1. Benny Lynch is considered by some to be one of the finest boxers below the lightweight division in his era and has been described as the greatest fighter Scotland ever produced.
16 Facts About Benny Lynch
1. 2.
Benny Lynch was elected to the Ring Magazine hall of fame in 1986 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1998.
3.
Benny Lynch was born in a tenement flat at 17 Florence Street, in the Gorbals area of Glasgow, and learned his fighting skills in the carnival booths that were popular in the west of Scotland during the Great Depression.
4.
Benny Lynch made his professional debut in April 1931 with a second round stoppage of Young Bryce.
5.
Benny Lynch beat Bert Kirby on points in October 1933, and in January 1934 beat Jim Brady in an eliminator for the Scottish Area flyweight title, beating Jim Campbell in May to take the title.
6.
Benny Lynch successfully defended the title against Campbell a month later.
7.
Benny Lynch rounded off the year with further wins over opponents including Maurice Huguenin, Jim Brady, Valentin Angelmann, and Pedro Ruiz.
8.
Benny Lynch won the British, European and world flyweight titles from Jackie Brown in an historic bout held in Manchester on 9 September 1935, the two having fought a draw six months earlier.
9.
Benny Lynch, recognised as champion in Britain, settled the matter when he out-pointed NBA and NYSAC flyweight champion Filipino Small Montana in London in January 1937 to establish himself as the undisputed world flyweight boxing champion.
10.
Benny Lynch was arrested later that month and charged with driving offences after crashing his car while drunk and hitting a telegraph pole and a pram containing a 12-week-old baby, and failing to stop after the accident.
11.
Benny Lynch's trial was delayed until after his world title fight with American Jackie Jurich.
12.
Benny Lynch stopped Jurich in the 12th round, but lost the title.
13.
Benny Lynch would continue to battle with alcoholism for the rest of his life despite several attempts to treat the disease.
14.
Benny Lynch died in 1946 of malnutrition-induced respiratory failure, aged 33.
15.
Benny Lynch was buried at St Kentigern's Cemetery, Glasgow, with some 2,000 people attending the funeral.
16.
Benny Lynch was featured on the cover of Scottish rock band Gun's second album, Gallus, in 1992.