Pat Cowdell - Best British Boxer To have Never Lifted a World Title?

Getting a bit sick of talking about Carl Froch and Amir Khan so here goes -

Pat Cowdell was a very promising boxer the second he turned professional. The man was a former 4 time ABA Champion and also a Commonwealth Gold medalist combined with an extremely respectable Olympic Bronze Medal.

He showed signs of having World Class ability from the beginning of his career, showing a wide range of boxing techniques, he was able to move in and out of range with ease and caught out his opponent using his quick hands. Whilst perhaps not having enough power to be known as a banger, he very much held respectable power in both hands to hold off opponents and force opponents onto the backfoot.

His career shot off quickly easily battling his way a shot at the British Featherweight title against Dave Needham. One that sadly Cowdell lost on a slightly controversial 15 round points decision. However because of this he managed to immediately gain his chance to a rematch to rectify this and beat Needham to a close decision winning the British Featherweight Title. He went onto defend this title and would win the much coveted Lonsdale belt. Cowdell then went on to beat all of his domestic challenges that awaited himpushing him onto a World Title shot against Salvador Sanchez. Sanchez was at the time 41 - 1 and was P4P No. 2 just behind Sugar Ray Leonard and in many other peoples eyes was actually P4P No 1. Many people naturally gave Cowdell no chance, with newspapers actually writing about Cowdell possibly just taking the fight with the financial implications.

Cowdell proved all the critics wrong by even making the full 15 rounds and not only that seriously pushing Sanchez to the limit, giving the worldwide superstar and extremely stern test. He lost on a narrow but fair split decision but proved that he was a very worthy opponent to anyone on the Featherweight scene.

Cowdell bounced back from his World Title loss and began blasting his way through the domestic scene once more and won the European Featherweight Belt in a one sided victory ending in a 12th round knockout. He defended his European Belt multiple times earning him another shot for the WBC World Title.

He would fight Azumah Nelson, many thought that as long as Cowdell could stay away from Nelson's power he would be able to use his superior boxing ability and beat Nelson. Sadly Cowdell had to feel the power very early and was knocked out in the first round by a punch that would have taken out most Featherweights.

Pat's career fizzled out somewhat after this however he would move up to Super Featherweight and win a British title and defend it several times before being taking out by the unbeaten Floyd Harvard in the eighth.

In my opinion Pat has a real shout at being one of the best British fighters that eluded a World title. As his style was not massively exciting he didn't set the world alight and possibly cost him other shots at world titles by not bringing in enough of a draw, however I do feel that it was mainly down to timing and facing teak tough opposition that he never won a world title.

Sorry for how long this is, I wittered on slightly and sorry if this has been done before, however I saw him on KOTV Boxing weekly and had completely forgotten about him as these type of nearly men often are and inspired me to write this about him.

AlexHuckerby

Jim Driscoll for me personally, by quite a distance as well

To add, he took the great Abe Attell the whole hog to a no decision having given the great Abe a bit of a pasting according to reports.

Excellent article Alex and Cowdell is certainly unfortunate to run into two all time greats in Sanchez and Nelson and have to feel that had he fought in another era he would have got his hands on a title and as you rightly say being able to push Sanchez as close as he did speaks well of his abilities.

As for him being the best Brit to never win a world title, would personally still have to give that accolade to Jim Driscoll but Cowdell is certainly worthy of consideration and a nice mention and thread for a guy who like Charnley before him sometimes gets overlooked through his lack of world title.

Yeah I never said he was THE man, but worthy of a shout, I too feel that another era and he would have been able to lift a world title, and most certainly with todays alphabet titles.

Do you 'lift' titles?

Union Cane wrote:Do you 'lift' titles?

xD Mr. Pedantic...

Union Cane wrote:Do you 'lift' titles?

On the grounds you lift shirts Union see no reason Alex can't lift titles.

I'll lift your leg if you're not careful Jefferey.

Would appreciate it mate, can barely do it myself, think my hip is going.

In the top ten, quite possibly, Alex. You have Driscoll (Moran lifted a version of the bantamweight crown, so he can't count), McAvoy, Charnley and Herol Graham probably set in stone as the top four in this category, and after that, Pat is certainly one of the stronger candidates, alongside blokes like Colin Jones and Sibson.

The Sanchez fight was one of the more heroic failures I've ever seen at world title level, with Sanchez, as always, waxing stronger the longer the fight continued and Pat barely hanging on in the 15th. Yes, he was a decent fighter and an excellent technician; I expected Nelson to be too good for him as well, but was shocked by the way it finished. Not many did that to Cowdell in those days.

Howard Eastman always figures quite highly in my list of brits who didn't win a world title among the names you've mentioned already, on talent alone someone like Laing deserves a mention as does Don Cockell.

Not big in the know about the old timers but doesn't Jim Driscoll usually get the accolade of best Brit never to be crowned world champion? Also, a road accident took some of his prime away too ....I think without checking it out.

Herol Graham surely has to be the unluckiest in modern times. Remember very well him giving McCallum all sorts of bother only to lose by SD. Would easily have been a champion today with the WBO a prominent title now.

