...

fight and decided to train once more for his final comeback in California, USA. Pearce wanted to go out on a high after his unprepared previous trip to the states and trained diligently with his brother Gary Pearce. In 1994 Pearce fought in two unsanctioned bouts took place in

Bakersfield, California Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...

. In his first bout he knocked out Mary Konate in the first round and in his second he defeated the former heavyweight World champion

John Tate John Tate may refer to: * John Tate (mathematician) (1925–2019), American mathematician * John Torrence Tate Sr. (1889–1950), American physicist * John Tate (Australian politician) (1895–1977) * John Tate (actor) (1915–1979), Australian act ...

in 3 rounds. The ''

'' and the Californian press likened Pearce to the fighter Philo Beddoe, who was portrayed in the films ''

Every Which Way but Loose ''Every Which Way but Loose'' is a 1978 American action comedy film released by Warner Bros., produced by Robert Daley and directed by James Fargo. It stars Clint Eastwood in an uncharacteristic and offbeat comedy role as Philo Beddoe, a truck ...

'' and ''

Any Which Way You Can ''Any Which Way You Can'' is a 1980 American Action comedy film, action comedy film directed by Buddy Van Horn and starring Clint Eastwood, with Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis (actor), Geoffrey Lewis, William Smith (actor), William Smith, and Ruth G ...

''.

Professional boxing record / Unsanctioned bouts

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Albert Syben Albert Syben (born 1 July 1952) is a Belgian former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1986. He challenged for the European heavyweight title twice between 1982 and 1983, and held the Belgian heavyweight title twice between 1979 and 198 ...

, KO , 1 , 7 April 1983 , align=left,

Lyceum Ballroom The Lyceum Theatre ( ) is a West End theatre located in the City of Westminster, on Wellington Street, just off the Strand in central London. It has a seating capacity of 2,100. The origins of the theatre date to 1765. Managed by Samuel Arnol ...

The Strand, London Strand (or the Strand) is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster, Central London. It runs just over from Trafalgar Square eastwards to Temple Bar, where the road becomes Fleet Street in the City of London, and is part of the A4, ...

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Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

Kensington, London Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensington Gar ...

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Gordon Ferris Gordon Ferris (born 21 November 1952) is Northern Irish former heavyweight boxer who was both Irish and British champion in the early 1980s. Career Born in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, and a lock-keeper by trade,Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

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, United Kingdom , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Larry McDonald , KO , 3 , 16 March 1981 , align=left,

National Sporting Club The National Sporting Club was a club founded in London in 1891, which did more to establish the sport of boxing in Great Britain than any other organisation. Origins The club was founded on 5 March 1891 as a private club. Its premises were at ...

Piccadilly, London Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road that connects central London to Hammersmith, Earl's Court, ...

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Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

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, TKO , 2 , 22 January 1980 , align=left, Double Diamond Club,

Caerphilly Caerphilly (, ; cy, Caerffili, ) is a town and community in Wales. It is situated at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley. It is north of Cardiff and northwest of Newport. It is the largest town in Caerphilly County Borough, and lies wit ...

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Afan Lido Sandfields (Welsh: ''Traethmelyn'') is a mainly residential district of Port Talbot, Wales. The area is located in South Wales on a narrow coastal plain between Mynydd Dinas and the sea. The M4 motorway, A48 road, A48 trunk road and South Wales M ...

Port Talbot Port Talbot (, ) is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, situated on the east side of Swansea Bay, approximately from Swansea. The Port Talbot Steelworks covers a large area of land which dominates the south ...

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Pearce Brothers

* Walter 'Bimbo' Pearce the eldest son of Wally Pearce was a professional boxer, Bimbo won 5 amateur titles from Light Welterweight to Heavyweight including beating 4 British champions in bouts during the ABA exile. * Raymond Pearce, a middleweight who notably fought Winston Burnett, and the future three times WBC world Light Heavyweight champion Dennis Andries. A United States citizen, he worked as an

Elvis impersonator An Elvis impersonator is an entertainer who impersonates or copies the look and sound of American musician and singer Elvis Presley. Professional Elvis impersonators, commonly known as Elvis tribute artists (ETAs), work all over the world as ent ...

across the world and died, on the 1 January 2022, in

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, United States. * Gary Pearce had thirty one professional bouts, including winning the Welsh Area Super Welterweight title and facing Hans Henrick-Palm the World number 5 in Randers, Denmark in 1981. * Ronald Pearce fought Paul Wetter and Robert Smith the now BBBoC General secretary. * Nigel Pearce had five fights as a professional boxer. * Simon Pearce the seventh brother graduated from

Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts is a performing arts conservatoire based in Woking, England. It was founded in 1911 by Italia Conti, an actress. The first production at Italia Conti Academy was the play ''Where the Rainbow Ends''. For ...

and subsequently went on to star in

Starlight Express ''Starlight Express'' is a 1984 British musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. It tells the story of a young but obsolete steam engine, Rusty, who races in a championship against modern engines in the hope of ...

Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...

, les miserables and

Mousetrap A mousetrap is a specialized type of animal trap designed primarily to catch and, usually, kill mice. Mousetraps are usually set in an indoor location where there is a suspected infestation of rodents. Larger traps are designed to catch other s ...

musicals in the West End.

Gallery

File:David_Pearce_Boxer_3_yrs.jpeg, Pearce aged 3 File:David_'Bomber'_Pearce_1.jpeg, David 'Bomber' Pearce File:St Josephs Amateur Boxing Club, Newport.jpg, St Josephs Amateur Boxing Club, George Street, Newport File:David_Pearce_Boxer_Contract.jpeg, Boxing contract File:Walter_'Bimbo'_Pearce.jpeg, Bimbo Pearce defeating the Central Light-Heavyweight Champion File:David_Pearce_at_Newport_County_AFC.jpeg, Pearce at Newport County AFC File:David_Pearce_Boxer.jpeg, Pearce turning professional File:David_'Bomber'_Pearce_Oil_Painting.jpeg, Oil painting of Pearce File:David 'Bomber' Pearce sculpture 1.jpg, Sculpture near Riverfront, Newport File:David 'Bomber' Pearce sculpture 2.jpg, Dedication plaque for sculpture File:David 'Bomber' Pearce sculpture 4.jpg, Sculpture near Riverfront, Newport

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pearce, David Bomber 1959 births 2000 deaths Welsh male boxers Sportspeople from Newport, Wales Heavyweight boxers