65 Facts About Freddie Mills

Frederick Percival Mills was an English boxer, and the world light heavyweight champion from 1948 to 1950.

Freddie Mills excelled first as a middleweight, and most successfully as a light-heavyweight boxer, but fought as a heavyweight.

Freddie Mills was described as Britain's biggest boxing idol in the post-war period and remained a popular media personality after his retirement from the ring.

Once he had retired from boxing, Freddie Mills moved into boxing management and promotion, and pursued a career in entertainment, working in radio, television, and on the stage, as well as playing roles in a number of films between 1952 and 1965.

Freddie Mills opened a Chinese restaurant in Soho before there was an established Chinatown in the area and ran his own London nightclub until his mysterious death.

Freddie Mills was born Frederick Percival Mills in Bournemouth, Hampshire, the youngest of the four children of Thomas James Mills, a totter and marine store dealer, and his wife Lottie Hilda Gray.

Freddie Mills received a pair of boxing gloves when he was eleven, and he used to spar with his brother Charlie.

Freddie Mills attended St Michael's School in Bournemouth until the age of fourteen, and then became an apprentice gardener and later a milkman's assistant.

The milkman in question was Percy Cook, brother of former Welsh lightweight champion Gordon Cook, and Percy helped Freddie Mills develop his boxing skills.

Freddie Mills had three bouts in 1936 in a 11 stone novices' competition, all of which he won by knockout.

Freddie Mills subsequently signed professional terms with manager Bob Turner.

Freddie Mills began fighting in fairground booths and at venues on the south coast.

At the time, Freddie Mills was ranked 9th best middleweight in Britain, and Sadd 2nd.

Freddie Mills fought Jock McAvoy, the British and Commonwealth middleweight champion, the fight made at 12st 9lbs, McAvoy having the previous year unsuccessfully fought Len Harvey for the British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles.

In December 1941, he fought Jack London, a heavyweight who later won the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles, Freddie Mills won on points over ten rounds despite conceding over three stones in weight to London.

Freddie Mills was due to fight McAvoy in January 1942 in a final eliminator for the British and Empire light-heavyweight title, but withdrew from the fight, stating that wanted to concentrate on fighting at heavyweight and challenge for Len Harvey's title.

Freddie Mills beat Tom Reddington at heavyweight later that month, but evidently had a change of heart, and in February 1942 fought McAvoy in a final eliminator for the light-heavyweight titles.

When Harvey got up Freddie Mills hit him with a left uppercut, knocking him through the ropes and off the ring canvas, and in doing so he won via a knockout.

Harvey had been considered world champion by the British Boxing Board of Control, but Freddie Mills decided not to accept the title, instead wishing to fight for American Gus Lesnevich's more recognised world title.

Freddie Mills only fought competitively four times in the next two years, all of them wins inside the distance, although he fought several exhibition fights, including several bouts with McCorkindale.

Freddie Mills showed speed and aggression, but London's superior strength and power were evident in the closing stages and the heavier man was awarded the decision after fifteen rounds.

In March 1945, Freddie Mills was posted to India and Burma as part of a touring party that included Denis Compton, giving lectures and boxing demonstrations and taking part in exhibition bouts.

Freddie Mills returned to the UK and was demobilised in March 1946, and in May 1946 he was given a shot at Lesnevich's world light-heavyweight title.

Freddie Mills was not considered a serious threat to Lesnevich but performed better than many expected in what was described as a "slam-bang, punishing contest".

Freddie Mills was floored heavily in the second round but recovered strongly and was cheered on by the British crowd.

Three weeks after losing his fight against Lesnevich, Freddie Mills fought British heavyweight Bruce Woodcock, losing a twelve-round fight on points after being knocked down in the fourth.

Freddie Mills returned in August 1946 with a first-round knockout of the Swedish heavyweight John Nilsson.

In November 1946, Freddie Mills fought another heavyweight, American Joe Baksi.

Freddie Mills suffered two badly cut eyes and retired after six rounds of what was described as a "disappointingly one-sided contest".

In 1947, Freddie Mills again focused on the light-heavyweight division, and had three wins by knockout in the first half of the year before losing in June by KO to American Lloyd Marshall.