Ghosty am always loath to include Eastman because whilst he obviously had the talent to win a title he can only really have himself to blame for his failure to do so, particularly in the Joppy fight where he basically gave it away. Remember watching it was one of the more frustrating experiences I can recall, did sod all and then in the 12th decided to throw some leather and put Joppy over, had he showed anything like that urgency from the start would have won at a canter in my opinion.

Including Martinez I don't see anyone in the middleweight division who would trouble Graham all that much, he'd just be too good for them all.

Agree on Eastman Rowley, never has a fighter infuriated me so much, with the talent he possessed he should not have been losing to Joppy which with Hopkins around was always going to be his only chance at a title.

Eastman had sickening power, when he chose to use it.

Some very good and worthy fighters mentioned already and, while my vote would go to Driscoll, I believe that Alan Rudkin deserves to be mentioned among the chasing pack. Very good bantamweight, was Rudkin, who three times went into the other fella's backyard in pursuit of a world title and, in so doing, gave the great Fighting Harada a very good argument and took Lionel Rose to a split decision. The lethal Olivares made short work of him, but he was in good company there, Olivares being one of the most devastating punchers in bantamweight history.

coxy0001 wrote:To add, he took the great Abe Attell the whole hog to a no decision having given the great Abe a bit of a pasting according to reports.

Is it true that Attell wouldn't take the fight unless it was a no decision/ I read it on the internet.


And that many rinsigside reports had Driscoll winning virtually every round?

Don't laugh but I'm gonna throw in Nicky Piper.

Piper fought for a title three times - was running Benn close before the KO and was narrowly leading before a late KO against Leonzer Barber, close fights but got a hammering against Michalczewski when he was passed his best.

Piper was as good if not better than the Alex Arthur's, Nicky Cooks, Jason Matthews of this world

Herman Frotchlinger wrote:

coxy0001 wrote:To add, he took the great Abe Attell the whole hog to a no decision having given the great Abe a bit of a pasting according to reports.

Is it true that Attell wouldn't take the fight unless it was a no decision/ I read it on the internet.


And that many rinsigside reports had Driscoll winning virtually every round?

Not sure as to the terms of the fight, Herman, but the second point is bang on. Driscoll absolutely dominated.

Not sure if it was Attells decision to make it a no decision fight but rather legally it couldn't be anything else.

Don't laugh but I'm gonna throw in Nicky Piper.

Take it back, take it all back. How dare Piper be mentioned on a thread that involved the words "Best" "British".........

You're gonna say Anthony Small next, aren't you?

The Floyd Havard fight was one of the first I ever saw.I was rooting for the Welshman but having spoken to friends a tiny bit older than myself, I have been told of the legend of Pat Cowdell....
On the old 606 there was one visitor who made the claim for greatness for Pat, and then promptly vanished.It's true we have talked intermittently of Herol Graham,Laing and Eastman in "best never to..." threads.I stand by Driscoll too, a great story there for anyone who wants to know what being a true "Gentleman" means...!
Anyway, it was a shame cowdell fought such supernatural opposition in Nelson.The little guy scared the bejayzuz out of McGuigan and had an incredible and long career.
As for who would get a belt in the WBO era of today...well seeing as it is now often merely a springboard for promising guys like Cleverley, although their bank balances have no doubt suffered for being born in the wrong time, I would hate to think of Cowdell having a career like Johnny Nelson.
And no need to apologise for "going on"-seems that this is often to be found in the best articles these days !?!

Imperial Ghosty wrote:Not sure if it was Attells decision to make it a no decision fight but rather legally it couldn't be anything else.

What is argued is if Attell double crossed Driscoll, making a verbal agreement(as Driscoll repeatedly stated) that the title would change hands if the newspaper decision went against him...which it certainly did. Given Driscoll's exemplary reputation as a person and sportsman, and Attell's equally fallacious past and future, it can easily be argued that the title should have changed hands.


Nat Fleischer was thoroughly impressed with Driscoll, noting his fight with Attell as, 'One of the best exhibitions of ring science ever seen in New York. He is a revelation." He called Driscoll the second greatest featherweight he ever saw.

Herman, you might have already seen it, but there's a clip of Driscoll against Frank Robson on our youtube channel. Surprisingly good quality, too.

Driscoll looked superb, and he certainly wouldn't be out of place in a modern ring if this is anything to go by.

From what I understand Attell agreed to put his title on the line at a different location if Driscoll won which was ultimately rejected by Jim as he had priot commitments back in Wales. Not sure the title could change hands on a verbal agreement either, it was the commissions who decided those things not the fighters themselves.

Thanks Windy, here's another link too, though you've no doubt already seen it:-


http://cyberboxingzone.com/cbzforum/archive/index.php?t-5287.html

You're welcome, Herman, and thank you for the link.

I'm a big fan of the CBZ site, but I hadn't come across this little gem. Fascinating stuff about a fighter who has intrigued me since childhood.

Thanks, again.

interesting stuff on driscoll.

As for Cowdell, he was very unlucky to have his world title shots against two of the best feathers ever (imo)... his performances against both couldn't be more polar. Certainly his effort away from home against sanchez is one of the great losing performances by any brit in the ring.

Where's truss when you need him.... for a top 10 losing performances thread

I miss Truss... Never thought I'd say that...