British veteran competitive boxer John Anthony Conteh, MBE (born May 27, 1951), competed from 1971 to 1980. In addition to the regional titles for Europe, the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth in 1973 and 1974, he held the WBC light-heavyweight title from 1974 to 1978. He competed for England as a novice and captured the middleweight gold medal at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games. Conteh received an MBE in 2017 for his contributions to boxing at the Queen’s Birthday Honors.
Born in Liverpool, Lancashire (now Merseyside), to an Irish mother and a Sierra Leonean father, Conteh started boxing at the age of 10 at a Kirkby club that served as a practice ground for fellow British beginner Joey Singleton. He won the middleweight gold medal in 1970 at the British Commonwealth Games at the age of 19. By defeating Jorge Ahumada, he captured the WBC light-heavyweight championship in October 1974. He retained the title until 1977 when it was taken away from him because he skipped a required defence.
The boxing record of John Conteh is as follows,
Total Fights | 39 |
Wins | 34 |
Wins by KO | 24 |
Losses | 4 |
We’ll talk about John Conteh’s life and achievements in this article along with Career statistics and some interesting personal life information that you should know about,
John Conteh Biography
Real Name: John Anthony Conteh
Nickname: The Mighty Atom, The Tylorstown Terror
Profession: British Professional Boxer
Nationality: British
Net Worth: $ 5 Million
Professional Debut: 1971
John Conteh Physical Status
Height: 1.83 m
Weight: 85 Kg
Body Measurements: Not Available
Build: Athletic
Eye colour: Black
Hair colour: Black
John Conteh Personal Life :
Date of Birth: 27 May 1951
Place of Birth: Liverpool, United Kingdom
School: Not Available
College: Not Available
Highest Educational Qualifications: Not Known
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Hobbies: Reading
John Conteh Family Life :
Mother’s Name: Rachel Conteh
Father’s Name: Frank Conteh
Sibling’s Name: Tony Conteh
Marital Status: Married
Spouse Name: Veronica Conteh
Children’s Name: James Conteh, Joanna Conteh
John Conteh Achievements
- In addition to the regional titles for Europe, the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth in 1973 and 1974, he held the WBC light-heavyweight title from 1974 to 1978.
- He competed for England as a novice and captured the middleweight gold medal at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games.
- Conteh received an MBE in 2017 for his contributions to boxing at the Queen’s Birthday Honors
- He was one of the finest in the world and the British heavyweight champion throughout the mid-to late 1970s.
Here are some lesser-known facts about John Conteh
- On the record cover of Wings’ Band on the Run, he was depicted wearing prison garb.
- When he was at the top of his game, he was viewed as a Muhammed Ali challenger.
- On June 17, 1978, in Belgrade, Conteh attempted to defend his WBC title against Croatian Mate Parlov, but was unsuccessful and lost on a contentious split decision.
- John Conteh never consumed Alcohol in his boxing career
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