Maurice Cullen - Crimdon Dene (crim0043)

Maurice Cullen - Crimdon Dene

Photograph of a man wearing boxing trunks with M. C. on them, standing, with his fists raised, on grass with the sea in the background; he is wearing a trophy belt; he has been identified as Maurice Cullen, Lightweight Champion of Great Britain

Date: 1960 - 1969

My brother Ian and I worked in our holidays at Crimdon as Lifeguards with Maurice.He was British Lightweight Champion for three years and won a Lonsdale Belt outright.he was tremendously fit and had a quick left hand.Sadly he died of a heart attack in 2001 at the age of 64. He was a fun loving gentleman but probably should have gone down to London with a top manager.I saw him give an exhibition fight at the Midlands Sporting Club in 1964 ( Solihull) when I was a medical student in Birmingham. The audience threw over £25.00 into the ring in half crowns as a token of their appreciation of his boxing skills.The local boxer from Smethwick had to be led into the shower afterwards by hand as both his eyes were swollen so much he could not see.

Comment added by Bryan Goodrich on 18/03/2009 09:59:00