Peter Kane (28 February 1918 – 23 July 1991) was an English flyweight boxer and a world champion in the 1930s. Kane was born in Heywood, Lancashire, on 28 February 1918, but grew up in the town of Golborne, Lancashire, after his family moved there before his first birthday. In Golborne Peter Kane Square is named in his honour.Photograph, Geograph.org. In his day, he was known as the Golborne Blacksmith.

Boxing style He was a two-fisted fighter, renowned for his punching power. Fifty-three of his eighty-eight wins were by knockout.

Professional career He made his professional debut in December 1934, at the age of sixteen. He fought and beat Joe Jacobs in Liverpool, where he was to have many of his fights. The fight was stopped in the fifth.

He went on to record a string of forty-one consecutive wins, before challenging Benny Lynch for the World flyweight title, at the age of nineteen. The fight, in October 1937, was staged at Shawfield Park, Glasgow in front of a crowd of over 40,000. Lynch retained his title by knocking Kane out in the thirteenth round.

Kane had a re-match with Lynch in March 1938, and fought a draw over fifteen rounds in Liverpool. Lynch could not make the flyweight limit and had to pay a forfeit. In his next fight, against the American Jackie Jurich, Lynch was again overweight despite winning the fight and forfeited his World flyweight title. The British Boxing Board of Control declared the title vacant.

World title Jurich and Kane were regarded as the chief contenders for the vacant world flyweight title, and a fight was arranged between them in September 1938, in Liverpool. Kane won on points after putting Jurich down five times during the fight.

He was now world flyweight champion, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to get down to the flyweight limit. In 1939, Kane announced that he was going to fight as a bantamweight in future, and at the end of that year, the National Boxing Association of America stripped him of his title. He continued to be recognised as world flyweight champion by the International Boxing Union, in Europe.

Kane continued to fight recording a string of victories with only the occasional defeat, but most of his fights were at bantamweight. Although he was the world flyweight champion, the British and Commonwealth titles were held by the Scotsman Jackie Paterson. In June 1943, a fight was arranged at Hampden Park, Glasgow, with all three titles at stake. Kane managed to make the flyweight limit for the fight but was knocked out in the first round. The fight lasted 61 seconds.

Subsequent career Kane continued to fight but concentrated on the bantamweight division from now on, again winning most of his fights. In September 1947, he fought the Frenchman Theo Medina for the European bantamweight title, at Belle Vue, Manchester. Kane won on points to become European bantamweight champion.

In December 1947, he defended the title against the Belgian Joe Cornelis, again at Belle Vue, and again won on points. In February 1948, he defended his European title against the Italian Guido Ferracin, again at Belle Vue, and this time lost on points. He had a re-match with Ferracin in July 1948, at Belle Vue again. This time Kane was forced to retire in round five. He had only three more fights, losing on points to Stan Rowan in November 1948 and to Arthur Garrett in January 1950, and knocking out Johnny Conn, who was making his debut, in April 1951.

Retirement He worked throughout his career as a blacksmith in the village of Lowton, which neighbours Golborne. Throughout his adult life and boxing career, he lived on Lowton Road, Golborne, the main road between Lowton and Golborne, (except when he lived at 211 Liverpool Road, Pewfall). He died on 23 July 1991, aged 73.

