In the first of our on-going series, whereby we?re taking a look at the British fighters I?ve enjoyed watching, we look at Alex Arthur.
In the first of our on-going series, whereby we?re taking a look at the British fighters I?ve enjoyed watching, we look at Alex Arthur.
Mini Fact-File ? Alex Arthur
Nickname – Amazing
Rated At – Light Welterweight and Super Featherweight
Height – Five Feet Nine Inches
Reach – 69 inches
Birth Date – 26 June 1978
Birth Place – Edinburgh, Scotland
Stance – Orthodox
Total Fights – 34
Wins – 31
Wins by KO – 21
Losses – 3
Draws – 0
Alex Arthur commenced his professional boxing career in November 2000, beating Richmond Asante on his debut. A highly rated amateur, Arthur soon had 11 wins on his record and his silky skills allied with an aggressive style, saw Arthur moved towards a British title fight for the vacant Super featherweight crown. His opponent was Steven Conway, from Dewsbury with the venue being the Braehead Arena, in Glasgow, on 19th October 2002.
Arthur stopped Conway in four rounds and was to defend his title successfully against Carl Greaves and Willie Lomond.
However, the unbeaten record was to end in his next fight when he was matched with Michael Gomez. The build-up to the was a spicy affair, with Arthur suggesting Gomez struggled against journeymen and didn?t really feel he could beat him.
The fight was staged at the Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh, it was to be a classic. Arthur?s pedigree suggested that it would just be another routine defence as he moved towards a tilt at a world title, with the critics suggesting the hard battles Gomez had encountered in previous fights would count against him.
But Gomez was to put on a display that rammed those words back don his critics mouths. In a contest that was a bad-tempered affair, Gomez caught Arthur with a punch that ended the fight in the 5th round. Although beaten, Arthur?s resilience earned him the plaudits from the pundits.
Having lost his unbeaten record, Arthur made a return to the ring on 27 March 2004. Fighting for the IBF Inter-Continental Super Featherweight title, Arthur claimed the belt with a 1st round stoppage of Michael Kizza. The Scot made two successful defences of the title before taking on the Commonwealth Super-Featherweight champion Craig Docherty.
Also at stake that night was the vacant British title. Once again, the fight took place at the Meadowbank Sports Centre and Arthur left the ring with both belts after stopping Docherty in the 9th round.
Arthur, after that loss to Gomez, was again a force to be reckoned with. Next up for the Scotsman was a fight for the European title against the Russian fighter, Boris Siniston. Again, Arthur triumphed taking the decision by a wide points margin. The Scot was now the proud holder of the British, Commonwealth and European titles.
His next fight, all three of his belts were on the line when he met another emerging Scottish fighter, Ricky Burns. Arthur was triumphant again, taking the decision on points.
Following on from the Burns clash, Arthur defended his European title, with success, against Sergey Gulyakevich and Sergio Palomo.
Looking to capture a world title, Arthur was, on 21 July 2007, to take on Koba Gogoladze for the WBO Interim Super Featherweight title winning the fight in the 10th round. A successful defence against Steve Foster Jnr, courtesy of a close unanimous points decision, although Arthur did take a visit to the canvas in the 11th round.
Arthur?s next fight was scheduled to be against the Dominican fighter Joan Guzman, who held the full version of the title. Guzman though relinquished the title to move up a weight and the WBO appointed Arthur as their true champion.
But Arthur?s reign as the WBO Super Featherweight champion was to be a long one. In his first defence, against the English fighter, Nicky Cook, at the MEN Arena in Manchester, on 9th September 2008, he lost his title by a unanimous decision.
A disappointed Arthur felt he?d been robbed pointing out there were three English judges judging the fight, however, it was generally accepted in the boxing trade that Cook had won the fight.
Arthur was never to reach those dizzy heights again and had his last fight on 14th April 2012 before retiring
For his services to the sport Alex Arthur was awarded the MBE in the 2012 Queens Birthday Honours.
