Walter McGowan
MBE
Born
Walter Roderick McKay McGowan

13 October 1942
Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland
Died15 February 2016(2016-02-15) (aged 73)
Monklands Hospital, Airdrie, North Lanarkshire
NationalityBritish
Statistics
Weight(s)Flyweight
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights40
Wins32
Wins by KO14
Losses7
Draws1

Walter McGowan, MBE (13 October 1942 – 15 February 2016), was a Scottish boxer born in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire. He was known for having been the world flyweight champion (Lineal champion. Recognized by European Boxing Union, British Boxing Board of Control and The Ring).

He was the son of Thomas McGowan, who had boxed under the name of "Joe Gans".

He was a skillful boxer, who showed brilliant footwork and knew how to use the ring. However, he suffered throughout his career with cuts, often having fights stopped despite being ahead on points. Without this failing, he would have had an even more successful career.

Amateur career

McGowan won the 1961 Amateur Boxing Association British flyweight title, when boxing out of the Royal Albert ABC.[1]

He suffered only two defeats in 124 amateur bouts.

Professional career

He had his first professional fight in August 1961 when he fought George McDade at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, winning by a technical knockout in the third round.

He lost his third fight to Jackie Brown on points, but then continued to build up an impressive list of wins. In his tenth fight he fought Jackie Brown for the British and Commonwealth flyweight titles. The fight was in May 1963 at the Ice rink, Paisley, and McGowan won by a knockout in the twelfth round.

In September 1963, he defended his Commonwealth title against Kid Solomon from Jamaica. The fight was in Paisley, and McGowan won by a technical knockout in the ninth round.

In April 1964, he challenged for the European flyweight title, held by Italian, Salvatore Burruni. The fight was held in the Olympic Stadium, Rome, and McGowan suffered the second defeat of his career, losing on points over fifteen rounds.

In December 1965, he stepped up a weight and challenged for the European bantamweight title, held by Italian, Tommaso Galli. The fight was again in Rome and ended as a draw after fifteen rounds.

In June 1966, he again fought Salvatore Burruni, this time for the world flyweight championship (lineal, EBU and The Ring),[2] which Burruni held. They met at the Empire Pool, Wembley, and McGowan won a fifteen-round points decision to gain that world title, despite sustaining a badly gashed eye in the seventh round. Cuts were to prove a major problem in his career.[3][4]

In September 1966, he fought Alan Rudkin at the Empire Pool, for the British and Commonwealth bantamweight titles that he held. McGowan scored another fifteen-round points win, despite suffering a cut eye in the tenth round.

In December 1966, he defended his world title against Chartchai Chionoi in Bangkok, Thailand. The Thai fighter won and took the title when McGowan suffered a badly cut nose in the ninth round, and the referee was forced to stop the fight.[5][6]

The two boxers had a re-match at the Empire Pool in September 1967, but again the Thai boxer won and kept his title, when cuts to both McGowan's eyes and his forehead caused the referee to stop the fight in the seventh.

In McGowan's next fight, in May 1968, he lost his British and Commonwealth bantamweight titles to Alan Rudkin. The fight was at Belle Vue, Manchester and Rukin won by a fifteen-round points decision.

McGowan fought six more fights, all against foreign boxers, winning them all, before retiring. His last fight was in November 1969 against Domenico Antonio Chiloiro.

Retirement

He became the first Scottish world-boxing champion to be so honoured when he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1967 Queen's Birthday Honours List.[7]

He was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, alongside the likes of Scottish boxing great Ken Buchanan.

Later life and death

McGowan died at Monklands Hospital at Airdrie, North Lanarkshire on 15 February 2016.[8] He had been in poor health in his later years and was living in a nursing home in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire.

