Books10
Joined: 10 Dec 2005
Posts: 3017
Location: Cardiff, Wales
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| Posted: November 10 2008, 20:47 PM Post subject: Tommy Farr - They don't make them like this anymore |
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Thomas George Farr was born on the 12th March 1913 in the Welsh village of Blaenclydach. He endured an incrediblely difficult upbringing as one of 8 children. His mother died when he was 9 years old, at the age of 10 he started working down the mines, further heartbreak was to follow when at the age of 11 his father suffered a serious illness which left the once larger than life miner and bare-knuckle fighter paralysed and unable to work. In order to help support his family Tommy began fighting professionally at the age of 12 (can you imagime that happening today). At the age of 13 he was almost killed in a pit explosion but although not fully recovered returned to the 14 hours shifts a week later. Although he stuck it out for another 3 years Tommy hated the mines and decided to seek an income from another source.
When he was 17 years old Tommy who was now regularly boxing over ten rounds walked from South Wales to London seeking a job. He arrived with only a few shillings in his pocket and blisters on his feet. Employment was difficult and Tommy went from job to job with in some cases long periods if unemployment between them. His first fight in London ended in defeat when local heavyweight Eddie Steele punched Tommy so hard in the mouth that he started choking on his gum sheild. Tommy jumped out of the ring and ran back to the dressing room. It wasn’t long after this that Tommy decided to cut his loses and return to the family home.
He earned enough to feed himself by fighting in boxing booths fighting 4 or 5 times a day until he eventually got a break. That break game at the Albert Hall in 1936 when at the age of 23 and after 11 years as a pro he beat the former Light-Heavyweight Champion of the world Tommy Loughran on a 10 round decision. In his next fight he won the Welsh Heavyweight title and in the following year Tommy Farr became the British Heavyweight Champion Ben Foord in 15 rounds at the Harringay Arena.
It was now that Tommy Farr decided to step up to world class... and he decided to do this aginst former World Heavyweight Champion Max Baer. Understandably, Tommy was the underdog; Max Baer was going to beat him and beat him easily - or so Max thought. Tommy turned the odds upside down with a great display of boxing, while for the most part Max Baer played to the crowd. Mistakenly, Max thought that he could finish Tommy Farr whenever he so chose. When the time came that Max thought he would now put an end to the Welshman's challenge he found himself in a real fight. By now Tommy had established a commanding points lead and was not about to give it up. An absolutely tremendous performance saw Tommy Farr take the points verdict in his best win yet. With another superlative performance Walter Neusel was dispatched in only 3 rounds leading up to the epic battle with the great Joe Louis.
It’s the 30th August 1937 and Yankee Stadium is full with 36,000 people eager to watch Joe Louis defend his world title. On the other side of the Atlantic It’s 3am in the morning, the Welsh hillside is alit with bonfires as 1000’s of people stay up to listen to the live broadcast. What happened next is boxing folklore, Tommy Farr who was still only 23 years old but had been involved in more than 200 fights, gave the Brown Bomber the fight - and fright - of his life. There is a popular story told in Wales, that when Louis noticed the scars on Farr's back at the weigh in, (which were a result of Tommy's days in the coal mines) and asked him how he had got them, Tommy is said to have replied, " Oh, they're nothing, I got those from fighting with tigers !"
At the bell battle commenced with Tommy unexpectedly taking the fight to the champion. Louis was strong, powerful and a fearsome puncher, surely these were not the tactics for Tommy to adopt ? While respecting the champion Tommy bore forward continuously and for 15 rounds war was waged between the two great men. The fight was close with Louis cutting Tommy up badly in an enthralling battle. At the end Louis was declared the winner and still Heavyweight Champion of the World. Tommy Farr had lost but had won the respect of the world and earned a place in boxing history. He was still only 23 years old but had been involved in more than 200 fights.
"Tommy Farr fooled me. He is one game, tough fellow, and I doff my crown to him," said Louis after Farr had fought 12 of the 15 rounds barely able to see for cuts around both eyes. With an honesty and integrity often lacking today, Farr replied: "What I want to say most is that Louis is the best and cleanest fighter I have ever met."
Although Farr had 4 more fights in the US before returning to the UK he never again reached the heights of that August night. The charismatic fighter maintained hero status in the Welsh Valleys. He did make a brief comeback 10 years after his retirement and regained the Welsh Heavyweight title. However, a KO defeat to Don Cockell persuaded him to call it a day again.
Tommy Farr died on St Davids Day 1986, it seems some what appropriate that this Welsh sporting icon pass to rest on his beloved countries national day. His ashes were interred in the same grave as his parents, at Trealaw cemetery, under the marble monument he himself had erected for them, with the inscription, ' In Death reunited'. |
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