Lionel Rose MBE (born June 21, 1948) is an Australian bantamweight boxer, now retired, who became the first Aboriginal in boxing history to win a world title. The term bantamweight usually refers to a class in boxing or boxers who weigh between 112 and 118 pounds. ... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th)  - Land 227,416 km²  - Water 10,213 km² (4. ... For other senses of these words, see boxing (disambiguation) or boxer (disambiguation). ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The term bantamweight usually refers to a class in boxing or boxers who weigh between 112 and 118 pounds. ... For other senses of these words, see boxing (disambiguation) or boxer (disambiguation). ... Australian Aborigines are the indigenous peoples of Australia. ...

Early life

Born and raised at Jackson's Track near the Victorian town of Drouin, Rose grew up in hardship, learning to box from his father, Roy, a useful fighter on the tent-show circuit. According to the boxing historian Grantlee Kieza, Rose "sparred with rags on his hands in a ring made from fencing wire stretched between trees". Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th)  - Land 227,416 km²  - Water 10,213 km² (4. ... Drouin is a major service town, population 5815 (ABS 2001 census), located in West Gippsland, 90 km east of Melbourne. ...

At the age of 10, Rose struck up a friendship with a press photographer, Graham Walsh, who encouraged him and bought him his first pair of gloves. Aged about 15, he came under the tutelage of Frank Oates, a Warragul trainer (whose daughter Jenny he later married). He won the Australian amateur flyweight title at age 15. Warragul is a rural centre with a population of 10,405 people[1], 100 kilometres east-southeast of Melbourne in Victoria. ...

Boxing career

Rose began his professional boxing career on September 9, 1964, outpointing Mario Magriss over eight rounds. This fight was in Warragul, but the majority of Rose's fights were to be held in Melbourne. Along the way he was helped by Jack and Shirley Rennie, in whose Melbourne home he stayed, training every day in their backyard gym. is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... Warragul is a rural centre with a population of 10,405 people[1], 100 kilometres east-southeast of Melbourne in Victoria. ... The City of Melbournes coat of arms The central business district of Melbourne, viewed from the north Alternate meanings: Melbourne (disambiguation) Melbourne is the capital and largest city of the state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia, with a population of 52,117 in the Central...

After five wins in a row, on July 23, 1965, he was rematched with Singtong Por Tor, whom Rose had beaten in a 12-round decision. Por Tor inflicted Rose's first defeat, beating him on points in six rounds. On October 14 of the same year, he had his first fight abroad, beating Laurie Ny by a decision in 10 rounds at Christchurch, New Zealand. is the 204th day of the year (205th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Christchurch (disambiguation). ...

Over his next nine fights, he had a record of eight wins and one loss, with one knockout. The lone loss in those nine fights was to Ray Perez, against whom Rose split a pair of bouts. Then, on October 28, 1966, Rose met Noel Kunde at Melbourne, for the Australian bantamweight title. Rose won the title by defeating Kunde in a fifteen round decision. A boxer is knocked down and receives the 10-count. ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... The term bantamweight usually refers to a class in boxing or boxers who weigh between 112 and 118 pounds. ...

He won one more bout in 1966, and eight in 1967 (including a thirteenth round knockout win against Rocky Gattelari to defend his Australian championship) before challenging Fighting Harada for the world's bantamweight title on February 26 of 1968, in Tokyo. Rose made history by becoming the first Aborigine to be a world champion boxer when he defeated Harada in a 15-round decision. This win made Rose an instant national hero in Australia, and an icon among Aborigines. A public reception at Melbourne Town Hall was witnessed by a crowd of more than 100,000. On July 2 of that year, he returned to Tokyo to retain his title with a 15 round decision win over Takao Sakurai. Then, on December 6, he met Chucho Castillo at the Inglewood Forum in Inglewood, California. Rose beat Castillo by decision, but the points verdict in favour of him infuriated many in the pro-Castillo crowd, and a riot began: 14 fans and fight referee Dick Young were hospitalised for injuries received. Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Masahiko Harada (born April 23, 1943 in Tokyo, Japan), better known as Fighting Harada, is a former world boxing champion. ... is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Takao Sakurai (born September 25, 1941) is a former bantamweight professional boxer from Japan, who won the gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics. ... December 6 is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jesus Castillo (born June 17, 1944) is a Mexican citizen who is a former boxer. ... Nickname: Location of Inglewood in Los Angeles County, California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles Established 1888 Incorporated February 14, 1908 Government  - Mayor Roosevelt F. Dorn Area  - City  9. ...

