Johnny Basham

It is often the cruel paradox of the prize ring that those who shine brightest within the squared circle frequently find themselves navigating the darkest shadows once the final bell has tolled, and few narratives illustrate this stark reality quite like that of Newport’s Johnny Basham. Born in the rugged Shaftesbury district of Newport in September 1890, Basham emerged from a hard-bitten era of Welsh pugilism to become one of the most decorated fighters of the early twentieth century, eventually capturing British and European honours across two weight divisions. His professional campaign commenced on 18 October 1909 at the Campbell Bannerman Hall in his hometown, where he dispatched Boxer Ryan inside three rounds, yet his early ledger was a mixed bag of local scraps that gave little indication of the technician he would become. It was his enlistment in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in 1912 and subsequent stationing at the Hightown Barracks in Wrexham that sharpened his discipline; here, the man who would come to be known to the public as "Private Basham" transformed from a crude scrapper into a polished operator under military rigour. Rising to the rank of Sergeant, he utilised Wrexham and the burgeoning fight scene in Liverpool as his primary theatres of war, developing a style predicated on lightning-fast punching power and slick footwork that often left opponents hitting thin air.

The trajectory of Basham's career was irrevocably altered in 1913 by a tragedy that would have broken a lesser spirit, when a victory over Harry Price at Liverpool Stadium resulted in the South African’s death and a subsequent manslaughter charge for the Welshman. Although he was rightfully acquitted after a magistrate ruled the contest had been conducted along fair and sporting lines, the shadow of that night lingered even as Basham mounted his assault on the domestic summit. He claimed the British Welterweight title in December 1914 by stopping Johnny Summers in the ninth round at the National Sporting Club, a victory that set him on course to become the first welterweight to win the coveted Lonsdale Belt outright following successful defences against Tom McCormick and Eddie Beattie. His war service saw him drafted into an elite cadre of physical training instructors known as the "Famous Six," serving alongside legends such as "Peerless" Jim Driscoll and Jimmy Wilde, ensuring that even while global conflict raged, his pugilistic skills were maintained at the highest level—even reportedly sparring with the war poet Robert Graves during periods of rest and recreation in France. This period solidified his standing not merely as a champion but as a master craftsman capable of outthinking and outfighting the opposition.

When hostilities in Europe ceased, Basham embarked on the most illustrious phase of his career, demonstrating a level of matchmaking ambition seldom seen in the records of modern contenders. In 1919, he outpointed the highly regarded American navy champion Eddie Shevlin twice and unified the British, European, and Commonwealth welterweight titles by defeating Matt Wells, a man who had knocked him out seven years prior. However, the defining rivalry of his life was undoubtedly with the ferocious Ted "Kid" Lewis, the "Aldgate Sphinx," whose aggressive style proved to be Basham's kryptonite. In June 1920 at the Olympia in London, Lewis relieved Basham of his welterweight collection via a ninth-round stoppage caused by severe cuts, and he repeated the feat in a rematch later that year at the Royal Albert Hall. Yet, displaying remarkable resilience, Basham moved up to the middleweight division in May 1921 and outpointed Gus Platts to capture the British and European middleweight crowns, cementing his legacy as one of the few Welsh fighters to hold major titles at two weights.

The twilight of Basham’s career was marked by the inevitable decline that awaits all fighting men, as he lost his middleweight laurels back to his nemesis Lewis and suffered defeats to world-class operators like Mike McTigue. After retiring in 1929 with a record of 62 wins, 16 losses, and 7 draws, the man who had once commanded handsome purses found himself destitute, a common enough story for the sporting heroes of his generation. He spent his final years in poverty, often seen selling copies of the South Wales Argus outside Newport market or displaying his battered Lonsdale Belt in public houses in exchange for drinks from American GIs. It is a sombre footnote that Basham died on 7 June 1947, just a week before a testimonial tournament intended to raise a pension for him was scheduled to take place. For forty years, this titan of the ring lay in an unmarked grave at St Woolos Cemetery, a wrong that was only righted in 1987 when a memorial stone was finally erected thanks to a fundraising tournament between Newport and its twin town of Heidenheim, ensuring that while his fortune may have been lost, the memory of his exploits between the ropes remains imperishable.