Ground Breaking Boxers

Joe Bygraves

Joe Bygraves was born into a large family of 11 siblings, in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1931. He emigrated to Britain at the age of 15 and settled in Liverpool with one of his brothers. 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 and county titles for both Lancashire and Cheshire. He represented England at amateur level with future opponents, Henry Cooper, Peter Waterman and Pat McAteer. He turned professional in 1953 with his first fight at Liverpool Stadium on 12th February stopping Don Maxwell (Nottingham) in the first round. Over the following twenty-two months he had by modern day standards, competed in an astonishing twenty-eight fights, resulting in 24 wins and 4 loses. Boxing in the Uk and abroad, Joe Bygraves was able to bring his experience to match his undoubted talent to eventually win the vacant Commonwealth Heavyweight title against Tongan Kitione Lave at the Empire Pool London on 26th June 1956. He defended the title on three occasions, knocking out Henry Cooper and holding Dick Richardson to a draw before losing the title to Joe Erskine. After losing the title Joe laid off training for several months. However, despite living in the UK for ten years, Joe was denied a shot at the British Heavyweight Championship because he didn’t qualify for British citizenship, determined by the punitive immigration legislation introduced by the Conservative government of the day. In his 72 professional fights joe fought some of the country’s, and indeed the world’s top heavyweights, including Cooper, Erskine, Richardson and Johansen. He also fought such boxers as Zora Folley, Karl Mildenberger, Billie Walker and Willie Pastrano. He fought a total of 19 contests in Liverpool. His last fight being a fifth-round disqualification against Roy Shiel in August 1963. Alongside his boxing profession, Joe Bygraves embarked upon a successful entrepreneurial career by opening The Beacon night club on Parliament Street Liverpool 8. It was an integral part of the world-famous Liverpool 8 night club scene. On retirement from boxing Joe purchased a 160-acre pig farm in Stanmore Middlesex. As well as the farm, he established a boxing training camp within the grounds of his villa in Portugal. Prior to the landmark arrival of the SS Windrush at Tilbury Docks, London in 1948. Joe Bygraves, like many other ‘Caribbean Scouser’s had already settled in Liverpool. Where their contribution to Liverpool’s social, cultural and economic life was exemplified by Joe’s success in the boxing ring. “I reckon boxing is in my blood, you can laugh & joke at me as much as you like when I’m not in the ring, but man once I’ve climbed into the ring, you’re no friend of mine.”