Terry Marsh (boxer)

Terry Marsh (born 7 February 1958), is an English former professional boxer who was an undefeated world champion in the light welterweight division.

Terry Marsh
Marsh in October 2005
Statistics
Real nameTerry Marsh
Nickname(s)"The Fighting Fireman"
Weight(s)light welterweight
NationalityEnglish
Born (1958-02-07) 7 February 1958
Stepney, London, England
Stanceorthodox
Boxing record
Total fights27
Wins26
Wins by KO10
Losses0
Draws1
No contests0

Marsh was a three-time ABA senior amateur champion who went on to become the British, European and IBF light welterweight world champion as a professional. He was the first European boxer ever to retire as an undefeated World Champion, a feat later equalled by Romanian Michael Loewe, Germany's Sven Ottke and Welshman Joe Calzaghe.[1]

Marsh was charged with the attempted murder of his former manager, the boxing promoter, Frank Warren following Warren's shooting in London in 1989. Marsh spent 10 months on remand before he was released after being acquitted at trial.

Marsh changed his name by deed poll to "None Of The Above X" and stood in the 2010 and 2015 UK general elections as an independent candidate in protest against there being no option to vote for "none of the above".[2]

Early life

Marsh was born in Stepney, East London, where he grew up in a small terraced house with his parents and three brothers. Marsh, who was a junior chess champion, began boxing as a youth at the St George's Club in Stepney before the family moved to Basildon in Essex.[3] Marsh attended Westminster City School between 1969 -1971.[4]

Before he became a professional boxer, Marsh was a Royal Marine who served in Cyprus and in Crossmaglen in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.[5] He later became a firefighter with the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, serving on White Watch, Tilbury.

Amateur career

As an amateur Marsh was a National schoolboy champion, NABC champion and twice junior ABA champion before going on to win three senior national titles whilst representing the Royal Navy boxing team. Marsh's first title came in 1978 in the lightweight division beating Edmund Gajny in the final. The following year Marsh moved up to the light welterweight division and again reached the final but was this time defeated by Eddie Copeland. In 1980, Marsh again moved up a weight, to welterweight, and again reached the final, defeating Edward Byrne. 1981 saw Marsh's final year as an amateur: this year he remained at welterweight and again reached the final, his fourth in a row. In the 67 kg final, he defeated the future British, Commonwealth and WBO champion Chris Pyatt to win his third senior title.[6] He also won a multi-nations gold medal representing England in the Philippines in 1981 capping an unbeaten international amateur record.

Professional career
Robe worn during his defence.

He had his first professional fight in October 1981, defeating Andrew DaCosta on points over six rounds, in Bloomsbury, London.

In his thirteenth fight he won the vacant Southern Area Light-Welterweight Title, defeating Vernon Vanriel on points over ten rounds, at York Hall in Bethnal Green.

In September 1984, he defeated Clinton McKenzie to take the British Light-Welterweight Title. The fight was at the Britannia Leisure Centre, Shoreditch, and Marsh won on points over twelve rounds.

In October 1985, he fought the Italian, Alessandro Scapecchi for the vacant European Light-Welterweight Title. The bout was held in Monte Carlo and Marsh won by a knock out in the seventh round.

He successfully defended his European title against Tusikoleta Nkalankete (French) in January 1986, and Francesco Prezioso (Italy) in April 1986.

On 4 March 1987, he fought the American, Joe Manley for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) World Light-Welterweight title. The fight was at his home town of Basildon, and Marsh won on a technical knockout in the tenth round.

On 1 July 1987, he defended his IBF title against Japanese fighter, Akio Kameda at the Royal Albert Hall, Kensington. Insisting it would be his last fight Marsh won, by a technical knockout in the seventh round.

He then retired as undefeated IBF world champion. In September 1987 he announced that he had epilepsy.[7]

He took up chessboxing at the age 56 winning the World Chessboxing association welterweight title against Dymer Agasaryan from Armenia.[8]

The shooting of Frank Warren

On 30 November 1989, Warren was to attend one of his boxing promotions at The Broadway theatre in Barking which featured Colin McMillan. As he arrived at the venue he was approached by a masked gunman who appeared from the crowd and shot him twice in the chest with .22 bullets from a Luger pistol at close range. The gunman fled and Warren was taken to hospital. Warren lost half a lung and was in great pain after the shooting.[9]

The business style of Warren had made him enemies, and following his shooting there were a number of suspects. The ongoing libel case between Marsh and Warren led police to believe Marsh had a strong personal motive to undertake the attack due to the bad blood between the pair.[10]

During a search of Marsh's home police found ammunition in his possession, but this was explained by Marsh's previous career as a Marine and it did not match the bullets used in the attack. Two months after the shooting and despite the lack of forensic evidence, any confession or identification Marsh was charged with the attempted murder of Frank Warren and was remanded in custody.[10]

During the trial a prison confession was used against Marsh. Marsh did not appear in the witness box to give evidence. He was subsequently acquitted.

