Tony Wynne’s immense Welsh legacy

By Matt Bozeat

THE time has come to pay homage to Tony Wynne, the godfather of Welsh amateur boxing for eight decades, who has finally decided to limit his commitments.

Slight of stature, Tony has been an absolute titan within the WABA, delivering stellar service as a national champion, seasoned international, club coach, hugely respected IABA level referee and judge, OIC, administrator and national selector. All in a voluntary capacity.

Following recent health scares, the Rhondda man has finally resigned his posts as Divisional Chairman, Tournament Supervisor and R&J Commissioner.

This staunchest of patriots revealed he has been guarding a secret for decades.

“I was actually born in Ruislip Manor, England, because my father worked there as a chef [laughs]. We moved to Ton Pentre when I was about 18 months old,” said the father to five, grandad to nine when I visited his home in Aberdare.

Born before the Second World War, the octogenarian first embraced boxing in the early 1950s as a matter of self-preservation.

“Myself and my older brother John were small for our age and there were a lot of bullies about. After a few black eyes and bloody noses, my father, who’d boxed in the RAF, gave us lessons in his fish and chip shop after it closed on Thursday evenings.

“I loved it, immediately. The Valleys had so many top pros that we’d go to see. Our hero was Dai Dower, a brilliant flyweight from Abercynon who fought at world level yet never had a scratch on him.”

Once pops had exhausted his knowledge, the brothers Wynne engaged in formal competition within the fight-mad Rhondda Valley. 

‘I was a 15-year-old southpaw scrapper, always in good shape. Our John, a bantam, was a beautiful boxer. We’d knock s*** out of each other sparring. John later turned pro with Eddie Thomas.”

Progress proved rapid and within a year, Wynne booked a berth at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

“I won the Welsh Cadets but got beat in the British final,” recalls Tony who triumphed in over 90 of his 110 bouts.

“At senior level, I reached three consecutive Welsh ABA featherweight finals, winning in 1967. Tommy Dwyer from Cardiff was too good for me in 1966 but I deserved the decision over Eddie Pritchard in 1968. It was on the telly for all to see.”

“My highlight was informing my father I’d finally been selected to box for Wales against Western Counties because I was never a favourite. I’d already beaten several boys in the squad. All told, I boxed for Wales 17 times, with 13 wins.”

Tenacious Tony’s finest feat with the gloves came in 1968 when he blitzed future WBA bantamweight boss Arnold Taylor inside three rounds.  

“It was at the NUM club in Tonypandy, my home turf. I was 110% fit and fired. Arnold hadn’t lost on their European tour but I punched holy lumps out of him. I certainly didn’t detect he’d become a future world champion.

“Thereafter, Eddie Thomas was keen for my [professional] signature. My brother John – who was better than me – he couldn’t make it as a pro so I focused on my motor trade business.

“I did get to spar [world featherweight champ] Howard Winstone and Lenny ‘The Lion’ Williams. Howard boxed my bloody head off. From Lenny, I learnt all the dirty tricks. He was a spiteful bastard.

“By my early 30s, Billy Waith, 15 years my junior, left me bleeding like a pig. I knew it was time. Broke my heart.”

Little did Tony anticipate that he would continue between the ropes for a further 54 years.

“Refereeing allowed me to stay involved without taking any punches,” he quipped.

“Good movement is the key to picking up on infringements. It really helps if a referee boxed themselves. Early on, I did a young Colin Jones and you had to stay very close to the action because, once Colin landed clean, the opposition were ‘gone’, and you’d need to dive in.”

Over time, he got to enforce the law over every Welsh world champion of recent vintage.

“Joe Calzaghe was the best – so fast and clever at avoiding punches. I had the privilege of refereeing both Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, the brilliant young Barry McGuigan in Ireland, twice, and a precocious little showman at the British schoolboy finals in Derby……Naseem Hamed!”

Despite officiating at seven qualifiers, a full Olympiad proved a bridge too far. However, Tony served as an R&J at both the Edinburgh (1986) and Auckland (1990) Commonwealth Games,

“New Zealand was my favourite trip. I refereed the light-flyweight final featuring [Uganda’s] Justin Juuko who later fought for a world title. It was on tel;y so when I got home I was a star!

“When judging, I look for punches landed with the knuckle part of the glove with force. That’s not what every judge looks for, mind.”

Spanning six decades, the fearless and outspoken Wynne has held a number of exalted admin posts in which he has proved as hard a hitter as during his fighting prime.

“I’ve been Wales Team Manager at both the World Championships [Kazakhstan, 2013] and Commonwealth Games [Glasgow, 2014] plus part of the Performance Committee. I didn’t really enjoy that because there was a lot of favouritism,” claims Tony.

“While us officials were looked after too well [!] in hotels, our boxers would be shoved in an ‘army camp’. It’s not on.”

He also expressed concern at the calibre of coaches entering the sport of late.

“I became Welsh OIC over 30 years ago and initially enjoyed it but now there’s too many argumentative bastards who don’t understand that we have to apply the rules made by others,” he explains.

“It’s disturbing that, currently, coaches are accredited after simply attending a course but without sitting a test afterwards. If coaches can’t understand why I stopped their boxer, they really shouldn’t be working the corner.

“Amateur boxing was a better sport when I was competing, Today, there’s a real lack of discipline at ringside. Crowds shout nasty things during schoolboy exhibition contests. Kids get disqualified for constant infringements but, instead of coaches telling them it serves them right, they pat them on the back and whinge at the officials.

“My biggest bugbear is cornermen hollering ‘instructions’ when the bout is in progress, making noise to get themselves seen. It’s not allowed but many take no notice. I’m hated for being too strict, because I’m one of the few enforcing the rules, handing out cautions.”

At the ripe old age of 85, Tony shows no sign of relenting.

“Recently, I’ve suffered a couple of heart attacks. On the trolley going into theatre. The medic quipped: ‘You know you’re finally going to get knocked out, Tony’. He knew it hadn’t happened before.

“I’m President of Rhondda ABC and still work out at a gym twice a week at a gym; 12 minutes on the bike, three minutes on the bag, 10 minutes rowing, three minutes on the bag, 12 minutes on the treadmill, three minutes on the bag, then some light weights and six lengths in the pool!

“Going forward, I’ll just cover tournaments as a referee and judge. I’m recovering from bladder cancer and I injured my back following a fall. But I have physio once a week and can’t wait for the new season. I’m determined to continue as long as I can because I really enjoy it.

Welsh Boxing, of which Tony is a Life Member, are planning a function to recognise his ‘remarkable contribution and unquestionable dedication’. It is extremely well-merited.