Classic Boxing Society

The first black boxer to contest a British title was Dick Turpin against Vince Hawkins in June 1948. It was felt to be significant enough to warrant coverage on BBC radio. Dick Turpin comprehensively won the fight before a crowd of 40,000 at Villa Park to become the first black boxer of the modern era to hold a British title.

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British Boxing’s Colour Bar lasted between 1911 and 1948.

Charles Donmall, the General Secretary of British Boxing Board of Control was quoted in 1947 - "It is only right that a small country such as ours should have championships restricted to boxers of white parents. Otherwise we might be faced with a situation where all our British titles are held by Coloured Empire (Commonwealth) champions. The Board has done much for the Empire boxers of colour. We have a very high regard for them as men and boxers. They are not penalized by this rule. They have the British Empire (Commonwealth) championship open to them"

However, it was only a year after the above statement that the colour bar in british boxing was repealed.