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Harry Crossley (4 May 1904 – 6 December 1948) was a British boxer who was British light heavyweight champion between 1929 and 1932.

Life and career

Based in Mexborough, Yorkshire, and a miner by trade, Harry Crossley began his boxing career with two bouts in his hometown in 1924. A run of wins up to 1928 saw him fighting tougher opposition and he travelled to Berlin in April 1928 to fight Ludwig Haymann, losing a points decision. After two fights back in England he returned to Germany for a series of fights in the second half of 1928, including a drawn match with the experienced Rudi Wagener.

He fought for his first title, the Northern Area light heavyweight title, in June 1929, losing to Len Johnson on points. When Johnson vacated the title, Crossley got another shot later in June against Young Fowler; This time Crossley took a points decision to win the title. He followed this with a win over Gipsy Daniels, and then fought heavyweight Larry Gains in Cologne, losing on points. At the time, he was the only British fighter to take Gains the distance.

In November 1929, he fought Frank Moody at Holborn Stadium for the British light heavyweight title, winning a points decision to take the title. Over the next few years, Crossley beat the likes of the heavyweight Reggie Meen, Gipsy Daniels (twice), earned a draw against Len Johnson (Crossley offered Johnson a shot at his title but it wasn't sanctioned due to Johnson being of mixed race), and was beaten by Meen, Jimmy Tarante, Don McCorkindale and German champion Ernst Pistulla, before defending his light heavyweight title against Jack Petersen in May 1932; Petersen won a points decision to take the title. Crossley subsequently beat Daniels and Charley Smith. After Peteresen relinquished the title, Crossley was due to fight the winner of an eliminator between Eddie Phillips and Len Harvey for the vacant title, but he withdrew from the light heavyweight division to focus on fighting at heavyweight. His final two fights were defeats by knockout to Petersen and Gains in the early part of 1934.

He retired from boxing in March 1934. Crossley married Eva Williams of Leicester on 8 January 1935. He became the licensee of the Broadway Hotel in Leicester.

Death

Crossley died in a Leicester hospital in 1948, aged 44, after a two-year illness. He was buried in the churchyard at Swinton, close to his former home of Mexborough.

See also

• List of British light-heavyweight boxing champions

References

1. ^ ""Lost" Mexborough boxing legend Harry Crossley is uncovered by Times reader", South Yorkshire Times, 16 March 2009. Retrieved 5 October 2014
2. "Harry Crossley in Training: Only British Fighter to Go Distance With Larry Gains". Nottingham Evening Post. 31 August 1931. Retrieved 5 October 2014 – via British Newspaper Archive.
3. "Poor Boxing Display: Frank Moody Loses Light Heavy-Weight Championship". Lancashire Evening Post. 26 November 1929. Retrieved 5 October 2014 – via British Newspaper Archive.
4. Davies, Sean (4 June 2009). "Frank Moody, 'The Pontypridd Puncher'". BBC.
5. "Len Johnson Draws With Harry Crossley at Manchester". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 18 November 1930. Retrieved 5 October 2014 – via British Newspaper Archive.
6. "Harry Crossley Beaten". Dundee Courier. 21 December 1931. Retrieved 5 October 2014 – via British Newspaper Archive.
7. "Harry Crossley Beaten". Lancashire Evening Post. 1 November 1930. Retrieved 5 October 2014 – via British Newspaper Archive.
8. "9. Jack Petersen", BBC, 8 April 2002. Retrieved 5 October 2014
9. "Petersen's Successor: Harry Crossley's Chance of Regaining Title". Derby Daily Telegraph. 18 January 1933. Retrieved 5 October 2014 – via British Newspaper Archive.
10. "M'Avoy v. Piazza". Aberdeen Journal. 12 June 1933. Retrieved 5 October 2014 – via British Newspaper Archive.
11. "Gains Knocks Out Crossley". Western Daily Press. 27 March 1934. Retrieved 5 October 2014 – via British Newspaper Archive.
12. "news item". Hull Daily Mail. 9 January 1935. Retrieved 5 October 2014 – via British Newspaper Archive.
13. "Death of Former Champion". Dundee Courier. 8 December 1948. Retrieved 5 October 2014 – via British Newspaper Archive.
14. Howse, Geoffrey (2010) Little Book of Yorkshire, The History Press, ISBN 978-0752457734, p. 72
15. Ashby, J. R. (2009) "November 2009 Newsletter Archived 2014-10-06 at the Wayback Machine", Mexborough & District Heritage Society. Retrieved 5 October 2014

External links

• Career record at boxrec.com

• 1904 births
• 1948 deaths
• Light-heavyweight boxers
• Heavyweight boxers
• English male boxers
• 20th-century English sportsmen