Terry Lawless; British boxing manager who took four fighters to world titles as well as coaching future champions Frank Bruno and Lloyd Honeyghan
Hyfler/Rosner
December 26, 0009
Terry Lawless: Boxing manager
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article6967753.ece
Terry Lawless was one of the outstanding manager-trainers of
the past 60 years of British boxing, taking four men from
his East London stable, at four different weights, through
to victories for a world professional title. In ascending
poundage they were the flyweight Charlie Magri, lightweight
Jim Watt, welterweight John H. Stracey and
light-middleweight Maurice Hope.
Lawless's influence was felt particularly strongly during
the 1970s and 1980s. Based in the homely, usually welcoming
gymnasium of the Royal Oak, Canning Town, Lawless, aided by
a first-class back-up team, including Frank Black and Jimmy
Tibbs, made acclaimed improvements in the skill, stamina and
discipline of two other future British and world champions,
the welterweight Lloyd Honeyghan and Frank Bruno, the
heavyweight. Lawless was also involved in the early stages
of the career of Joe Calzaghe.
Bruno was defeated in the fifth round of his 1989 bout
against Mike Tyson, one of the most fearsome boxing
champions of recent times. But helped by Lawless, who was
sometimes characterised as a surrogate father for Bruno, the
boxer won the affection of many British sports fans - and
others - despite the defeat.
The Scot Jim Watt was a mature but somewhat disillusioned
27-year-old when, having parted with his former manager, he
contacted Lawless to see if he could resurrect his career.
Watt's aim was to secure a small handful of additional
fights to raise the cash he needed to fund what he hoped
would be a long retirement. Lawless challenged what he saw
as an unnecessarily defeatist attitude, telling Watt that he
had yet to reach his full potential. Watt was, Lawless said,
the best lightweight in Europe and the pair went on to prove
the point against Alfredo Pitalua, the Colombian, at the
Kelvin Hall in Glasgow in April 1979.
Watt said that Lawless changed his whole life by taking him
to the world lightweight title. He said that they only ever
fell out once and that was because Lawless refused to take
anything of the manager's 25 per cent cut for the first five
fights the partners undertook. "There's no way I could ever
repay Terry and his family for all they did for me," said
Watt. "He was like a father to his fighters, a caring,
conscientious man who was the total opposite to the usual
image of boxing managers."
Diminutive, normally polite and quietly spoken, Lawless did
not box at a high level himself but was an extraordinarily
attentive and retentive student of the noble art. He was
inspired by Al Phillips, the "Aldgate Tiger", British and
European featherweight champion of 1947, who had a second
career as a trainer-manager that was both long and
influential.
A master of the ringside, Lawless was an implacable
practitioner who calmly trod the fine line between
forcefulness and consideration, qualities that fighters need
when seated in their corners between rounds. He invariably
showed compassion for his boxers, fully aware that just one
punch too many could cause long-term damage. "I've never
ever experienced anything approaching what my boxers can go
through so how could I be anything but totally responsible
for them when I'm in their corner?" he once said.
Frequently absorbed in the psychological challenges of his
sport, when Bruno stayed with him during the build-up to a
demanding title challenge, Lawless carefully placed a copy
of the book Once They Heard the Cheers, by the American
sports writer and former war correspondent W. C. Heinz, next
to Bruno's bed, reflecting dryly that it might do more good
than the Gideon Bibles provided in many American hotels.
Reg Gutteridge (obituary, Jan 27), formerly an amateur boxer
who became a newspaper reporter and ringside television
commentator, wrote: "Terry Lawless was involved in his
gymnasium on a daily basis with his large stable which was,
no doubt, the best collection under one man's direction in
British boxing history."
Born in West Ham in 1934, Lawless took a boxing manager's
licence after completing a stint of National Service. He
lived for many years in Essex, and for some time
conscientiously continued to run a soft goods shop as an
insurance against possible vicissitudes of his career as a
boxing manager. In a career spanning five decades he managed
more than 50 prizefighters and gave invaluable encouragement
and support to countless others. Among the promoters he
worked with were Mickey Duff, Jarvis Astaire, Harry Levene
and Mike Barrett. Lawless emerged with an untarnished
reputation after allegations were made about an involvement
in a cartel whose ambition was to dominate the higher
reaches of British boxing. The British Boxing Board of
Control cleared him after an investigation.
Lawless spent the final years of his life in Marbella. He is
survived by two children and his wife Sylvia, who took a
close interest in boxing and the fighters trained by her
husband.
Terry Lawless, British boxing manager, was born March 29,
1934. He died after a long illness, on December 24, 2009,
aged 75
Turban Joe Balasootoe
>
> gymnasium on a daily basis with his large stable which was,
> no doubt, the best collection under one man's direction in
> British boxing history."
>
> Born in West Ham in 1934, Lawless took a boxing manager's
> licence after completing a stint of National Service. He
> lived for many years in Essex, and for some time
> conscientiously continued to run a soft goods shop as an
> insurance against possible vicissitudes of his career as a
> boxing manager. In a career spanning five decades he managed
> more than 50 prizefighters and gave invaluable encouragement
> and support to countless others. Among the promoters he
> worked with were Mickey Duff, Jarvis Astaire, Harry Levene
> and Mike Barrett. Lawless emerged with an untarnished
> reputation after allegations were made about an involvement
> in a cartel whose ambition was to dominate the higher
> reaches of British boxing. The British Boxing Board of
> Control cleared him after an investigation.
>
> Lawless spent the final years of his life in Marbella. He is
> survived by two children and his wife Sylvia, who took a
> close interest in boxing and the fighters trained by her
> husband.
>
> Terry Lawless, British boxing manager, was born March 29,
> 1934. He died after a long illness, on December 24, 2009,
> aged 75
All of this is true re Mr Lawless, Watt and Stracey
remaining underrated to this day as well as living
testaments to the greatness of Terry.