Nat Jacobs

Nathaniel "Nat" J. S. Jacobs (born 1 December 1939)[1] is an English amateur and professional boxer of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, who won the Central (England) Area middleweight title and challenged for the British Boxing Board of Control British middleweight title. His professional fighting weight varied from 145.5 lb (66.0 kg; 10 st 5.5 lb), i.e. welterweight, through light middleweight and middleweight, to 163.5 lb (74.2 kg; 11 st 9.5 lb), i.e. light heavyweight. He was managed/trained by former boxer Stan Skinkiss.

Nat Jacobs
Statistics
Real name	Nathaniel J. S. Jacobs
Nickname(s)	Nat
Weight(s)	Welter/light middle/middle/light heavyweight
Nationality	English
Born	1 December 1939 Manchester, England
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	56
Wins	28 (KO 13)
Wins by KO	2
Losses	26 (KO 7)
Draws	2
No contests	0

Boxing career

Born in Manchester, Jacobs began his professional career in November 1960 with a points victory over Sunny Osemegie,[2] and went on to win his first six pro fights. He suffered his first defeat by George Palin in February 1961 after a fourth round disqualification. After two further victories he faced Palin again in June 1961, the fight this time ending in a draw. After a defeat by Eddie Phillips he faced Palin again in January 1962, winning by a third-round knockout. The six fights that followed in 1962 all ended in defeat, but his fortunes improved in 1963 with three straight wins, starting with a points victory over Jimmy Gibson.[3] He had a mixed record during the remainder of 1963 and 1964, including losing a BBofC Central Area Middleweight Title eliminator to Jackie Harwood, and after a defeat by Johnny Angel in May 1964 took a break from competition. He made a comeback in 1965, winning four of his first five fights (including victory over Jim Swords for the vacant BBBofC Central Area middleweight title), and drawing one (against Harwood).[4]

In September 1965 Jacobs fought British middleweight champion Wally Swift in London, initially being named the winner by the referee; After complaints by Swift the fighters were brought back into the ring where the referee explained that he had made a mistake and declared Swift the victor.[5]

Jacobs fought for the British middleweight title in Nottingham in 1966, losing to Johnny Pritchett after the referee stopped the fight after the 13th round following consultation with his seconds.[6] This was one of five straight defeats for Jacobs but he returned to winning ways with a narrow points victory over Terry McTigue in May 1967, after which followed another break from the sport.

He returned in April 1968 with a points victory over Clarence Cassius, which was followed by two defeats. He beat Larry Brown in November 1968 after four rounds, despite a height and weight disadvantage and afterwards announced that he would be moving down to welterweight.[7] He faced British and Empire welterweight champion Ralph Charles at the Royal Albert Hall in 1969 in a fight that was televised by the BBC and also shown in Australia.[8][9] He continued to box until 1970, his final fight a defeat by Tom Jensen in Valby, Denmark in June that year.

Record

Family

Nat Jacobs' marriage to Kathleen (née Sharpe) (birth registered during January→March 1941 (age 79–80) in Nottingham district) was registered during April→June 1958 in Nottingham district,[12] they had children, including; Nathaniel P. Jacobs (born 18 March 1961 in Nottingham district – died 6 March 2002 (aged 40) in Manchester Royal Infirmary). Nat Jacobs is the younger brother of the amateur (Great Britain) and professional lightweight boxer Joseph "Joe" W. S. Jacobs (birth registered April→June 1936 in Manchester South district – died 18 April 1981 (aged 44–45)), and uncle of the amateur and professional boxer (Central (England) Area lightweight champion, British lightweight challenger, British super featherweight Champion, WBO super featherweight challenger), Joey Jacobs (born 1 October 1960).

References

1. "Birth details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
2. Boxing News (18 November 1960). Boxing News – Nat Jacobs beats Sunny Osemegie on points. Boxing News. ISBN n/a
3. Davidson, Mike (1963) "O'Brien Tops", Evening Times, 1 March 1963, p. 30. Retrieved 22 August 2013
4. "Fisher Stopped in Sixth Round", Glasgow Herald, 6 April 1965, p. 6. Retrieved 22 August 2013
5. Stewart, Ollie (1965) "Report From Europe: Bookmakers Hate Nat Jacobs", Baltimore Afro-American, 5 October 1965, p. 4. Retrieved 22 August 2013
6. "Lonsdale Belt For Johnny Pritchett 1966", Pathé News, 1966. Retrieved 22 August 2013
7. "Jacobs Zooms Back to Bomb Brown", Boxing News, 29 November 1968, p. 4. Retrieved 22 August 2013
8. "O Comes Out Fighting", The Age, 17 April 1969. Retrieved 22 August 2013
9. "Charles Should Win Again", Glasgow Herald, 15 April 1969, p. 6. Retrieved 22 August 2013
10. "Nat Jacobs", boxrec.com. Retrieved 24 August 2013
11. Boxing News (24 September 1965). Boxing News – Wally Swift beats Nat Jacobs on points. Boxing News. ISBN n/a
12. "Marriage details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.

External links

• Photograph 'Nat Jacobs' at boxrec.com
• People And Friends That I Knew Or Know, And Places That I Worked At – Alan Briggs
• Sad loss for family and boxing (Nat Jacobs, Jnr)
• Nat Jacobs v Larry Brown November 1968
• Ex Boxer Stan Skinkiss – Biography
• Jack Birmingham, Nat & Joey Jacobs
• Nat Jacobs, Frank Nightingale, Jimmy Swords and Charlie Grice
• Nat Jacobs, Jim swords, Charlie Grice, Freddie dobson, frank nightingale, Gerry McBride, Stan Skinkiss at Manchester Ex-Boxers Association
• Nat Jacobs, Jim Swords, Freddy Dobson, Paul Dunne, Jack Edwards at Manchester Ex-Boxers Association
• Manchester's Champs Camp boxing guru Phil Martin and Joey Jacobs (Junior) former British super featherweight champion