Professional boxing record

40 fights 32 wins 7 losses
By knockout 14 4
By decision 18 3
Draws 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
40 Win 32–7–1 Domenico Chiloiro PTS 8 Nov 11, 1969 Grosvenor House, Mayfair, London, England
39 Win 31–7–1 Umberto Simbola PTS 8 Aug 13, 1969 San Remo, Liguria, Italy
38 Win 30–7–1 Michel Houdeau TKO 4 (10) Apr 28, 1969 Grosvenor House (World Sporting Club), Mayfair, London, England
37 Win 29–7–1 Messaoud Boussaboua PTS 8 Dec 17, 1968 Hotel Metropole Sporting Club, Brighton, Sussex, England
36 Win 28–7–1 Marc Van Domme TKO 7 (10) Nov 26, 1968 Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland
35 Win 27–7–1 Gerard Macrez TKO 4 (8) Oct 23, 1968 Grosvenor House, Mayfair, London, England
34 Loss 26–7–1 Alan Rudkin PTS 15 May 13, 1968 King's Hall, Belle Vue, Manchester, Lancashire, England Lost BBBofC British Area and Commonwealth bantamweight titles
33 Loss 26–6–1 Chartchai Chionoi TKO 7 (15) Sep 19, 1967 Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England For WBC and The Ring flyweight titles
32 Win 26–5–1 Antoine Porcel PTS 10 Jul 10, 1967 Grosvenor House (World Sporting Club), Mayfair, London, England
31 Win 25–5–1 Giancarlo Centa PTS 8 May 10, 1967 Civic Hall (Midlands Sporting Club), Solihull, West Midlands, England
30 Win 24–5–1 Isao Miyashita TKO 9 (15) Mar 15, 1967 Grosvenor House (World Sporting Club), Mayfair, London, England
29 Loss 23–5–1 Chartchai Chionoi TKO 9 (15) Dec 30, 1966 Kittikachorn Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand Lost The Ring flyweight title;
For vacant WBC flyweight title
28 Win 23–4–1 Jose Bisbal TKO 5 (10) Nov 16, 1966 Grosvenor House (World Sporting Club), Mayfair, London, England
27 Win 22–4–1 Alan Rudkin PTS 15 Sep 6, 1966 Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England Won vacant BBBofC British Area and Commonwealth bantamweight titles
26 Win 21–4–1 Salvatore Burruni PTS 15 Jun 14, 1966 Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England Won The Ring flyweight title
25 Win 20–4–1 Ernesto Miranda PTS 8 Mar 28, 1966 Grosvenor House (World Sporting Club), Mayfair, London, England
24 Win 19–4–1 Nevio Carbi TKO 6 (10) Jan 6, 1966 Grosvenor House (World Sporting Club), Mayfair, London, England
23 Draw 18–4–1 Tommaso Galli PTS 15 Dec 3, 1965 Palazzetto dello Sport, Roma, Lazio, Italy For EBU bantamweight title
22 Loss 18–4 Ronnie Jones TKO 6 (10) Aug 20, 1965 Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland
21 Loss 18–3 José Medel TKO 6 (10) Jun 1, 1965 Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England
20 Win 18–2 Benny Lee PTS 10 Apr 23, 1965 Palazzetto dello Sport, Roma, Lazio, Italy
19 Win 17–2 Felix Said Brami PTS 10 Feb 23, 1965 Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London, England
18 Win 16–2 Mick Hussey TKO 3 (10) Jan 20, 1965 Midlands Sporting Club, Solihull, West Midlands, England
17 Win 15–2 Luis Rodriguez TKO 2 (10) Nov 25, 1964 Midlands Sporting Club, Solihull, West Midlands, England
16 Win 14–2 Natalio Jimenez PTS 10 Sep 3, 1964 Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland
15 Loss 13–2 Salvatore Burruni PTS 15 Apr 24, 1964 Stadio Olimpico, Roma, Lazio, Italy For EBU flyweight title
14 Win 13–1 Risto Luukkonen PTS 10 Mar 4, 1964 Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland
13 Win 12–1 Ric Magramo PTS 10 Nov 28, 1963 Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland
12 Win 11–1 Killer Solomon TKO 9 (15) Sep 12, 1963 Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland Retained Commonwealth flyweight title
11 Win 10–1 Ray Perez TKO 9 (10) Jun 27, 1963 Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland
10 Win 9–1 Jackie Brown KO 12 (15) May 2, 1963 Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland Won BBBofC British Area and Commonwealth flyweight titles
9 Win 8–1 Bernard Jubert PTS 8 Jan 31, 1963 Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland
8 Win 7–1 Ray Jutras TKO 6 (10) Nov 14, 1962 Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland
7 Win 6–1 René Libeer TKO 6 (10) Oct 16, 1962 Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England
6 Win 5–1 Jacques Jacob KO 6 (10) Sep 20, 1962 Glasgow, Scotland
5 Win 4–1 Danny Lee PTS 8 Jun 14, 1962 Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland
4 Win 3–1 Brian Bissmire PTS 8 Dec 16, 1961 Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland
3 Loss 2–1 Jackie Brown PTS 8 Oct 25, 1961 Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland For BBBofC Scottish Area flyweight title
2 Win 2–0 Eddie Barraclough PTS 8 Sep 22, 1961 Town Hall, Hamilton, Scotland
1 Win 1–0 George McDade TKO 3 (6) Aug 9, 1961 Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Roll of Honour". England Boxing. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  2. ↑ "Walter McGowan – Lineal Flyweight Champion". The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia.
  3. ↑ "McGowan Outpoints Burruni For World Flyweight Title". The New York Times. AP. 15 June 1966.
  4. ↑ "McGowan not the (WBC) Champ!". Evening Times. (Glasgow, Scotland, Great Britain). 16 June 1966 – via Google News Newspaper Archive.
  5. ↑ "Ring Results". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington (state), United States). The Associated Press. 31 December 1966 – via Google News Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "Last Night's Fights". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio, United States). 31 December 1966 – via Google News Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ United Kingdom list: "No. 44326". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1952. p. 6286.
  8. ↑ "Former world flyweight champion Walter McGowan dies". BBC Sport. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
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