Joe Bygraves (26 May 1931 – 16 January 2012) 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, ...

heavyweight boxer. Bygraves turned professional in 1953, and after an impressive early career he successfully challenged Kitione Lave for the vacant Commonwealth Heavyweight belt in 1956. Bygraves defended the title on three occasions, knocking-out Henry Cooper and holding Dick Richardson to a draw before losing the championship to Joe Erskine. Bygraves immigrated to Britain as a youth but did not take British citizenship until the end of his fighting career in 1967.

Boxing career

Bygraves was born into a large family of 11 siblings, in Kingston, Jamaica in 1931. He immigrated to Britain at the age of 15 and settled in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

. He began his amateur career at the age of 17 first as a light heavyweight and then moving up to the heavyweight division. He was successful at both weights, winning amateur county titles. Bygraves turned professional in 1953, managed by Johnny Campbell, his first paid encounter was against Don Maxwell on 12 February. The fight lasted just 65 seconds, Bygraves winning by knockout. Bygraves won the next five fights, six and eight round encounters, mainly on points decisions, but he was stopped for the first time in his professional career by Joe Crickmar in a novice heavyweight competition. Despite the loss Bygraves' career continued to impress and by the end of 1954 he had accumulated 24 wins to only 4 losses. His final fight of 1954 was a loss by points decision to Polly Smith, a fighter he had beaten just two months prior. Bygraves began 1955 in the same way he ended 1954, with a loss. After several months away from the ring, Bygraves returned to face rising British fighter Henry Cooper. The eight round scheduled fight went the distance, with Cooper given the decision. Bygraves followed this with a string of four wins, including a victory over Tongan Kitione Lave, and his first fight outside the United Kingdom, a technical knockout of Hugo Salfeld in Germany. Bygraves then travelled to Italy, for a string of three fights. He lost the first to European Boxing Champion Franco Cavicchi when he was disqualified in the eighth round, but then took two victories when he beat Aldo Pellegrini in Milan and Uber Bacilieri in Bologna. On 24 February 1956, Bygraves travelled to Sweden to face the then unbeaten Ingemar Johansson. The eight round contest ended in a points decision for Johansson. Two months later, Bygraves was back in a British ring, facing ex-British heavyweight champion Jack Gardner, whom he stopped in the second round. A second successive win, this time against Marcel Limage in Cardiff, gave Bygraves a shot at the vacant Commonwealth Heavyweight title. Despite living in Britain for near ten years, Bygraves was not allowed to fight for the British titles as he was not born there. His opponent for the title fight was Kitione Lave, who he had beaten the previous year. Held at the Empire Pool in London on 26 June 1956, the match was scheduled for 15 rounds, the first time Bygraves had contested a fight of this length. The bout went the distance, with the judges declaring Bygraves the victor, and new Commonwealth champion. Bygraves lost his next fight to American Wayne Bethea, and this was followed by a win over another ex-British Heavyweight champion, Johnny Williams. His first title defence was on 19 February 1957, against Henry Cooper. The fight is regarded as one of Bygraves best of his career, stopping Cooper via

technical knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving strikin ...

in the ninth round. Just three months later, Bygraves defended the Commonwealth belt again, on this occasion the challenger was Welshman Dick Richardson. The fight ended in a draw, and as holder Bygraves retained his title. His third and final defence of his Commonwealth title again came from Wales, this time against Joe Erskine. As with the Richardson fight, the bout went the full fifteen rounds, but on this occasion the decision went to Erskine, stripping Bygraves of his title. After the Erskine fight, Bygraves struggled for success, and in more and more fights he ended as the loser. He still faced some notable fighters included losses to Americans

Willie Pastrano Wilfred Raleigh Pastrano (November 27, 1935 – December 6, 1997) was an American former professional boxer who competed from 1951 to 1965. He held the undisputed WBA, WBC, and ''The Ring'' light heavyweight titles between 1963 and 1965. Earl ...

and

Zora Folley Zora "Bell" Folley (May 27, 1931 – July 7, 1972) was a mid-20th century American heavyweight boxer, known for his defensive game and punching ability. Early life Born in Dallas, Texas on 27 May 1931, Folley moved with his family to Chandler ...

