Richard Dunn (born 19 January 1945, in Halifax) is an English former heavyweight

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 ...

who was the

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, ...

(1975–76),

European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

(1976) and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

(1975–76) Champion. He unsuccessfully challenged

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

for the World Heavyweight title in 1976.

Early life

Dunn played

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

in his teens and early 20s. Starting boxing as an amateur in the early 1960s, he turned professional in his mid-20s whilst continuing to work as a scaffolder, living in

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

. He was unable to afford the expense of

sparring Sparring is a form of training common to many combat sports. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively ' free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to minimize injuries. By extension, argumentative debate ...

partners to train with for most of his career, and his coach was his father-in-law. He was a soldier in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, serving as a

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

with

4th Battalion, Parachute Regiment The 4th Battalion, Parachute Regiment (4 PARA), is an Army Reserve unit of the British Army. Now recruiting across the United Kingdom originally the Battalion covered the North of England, with its headquarters located in Pudsey, West Yorkshire. ...

in the 1960s-70s, being awarded the Corps' Fishmongers' Trophy in 1974.

Boxing career

A southpaw, Dunn's professional career began with a win over

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 ...

fighter Del Phillips in a heavyweight eliminator competition in

Mayfair 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. ...

, London in July 1969. His second fight was on the same day in the semi-final. It was a first-round defeat against

Danny McAlinden Danny McAlinden (1 June 1947 – 8 March 2021) was a heavyweight boxer from Northern Ireland who was British and Commonwealth champion in 1972 when he defeated Jack Bodell in two rounds at the Aston Villa football ground. McAlinden nick named "D ...

, who dispatched all three of his opponents in under three rounds to win the competition. However, in May 1973, Dunn defeated Billy Aird on points in an eliminator for the British Heavyweight Championship at

Grosvenor House Grosvenor House was one of the largest townhouses in London, home of the Grosvenor family (better known as the Dukes of Westminster) for more than a century. Their original London residence was on Millbank, but after the family had developed ...

in London. He lost the final eliminator against Bunny Johnson, in October, after a tenth-round knockout at the King's Hall in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

. However, when he faced the same opponent at the Empire Pool at

Wembley 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 ...

for both the British and Commonwealth titles in September 1975, he prevailed on points, after 15 rounds.

British title

He made his first defence against McAlinden two months later. However, this time it was Dunn that won with a knockout after McAlinden went down three times in the second round. On 6 April 1976 Dunn won the European Heavyweight Title by a third-round TKO of the German boxer

Bernd August Bernd is a Low German short form of the given name Bernhard (English Bernard). List of persons with given name Bernd The following people share the name Bernd. *Bernd Brückler (born 1981), Austrian hockey player * Bernd Eichinger (1949–2011), ...

at the

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 ...

in London.

Title shot

On 24 May 1976 Dunn was given the chance of fighting for the WBC and WBA titles against the American champion

at the

Olympic Hall Olympic Hall is a music venue located within the Olympic Park, in Bangi-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea. In 2011, the Olympic Hall was renovated as a concert hall by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Sports Promotion F ...

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Dunn, despite fighting in a spirited fashion, found himself seriously outmatched by Ali in power and technique, being knocked down several times by the American champion, who clearly realized the un-equalness of the competition in his favour and began to land carefully timed and weighted punches to stun Dunn but minimize the chance of physical injury to him as the fight went on. At the 2:05 minute mark in the fifth round Dunn went to the floor for the final time and the referee stopped the match in a technical knock-out, with Ali playing to the crowd comically windmilling a punch that was coming that would be overwhelming, and to encourage the referee to end the match as having run its course. (This was to be the last knockout Ali achieved in his professional career).

Aftermath

Dunn lost his next fight in London five months later with

Joe Bugner József Kreul Bugner (born 13 March 1950) is a Hungarian-born British-Australian former heavyweight boxer and actor. He holds triple nationality, being a citizen of Hungary and a naturalised citizen of both Australia and the United Kingdom. ...

