15th April 1947: The Baksi Fight
The Fight
The estimate for the gate takings for the fight was £50,000. However, both boxers were fighting for a bigger reward than the £12,000 each they were expected to receive as the winner was to be offered the chance of a £37,000 bid for Joe Louis's world title.
Around the ringside, the great and the good took their seats, including Emanuel ‘Manny’ Shinwell (Minister of Fuel and Power in the Labour Government) and film star Stewart Granger .
The fight got underway some 25 minutes late at 9.40 p.m. A life-size cardboard replica of Joe Louis was unveiled in a corner of the arena, just in case anyone wasn’t aware of what was at stake. Baksi arrived at the ring behind a Stars and Stripes flag-bearer dressed as Uncle Sam with a fanfare of trumpets playing popular American tunes. Bruce came with a John Bull flag-bearer and the crowd burst into “Ilkley Moor bah t’at”.
As the boxers settled in their respect corners and prepared for the contest, the huge difference in physique between the two me became glaringly obvious.
Gloves on, referees instructions, a tap of gloves and the fight began.
Fight Footage
The film footage from the fight and the pre-fight build up can be seen in the video below, with a commentary provided afterwards by News of the World Sports commentator, George Harrison.
Round By Round
As was so often the case, the reports of the fight by different newspapers were virtually verbatim with a few flourishes to distinguish them. The following sections are a composite account using the 16th April 1947 editions of Western Morning News, Belfast Newsletter and Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer :
Round One
Baksi forced the issue at the start, and at close quarters landed two good rights to Woodcock’s body. The British champion remained calm however, and jabbed with his left, crossing with his right to steady the big American. Woodcock scored with two lightning lefts, and then staggered back from a left hook to the jaw. Whether it was this punch, within the first minute of the fight, or a later one is uncertain. What is certain, however is that Bruce’s jaw was broken in this first round, and that he boxed on with neither himself or his team aware of the extent of the problem.
Baksi kept boring in, and again landed devastating punches to the body. Woodcock was retreating, staggering now, and a left hook to the chin brought him to his knees for nine. Baksi followed up, and Woodcock was again in trouble from two left hooks and a right cross, which put him down again for eight.
It appeared to be all over as Woodcock reeled backwards across the ring endeavouring to last out the round. He was put down with another right upper-cut to the body and the bell went as he was taking the count. Manager Tom Hurst, jacket off and in braces and shirt sleeves, and his assistant seconds virtually dragged Woodcock to his corner, where he almost fell off his stool. No wonder, with an undiagnosed broken jaw! It was an injury Baksi capitalised on unknowingly.
Round Two
Bruce was dazed when the second round started and was soon rocking again as Baksi landed left-hook after left-hook to his jaw.
As spectators across the hall shouted to the referee to stop the fight, Woodcock was sent down again for a count of nine from a right to the jaw. He got up again - gamely, though dazed - but only to take further horrific punishment.
Woodcock stabbed out with his left and swung two good rights, but it now appeared only a matter of time before the American would put him away for the full count. However, Woodcock staged a grand recovery and had Baksi rocking from some solid right hand punches which the American did not relish.
How Bruce lasted the round was a miracle, but it could be seen that Baksi had felt the weight of those two right-hand punches and blood was streaming from over his left eye as he went to his corner. The referee, Moss Deyong, went to Bruce’s corner at this point and asked if he wanted to continue. Bruce doggedly refused to retire.
Round Three
Woodcock tried to box Baksi off in the third round and the American took another right to the jaw which slowed him up. Woodcock swung a vicious right which missed and fell full length on the canvas. Baksi sportingly stood back while he got up.
The American was using his left just as effectively as Bruce was, and he certainly appeared to be the stronger of the two men. Woodcock’s left eye was severely cut and his face was a mass of blood. He kept backing away, and although he must have been well behind, he was giving a gallant display that continued to raise the hopes of his supporters as the bell rang to end the third round.
Round Four
Between the rounds it could be seen that there was a cut under Woodcock’s right eye.
Baksi was treating his opponent with greater respect, and a right to the body made Baksi gasp, followed by another to the jaw, which staggered him. Baksi came back fighting, however, and although perceptibly slower, he still appeared stronger. Woodcock scored with a right and three lefts to the face, but he, rather than Baksi, looked the worse for wear at the end of round four.
Round Five
Woodcock’s eyes were mere slits as the fifth round opened, but he was still game and seemed to be moving a little faster than at any stage since the first round. However, the blood from his cut eyes was streaming over his chest and shoulders.
Bruce brought the crowd to its feet with a succession of lefts and a right cross sent Baksi backwards across the ring.
The American, whenever he got to close quarters, punched with speed and accuracy, and Woodcock, grimacing with pain every time his badly battered face met Baksi’s glove, did not appear fit to continue much longer. At the end of the round, the referee examined Woodcock’s eyes but Bruce made clear his determination to continue, and there were cheers from the crowd.
Round Six
There was a thrill in the sixth round when a left from Bruce put Baksi down, but he was not hurt, being off his balance when the blow landed. He got up immediately and bored in again. He seemed as strong as ever, but Woodcock matched Baksi’s strength with his own “great pluck”.
Round Seven
Woodcock slung two rights at Baksi’s head at the opening of the seventh round, but the American took them without any signs of distress, and then threw a punch that caused the blood to flow once more from Woodcock’s face.
The referee, Mr Moss Deyong, then stepped between the men and called a halt.
The End
At the end of the fight, and for a long time afterwards, many commentators and spectators asked why the referee had not stopped the bout much earlier than he did. They called into question the referee’s judgement as well as that of the British Boxing Board officials at the ringside, and equally, Bruce’s own management team.
The Weekly Sporting Review described the fight as “seven of the most wicked and vicious rounds ever endured by any fighter, any time, anywhere.” (this quote resurfaced in Bob Lee’s obituary piece about Bruce in The Independent on the 1st of December 1997).
The Fallout
Bruce never recovered properly from the damage this fight inflicted, and said as much long afterwards in conversation with his son - he said that it was “like the aftermath of a bad car accident”, and that he had “left 25% of myself on the floor of the ring” in the stadium.
Afterwards, he felt he was only ever 90% at best and had “lost that edge”. Bruce’s wife Nora agreed - many years afterwards, in fact after Bruce’s death in 1997, she wrote in angry capital letters on the last page of the family scrapbook :
“BAKSI WAS 6’ 9"
AFTER BAXI, FINISHED”
before adding ...
“I COULD HAVE MANAGED BRUCE BETTER MY SELF.”
The injuries to Bruce’s eyes stayed with him for the rest of his life.
His next fight wouldn’t be for eighteen months, during which time he would face as big a battle as that against Baksi, but this time, against himself.