, and another failed attempt at Ingemar Johansson. One of his last wins was over Olympic gold medalist

Franco De Piccoli Francesco De Piccoli (born 29 November 1937) is a former Italian boxer, who won the gold medal in the heavyweight division (+91 kg) at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Amateur career De Piccoli started training in boxing in 1955, and won ...

in 1963, and in 1965 he failed to beat Canadian heavyweight champion

George Chuvalo George Louis Chuvalo, CM (born September 12, 1937 as Jure Čuvalo) is a Canadian former professional boxer who was a five-time Canadian heavyweight champion and two-time world heavyweight title challenger. He is known for having never been kno ...

at the Albert Hall in London. His last recorded professional bout was against Hector

Eduardo Corletti Héctor Eduardo Corletti (born 14 August 1941) is a retired Argentinian heavyweight boxer. As an amateur he won a silver medal at the 1959 Pan American Games and finished ninth at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Next year he turned professional and in ...

on 20 March 1967.

Professional boxing record

, - , align="center" colspan=8, 42 Wins (22 knockouts, 20 decisions), 28 Losses (7 knockouts, 21 decisions), 2 Draws''

, - , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Result , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Record , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Opponent , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Type , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Round , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Date , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Location , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Notes , -align=center , Loss , , align=left, Hector

, PTS , 10 , 20 Mar 1967 , align=left, London Hilton on Park Lane Hotel,

Mayfair, London Mayfair is an affluent area in the West End of London towards the eastern edge of Hyde Park, in the City of Westminster, between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane. It is one of the most expensive districts in the world ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left,

, PTS , 10 , 7 Dec 1965 , align=left, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London , align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Gerhard Zech , PTS , 10 , 6 Mar 1965 , align=left, Neue Sporthalle,

Hannover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Albert Westphal , KO , 1 , 13 Feb 1965 , align=left, Ernst Merck Halle,

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Billy Walker , DQ , 6 , 28 Jan 1964 , align=left, The Olympia, Kensington, London , align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Gerhard Zech , TKO , 9 , 8 Nov 1963 , align=left,

Sportpalast Berlin Sportpalast (; built 1910, demolished 1973) was a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the Schöneberg section of Berlin, Germany. Depending on the type of event and seating configuration, the Sportpalast could hold up to 14,000 people ...

, Schoeneberg,

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Santo Amonti , PTS , 10 , 13 Sep 1963 , align=left,

Palazzetto dello Sport The Palazzetto dello Sport (literally "Small Sport Palace"), also less commonly known as the PalaTizianoRome, Lazio , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (Romulus and Remus, legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Ray Shiel , DQ , 5 , 22 Aug 1963 , align=left,

Liverpool Stadium Liverpool Stadium was a boxing arena on St. Paul's Square, Bixteth Street, Liverpool, England. The UK's first purpose built boxing arena. The foundation stone was laid by the Earl of Lonsdale on 22 July 1932, and it opened to the public on 20 O ...

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left,

, KO , 5 , 7 Jun 1963 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Bill Nielsen , TKO , 6 , 21 Apr 1963 , align=left, Johanneshovs Isstadion, Stockholm , align=left, , - , Draw , , align=left, Wim Snoek , PTS , 10 , 8 Apr 1963 , align=left,

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left,

Karl Mildenberger Karl Mildenberger (23 November 1937 – 4 October 2018) was a German heavyweight boxer. He was the European Heavyweight Champion from 1964 to 1968, during which he retained the title six times. He unsuccessfully challenged Muhammad Ali for the ...

, PTS , 3 , 30 Nov 1962 , align=left,

Festhalle Frankfurt Festhalle Frankfurt is a multi-purpose arena located in Frankfurt, Germany. The interior of the dome at its highest reaches a height of 40 meters. It provides an area of 5,646 square metres, offering by a variable grandstand system space for up t ...

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...

Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are Dar ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Wayne Bethea , UD , 10 , 22 Sep 1962 , align=left, The National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica , align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Ingemar Johansson , TKO , 7 , 9 Feb 1962 , align=left, Maesshallen Sports Hall, Gothenburg , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Alex Barrow , KO , 2 , 4 Dec 1961 , align=left,

Granby Halls Granby Halls was a popular live music, exhibition and sports arena in Leicester, England, also notable as the long serving home of professional basketball team, the Leicester Riders, from 1980 until 1999. It was located in a triangle of prime ...

Leicester, Leicestershire Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the Nati ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Gerhard Zech , TKO , 4 , 3 Nov 1961 , align=left, Ernst Merck Halle,

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Franco Cavicchi , PTS , 10 , 27 Jun 1960 , align=left,

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...

Emilia-Romagna egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Joe Hemphill , PTS , 8 , 18 May 1960 , align=left,

Chicago Stadium Chicago Stadium was an indoor arena in Chicago, Illinois, that opened in 1929, closed in 1994 and was demolished in 1995. It was the home of the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls. ...

