THIS is a rare photograph of Shirebrook heavyweight Peter Bates, who died in 2004 aged 71.
Bates (left) is pictured with his manager, former heavyweight champion Bruce Woodcock, at the weigh-in for the fight with Walworth's Fred 'Nosher' Powell, in Harringay, on February 8, 1955. Bates stopped his man in the 4th round.
Bates made an impressive professional debut against Johnny King at the Ice Stadium in Nottingham in October 1953, stopping his man in the second round.
He had a busy year in 1954, taking 13 fights. But local fans had to wait until June 1955 for his next appearance in Nottingham, when he lost on points over eight rounds, for the second time, to Joe Bygraves at the Ice Rink.
In a 50-fight career from 1953, Bates fought most of the top British heavyweights and claimed the prized scalp of the legendary Henry Cooper, on a cut eye, in Manchester, in 1956.
Three months later, in Gothenburg, future world champion Johansson KO'd him in the second round. Bates returned home with a broken jaw.
In July 1957 he was KO'd by Brian London. He was down three times in the 1st round and twice in the 2nd.
His last fight was against the original Golden Boy, Billy Walker, at Olympia in 1963. Bates was stopped in the 2nd round and retired with a respectable 50-31(19)-15-4 record.
Bates, who kept the Red Lion in Chesterfield, met some of the best around like Joe Erskine (twice), Bygraves (twice), Dick Richardson and Johnny Prescott (drew pts 8). He also knocked out Cooper's twin brother, Jim.
