Frederick Webster (18 June 1908 – 1971) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

boxer who was a three time British amateur champion and competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics. As a professional he held the British lightweight title between 1929 and 1930.

Career

From

Kentish Town Kentish Town is an area of northwest London, England in the London Borough of Camden, immediately north of Camden Town. Less than four miles north of central London, Kentish Town has good transport connections and is situated close to the open ...

, Fred Webster was a member of the St. Pancras Boxing Club. Webster was a British amateur champion in three different weight classifications (

bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class is derived from bantam chickens. B ...

featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, t ...

, and

lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight ...

) in successive years from 1926 to 1928, a feat not matched until

Joe Calzaghe Joseph William Calzaghe ( ; born 23 March 1972) is a Welsh former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2008. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the unified WBA (Undisputed), WBC, IBF, WBO, '' Ring'' magazin ...

won his third title in 1993. At the 1928 Summer Olympics he was eliminated in the second round of the lightweight class after losing his fight to David Baan of the Netherlands. He subsequently turned professional, winning his first pro fight against Charles Ernst in October 1928. He went on to beat George Rose and British lightweight champion Sam Steward in January 1929. He drew with Jack Hyams in March before challenging for Steward's title in May, taking a points decision to become British champion in only his sixth pro fight. He defended the British title in May 1930 against Al Foreman, with the British Empire title also at stake; Foreman knocked him out in the first round to take both titles. Webster had some notable wins in the years that followed, including victories over

Harry Corbett Harry Corbett OBE (28 January 1918 – 17 August 1989) was an English magician, puppeteer and television presenter. He was best known as the creator of the glove puppet character Sooty in 1952. Biography Corbett was born in Bradford, W ...

, Len "Tiger" Smith, Harry Mason, Billy Bird, Rose again, and Pat Butler, but never again fought for a title. A defeat to Mason in July 1933 started a run of eight fights of which he won only two, and Webster retired from boxing after losing to Johnny Rust in September 1934. Webster married Grace Lilian Hodgson in February 1932.

References

External links

Career record
at BoxingHistory.org.uk * 1908 births 1971 deaths Lightweight boxers Olympic boxers of Great Britain Boxers at the 1928 Summer Olympics English male boxers Boxers from Greater London {{England-boxing-bio-stub