1. John Conteh held the WBC light-heavyweight title from 1974 to 1977, and regionally the European, British and Commonwealth titles between 1973 and 1974.
16 Facts About John Conteh
1. 2.
In 2017, Conteh was awarded an MBE for services to boxing at the Queen's Birthday Honours.
3.
John Conteh won the WBC light-heavyweight title in October 1974 by defeating Jorge Ahumada.
4.
John Conteh held the title until 1977 when he was stripped for not going through with a mandatory defence.
5.
John Conteh lost a 15-round split decision to the Yugoslavian fighter Mate Parlov when he attempted to regain the title.
6.
John Conteh failed twice in further efforts to win back the crown, in 1979 and then again seven months later in 1980, on both occasions fighting the American Matthew Saad Muhammad.
7.
John Conteh was one of the celebrities featured dressed in prison gear on the cover of the 1973 Wings album, Band on the Run.
8.
John Conteh was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1974.
9.
John Conteh was the British Superstars competition champion in 1974, the second year of the televised sporting event.
10.
John Conteh appeared on the BBC television programme Sporting Legends which was presented by Eamonn Holmes.
11.
Ali believed that John Conteh was too small to be a heavyweight.
12.
John Conteh spoke of how his lifestyle led to alcoholism and a charge of assault; he stated that at the time he appeared on Sporting Legends he had been dry for nine years.
13.
John Conteh appeared in films Man at the Top, The Stud and Tank Malling, and made a starring appearance in the television show Boon in 1989, as a washed-up boxer.
14.
John Conteh appeared on a boxing special of The Weakest Link in 2009, where he finished in third place.
15.
John Conteh was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to boxing.
16.
John Conteh appeared in a celebrity episode of The Chase in 2024.