The second in what we hope will become a regular series.
For the second in this series I?ve chosen the Chatteris fighter Dave ?Boy? Green
Born on 2nd June 1953, in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, Dave ?Boy? Green went on to have a career whereby he boxed 41 times.
Of those 41 fights Green, affectionately known as the ?Fen Tiger? won 37, (29 inside the distance) and lost 4 times.
As an amateur Green had 105 contests winning 74 with 33 of those wins coming inside the distance.
The decision to turn professional was made in 1974 and Green was to claim his first title, the British welterweight title on 1st June 1976. His opponent that night, for a fight in which Green was to enter the ring in a tiger-skin dressing-gown, was against Joey Singleton. Green was probably behind on points against the slicker boxer but his power was to prove crucial. Throwing punches from awkward angles, Green emerged triumphant in the 6th round.
The same year Green was to fight for the European title, on 7th December he engaged in a battle with the Parisian Jean-Baptiste Piedvache for the light-welterweight crown. In a brutal battle Green was hurt in the 8th round but his persistence and never-say-die spirit, Green pushed forward and caught his opponent with right and left hooks causing Piedvache to be retired in the 9th round. The win took Green to 22 straight victories with 18 coming inside the distance.
Green was now closing in on the world title scene and on 29th March 1977 fought John H Stracey in a final eliminator for the WBC title. Stracey was a tough fighter who had previously held the WBC belt and the experts were split with regards to what way this fight would go. But Green was to emerge victorious, beating Stracey and earning a shot at the WBC title.
On 14th June, at Wembley, Green got a shot at the title. His opponent was the legendary Carlos Palomino. In a terrific contest both boxers had their moments as the battle raged. As the fight entered the latter stages Green was hampered by his left eye closing and was caught by a left-hook by the champion, flooring him for the first time as a professional.
Green was to lose his European title, being floored by the Dane Jorgen Hansen after leaving himself wide open in the 3rd round. Accepting he?d been fairly beaten Green applauded the new champion as he was awarded the belt.
As his career started to reach its twilight stages, Green was to earn another shot at the world title. On 31st March 1980, Green travelled to the US to take on the legend that is / was Sugar Ray Leonard in Landover, Maryland. Once again it was to end in disappointment with the champion knocking Green out cold in the fourth round, with the referee stopping the fight at the count of six.
Green?s boxing career came to an end on 3rd November 1981 when he was beaten by Reg Ford at the Royal Albert Hall.
After Boxing Dave entered into business and the last we heard he was the Chairman of Renoak Limited in Chatteris, a company he founded with Bob Emerson. A respected member of the local community, he?s best summed up by the following quote from his most famous opponent Sugar Ray Leonard, a quote that reads,
‘Dave was a brave fighting man who never gave less than one hundred per cent whenever he put the gloves on. He is a warm human being who does tremendous work for charity, and I’m thrilled he has made such a success in business’.
In recognition to his services to Boxing and for his charity work in Cambridgeshire, Dave ?Boy? Green was awarded, in 2012, the MBE.
Somewhere in Time (2) ? Dave ?Boy? Green (MBE)
