Les Tarrant

Les Tarrant made his ABA Championship début in 1920 but lost to George McKenzie in the bantamweight division. The following tear, Tarrant created quite a stir by finishing both runner-up to William Cuthbertson in the flyweight division, and beating T. Herbison to capture the bantamweight crown. Tarrant’s reaching of two finals in the one year was to eventually see a change to the ABA rules, which said all bouts had to be held on the same day, thus eliminating the prospect of a boxer competing at two weights.

Tarrant retained his flyweight title in 1922 by beating J. Duley of Gainsford. Tarrant lost to A W Smith of Limehouse in the 1923 bantamweight final before winning his last title (bantamweight) against Archie Rule in 1924.

Selected for the Paris Olympics, Tarrant would lose to the eventual bantamweight silver medallist, Al Tripoli of the United States. Shortly afterwards, Tarrant turned professional and, in a career of little over 18 months, he won three, lost seven and drew one of his 11 bouts.

After retiring from the ring, Tarrant and his wife ran a public house in Coventry, before becoming a Birmingham sports promoter, where he also ran pubs in the city, before returning to Coventry.