Stephen Ward (born 12 August 1956) is an English former professional

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

, notable for having held the accolade of being the oldest

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...

in the world. He was first confirmed as such in 2011 at age 54. Born in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

and now living in nearby

Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market tow ...

, in 2012 Ward was given a civic reception by the

mayor of Nottingham The Lord Mayor of Nottingham is a largely ceremonial role for the city of Nottingham, England. The position was historically Mayor of Nottingham; this was changed to Lord Mayor in 1928. The position is elected every May by Nottingham city co ...

Nottingham Council House Nottingham Council House is the city hall of Nottingham, England. The high dome that rises above the city is the centrepiece of the skyline and presides over the Old Market Square which is also referred to as the "City Centre". It is a Grade I ...

to recognise his achievements.

Fighting career

Ward boxed as an

amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...

from 1967–1977. His original professional boxing career lasted from 1977 to 1987. After an industrial accident injured his foot leading to

complex regional pain syndrome Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is any of several painful conditions that are characterized by a continuing (spontaneous and/or evoked) regional pain that is seemingly disproportionate in time or degree to the usual course of any known trau ...

, he was treated by a Hong Kong surgeon recommended by a fellow

martial artist Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...

when training at a gym. He then resumed boxing training including running for up to and made a comeback in 2010 against Gregg Scott-Briggs to win the Midlands Area Cruiserweight belt. He then successfully defended the title against Pete McJob in March 2011. Ward received the 2012 Sportsperson of the Year accolade at

's Sports Recognition Awards, a local yearly ceremony, in recognition of his world record and EBF title at Cruiserweight. Ward suffered a hand injury on top of the work accident affecting one leg, and became a boxing coach to youngsters. He lost the distinction of world's oldest professional in 2015, when an older fighter, American Mike Palmer, competed in a professional bout, but regained it later that year when he fought professionally at 59, and was described as the ''oldest active boxer'', after losing a fight in the third round against younger Jody Meikle at

Chesterfield Chesterfield may refer to: Places Canada * Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan * Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom * Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England ** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...

, attended by a

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

adjudicator on 12 December.Steve Ward reclaims title as oldest active boxer aged 59
Guinness World Records, 14 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2020 He retired in 2017 after losing the WBC veteran heavyweight championship title to

Andreas Sidon Andreas Sidon (born 4 February 1963) is a German professional boxer. A professional since 1999, he has faced former world champions and contenders Nikolay Valuev, Odlanier Solis, Danny Williams, and Andrezj Wawrzyk. Debut Sidon turned profes ...

. In 2019, ''The Champ of Champs'', a documentary film was produced featuring Ward's long involvement in boxing and fight-back against serious injury. In late 2020, Ward confirmed plans to fight again in 2021 against Jimmy Lloyd, in an attempt to gain a new world record, in a new sector called ''Gold Division'', and claim a fourth Guinness World Record as the world's oldest boxer.Veteran boxer Steve Ward preparing to fight for world title - at sea
''Chad'' (local newspaper), 1 October 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2020 In January 2021, the fight, a veteran’s version of the world championship, was announced for May, before Ward's 65th birthday.Mansfield's world oldest boxer Steve Ward set to fight on
''Chad'', 18 January 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021

References

External links

The World’s Oldest Boxer: The Final Bell
at

Notts TV Notts TV is a British commercial local television channel which broadcasts to the City of Nottingham and the surrounding areas. Notts TV launched on 27 May 2014 on Freeview channel 8 followed by Virgin channel 159. In July 2015, the channel also ...

The Champ of Champs (2019) at IMDb
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Steve 1950s births Living people British male boxers Cruiserweight boxers