Bounce Magazine September 2018

The fastest
win inside a
British ring...
SEPTEMBER 2018 | ISSUE #71
BY RALPH OATES
A series of articles which will feature boxing facts
from both the past to the present...
On the 24th November 1995
Sheffield born heavyweight
Pele Reid made his debut in
the professional ranks at the
Bowlers Exhibition Centre
in Manchester against Gary
Williams. Reid was expected to
win and did so easily stopping
his man in the first round of a
contest set for four.
Reid during the course of 1996
took part in six bouts and won
them all in fine style winning
four of his bouts in the opening
session. Two of the said
engagements took him to both
Italy and Germany which was a
good move since it was getting
him used to boxing outside of
the UK.
On the 28 June 1997 Reid won
his first championship when
he met Jamaican born Ricardo
Kennedy for the vacant World
Boxing Organisation Inter-
Continental heavyweight title at
the Sports Village, in Norwich
by a stoppage in the opening
stanza of twelve. This was his
seventh victory to come in the
first round in nine fights.
The Sheffield Arena in
Yorkshire saw Reid make the
first defence of the Inter-
Continental heavyweight title
on the 11 October 1997 against
an American in the shape of Eli
Dixon who lasted until the ninth
round in a contest schedule
for twelve before the referee
stepped in to stop the bout.
There was now a great deal
of excitement about Pele who
looked an exciting prospect a
man who had the potential to
create waves in the division and
hence go a long way.
In his fourteenth bout he
was matched with British &
Commonwealth heavyweight
champion Julius Francis for the
titles at the York Hall, Bethnal
Green in London on the 30 th
January 1999. Many pundits felt
that at the end of the evening
Reid would be crowned the
new champion. Francis showed
however that he was not in
the ring just up to make up
the numbers and turned in
an excellent performance to
retain the titles stopping Reid
in three rounds of a contest set
for twelve.
After the defeat to Francis, Reid
was never able to recapture
the magic of old since he won
seven drew two and lost five
of his next fourteen bouts.
Reid took part in his last
contest on the 7th March
2009 bowing out with a win
outpointing David Ingleby
over ten rounds to capture
the Vacant British Masters
Heavyweight title at the New
Bingley Hall in Birmingham.
Reid who was born on the 11
January 1973 may have failed
to have lived up to the high
expectations many had of him
by not winning the British and
Commonwealth heavyweight
titles and indeed by not going
beyond the domestic crown
to even higher honours like
the European championship.
However he can take a degree
of consolation from a bout
which had previously taken
place on the 25th February
1997. At the Hillsborough
Leisure Centre in Sheffield
opponent Michael Murray
from Lancashire dislocated his
shoulder in the first round of a
contest set for eight and thus
had to retire from the bout due
to the injury. This gave Reid the
record of gaining the fastest
ever win inside a British ring the
time being nine seconds.
During his career Reid compiled
a professional of 20 wins 6
defeats and 2 draws.
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