John H Stracey

John Henry Stracey, born on September 22, 1950, was an orthodox British professional boxer who competed for nearly a decade, from 1969 to 1978. He is best known for his two victories in world welterweight championship bouts, including the triumph over Jose Napoles, which earned him the WBC and The Ring titles.

Stracey was fairly inexperienced as a boxer when he debuted professionally against Santos Martins on September 17, 1969, at the age of just 18. Nonetheless, he emerged victorious with a second-round knockout. He went on to win the next 15 fights, including 11 by stoppage, displaying an impressive KO ratio.

Stracey had his first world title fight at the age of 25 on December 6, 1975, against Jose Napoles for the welterweight WBC and The Ring titles. Napoles was a veteran boxer and regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time at that point. Stracey, however, shocked the boxing world by defeating Napoles via 6th round TKO to become a world champion in the welterweight division, which was a remarkable feat for someone who had fought only 46 professional bouts until then.

Stracey was reigning as champion and had his first title defense on March 20, 1976, against Hedgemon Lewis. He retained his title by defeating Lewis in round 10 via knockout.

In June, a few months later, Stracey faced Carlos Palomino for the WBC and The Ring welterweight titles. Unfortunately, Stracey lost the bout as he was knocked out in round 12, and he lost his titles as a result. His next fight was against Dave Boy Green, which again ended up as a loss for Stracey as he suffered a tenth-round knockout with badly damaged eyes. This defeat marked the end of Stracey's championship career, and he retired on May 23, 1978, after his last professional fight, a non-title bout against Georges Warusfel, which he won by TKO in the ninth round.

Stracey had a record of 45-5-1 during his career, which included 37 knockout wins and three losses via knockout, creating an impressive KO ratio of 74.5 %. However, Stracey lost four times in non-title fights and one time in a title bout. For more details about these defeats, refer to "All of John H. Stracey's losses."

Despite his loss records, Stracey has had many glorious moments that have cemented his legacy among the all-time greats. Some of Stracey's best fights and notable victories include wins over Jose Napoles, Hedgemon Lewis, Georges Warusfel, Roger Menetrey, Ernie Lopez, Bobby Arthur, and Max Hebeisen.

Following the conclusion of his professional boxing career, Stracey bought The Three Horseshoes pub in Briston, Norfolk, and renamed it the John H Stracey. He also owned a bar in Bournemouth known as The Ring Side. Stracey once owned a boxing school in London as well.

John H. Stracey's achievements in the ring have ensured his place in the boxing hall of fame. He has been ranked by BoxRec as the 8th best British welterweight of all time. The entire boxing community recognizes Stracey's amazing career and his contributions to the sport of boxing.

In conclusion, John Henry Stracey was an excellent boxer and a true champion. He had an attractive style that was admired by many of his admirers. His legacy will always be cherished in the world of professional boxing.

John H. Stracey Fight Record