The outstanding libel case was subsequently contested by the two protagonists and the jury found in favour of Marsh.[11]

Personal

Marsh retired in December 1987 after he was diagnosed as having epilepsy. In the late 1980s, the Terry Marsh Leisure Centre in Pitsea, Essex was named in his honour. However, subsequent squabbles between local councillors have seen this renamed the Eversley Leisure Centre, although the plaque bearing his image remains.

Since then, Marsh has attempted to enter politics, first for the Labour Party. However, when Labour announced they would have a female-only short-list for Basildon, he stood for the Liberal Democrats at the 1997 General Election, but was forced to withdraw from the contest, as he was charged with fraud and deception for allegedly having fraudulently claimed two student grants after going back to the then London Guildhall University at the end of his boxing career. He was later cleared of the offence.[12] In 2009, he set up a new political party, NOTA, which stands for "None of the Above".[13]

He had an acting role in the 1989 film Tank Malling, and has since written and published his autobiography, Undefeated.

Following his retirement from boxing Marsh became a stockbroker.

On May 4, 2017 Marsh was physically prevented from leaving a polling station, relating to a County election, by the Presiding officer (Carl Sayonas). Marsh was taking his ballot paper with him rather than vote for any of the candidates available. Having been detained against his will Marsh kneed the presiding officer in the groin in order to escape and subsequently was charged with two offences; the fraudulent removal of a ballot paper from a polling station and assault & battery. At the trial the first charge was dropped; Indicating it is not unlawful to take your vote home. However, Marsh's defence of self defence was rejected by the Court on the assault charge. It was deemed that Marsh was entitled to use self defence but his response was excessive.[14]

2010 and 2015 general elections

In 2010, Marsh was a candidate in that year's general election as an independent candidate in the seat of South Basildon and East Thurrock. Marsh changed his name by deed poll to "None Of The Above X" as a protest against there being no facility to select "None of the above" as an option on the ballot paper. Under UK law, a political party cannot call itself "None of the Above", but this restriction does not apply to candidate names. His chosen surname of "X" meant that he was likely to be the last entry on the ballot paper. He said that if he won he would not take his seat. He received 125 votes, placing last out of six candidates. In the same election a candidate who changed his name to "None of the Above Zero" stood in Filton and Bradley Stoke.

X stood again in 2015, this time receiving 253 votes and placing sixth of seven candidates. They did not do any electioneering during the campaign.

Amateur achievements
  • 1973 Junior ABA champion
  • 1974 Junior ABA champion
  • 1974 National schoolboy champion
  • 1976 NABC champion
  • 1978 ABA Lightweight champion
  • 1980 ABA Welterweight champion
  • 1981 ABA Welterweight champion
  • 1981 Multi-Nations Gold Medalist - Manila

References
  1. Boxrec. "Terry Marsh". Boxrec Fighter Page. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
  2. Bland, Ben (27 April 2010). "Basildon boxer to fight election as 'None Of The Above'". BBC. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  3. Len Whaley (31 December 2008). "Bloody nights – in the ring and on the street". Newham Recorder. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  4. "Welcome to the Old Westminster Citizens' Association". OWCA. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  5. Philip, Robert (9 November 2005). "Marsh happy to roll with the punches". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  6. "National ABA title 1970". Amateur Boxing Association of England. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  7. ITN News at Ten, 14 September 1987
  8. "GrandMaster Bash Report". Londonchessboxing.com. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  9. Lynn Barber (5 November 2000). "Mike Tyson did not hit me…". The Observer. London. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  10. "The Framing of Michael Stone for the Chillenden Murders". Libertarian Alliance. 2003. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  11. Rachel Borrill (31 October 1992). "Warren loses libel action over interview". The Independent. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  12. "London council KO'd Terry Marsh". Echo Newspapers. 4 May 1999. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  13. "Former boxer's party in by-election". Evening News 24. 7 July 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
  14. "Terry Marsh loses court appeal over assault conviction | Echo". Echo-news.co.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
Preceded by
Joe Manley		 IBF Light Welterweight Champion
4 March 1987 – December 1987
(retires)		 Succeeded by
Buddy McGirt
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