On 5 October 1982, Belfast’s Hugh Russell and Davy Larmour clashed at the Ulster Hall for the Irish bantamweight title. The fight, which was also a final eliminator for the British title, was a truly bloody affair that went the full fifteen rounds. Russell was awarded the narrowest of decisions by referee Mike Jacobs in a ring that resembled a butchers apron. On returning to London, Jacobs left his white shirt in to be dry-cleaned. However, when he returned to collect it he was handed an official letter from the girl in the shop asking him to report to the local police station. Once there, Jacobs was taken into a room and asked by CID how his shirt had come to be covered in so much blood? A simple explanation that he had refereed a boxing match in Belfast duly resolved the matter with the police. It seemed that the owner of the dry-cleaners had become suspicious when he was handed in the shirt and phoned police as he was convinced that Jacobs had been involved in a bloody murder.
(Eamonn Magill)
