The greatest, most shocking win ever scored by a British fighter almost certainly has to be the complete stunner Randolph Turpin managed to pull off in 1951, when he beat the one and only Sugar Ray Robinson.
That monster upset took place in Randy’s homeland, however, so which fight has to rank as the greatest “away” win for a British fighter? Some fans may point to the 1986 upset Lloyd Honeyghan scored over the “unbeatable” Don Curry, which took place in Atlantic City. Other fans may feel Tyson Fury’s 2015 upset win over Wladimir Klitschko in Germany deserves the honour.
But Then Came Mexico, 1975…
But what about the great win John H. Stracey scored a full 50 years ago this week (Dec. 6 of 1975) in Mexico City?
Five decades ago, London’s John H. Stracey – who is today the oldest living British world champion, this at age 75 – travelled to Mexico City to challenge defending WBC welterweight ruler Jose Napoles. Overcoming tremendous odds, Stracey, aged 25 and sporting a 42-3-1 record, managed to stop the classy Cuban who had relocated to Mexico some years before and was a genuine hero to millions there.
A Hostile Bullring & 40,000 Against One Brit
The fight took place in the afternoon, inside a bullring, with a hugely hostile crowd of over 40,000 literally baying for Stracey’s blood. Napoles, known as “Mantequilla,” because he was “smooth as butter,” was getting on in years at age 35 (some say he was a couple of years older). Still, he had won 16 of his last 17 fights (the loss coming against world middleweight king Carlos Monzon in February of 1974). Against Stracey, he was making the eleventh defence of his second reign as welterweight champion. Napoles’ record was an amazing 81-6, and he had beaten fine fighters such as Emile Griffith, Curtis Cokes, and Hedgemon Lewis during his 17-year pro career.
Knocked Down Early – Disaster Looming
The fight was almost an instant disaster for the Terry Lawless-guided challenger, as a left hook sent Stracey down in the very first round. Hurt and under fire for the remainder of the round, the visiting fighter had to dig deep to survive the opening three minutes. But Stracey was a massively determined fighter, and he saw out the session, and came back to score a knockdown of his own in the 3rd-round, when a left hand forced Napoles to briefly touch down.
The massive pro-Napoles crowd couldn’t believe it, and they showered the ring with debris, mostly consisting of seat cushions. Napoles was soon badly marked up, swollen, and tired, a testament to the punching power and strength of Stracey. And then, in the sixth round, Napoles’ team – which consisted of the legendary Angelo Dundee – saw the referee dive in and call a halt to the now one-sided fight.
Sixth-Round Glory — A British Away-Day Masterpiece
Napoles took quite a hammering on the ropes in the 6th round, and a relentless Stracey simply would not be denied. Napoles would never fight again. Stracey would return to England a hero and go on to retain his crown the following March.
Back in the summer of 2013, Stracey took time out to recall his great win over Napoles, and the subsequent fights of his career, with this writer:
“The win over Jose Napoles was the best night of my career; that win over Napoles in 1975, which was actually in the late afternoon (laughs), is an obvious choice,” Stracey said.
“That fight is still very vivid in the mind, especially the 1st-round knockdown. I can still think back and take it all in. Not too many people gave me a chance to win, and to beat Napoles, especially in his own city of Mexico, was special. I was lucky to have fought one of the all-time greats, who had been there, done everything, and had the T-shirt. Napoles was a great boxer, one of the very best in history without a shadow of a doubt.”
Despite losing his title after just one successful defence, Stracey’s name is secure in the history books as a British fighter who scored one of the biggest upsets in the welterweight division. How super special Stracey’s epic win really was.
