The Old Tin Shed - Sydney Stadium: June 2011

Tommy Uren

Tommy Uren sydney boxing mike hitchen

Although a perfect gentleman, Tommy Uren was not the sort of bloke a two-bob thug would like to upset on a dark night. Under-rated and if there is such a word - "under-remembered"! Tommy was a former Australian light, welter, and middleweight champion. He also fought as a heavyweight.

Tough an determined Tommy fought and beat some of the great names of the day - Clabby, Harry Stone, Fernand Quendreux, Eddie McGoorty and Fred Kay. His career spanned from 1916 to 1930 notching up 70 wins and 28 losses.

Born in 1893, Tommy died in 1954 aged 61.

Townsville Daily Bulletin, Tuesday 26 August 1924

At the Stadlum, Tommy Uren, 10.01, outpointed Merv Williams, 11.6, for the middleweight championship of Australia. In the first ten rounds Uren outbozed his opponent, using bis right to splendid .advantage. Williams was aggressive, but most of his leads were cleverly taken on the gloves. Williams rushed his opponent all round the ring until a left to the Jaw floored him for two seconds. Williams did most of the leading from the thirteenth to the twentieth round and repeatedly scored with lefts to the Jaw. Uren seemed content to box on the defensive and blocked many uppercuts. The referee's decision for Uren was a good one

Copyright Mike Hitchen, Lane Cove, NSW, Australia. All rights reserved

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The early days of boxing at the old Sydney Stadium in Rushcutters Bay, is a project I first started working on in 1994! This blog will evolve slowly, and articles will be added in no particular order - I like tothink of it as rummaging through old cardboard boxes in an antique shop, never knowing whay you may find.

Although much has been written about Sydney Stadium, a large proportion of the 1,000 plus pages of handwritten notes, (only pencil was allowed in the Manuscript room at the State Library!) and photocopies of old articles and recollections, are from long defunct newspapers and boxing devotees sadly no longer with us.

Perhaps my opening sentence is a bit misleading. My original idea was - and still is - not to focus on the actual fights, but rather the numerous wonderful and colorful characters involved. It is about people rather than actual blow by blow descriptions - about times gone by and the impact, "The Old Tin Shed" had on Sydney's social, corporate and political life.

Here you will read about people you probably not have heard of before - but they all had lives and often wonderful tales to tell. There is sadness, triumph and inspiration.

Boxing fans will probably already know a lot about the boxers and the stadium , but I think I can honestly say, there will also be much that is new to them.

Nor will I focus entirely on Australian boxers. Overseas boxers such as the Prince Lochinvar of boxing, Jimmy Clabby and many other American, French and British boxers, played a vital role in the history of a stadium that until 1970, was an integral part of Sydney and its people.

Mike Hitchen