Ron Redrup

A member of the West Ham Amateur Boxing Club, Ron Redrup was an ABA schoolboy champion in 1950, junior champion in 1952, and in 1956 he won the senior middleweight title by beating the two-times light-middleweight champion Bernard Foster, having beaten Chic Calderwood in the semi-final. As a junior. Redrup lost just eight of 78 bouts.

Redrup made his England international début against Scotland in 1954 , the same year that he started his two years National Service in the Army with the military police. He regularly boxed for the Army in representative matches, and won the 1954 Southern Command middleweight title, but lost in the final of that year’s Army Championship.

Redrup went to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, but lost on a decision in his opening bout to the German Dieter Wemhöner. Redrup turned professional early in 1957 and in an 11-year career had 53 bouts, of which he won 23 with eight drawn. His only championship fight was in 1963 when he fought Chic Calderwood for the British and Empire (Commonwealth) light-heavyweight title but despite battling bravely, Redrup was forced to retire in the 11th round.

In 1980 Redrup appeared as himself in the short film entitled “Box On” which told about unlicensed boxers who fought in “underground” tournaments.