, surrendering all his titles in a first-round knock-out. His final fight was a fifth-round knock-out defeat to the South African boxer

Kallie Knoetze Kallie Knoetze (born as Nikolaas Jacobus Knoetze on 24 April 1953) is a retired South African heavyweight boxer and actor. Boxing career As an amateur Knoetze fought future professional world champion fellow South African Gerrie Coetzee six t ...

at the Ellis Park Tennis Stadium in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

on 10 September 1977, after which Dunn retired from the sport. Dunn was the subject of ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

'' in 1976 when he was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

just ahead of his fight with

Post-career civic honours

The 'Richard Dunn Sports Centre' was opened by

Bradford Council City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council is the local authority of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is a metropolitan district council, one of five in West Yorkshire and one of 36 in the metropolitan counties of England, ...

in Dunn's home town in 1978, named in honour of his sporting achievements. The facility was closed in November 2019, and was due to be demolished in 2020, with the Council announcing the intention to name a new road on the site after Dunn in the future. However the future of the unused leisure centre is now in doubt, after Historic England granted the building Grade II listed status, following an appeal by the Twentieth Century Society.

Later life

After his sports career, having lost money in a failed hotel venture, Dunn lived in

Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, su ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

with his wife Janet and three children, returning to work as a scaffolder. He was seriously injured in 1989 on an

oil rig {{about, , the mnemonic OIL RIG, Redox An oil rig is any kind of apparatus constructed for oil drilling. Kinds of oil rig include: * Drilling rig, an apparatus for on-land oil drilling * Drillship, a floating apparatus for offshore oil drilling * ...

in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...

after a 40 ft fall which broke both of his legs. In retirement he lives in Scarborough, where he has been associated with charity work for

Parkinson's UK Parkinson's UK is a Parkinson's research and support charity in the United Kingdom. In April 2010, the Parkinson's Disease Society changed its name to become Parkinson's UK. Its aims are to improve the quality of life for people affected by Park ...

and is the honorary president of the town's amateur boxing club.

Professional boxing record

, - , align="center" colspan=8, 33 Wins (16 knockouts, 17 decisions), 12 Losses (11 knockouts, 1 decision) Richard Dunn - Boxer
/ref> , - , 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,

, KO , 5 , 10 Sep 1977 , align=left, Ellis Park Tennis Stadium,

Johannesburg, Gauteng Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

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, KO , 1 , 12 Oct 1976 , align=left, Empire Pool,

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United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

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

, TKO , 5 , 24 May 1976 , align=left,

Olympiahalle Olympiahalle is a multi-purpose arena located in Am Riesenfeld in Munich, Germany, part of Olympiapark. The arena is used for concerts, sporting events, exhibitions or trade fairs. The seating capacity for the arena varies from 12,150 up to 14,0 ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Bernd August , TKO , 3 , 6 Apr 1976 , align=left,

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, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Terry Krueger , TKO , 3 , 25 Nov 1975 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left,

, KO , 2 , 4 Nov 1975 , align=left, Empire Pool,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left,

Bunny Johnson Bunny Johnson (born 10 May 1947 in Jamaica) is a Jamaican-born former boxer who was The British heavyweight Champion in 1975 beating Danny McAlinden by knockout. He also Competed in the light heavyweight division and won a Lonsdale belt. He fin ...

, PTS , 15 , 30 Sep 1975 , align=left, Empire Pool,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Rocky Campbell , TKO , 7 , 7 May 1975 , align=left, Solihull Civic Hall,

Solihull, West Midlands Solihull (, or ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands County, England. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census. Solihull is situated on the River Blythe i ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left,

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 Commonwealt ...

, TKO , 4 , 17 Feb 1975 , align=left,

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, , - , Win , , align=left, Tim Wood , PTS , 8 , 9 Sep 1974 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Jose Manuel Urtain , KO , 4 , 22 May 1974 , align=left,

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

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

Ngozika Ekwelum Ngozika Ekwelum (born 15 March 1948) is a Nigerian former heavyweight boxer, who held the Nigerian and African Boxing Union heavyweight titles in the 1970s and 1980s. Career From Anambra State, as an amateur, Ekwelum competed in the 1970 Commonwe ...

, KO , 7 , 11 Apr 1974 , align=left,

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Jimmy Young , TKO , 8 , 18 Feb 1974 , align=left, Mayfair Sporting Club,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Obie English , TKO , 10 , 14 Jan 1974 , align=left,

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

, KO , 10 , 11 Oct 1973 , align=left, King's Hall,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Larry Beilfuss , TKO , 4 , 9 Jul 1973 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Billy Aird , PTS , 10 , 14 May 1973 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left,

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

, KO , 3 , 15 Mar 1973 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Rufus Brassell , DQ , 3 , 13 Feb 1973 , align=left,

Wolverhampton Civic Hall The Halls Wolverhampton, formally known as Wolverhampton Civic Halls is a music venue in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It has been one of the most notable live music venues in the county for several decades. It is part of a complex als ...

Wolverhampton Wolverhampton () is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunian ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Roy Williams , PTS , 8 , 15 Jan 1973 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Ray Patterson , PTS , 8 , 20 Nov 1972 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Larry Renaud , KO , 1 , 16 Oct 1972 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Roger Tighe , PTS , 10 , 21 Mar 1972 , align=left, Midland Hotel,

Bradford, Yorkshire Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a p ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Ron Oliver , KO , 1 , 21 Feb 1972 , align=left, Mayfair Sporting Club,

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Rocky Campbell , TKO , 1 , 9 Dec 1971 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Cliff Field , TKO , 4 , 24 Nov 1971 , align=left,

Nottingham Ice Stadium The Nottingham Ice Stadium was an ice rink in Nottingham, England from 1939 to 2000. It had a seating capacity of 2800 for Ice hockey games. The building was first opened in 1939 but it was quickly called upon for other purposes. Throughout Wor ...

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 Ho ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Carl Gizzi , PTS , 8 , 22 Sep 1971 , align=left, Solihull Civic Hall,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Dennis Forbes , PTS , 8 , 22 Jun 1971 , align=left,

Cafe Royal A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-caf ...

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, ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left,

, PTS , 8 , 13 Apr 1971 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Brian Jewitt , PTS , 8 , 25 Jan 1971 , 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 ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Dennis Forbes , KO , 1 , 14 Dec 1970 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, George Dulaire , TKO , 1 , 2 Nov 1970 , align=left, County Hotel,

Bedford, Bedfordshire Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst t ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Billy Aird , TKO , 6 , 7 Sep 1970 , align=left, Hotel Piccadilly,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Obe Hepburn , TKO , 5 , 21 May 1970 , align=left, Anglo-American Sporting Club,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Billy Wynter , PTS , 6 , 4 May 1970 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Obe Hepburn , PTS , 6 , 31 Mar 1970 , align=left,

York Hall The York Hall, officially known as York Hall Leisure Centre, is a multi-purpose indoor arena and leisure complex in Bethnal Green, London, and is situated on Old Ford Road. The building opened in 1929 with a capacity of 1,200 and is now an inter ...

Bethnal Green, London Bethnal Green is an area in the East End of London northeast of Charing Cross. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the Green, much of which survives today as Bethnal Green Gardens, beside Cambridge Heath Road. By th ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Billy Aird , PTS , 8 , 23 Feb 1970 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Lloyd Walford , PTS , 6 , 25 Nov 1969 , align=left,

Leeds Town Hall Leeds Town Hall is a 19th-century municipal building on The Headrow (formerly Park Lane), Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Planned to include law courts, a council chamber, offices, a public hall, and a suite of ceremonial rooms, it was built be ...

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, , - , Win , , align=left, George Dulaire , TKO , 2 , 3 Nov 1969 , align=left, County Hotel,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left,

John Cullen Barry John Cullen (born August 2, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning. He was a stan ...

, PTS , 3 , 3 Nov 1969 , align=left, County Hotel,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Billy Aird , PTS , 3 , 3 Nov 1969 , align=left, County Hotel,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Jack Cotes , TKO , 3 , 13 Oct 1969 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Jack Cotes , TKO , 2 , 8 Sep 1969 , align=left, Hotel Piccadilly,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Del Phillips , PTS , 3 , 7 Jul 1969 , align=left,

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

, KO , 1 , 7 Jul 1969 , align=left,

, align=left,

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunn, Richard English male boxers Heavyweight boxers Sportspeople from Bradford 1945 births Living people European Boxing Union champions Sportspeople from Halifax, West Yorkshire Sportspeople from Scarborough, North Yorkshire British Parachute Regiment soldiers Military personnel from Yorkshire