Biography

Howard Winstone, MBE (15 April, 1939 – 30 September, 2000) was a Welsh boxer, born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.

In his early amateur days, Winstone had an accident at work where he lost the tips of three fingers on his right hand. As a result he lost much of the punching power in his hand and had to change his style to rely much more on the left.

Winstone won 83 of his 86 amateur fights, and in 1958, he was the ABA Bantamweight Champion. Representing Wales at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Winstone won the gold medal at bantamweight. He turned professional in 1959 and was managed by former European welterweight champion, Eddie Thomas. Winstone made his professional debut in February 1959 at Wembly Stadium, London, when he beat Billy Graydon on points over six rounds. He then proceeded to win his first 24 fights, at which point he was considered ready for a shot at the British featherweight title. In May 1961, he fought Terry Spinks the holder of the British featherweight title at the Empire Pool, Wembley. He out-boxed Spinks, forcing him to retire after ten rounds, and so claimed the British title. He continued to win all his contests and in April 1962, he defended his title against Derry Treanor, at the Empire Pool, winning by a technical knockout in the fourteenth round. The next month he defended his title against Harry Carroll in Cardiff forcing him to retire after six rounds. His first defeat came in November 1962, his 35th fight after 34 straight wins. He was beaten by Leroy Jeffery, an American featherweight, by a technical knockout in the second round after having been knocked down three times. In January 1963, he defended his British title for the third time, defeating Johnny Morrisey by a technical knockout in the eleventh, in Glasgow. In July 1963, he challenged for the European featherweight title, fighting Italian holder, Alberto Serti in Cardiff. Winstone won the title when the referee stopped the fight in the fourteenth round. One month later, he defended both titles against Billy Calvert in Porthcawl, winning on points over fifteen rounds. In December 1963, he again defended his titles against John O’Brien, again winning on points. In January 1964, he suffered only his second defeat in 45 fights, losing to the American, Don Johnson. In May 1964, he defended his European title against Italian, Lino Mastellaro at the Empire Pool, winning by a technical knockout in the Eighth round. In January 1965, he defended his European title again, against Frenchman, Yves Desmarets in Rome. He won on points over fifteen rounds. In September 1965, he challenged for the WBC and WBA world featherweight titles held by the Mexican Southpaw, Vicente Saldivar. The fight was held at Earls Court Arena, London and Saldivar won on points over fifteen rounds. In March 1966, he defended his European title against Andrea Silanos in Italy winning by a technical knockout in the fifteenth round. In September 1966, he defended it against Belgian, Jean de Keers at Wembley and won on a technical knockout in three rounds. In December 1966, he defended his British and European titles against the Welsh featherweight, Lennie Williams, defeating him at Port Talbot in eight rounds. In June 1967, he was ready for another world title challenge against Vicente Saldivar, this time in Cardiff, but again lost on points, although the decision favoured Saldivar by only half a point. Four months later, in October 1967, he fought Saldivar again, this time in Mexico City, but lost after being knocked down in the twelfth round. His manager threw in the towel in the twelfth. After his latest successful defence, Saldivar announced his retirement leaving his world title vacant. In January 1968, Winstone fought the Japanese, Mitsunori Seki for the vacant WBC world featherweight title at the Royal Albert Hall. Howard won when the fight was stopped in the ninth due to a cut eye, and so finally gained a world title. Saldivar was in the audience to see his vacated title won by his old rival. In July 1968, he defended his newly won world title against the Cuban, Jose Legra, at Porthcawl, Wales. Although Winstone had beaten Legra before, he was knocked down twice in the first round. He continued fighting, but unfortunately he sustained a badly swollen left eye, which caused the bout to be stopped in the fifth round. Having lost the world title in his first defence, Winstone decided to retire at the age of 29. Shortly after retiring, Howard was awarded the MBE and a few years later, he was made a Freeman of Merthyr Tydfil due to his boxing accomplishments. He continued living in Merthyr Tydfil, where he was immensely popular, until his death on the 30th September 2000. In 2005, he was named "Greatest Citizen of Merthyr Tydfil", in a public vote competition as part of the centenary celebrations to mark Merthyr’s incorporation as a county borough in 1905. In 2009 he was inducted into the WBC hall of fame, becoming only the second ever British fighter to receive this accolade, the first being John H Stracey.