# Walter McGowan

Walter McGowan, MBE (13 October 1942 – 15 February 2016), was a Scottish boxer born in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire. He was known for having been the world flyweight champion (Lineal champion. Recognized by European Boxing Union, British Boxing Board of Control and The Ring).
He was the son of Thomas McGowan, who had boxed under the name of "Joe Gans".
He was a skillful boxer, who showed brilliant footwork and knew how to use the ring. However, he suffered throughout his career with cuts, often having fights stopped despite being ahead on points. Without this failing, he would have had an even more successful career.

## Amateur career

McGowan won the 1961 Amateur Boxing Association British flyweight title, when boxing out of the Royal Albert ABC.
He suffered only two defeats in 124 amateur bouts.

## Professional career

He had his first professional fight in August 1961 when he fought George McDade at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, winning by a technical knockout in the third round.
He lost his third fight to Jackie Brown on points, but then continued to build up an impressive list of wins. In his tenth fight he fought Jackie Brown for the British and Commonwealth flyweight titles. The fight was in May 1963 at the Ice rink, Paisley, and McGowan won by a knockout in the twelfth round.
In September 1963, he defended his Commonwealth title against Kid Solomon from Jamaica. The fight was in Paisley, and McGowan won by a technical knockout in the ninth round.
In April 1964, he challenged for the European flyweight title, held by Italian, Salvatore Burruni. The fight was held in the Olympic Stadium, Rome, and McGowan suffered the second defeat of his career, losing on points over fifteen rounds.
In December 1965, he stepped up a weight and challenged for the European bantamweight title, held by Italian, Tommaso Galli. The fight was again in Rome and ended as a draw after fifteen rounds.
In June 1966, he again fought Salvatore Burruni, this time for the world flyweight championship (lineal, EBU and The Ring), which Burruni held. They met at the Empire Pool, Wembley, and McGowan won a fifteen-round points decision to gain that world title, despite sustaining a badly gashed eye in the seventh round. Cuts were to prove a major problem in his career.
In September 1966, he fought Alan Rudkin at the Empire Pool, for the British and Commonwealth bantamweight titles that he held. McGowan scored another fifteen-round points win, despite suffering a cut eye in the tenth round.
In December 1966, he defended his world title against Chartchai Chionoi in Bangkok, Thailand. The Thai fighter won and took the title when McGowan suffered a badly cut nose in the ninth round, and the referee was forced to stop the fight.
The two boxers had a re-match at the Empire Pool in September 1967, but again the Thai boxer won and kept his title, when cuts to both McGowan's eyes and his forehead caused the referee to stop the fight in the seventh.
In McGowan's next fight, in May 1968, he lost his British and Commonwealth bantamweight titles to Alan Rudkin. The fight was at Belle Vue, Manchester and Rukin won by a fifteen-round points decision.
McGowan fought six more fights, all against foreign boxers, winning them all, before retiring. His last fight was in November 1969 against Domenico Antonio Chiloiro.

## Retirement

He became the first Scottish world-boxing champion to be so honoured when he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1967 Queen's Birthday Honours List.
He was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, alongside the likes of Scottish boxing great Ken Buchanan.

## Later life and death

McGowan died at Monklands Hospital at Airdrie, North Lanarkshire on 15 February 2016. He had been in poor health in his later years and was living in a nursing home in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire.

