Dave Charnley, the boxer who has died at the age of 76, was known as “The Dartford Destroyer” and won British, Empire and European crowns in the 135lb lightweight division, only to be saddled with the unwanted tag of being the finest British boxer never to win a world title.
He came desperately close, however, and many grizzled fight fans remain convinced that the hard-hitting southpaw did enough to defeat the American Joe “Old Bones” Brown when the pair clashed for the latter’s world crown at Earl’s Court on April 18 1961.
After 15 gripping rounds which saw the fortunes of both fighters see-saw astonishingly, Brown was adjudged to scored well enough to retain his crown. It was some measure of consolation to Charnley that The Ring magazine subsequently made the clash its “Fight of the Year” – an indication of the determination and courage the British challenger had displayed against one of the all-time lightweight greats.
David Charnley was born at Dartford, Kent, on October 10 1935. He worked as a boiler fitter in his late teens before his heavy hitting ability won him the Amateur Boxing Association featherweight title in 1954. He turned professional the same year.
He became British lightweight champion by outpointing Joe Lucy at Harringay Arena on April 9 1957, only subsequently to lose on points to the South African Willie Toweel in an Empire title challenge at Earl’s Court.
Charnley emerged from that encounter a better fighter, however, and gained revenge as well as another title by battering Toweel inside 10 rounds at London’s Empire Pool on May 12 1959. A fighter who deployed excellent footwork and ringcraft, Charnley’s chief weapon was a thunderous left hand, thrown hard and straight from a crouching southpaw stance. It was chiefly this punch which accounted for the 27 stoppage wins he notched up in a 61-fight career.
Victory over Toweel paved the way for the Kent fighter’s first attempt at a world title against Brown, in Houston, Texas, on December 2 1959, which ended when he was forced to retire with a badly-damaged eye before the start of the sixth. By the time of their rematch, Charnley had captured the European crown – with a 10th-round stoppage of Italy’s Mario Vecchiatto at the Empire Pool on March 29 1960 – and on that frenzied night at Earls Court, he proceeded to push Brown to the limit.
The Dartford Destroyer’s supremacy at British and European level was chillingly demonstrated at Nottingham Ice Rink the following year when, on November 20, he dispatched the Welsh challenger David Hughes in 40 seconds – including the count. At the time it was the fastest knockout in British title fight history.
It was 18 months later, on their third meeting, at Manchester’s King’s Hall, that Charnley finally had the satisfaction of knocking out Joe Brown, his great rival, in the sixth round. But by then the American had lost his world title.
Charnley lost his Empire crown on a close points decision to Bunny Grant in Kingston, Jamaica on August 4 1962, but the following year secured the Lonsdale Belt outright by outpointing Maurice Cullen in Manchester.
Moving up to the welterweight division, Charnley ill-advisedly took on the renowned American Emile Griffith in a non-title contest at the Empire Pool on December 1 1964, and suffered a sustained beating before the contest was halted in the ninth round. He retired as British lightweight champion following 48 wins, 12 defeats and one draw.
He went on to become a successful businessman, running hair salons and dabbling in property. He professed to “not particularly liking watching too much boxing” but was occasionally sighted ringside at his old south London amateur club, Fitzroy Lodge.
Dave Charnley’s first marriage was dissolved. He married, secondly, Maureen, who survives him with their two daughters.
Dave Charnley, born October 10 1935, died March 3 2012
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