Peter Waterman

Peter Waterman, the brother of British actor Dennis Waterman, started boxing at the age of 11 and, in a remarkable amateur career, won 121 of 130 bouts. In 1952 he won both the South-West London, and London Championships at light-welterweight before going on to beat Colin Harrison for the ABA title. Waterman then made his international début for England against Wales before going to the Helsinki Olympics. He was just 17-years-old at the time and reached the second round before losing to the South African Alexander Webster.

Regarded as one of the brightest British prospects in the 1950s, Waterman turned professional after the Olympics, and between 1952-58 won 42 of 47 bouts with just three defeats. He enjoyed a memorable, if not extremely controversial, win over the experienced Cuban Kid Gavilan in 1956. Gavilan avenged that defeat, however, with a points-win over ten rounds at Earls Court a couple of months later. It was Waterman’s first defeat in 35 professional fights. He bounced back in his very next fight, however, to beat Wally Thom and take the British Welterweight title at the age of 21. He retained the title with a win over Frank Johnson later in 1956.

Waterman had a crack at the European welterweight title in 1957 but fought out a draw with the defending champion Emilio Marconi of Italy. In the return bout, however, Waterman won the title when the referee stopped the fight in the 14th round with the Italian suffering a badly cut eye when well ahead on points. Less than three months later Waterman fought the British lightweight champion Dave Charnley in a non-title fight, but was prevented from taking any further punishment in the fifth round by the referee, and Waterman had to be helped back to his dressing room. A few days later he announced his retirement from boxing, and he subsequently underwent surgery to damage on his brain. His career was cut short at the age of 23.

Peter Waterman died suddenly at the age of 51 in 1986.