## Professional boxing record

| 40 fights | 32 wins | 7 losses |
| By knockout | 14 | 4 |
| By decision | 18 | 3 |
| Draws | 1 | 1 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| 40 | Win | 32–7–1 | Domenico Chiloiro | PTS | 8 | Nov 11, 1969 | Grosvenor House, Mayfair, London, England | |
| 39 | Win | 31–7–1 | Umberto Simbola | PTS | 8 | Aug 13, 1969 | San Remo, Liguria, Italy | |
| 38 | Win | 30–7–1 | Michel Houdeau | TKO | 4 (10) | Apr 28, 1969 | Grosvenor House (World Sporting Club), Mayfair, London, England | |
| 37 | Win | 29–7–1 | Messaoud Boussaboua | PTS | 8 | Dec 17, 1968 | Hotel Metropole Sporting Club, Brighton, Sussex, England | |
| 36 | Win | 28–7–1 | Marc Van Domme | TKO | 7 (10) | Nov 26, 1968 | Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 35 | Win | 27–7–1 | Gerard Macrez | TKO | 4 (8) | Oct 23, 1968 | Grosvenor House, Mayfair, London, England | |
| 34 | Loss | 26–7–1 | Alan Rudkin | PTS | 15 | May 13, 1968 | King's Hall, Belle Vue, Manchester, Lancashire, England | Lost BBBofC British Area and Commonwealth bantamweight titles |
| 33 | Loss | 26–6–1 | Chartchai Chionoi | TKO | 7 (15) | Sep 19, 1967 | Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England | For WBC and The Ring flyweight titles |
| 32 | Win | 26–5–1 | Antoine Porcel | PTS | 10 | Jul 10, 1967 | Grosvenor House (World Sporting Club), Mayfair, London, England | |
| 31 | Win | 25–5–1 | Giancarlo Centa | PTS | 8 | May 10, 1967 | Civic Hall (Midlands Sporting Club), Solihull, West Midlands, England | |
| 30 | Win | 24–5–1 | Isao Miyashita | TKO | 9 (15) | Mar 15, 1967 | Grosvenor House (World Sporting Club), Mayfair, London, England | |
| 29 | Loss | 23–5–1 | Chartchai Chionoi | TKO | 9 (15) | Dec 30, 1966 | Kittikachorn Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand | Lost The Ring flyweight title; For vacant WBC flyweight title |
| 28 | Win | 23–4–1 | Jose Bisbal | TKO | 5 (10) | Nov 16, 1966 | Grosvenor House (World Sporting Club), Mayfair, London, England | |
| 27 | Win | 22–4–1 | Alan Rudkin | PTS | 15 | Sep 6, 1966 | Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England | Won vacant BBBofC British Area and Commonwealth bantamweight titles |
| 26 | Win | 21–4–1 | Salvatore Burruni | PTS | 15 | Jun 14, 1966 | Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England | Won The Ring flyweight title |
| 25 | Win | 20–4–1 | Ernesto Miranda | PTS | 8 | Mar 28, 1966 | Grosvenor House (World Sporting Club), Mayfair, London, England | |
| 24 | Win | 19–4–1 | Nevio Carbi | TKO | 6 (10) | Jan 6, 1966 | Grosvenor House (World Sporting Club), Mayfair, London, England | |
| 23 | Draw | 18–4–1 | Tommaso Galli | PTS | 15 | Dec 3, 1965 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Roma, Lazio, Italy | For EBU bantamweight title |
| 22 | Loss | 18–4 | Ronnie Jones | TKO | 6 (10) | Aug 20, 1965 | Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland | |
| 21 | Loss | 18–3 | José Medel | TKO | 6 (10) | Jun 1, 1965 | Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England | |
| 20 | Win | 18–2 | Benny Lee | PTS | 10 | Apr 23, 1965 | Palazzetto dello Sport, Roma, Lazio, Italy | |
| 19 | Win | 17–2 | Felix Said Brami | PTS | 10 | Feb 23, 1965 | Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London, England | |
| 18 | Win | 16–2 | Mick Hussey | TKO | 3 (10) | Jan 20, 1965 | Midlands Sporting Club, Solihull, West Midlands, England | |
| 17 | Win | 15–2 | Luis Rodriguez | TKO | 2 (10) | Nov 25, 1964 | Midlands Sporting Club, Solihull, West Midlands, England | |
| 16 | Win | 14–2 | Natalio Jimenez | PTS | 10 | Sep 3, 1964 | Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland | |
| 15 | Loss | 13–2 | Salvatore Burruni | PTS | 15 | Apr 24, 1964 | Stadio Olimpico, Roma, Lazio, Italy | For EBU flyweight title |
| 14 | Win | 13–1 | Risto Luukkonen | PTS | 10 | Mar 4, 1964 | Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland | |
| 13 | Win | 12–1 | Ric Magramo | PTS | 10 | Nov 28, 1963 | Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland | |
| 12 | Win | 11–1 | Killer Solomon | TKO | 9 (15) | Sep 12, 1963 | Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland | Retained Commonwealth flyweight title |
| 11 | Win | 10–1 | Ray Perez | TKO | 9 (10) | Jun 27, 1963 | Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland | |
| 10 | Win | 9–1 | Jackie Brown | KO | 12 (15) | May 2, 1963 | Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland | Won BBBofC British Area and Commonwealth flyweight titles |
| 9 | Win | 8–1 | Bernard Jubert | PTS | 8 | Jan 31, 1963 | Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland | |
| 8 | Win | 7–1 | Ray Jutras | TKO | 6 (10) | Nov 14, 1962 | Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland | |
| 7 | Win | 6–1 | René Libeer | TKO | 6 (10) | Oct 16, 1962 | Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England | |
| 6 | Win | 5–1 | Jacques Jacob | KO | 6 (10) | Sep 20, 1962 | Glasgow, Scotland | |
| 5 | Win | 4–1 | Danny Lee | PTS | 8 | Jun 14, 1962 | Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland | |
| 4 | Win | 3–1 | Brian Bissmire | PTS | 8 | Dec 16, 1961 | Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland | |
| 3 | Loss | 2–1 | Jackie Brown | PTS | 8 | Oct 25, 1961 | Ice Rink, Paisley, Scotland | For BBBofC Scottish Area flyweight title |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Eddie Barraclough | PTS | 8 | Sep 22, 1961 | Town Hall, Hamilton, Scotland | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | George McDade | TKO | 3 (6) | Aug 9, 1961 | Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland | |