Johnny Clark | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1947-09-10)10 September 1947 Walworth, London, England |
| Died | 28 December 2020(2020-12-28) (aged 73) |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Bantamweight |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 43 |
| Wins | 39 |
| Wins by KO | 27 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Draws | 1 |
Johnny A Clark (10 September 1947 – 28 December 2020) was a British boxer who won the British and Europeanbantamweight titles in 1973.
As an amateur he representedEngland in the flyweight division at the1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games inKingston,Jamaica.[1][2][3]
He won the 1966Amateur Boxing Association Britishbantamweight title, when boxing out of the Robert Browning ABC.[4]
FromWalworth in London, Clark made his professional debut in October 1966, fighting a draw against Tommy Connor.[5]
Trained by Charlie Page at the Thomas a Becket gym,[6] he won his next 27 fights, and in April 1970 facedAlan Rudkin for the British bantamweight title and the vacant Commonwealth bantamweight title at theRoyal Albert Hall. Rudkin stopped him in the twelfth round to take both titles.[7] In April 1971 he facedJohn Kellie in a final eliminator for the British title; He was stopped in the second round,[8] but six months later they met again, with Clark stopping Kellie in the eighth. This led to a challenge for Rudkin's British and Commonwealth titles in January 1972; The fight went the full 15 rounds, with Rudkin retaining the titles by half a point.[9]
Clark got a third shot at the British title in 1973 after Rudkin had vacated it. He facedPaddy Maguire at the Royal Albert Hall, winning on points to become British champion.[10]
In April 1973 he added the European title, beatingFranco Zurlo by unanimous decision.[11] He successfully defended the title in January 1974, beatingSalvatore Fabrizio by majority decision.
He beat Chuck Spencer in March 1974, and Luigi Tessarin in May, but in the absence of adequate purse offers, relinquished his British title, and in August 1974 was forced to retire due to adetached retina in his right eye, while still the reigning European champion.[11]
Clark died in December 2020 at the age of 73.[12]