In September 1947, Freddie Mills fought for the vacant European light-heavyweight title against the Belgian, Pol Goffaux, winning after Goffaux retired towards the end of the fourth round.

Freddie Mills ended the year with a points win over French heavyweight Stephane Olek.

Freddie Mills defended the European title in February 1948, against the Spanish champion Paco Bueno, who was subjected to "terrific punishment" before being knocked out in the second round.

On 26 July 1948, Freddie Mills was matched against Lesnevich for his second attempt at the world light heavyweight title.

Freddie Mills was in much better shape for this fight, held at the White City Stadium, London in front of a 46,000 crowd.

Lesnevich launched a "savage attack" in the twelfth and thirteenth rounds, but Freddie Mills responded in the last two sessions and at the end of fifteen rounds, the British boxer was awarded the decision by the referee.

In September 1948, Freddie Mills was challenged to a fight at light-heavyweight by Sugar Ray Robinson, but it was dismissed as "ridiculous" by promoter Jack Solomons.

Freddie Mills beat another heavyweight, Johnny Ralph, in Johannesburg in November 1948 in an eliminator for the Empire heavyweight title.

Freddie Mills broke a metacarpal in his right hand during the fight.

In June 1949, Freddie Mills challenged Bruce Woodcock for his British, Empire, and European heavyweight titles.

Shortly after the Woodcock fight, Freddie Mills expressed a willingness to defend his light-heavyweight title later that year, although he wanted the purse money to be spread over five years, for tax reasons, and to guarantee him an income for several years after retiring from the ring, Freddie Mills clearly not intending to keep fighting for much longer.

In September 1949, a contract was signed for Freddie Mills to defend his world title against American Joey Maxim.

Freddie Mills decided to leave long-time trainer Nat Sellers and train himself for the fight.

Freddie Mills began strongly but Maxim, who "boxed beautifully", began to overhaul him.

Freddie Mills, according to press reports, looked for a knockout win, but in the tenth round he was floored by a left right combination.

Freddie Mills took the count in a sitting position before falling sideways and being counted out.

Freddie Mills was assisted to his corner and was checked by a doctor before leaving the ring.

Freddie Mills had fought the last four rounds with three of his teeth knocked out and one embedded in the gum of his upper jaw.

On 30 September 1948, Freddie Mills married Christine Marie McCorkindale at Herne Hill Methodist Church.

Freddie Mills had a son, Donnie, by former husband Don McCorkindale.

Freddie Mills taught boxing classes at the Streatham Youth Centre in the early 1960s.

Freddie Mills made an appearance on the television show Rooftop Rendezvous in February 1950, earning praise for his comedy skills.

Freddie Mills made appearances on several other television and radio shows, and became a presenter on the BBC pop-music programme Six-Five Special from February 1957 until being dropped from the show in March 1958, although he returned for the final show at the end of the year.

Freddie Mills went on to perform on stage as part of The Dickie Henderson Show later that year, staying with Henderson until the early 1960s.

Freddie Mills was the subject of This Is Your Life, when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews, having been led into the foyer of London's Earls Court Exhibition Centre by sports journalist Derrick Collier.

Freddie Mills began investing in property in the late 1940s, acquiring several houses and flats.

Freddie Mills became friends with the Kray Twins, notorious criminals who frequented his club.

Freddie Mills sold off what property he had but was in serious financial difficulty.

On 24 July 1965, Freddie Mills was found dead in his car, parked in Goslett Yard, off an alleyway behind his nightclub.

Freddie Mills had told the nightclub staff that he was going for a nap in his car, something that he often did.

An ambulance was not called until Freddie Mills's wife arrived over an hour later.

Freddie Mills's funeral took place at St Giles' Parish Church, Camberwell, and he was buried in Camberwell New Cemetery, South London.

Freddie Mills's grave has a marble boxing glove on it, beneath which is an urn containing a real boxing glove.

Freddie Mills's club had been up for sale since June 1963, but he had been unable to find a buyer.

Freddie Mills was rumoured to be making a stand against protection racketeers shortly before his death, a theory backed up by gangland enforcer Johnny Bradbury, who gave the name of the man he believed was responsible for killing Mills to the police, but they were unable to find evidence to pursue the matter.