Professional boxing record

ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound(s)DateLocationNotes100Win Johnny ConnKO3 (10)Apr 23, 1951 99Loss88–8–2 Stan RowanPTS12Nov 19, 1948 98Loss88–7–2 Guido FerracinRTD5 (15)Jul 16, 1948 97Draw88–6–2 Amleto FalcinelliPTS10May 26, 1948 96Win88–6–1 Bunty DoranTKO8 (10)Apr 16, 1948 95Loss87–6–1 Guido FerracinPTS15Feb 20, 1948 94Win87–5–1 Sammy ReynoldsPTS10Jan 26, 1948 93Win86–5–1 Joseph CornelisPTS15Dec 15, 1947 92Win85–5–1 Theo MedinaPTS15Sep 19, 1947 91Win84–5–1 Dado MarinoPTS10Aug 8, 1947 90Win83–5–1 Albert BraedtKO3 (10)Jun 27, 1947 89Win82–5–1 Theo MedinaTKO6 (10)Jun 9, 1947 88Win81–5–1 Len CoffinTKO7 (8)May 19, 1947 87Win80–5–1 Joseph CornelisPTS10Apr 28, 1947 86Win79–5–1 Bunty DoranPTS8Feb 10, 1947 85Win78–5–1 Tommy MadineKO4 (10)Jan 6, 1947 84Win77–5–1 Jean JouasPTS10Nov 18, 1946 83Win76–5–1 Norman LewisKO5 (8)Oct 28, 1946 82Win75–5–1 Ron BissellTKO2 (8)Sep 4, 1946 81Win74–5–1 Jackie HughesDQ5 (8)Aug 13, 1946 80Win73–5–1 Jim BradyPTS10Nov 3, 1943 79Win72–5–1 Sammy ReynoldsPTS10Oct 13, 1943 78Win71–5–1 Johnny SummersKO1 (10)Oct 11, 1943 77Loss70–5–1 Jackie PatersonKO1 (15)Jun 19, 1943 76Win70–4–1 Gus ForanPTS10Mar 26, 1943 7569–4–1 Willie GreyNC5 (10)Feb 23, 1943 74Win69–4–1 Willie GreyPTS10Jan 14, 1943 73Win68–4–1 Paddy RyanTKO6 (12)Oct 29, 1942 72Win67–4–1 Frankie Kid BonsorTKO3 (10)Oct 1, 1942 71Win66–4–1 Hugh CameronPTS10Sep 10, 1942 70Win65–4–1 Joe CurranKO11 (15)Aug 3, 1942 69Win64–4–1 Sammy ReynoldsPTS8Jul 11, 1942 68Win63–4–1 Norman LewisPTS10Jul 8, 1942 67Win62–4–1 Sammy ReynoldsPTS10May 31, 1942 66Win61–4–1 Joe CurranPTS10Apr 26, 1942 65Win60–4–1 Eddie PetrinKO7 (10)Apr 18, 1942 64Win59–4–1 Willie GreyTKO6 (10)Mar 30, 1942 63Win58–4–1 Jimmy StubbsPTS10Dec 14, 1941 62Win57–4–1 Tommy McGlincheyKO2 (10)Nov 16, 1941 61Win56–4–1 Jimmy StubbsTKO7 (10)Jun 29, 1941 60Loss55–4–1 Jimmy LydonPTS10Mar 3, 1941 59Win55–3–1 Teddy O'NeillPTS6Feb 20, 1941 58Loss54–3–1 Teddy O'NeillKO2 (10)Oct 3, 1940 57Win54–2–1 Battling Jim HayesPTS10Apr 4, 1940 56Loss53–2–1 Jackie RankinTKO6 (10)Feb 12, 1940 55Win53–1–1 Pierre LouisKO3 (10)Aug 5, 1939 54Win52–1–1 Joseph El HoussinePTS10May 22, 1939 53Win51–1–1 Albert LegrandKO8 (10)Apr 27, 1939 52Win50–1–1 Baltasar SangchiliPTS10Apr 3, 1939 51Win49–1–1 Gino CattaneoPTS10Feb 23, 1939 50Win48–1–1 Raoul DegrysePTS10Jan 31, 1939 49Win47–1–1 Jackie JurichPTS15Sep 22, 1938 48Win46–1–1 Bernard LerouxPTS12Jun 2, 1938 47Win45–1–1 Georges BatailleKO2 (12)May 3, 1938 46Draw44–1–1 Benny LynchPTS12Mar 24, 1938 45Win44–1 Georges BataillePTS10Feb 24, 1938 44Win43–1 Hubert OffermannsKO10 (12)Feb 3, 1938 43Loss42–1 Benny LynchKO13 (15)Oct 13, 1937 42Win42–0 Jimmy WarnockTKO4 (15)Aug 26, 1937 41Win41–0 Nicolas Petit BiquetRTD9 (15)Jun 28, 1937 40Win40–0 Maurice HugueninKO1 (12)Jun 17, 1937 39Win39–0 Ernst WeissPTS12May 27, 1937 38Win38–0 Phil MilliganKO11 (15)Apr 29, 1937 37Win37–0 Joseph DecicoKO1 (10)Apr 3, 1937 36Win36–0 Fortunato OrtegaPTS12Mar 18, 1937 35Win35–0 Pierre LouisKO7 (10)Mar 1, 1937 34Win34–0 Paul SchaeferKO1 (12)Feb 18, 1937 33Win33–0 Valentin AngelmannPTS12Jan 18, 1937 32Win32–0 Albert HoppKO2 (9)Dec 17, 1936 31Win31–0 Gaston Van den BosTKO6 (12)Dec 14, 1936 30Win30–0 Eugène HuatTKO7 (12)Nov 23, 1936 29Win29–0 Valentin AngelmannPTS12Nov 12, 1936 28Win28–0 Pat WarburtonKO1 (10)Nov 2, 1936 27Win27–0 Pedro RuizKO7 (10)Oct 22, 1936 26Win26–0 Willie McCamleyPTS10Sep 16, 1936 25Win25–0 Ernst WeissPTS12Sep 3, 1936 24Win24–0 Tommy StewartTKO10 (10)Aug 27, 1936 23Win23–0 Enrico UrbinatiKO8 (10)Aug 13, 1936 22Win22–0 Jim MahargRTD3 (10)Jun 30, 1936 21Win21–0 Cyclone KellyKO4 (10)Jun 21, 1936 20Win20–0 Herbie HillKO2 (10)Jun 11, 1936 19Win19–0 Jim LairdRTD3 (10)May 21, 1936 18Win18–0 Praxille GydéKO3 (10)May 6, 1936 17Win17–0 Willie SmithKO4 (8)Apr 24, 1936 16Win16–0 Tiny BostockPTS10Feb 14, 1936 15Win15–0 Joe CurranPTS10Jan 24, 1936 14Win14–0 Young AshTKO8 (10)Dec 20, 1935 13Win13–0 Clarrie GillRTD4 (8)Dec 5, 1935 12Win12–0 Jackie ForshawKO1 (8)Nov 7, 1935 11Win11–0 Billy CharnockKO2 (8)Oct 10, 1935 10Win10–0 Charlie ReedKO3 (8)Sep 12, 1935 9Win9–0 Jackie SheaKO2 (8)Jul 25, 1935 8Win8–0 Frankie Kid BonsorKO4 (8)Jul 11, 1935 7Win7–0 Billy CharnockKO2 (8)Jun 27, 1935 6Win6–0 Jackie BurnsKO1 (8)May 30, 1935 5Win5–0 Bobby DoyleKO6 (8)May 2, 1935 4Win4–0 Nipper CarrollKO3 (6)Mar 28, 1935 3Win3–0 Charlie PowellKO2 (6)Mar 14, 1935 2Win2–0 Kid PattersonKO3 (6)Feb 14, 1935 1Win1–0 Joe JacobsTKO5 (6)Dec 13, 1934

See also List of flyweight boxing champions

References

External links Maurice Golesworthy, Encyclopaedia of Boxing (Eighth Edition) (1988), Robert Hale Limited, Peter Kane article.

Peter Kane - CBZ Profile