Former world bantamweight boxing champion and Olympian: JOHNNY CALDWELL, who has died aged 71 in his native Belfast, was the fourth Irishman to win a world professional boxing title.
Two generations ago his amateur and professional successes excited the nation. As the baby of the Irish team at 18, he won a bronze medal at flyweight in the 1956 Olympics, one of a team of boxers who won four medals.
Five years later, in 1961, he won the version of the world bantamweight title recognised by the European Boxing Union.
His misfortune was that, in a fight to unify the titles, he met one of the greatest bantamweights of all time, Brazilian Éder Jofre. Jofre stopped Caldwell in the 10th round in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1962.
Caldwell’s fight with Freddie Gilroy later that year is still spoken of as the greatest professional bout ever seen on Irish soil. Fifteen thousand fans packed Belfast’s King’s Hall. Gilroy’s British and Empire bantamweight titles were at stake, with the winner promised a bout with Jofre.
Caldwell lost, the fight stopped in the ninth round because of a cut eye. The damage done signalled the waning of his career; Gilroy retired afterwards. He has said the bout should never have taken place – the two were friends, and fellow-medallists from the 1956 team.
Caldwell revived his career. When he had turned professional at flyweight he had moved to Glasgow, with a Scottish manager, and won the British flyweight title in 1960. Dissatisfaction with that manager came to a head after the Gilroy fight. He subsequently won the British and Commonwealth bantamweight championships in 1964. But cuts to the eyes were worsening and he retired in 1965.
His lifestyle was a reminder of an older Ireland. When training, he used go to Mass at 6.30 every morning.
Although he achieved fame, his parents kept his feet on the ground. They insisted the Olympic medallist finish his apprenticeship as a plumber. After retiring from the ring, he went back to his trade. He always made himself available for charity events.
There was a widespread belief Belfast’s unionist establishment had not honoured him because he was a Catholic from the Falls Road. His later years were blighted by ill-health. Former lord mayor Alex Maskey said of him: “I don’t think he got the money or the reputation he deserved.”
John Caldwell was the third of seven children of John Maguire, a joiner, and his wife Bridget (née Maguire), from Cyprus St in Belfast’s Lower Falls. He started boxing at the age of 10 with the Immaculata Club.
He is survived by his children John, Patricia, Michael, Paul and Berna and his wife Bridie.
John Caldwell: born July 7th 1938; died July 11th 2009