by Barrie Jones
Merthyr Tydfil is known for producing boxers of British, European and World renown, my maternal grandfather, Michael Leahan, was not of that class but he was a boxer of some talent in the short time that he competed.
Michael was born in 33 Cellars, Pontstorehouse, Merthyr Tydfil of second generation Irish parents and such was the poverty and dysfunctional family background that he was not expected to survive his birth.
He was baptised at home on the day of his birth, 16th October 1888, but was sufficiently strong enough to receive a church baptism 12 days later and even then his mother, Johanna delayed the registration of his birth until the 28th November.
Michael’s father Patrick was a drinking companion of the notorious pugilist and bully Redmond Coleman, but it his highly likely that he learnt his boxing skills whilst serving in the Second Battalion, Welsh Regiment. He had enlisted as a boy soldier and then in April 1907 soon after his eighteenth birthday he formally enlisted for the standard seven year term. At this time the Regiment was stationed in South Africa and it was there in Bloemfontein in 1909 that he won the Army and Navy feather-weight championship. At this time one of the Battalion’s instructors was Sergeant William John Ranger, a proficient gymnast and holder of the Army and Navy middle-weight championship of 1905. Sergeant Ranger is more likely to have been the main influence on Michael’s boxing expertise.
The Battalion completed its tour of duty in South Africa in March 1910 and returned to its barracks at Pembroke Dock and it was there that the Regiment prepared to send a group of soldiers to the forthcoming Army and Navy Boxing Championships at Aldershot in the October of that year. The squad comprised of:
- Private King, welter-weight,
- Private Leahan, light-weight,
- Private Skeets, feather-weight,
- Private Skerry, feather-weight, and
- Sergeant Ranger, middle-weight.
As part of their preparation and an indication that they thought they had a strong squad of competitors, the Regiment hired the services of Fred Dyer of Cardiff to act as the squad’s trainer and instructor, Dyer was the current light-weight champion of Wales. In addition, the regiment organised an evening of warm up bouts in the gymnasium at Llanion Barracks between the squad members and local boxers with Dyer refereeing the bouts. The local press reporter paid a lot more column inches to the bout between Michael and a Li (Elias) Evans: This was a splendid contest, and both men showed not only plenty of stamina but plenty of skill also. Leahan, who when the regiment was stationed at Bloemfontein held the light-weight Army and Navy championship of South Africa, won the bout, and had slightly the better of the exchanges, but in the point of skill there was little in it, and if anything Evans’s footwork was superior. The Milford lad is a very pretty and clean boxer, and is game too. His opponent, however, appeared to have a harder punch. Each round was fought at a rare pace, and it was only in the third round that the soldier scored. Later, in the evening a backer of the Milford lad challenged Leahan to a 15 rounds contest and this was accepted.
The Championship at Aldershot was held over four days with over 300 entries for the 12 championships. However, Michael was the only ‘Welshman’ to “survive the punishing early stages”: In the third round of the rank and file light-weights Private Leahan won a good fight against Sergeant Instructor Bradley (Army Gymnastic Staff). The latter was a cautious fighter, and covered himself well, but Leahan, with well judged leads, got over his guard, and got home left and right on the head and ribs several times in the first and second rounds. The Sergeant, coming up in the third round a bit ’groggy’, Leahan saw his advantage and took it. Boxing his opponent all round the ring he had him helpless across the ropes, the referee stopping the fight in the Welshman’s favour halfway through. In the next series of the same competition Leahan met Private Ronan (2nd Royal Dublin Fusiliers) and had all the work cut out to win. He did so, however in the third round with a terrific right swing on the point. Ronan coming up very dazed, Leahan forced matters and had Ronan hopelessly beaten when time was called. In the semi-finals Leahan met Corporal Miller (1st Royal North Lancashire Regiment) and was beaten after a fine struggle.
Miller had been the losing finalist in the previous year’s championship and he ‘found however in Leahan, his strongest opponent, and had to go out all the way to win his way into the final. Leahan made use of his long reach, and at the end of three very hard rounds against a most experienced fighter he only lost by the smallest margin. In the final Miller met Sapper O’Neil (Royal Engineers) winning with ease.
Returning to Pembroke Michael had his second bout with Li Evans over 15 rounds for £10 a-side. An infantryman’s pay was 1s a day, approximately £1.50 a month. At today’s prices, the purse of £10 is equivalent to just over £1,000. Michael had an advantage of 10.lb in weight, and this in the course of the 15 rounds told against his opponent, who, despite his cleverness, received some severe punishment in the earlier rounds. Evans was, perhaps, the more scientific boxer, but Leahan was the harder hitter, and at the end of the 15 rounds was awarded the verdict on points.
The local backer, ‘Professor’ Alf Harris, must have thought that he had a good money earner with these two opponents and on the 26th November promoted another bout over 20 rounds for £20 a-side at his pavilion in Milford Haven.
The building was packed to its utmost capacity. Leahan scaled 13.lb heavier than Evans. Evans was knocked down in the eighth round and again in the eleventh round but rose before the call of time on each occasion. The whole 20 rounds were fought and Leahan was returned the winner on points. Mr Isaacs, of London, was the referee, whilst Mr H. Stephens acted as timekeeper.
The bouts with Evans are the only professional bouts that I believe my grandfather contested and I presume that his Regiment only allowed him to compete because they were held locally and were good for regimental morale. I don’t know if he was allowed to keep his winnings! Michael continued to box for his regiment: In the following October (1911) he competed in the Army and Navy Championships held at the Connaught Drill Hall, Portsmouth, losing on points in the second series of bouts to Leading Seaman Savage (H.M.S. Argyle), and, in April 1913 he fought two bouts at the Bordon Garrison Championships (Hampshire), losing in the final to Driver Evans (141st Battery) by “the smallest possible margin of points”.
In August 1914 Michael’s regiment was part of the British Expeditionary Force that entered the war in France. In September 1915 Michael received a gunshot wound in the right knee, the wound was serious enough to end his military service and he was discharged on the 6th September 1915, with the rank of Lance-corporal. Of course his wound also ended his boxing career and he returned to Merthyr Tydfil to work in the coal mines. After the war my grandfather never enjoyed good health and died from tuberculosis on the 29th May 1928, aged 39 years.