Place Of Birth Porth, Wales
Date Of Birth 1894
Date of Death: 1965
Divisions Lightweight
Titles Australian Lightweight
Record Fights 93, 35 ko, 33 wpts, 4 wf, 6 draws ,7 lpts, 5 koby, 1 nc, 2 nd
Stadium Span 1915 - 1921
Fights At Stadium
Llew Edwards ko 2 Jimmy Hill 18 Dec 1915
Llew Edwards pts 20 Roughhouse Burns 29 Apr 1916
Llew Edwards pts 20 Herb McCoy 27 May 1916
Llew Edwards ko 2 Jimmy Hill 27 Jan 1917
Llew Edwards ko 18 Herb McCoy 10 Feb 1917
Llew Edwards ko 20 Herb McCoy 10 Mar 1917
Llew Edwards ko 2 Matty Smith 04 Aug 1917
Llew Edwards ko 13 Eddie Wallace 27 Dec 1919
Llew Edwards pts 20 Sid Godfrey 02 Apr 1921
Sid Godfrey pts 20 Llew Edwards 23 Jul 1921
Llew Edwards wf 11 Jack Suddington 12 Nov 1921
Tommy O'Brien ko 7 Llew Edwards 26 Nov 1921
The following article is taken from a newspaper clipping dated Oct, 13 1939.
Llew Edwards was a Lonsdale belt holder and featherweight champion of Great Britain when he came to this country. His first fight here was against Jimmy Hill for the Empire title, which Llew won.
These feats and facts are forgotten by fight fans today for more than 20 years have elapsed since Llew wore those crowns, but there is one title he held that will be remembered as long as is his name. One of the greatest two handed fighters and crowd pleasers who ever came to Australia is a title he will never lose.
Llew is a product of Wales, that little country that gave this world such champions as Welsh, Wilde and Driscoll.
He was 19 when he had his first fight, and before coming to Australia he beat Owen Moran in an elimination series for the featherweight title of Great Britain.
Australian fight fans took to Llew Edwards like a duck takes to water. He was the answer to a promoters dream with his non stop, two handed style of fighting. A clean living boy who trained assiduously, he was always ready to step into the ring, never quibbling where, when, or whom he fought.
In one month he had as many as four fights covering Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. These are the reasons for Llew Edwards being one of the most popular overseas fighters with fans and promoters alike.After fighting Jimmy Hill, Frank Thorn, Geo Taylor, Bert Spargo and a few other top-notchers, Llew went to the Philippines in 1919 with Vince Blackburn, Tommy Ryan, Harry Holmes and Owen Cairns.
In four contests there he was unbeaten and made history in licking the immortal Dencio Cabanella.
On his return to Australia he had four or five fights and then went to America. Poor Llew never got warm from the day he landed until the day he left. In the Philippines the tropical heat was almost unbearable; he got back to Australia in the middle of a very hot summer, but on reaching Chicago walked into a climate with a temperature 20 below zero.
His first fight in the land of Uncle Sam was against Ritchie Mitchell, one of the best lightweights in the world. Llew lost and the only excuse he offers is that Mitchell was by far the best fighter he ever met.
Llew had three or four more fights, but could not get acclimatized, so went back to England, had one fight, and then came back to Australia, where he has been ever since.
That was in 1920 and he went on fighting the best until he met Harry Stone in 1922. During that fight he was faced with the realization that his eyesight was failing. His sense of distance and timing was all wrong. There and then he decided to quit - and he did.
He had earned a fortune with his fists, but like most people to whom wealth comes quickly, he spent freely. Unfortunately for him, he did not pay enough attention to the business end of fighting. He left that to others, and when he finished, instead of having plenty, the cupboard was bare. There was nothing left for him but hard work.
Llew took this blow just as he had taken punches - with a smile - and for a while he capitalized his name with a boxing booth. After that he worked behind a hotel bar for a year or so, when he came to Melbourne and got a job as assistant boiler attendant.
While in that place he attended night school and got his own ticket to tend boilers, but unfortunately most boilers today are so made that they mind themselves.
Llew has no kick with the way the cards have fallen. He can still smile and has his health. If he had his time over, he says he would sit in on the same game.
Random Jottings
· Australian lightweight champion. Beat McCoy on points at the end of 1916.
· Not clever, nor was he a stylist, but possessed untiring energy.
· Could deliver a fair punch and take them unflinchingly and maintain a good pace for twenty rounds.
· As training he was made to box twenty rounds a day. Had his training schedule been less, he might have been boxing, longer and better.
· Started boxing at 19. Arrived in Australia in 1916 and was at his best. Had 44 fights here.
· Met Sid Godfrey three times. Won first and second on points, badly beaten in third.
· KO’d by Ritchie Mitchell in Milwaukee.
· In England beat Jack Regan three times. Returned to U.S. and had ND with Laelar and Noye. KO’d in two by Clonie Tate.
· Returning to Australia outpointed Volaire and Godfrey. Beaten by Harry Stone. KO’d Dick Johnson in Sydney.
· Non drinker, non smoker.
· Tried to become a teacher of boxing