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left,

Roy Harris Roy Ellsworth Harris (February 12, 1898 – October 1, 1979) was an American composer. He wrote music on American subjects, and is best known for his Symphony No. 3. Life Harris was born in Chandler, Oklahoma on February 12, 1898. His ancestr ...

, UD , 10 , 25 Aug 1959 , align=left,

Sam Houston Coliseum Sam Houston Coliseum was an indoor arena located in Houston, Texas. Early years Located at 801 Bagby Street in Downtown Houston, the Coliseum and Music Hall complex replaced the Sam Houston Hall, which was a wooden structure that had been erected ...

, Houston, Texas , align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Giacomo Bozzano , PTS , 10 , 19 Apr 1959 , align=left,

Velodromo Vigorelli Velodromo Vigorelli (from 2001 officially Velodromo Maspes-Vigorelli) is a semi-covered velodrome in Milan, Italy. It is currently used mostly for American football events, in fact, surrounded by the track, there is a standard size football f ...

, Milan, Lombardy , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Feleti Fred Kaho , TKO , 7 , 2 Mar 1959 , align=left, Farrer Street Stadium, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire , align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left,

, TKO , 9 , 24 Nov 1958 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left,

, PTS , 10 , 21 Apr 1958 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Joey Armstrong , TKO , 3 , 10 Feb 1958 , align=left,

Leeds, Yorkshire Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Joe Erskine , PTS , 15 , 25 Nov 1957 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Kitione Lave , PTS , 10 , 18 Sep 1957 , align=left,

Pontypridd () ( colloquially: Ponty) is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Geography comprises the electoral wards of , Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng ( Trallwn) and Treforest (). ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left,

Heinz Neuhaus Heinz Neuhaus (14 April 1926 – 6 April 1998) was a German boxer who was heavyweight champion of Germany and Europe in the 1950s. Career Born in Iserlohn, Neuhaus made his professional debut on 29 May 1949 with a points win over Herbert Thiele ...

, DQ , 6 , 15 Jun 1957 , align=left,

Westfalenhallen Westfalenhallen (English: Halls of Westphalia) is a commercial complex composed of conference (Kongresszentrum Dortmund) and exhibition centers (Messe Dortmund) with an indoor arena (Westfalenhalle), located in Dortmund, Germany. It is surroun ...

, Dortmund,

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...

, align=left, , - , Draw , , align=left, Dick Richardson , PTS , 15 , 27 May 1957 , align=left,

Maindy Stadium Maindy Centre ( cy, Canolfan Maendy, formerly known as Maindy Stadium, now also known as Maindy Pool and Cycle Track) is a velodrome and indoor swimming pool facility in the Maindy area of Cardiff, Wales. The velodrome was used in the 1958 Britis ...

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left,

, PTS , 10 , 7 Dec 1965 , align=left, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Henry Cooper , KO , 9 , 19 Feb 1957 , align=left,

Earls Court Arena Earls Court Exhibition Centre was a major international exhibition and events venue just west of central London. At its peak it is said to have generated a £2 billion turnover for the economy. It replaced exhibition and entertainment grounds ...

, Kensington, London , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Johnny Williams , TKO , 6 , 16 Nov 1956 , align=left,

Belle Vue Zoological Gardens Belle Vue Zoological Gardens was a large zoo, amusement park, exhibition hall complex and speedway stadium in Belle Vue, Manchester, England, opened in 1836. The brainchild of John Jennison, the gardens were initially intended to be an entert ...

Belle Vue, Manchester Belle Vue is an area of Manchester, England, east of the city centre, bordered by the Hope Valley Line on the east and the Glossop Line on the west. Belle Vue is part of the electoral ward of Longsight. Belle Vue railway station lies on the ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Wayne Bethea , TKO , 5 , 24 Sep 1956 , align=left, St. Nicholas Arena,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Kitione Lave , PTS , 15 , 26 Jun 1956 , align=left, Empire Pool,

Wembley, London Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Marcel Limage , RTD , 8 , 7 May 1956 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Jack Gardner , TKO , 2 , 24 Apr 1956 , align=left,

, Kensington, London , align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Ingemar Johansson , PTS , 8 , 24 Feb 1956 , align=left, Masshallen, Gothenburg , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Uber Bacilieri , PTS , 10 , 23 Jan 1956 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Aldo Pellegrini , KO , 1 , 17 Dec 1955 , align=left,

Palasport di San Siro Palasport di San Siro was an indoor arena in Milan, Italy. It was primarily used for basketball and volleyball until the PalaSharp opened in 1985. The arena held 18,000 spectators and opened on 31 January 1976. On January 17, 1985, a large snow ...

, Milan, Lombardy , align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Franco Cavicchi , DQ , 8 , 31 Oct 1955 , align=left, Palazzo dello Sport,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Kitione Lave , PTS , 8 , 19 Sep 1955 , align=left,

Perry Barr Stadium Perry Barr Stadium (also known as Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium and previously as Alexander Sports Ground(s)) is a stadium and a Greyhound Board of Great Britain regulated greyhound racing track on Aldridge Road in Perry Barr, Birmingham, Engl ...

Birmingham, West Midlands Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Hugo Salfeld , TKO , 5 , 4 Sep 1955 , align=left,

, Dortmund,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Peter Bates , PTS , 8 , 6 Jun 1955 , align=left, Nottingham Ice Stadium,

Nottingham, Nottinghamshire Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robin ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Eddie Hearn , KO , 4 , 5 May 1955 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Henry Cooper , PTS , 8 , 18 Apr 1955 , align=left, Manor Place Baths,

Walworth, London Walworth () is a district of south London, England, within the London Borough of Southwark. It adjoins Camberwell to the south and Elephant and Castle to the north, and is south-east of Charing Cross. Major streets in Walworth include the O ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Ed "Polly" Smith , PTS , 8 , 4 Nov 1954 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Fred Powell , PTS , 8 , 25 Oct 1954 , align=left, Carmarthen Market Hall,

Carmarthen Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Ed "Polly" Smith , PTS , 8 , 12 Oct 1954 , align=left, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Paddy Slavin , PTS , 8 , 2 Oct 1954 , align=left, King's Hall,

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Clair Redmond , KO , 3 , 19 Aug 1954 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Peter Bates , PTS , 8 , 2 Jul 1954 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Frank Bell , PTS , 8 , 30 Apr 1954 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Paddy Slavin , PTS , 8 , 14 Apr 1954 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Terry O'Connor , TKO , 3 , 30 Mar 1954 , align=left,

, Kensington, London , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Joe Crickmar , PTS , 8 , 18 Mar 1954 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Terry McDonald , KO , 1 , 12 Mar 1954 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Albert Finch , PTS , 8 , 23 Feb 1954 , align=left, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Paddy Slavin , PTS , 8 , 11 Feb 1954 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Simon Templar , PTS , 8 , 18 Dec 1953 , align=left,

Tower Circus Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. When it opened, Blackpool Tower was the tallest man made structure in the British Empire. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in ...

Blackpool, Lancashire Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Fred Powell , TKO , 7 , 10 Nov 1953 , align=left, Empress Hall, Earl's Court, Kensington, London , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Cliff Purnell , KO , 2 , 29 Oct 1953 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Peter Toch , TKO , 3 , 20 Oct 1953 , align=left, Streatham Ice Arena, Streatham, London, England , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, George Stern , DQ , 3 , 8 Oct 1953 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Cliff Purnell , PTS , 6 , 17 Sep 1953 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Hugh Ferns , PTS , 6 , 3 Sep 1953 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Alex Roman , TKO , 1 , 13 Aug 1953 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Joe Crickmar , TKO , 5 , 16 Jul 1953 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Joe Crickmar , KO , 2 , 9 Jun 1953 , align=left,

White City Stadium White City Stadium was a stadium located in White City, London, England. Built for the 1908 Summer Olympics, it hosted the finish of the first modern marathon and other sports like swimming, speedway, boxing, show jumping, athletics, stock ...

White City, London White City is a district of London, England, in the northern part of Shepherd's Bush in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, 5 miles (8 km) west-northwest of Charing Cross. White City is home to Television Centre (previously th ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Peter McMann , TKO , 1 , 14 May 1953 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Wally Curtis , PTS , 8 , 23 Apr 1953 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Ken Wyatt , PTS , 6 , 9 Apr 1953 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Les Johnson , PTS , 6 , 26 Mar 1953 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Hugh Ferns , PTS , 6 , 12 Mar 1953 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Don Maxwell , KO , 1 , 12 Feb 1953 , align=left,

, Liverpool, Merseyside , align=left,

References

Biography *
Empire Title For Joe Bygraves 1956
British Pathe {{DEFAULTSORT:Bygraves, Joe 1931 births 2012 deaths Heavyweight boxers Sportspeople from Kingston, Jamaica Boxers from Liverpool Migrants from British Jamaica to the United Kingdom British male boxers