Bunny Sterling

Basil Sylvester Sterling, known to the trade and the public simply as Bunny Sterling, was a fighting man in the truest sense of the word, a Jamaican-born middleweight who learned his craft the hard way in the distinctively unforgiving climate of British boxing in the 1960s and 70s. Born in Kingston on 4 April 1948 and arriving in London as a child, Sterling carved out a career that saw him become a pioneer for Caribbean pugilists in this country. Fighting outside the orthodox stance, he compiled a professional ledger of 35 wins, 18 losses, and 4 draws over a tenure from 1966 to 1978. It is a record that speaks of an era when fighters were matched tough and often, rather than protected to preserve a pristine statistic. Indeed, Sterling’s introduction to the paid ranks was brutal; managed by George Francis, he lost his debut on points to Joe Devitt in September 1966 and suffered defeat in his next two contests before finally registering a win against Fess Parker later that year.

It was from these inauspicious beginnings that Sterling forged a reputation as one of the most durable and technically sound middleweights of his generation. After trading wins and losses on the small hall circuit, he forced his way into contention for major honours in 1970. Having beaten Dennis Pleace and Harry Scott in eliminators, he was matched against the British middleweight champion Mark Rowe at Wembley on 8 September 1970. In a hostile atmosphere, Sterling stopped Rowe on cuts in the fourth round, a victory that etched his name into the history books as the first Caribbean immigrant to capture a British title. At the time of this triumph, Sterling was balancing his ring career with law studies, a testament to a discipline that served him well between the ropes. Although his residency qualified him for the British belt, he formally acquired citizenship shortly after, opening the door for European opportunities.

Sterling was a champion who packed his bag and travelled, often fighting in the other man's backyard without complaint. As the holder of the Commonwealth title, which he had also seized from Rowe, he defended the strap against Kahu Mahanga before engaging in a two-fight series with Tony Mundine in Australia. He drew with Mundine in January 1971 but lost the Commonwealth crown in the rematch in Brisbane the following year, when Mundine stopped him in the fifteenth round. Yet, it was his performances against world-class opposition that proved his quality. He defeated the former world welterweight champion, Luis Manuel Rodríguez and the Dane Tom Bogs, victories that underlined his world-class credentials even if the politics of the sport denied him a crack at a global title. His first attempt at the European middleweight title came in December 1971 in Paris against Jean-Claude Bouttier, where he was stopped in the fourteenth session of a gruelling affair.

On the domestic front, Sterling proved an immovable object for some time. He successfully defended his British title against Phil Matthews and Don McMillan before defeating Mark Rowe again in April 1973 to win the Lonsdale Belt outright. Though he lost the British championship on points to the clever Kevin Finnegan in February 1974, Sterling displayed his characteristic resilience by regaining the title in June 1975. In that bout, he stopped Maurice Hope in the eighth round. It was a significant win, particularly as Hope would go on to become a world light-middleweight champion, yet on that night, he could not live with Sterling’s experience and pressure.

Sterling eventually vacated his British title to pursue European honours once more, a gamble that paid off in February 1976 when he travelled to Hamburg to face Frank Reiche. Sterling stopped the German in the thirteenth round to finally drape the European middleweight belt over his shoulder. His reign was brief, ending four months later in Milan via a points decision to Angelo Jacopucci, but he had reached the summit of the continent. Sterling fought on three more times, ending his career after a points loss to Mustafa Wasajja in November 1977. He retired in 1978 and passed away on 19 November 2018 at the age of 70, following a battle with dementia. While he never fought for a world title, his legacy remains that of a trailblazer who faced the best of his era, often away from home, and paved the way for the generations of black British champions who followed.