Rose was Australian of the Year in 1968, the first Aborigine to be awarded the honour.

On March 8, 1969, Rose retained the title with a 15-round decision over Alan Rudkin, but five months later he returned to Inglewood, where he faced Ruben Olivares on August 22. Rose lost the world bantamweight title to Olivares via a fifth-round knockout. is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Alan Rudkin (1941-Present) is a former British, Commonwealth, and European Bantamweight Boxing Champion (1965-1970). ... Rubén Olivares (born January 14, 1947) is a former boxer of Mexican nationality. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Rose continued boxing after his defeat against Olivares, but, after defeats against practically unknown fighters, many believed he was done as a prime fighter. However, he was far from finished: he upset future world lightweight champion Itshimatsu Suzuki on October 10, 1970 in a 10-round decision, and once again, he positioned himself as a world title challenger, albeit in the lightweight division, 17 pounds over the division where he crowned himself world champion. is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Despite having lost to Jeff White for the Australian lightweight title, Rose got another world title try when he faced WBC world junior lightweight champion Yoshiaki Numata, on May 30, 1971, at Hiroshima. Numata beat Rose by a fifteen round decision, and Rose announced his retirement soon after. WBC logo mark “WBC” redirects here. ... Yoshiaki Numata (born April 19, 1945 in Hokkaido, Japan) is a former world Junior Lightweight boxing champion. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Hiroshima (disambiguation). ...

In 1975, he came back, but after losing four of his next six bouts, including one against Rafael Limon, Rose decided to retire for good. Rose compiled a record of 42 wins and 11 losses as a professional boxer, with 12 wins by knockout. Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rafael Limon (born approx 1956) is a Mexican former boxer who was a world champion in the Jr. ...

Retirement

In Lionels retirement, he had legal problems (including a conviction for burglary)^{[citation needed]} but was also a successful businessman. Lionel Rose was able to manage his money and make good financial decisions, and he has enjoyed the monetary benefits his career brought him. Lionel was showcased in 2002 in the Ring Magazine section Where are they now?. Also see: 2002 (number). ... Front cover of the first issue of Ring Magazine Ring Magazine is a boxing magazine that was first published in 1922. ...

During his off time from boxing in the 1970s, Rose embarked on a successful singing career in Australia having hits with I Thank You and Please Remember Me in 1970.

Trivia

In 1996, Rose presented young burns-attack victim Tjandamurra O'Shane with his world-title belt, hoping to speed the youngster's recovery. O'Shane, also an Aborigine, had been the victim of a racially charged attack in Cairns the previous year. Tjandamurra OShane (born 1992) is an Australian Aborigine who was a victim of a vicious racial attack at the age of six. ...

On 2 August 2007 it was reported by 'The Footy Show' that Lionel Rose had suffered a minor stroke and was recovering in hospital.

References

• Stoddart, Brian & Vamplew, Wray (1994); Sport in Australia: A Social History; Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, Australia, ISBN 0-521-43513-7
• Kieza, Grantlee, Australian Boxing: An Illustrated History (1990); Gary Allen Pty. Ltd., Paddington, Australia, ISBN 1-875169-10-5.
• Fight record: http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=011513

Preceded by The Seekers

Australian of the Year 1968 This article is about the Australian music group. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Australian of the Year Awards commenced in 1960. ...

Succeeded by Richard Gardiner Casey