Ten Prominent Boxers Who Were Gold Medal Winners at the Commonwealth Games

Athletes from 56 member-states are competing in Birmingham, England, this week at the Commonwealth Games. This is the twenty-second edition of the Games, a quadrennial event, similar to the Olympics.

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, hosted the inaugural Games in 1930. Athletes from 11 nations competed in seven sports – boxing, wrestling, lawn tennis (aka lawn bowls), swimming, diving, rowing, and athletics (i.e., track and field) – in what were then called the British Empire Games.

Over the years, more sports have been added, paralleling the growth in the number of participating countries. Cricket, beach volleyball, squash, and weightlifting, to name just a few, are now part of the mix. But boxing has been there from the very beginning.

Over the years, a number of boxers have used the Commonwealth Games as a stepping stone to a solid pro career. Listed below are 10 former gold medalists who achieved prominence at the professional level. They are listed in descending order of notability (one man’s opinion).

LENNOX LEWIS (1986, Canada, super heavyweight)

Born in England of Jamaican ancestry, Lewis represented Canada in the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. A two-time lineal heavyweight champion who avenged both of his defeats and ended his career in an impressive fashion, Lewis (41-2-1, 32 KOs) was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

AZUMAH NELSON (1978, Ghana, featherweight)

A national hero in his homeland, Nelson is arguably the best-ever fighter from the continent of Africa. “The Professor” was 18-2-2 in world title fights that were contested at 127 and 130 pounds including stoppages of future Hall of Famers Wilfredo Gomez and Jeff Fenech.

MIKE McCALLUM (1978, Jamaica, welterweight)

A world champion at 154, 160, and 175 pounds, the “Bodysnatcher” was 49-5-1 overall and 13-4 in world title fights. He knocked out a slew of world class opponents including Julian Jackson and Donald Curry, both of whom would eventually join him in the IBHOF.

JOSH TAYLOR (2004, Scotland, light welterweight)

Perhaps years from now, unifying a title in the four-belt era will be looked upon as no great shakes, but at the moment it puts the Scotsman in a gilded box with such luminaries as Bernard Hopkins, Canelo Alvarez, and Oleksandr Usyk.

BARRY McGUIGAN (1978, Northern Ireland, bantamweight)

Few, if any, boxers developed a more fervent following than McGuigan. It was written that all of Ireland erupted with joy when he wrested the world featherweight title from Eusebio Pedroza who was making his 20^th title defense. The Clones Cyclone finished 32-3 (28).

WAYNE McCULLOUGH (1990, Northern Ireland, flyweight)

The last world title-holder mentored by the great trainer Eddie Futch, the “Pocket Rocket” won the WBC bantamweight title in his 17^th pro bout and made three successful defenses. He went the distance with KO artists Naseem Hamed and Eric Morales and was reportedly never knocked down as an amateur or pro.

AYUB KALULE (1974, Uganda, light welterweight)

Based in Copenhagen as a pro, Kalule (46-4, 23 KOs) won the world super welterweight title in 1979 in Japan and made four successful defenses. Sugar Ray Leonard ended his reign. Mike McCallum and Herol Graham added the final nails to his coffin.

JEAN PASCAL (2002, Canada light middleweight)

At age 39, the Canadian by way of Haiti is aging like fine wine. A two-time world title-holder at 175 pounds, he sprung upsets in each of his last three starts, upending Marcus Browne, Badou Jack, and Fanlong Meng.

HOWARD WINSTONE (1958, Wales, bantamweight)

Winstone never could get over the hump against Vicente Saldivar, against whom he was 0-3 in world title fights, but he persevered and won a world title in his fourth stab at it in what would be his next-to-last fight. A featherweight his entire pro career, he finished with a record of 61-6 (27).

JOHN CONTEH (1970, England, middleweight)

The pride of Liverpool, Conteh (34-4-1, 24 KOs) won the vacant WBC world light heavyweight title in 1974 and made two successful defenses before surrendering the belt on a disputed split decision to Mate Parlov in Yugoslavia. He came up empty in two attempts to regain the title, losing back-to-back fights with Matthew Saad Muhammad in Atlantic City.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE