Walter McGowan

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.^{[citation needed]}

Amateur career[]

McGowan was the 1961 ABA Flyweight Champion.

He suffered only two defeats in 124 amateur bouts.

Fought amateur David Ferguson for 3 rounds and only won on point decision.

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),^[1] 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.^[2][3]

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.^[4][5]

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 in the Queen's Birthday honours list in 1966.

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.^[6] He had been in poor health in his later years and was living in a nursing home in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire.

Professional boxing record[]

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[]

• List of flyweight boxing champions
• List of The Ring world champions
• List of British bantamweight boxing champions
• List of British flyweight boxing champions

References[]

External links[]

• Scottish Sports Hall of Fame (accessed 3–06–07)
• Walter McGowan wins flyweight world title 1966, BBC (accessed 3–06–07)
• Maurice Golesworthy, Encyclopaedia of Boxing (Eighth Edition) (1988), Robert Hale Limited, ISBN 0-7090-3323-0
• Boxing record for Walter McGowan from BoxRec
• Walter McGowan – CBZ Profile
• Walter Roderick McKay McGowan at North Lanarkshire Sporting Hall Of Fame