Martin, Thomas [Tommy] (1916-1987), boxer
Born at 8 Northfield Cottages, Reading, of Stephen Martin, hawker, from Jamaica, and his wife, Annie. In 1917 the family moved to Deptford. At fourteen Martin left home and began work as waterboy on a travelling fairground boxing booth. This tough life meant Tommy became a skilled boxer, going professional in 1933, his nickname the British Brown Bomber, but he continued to work the fairs to raise money. His first full season was in 1936 when he fought 25 bouts losing only three, including beating the Scottish light-heavyweight champion. Despite this success he found it difficult to find opponents and had to tour abroad.
Thus he went up a class, using hidden weights in the weigh-in, winning his first heavyweight fight in 1937. He won every single match he fought in 1939, even beating on points the future British Heavyweight champion Jack London, but was unable to fight for the British Heavyweight championship because of a colour bar. His success meant that a campaign to get the bar removed was championed by the MP for Deptford in Parliament. In 1941 Tommy join the RAF and later, after he was injured, went into the merchant navy. He retired as a boxer in 1942. After the war he became an American citizen and opened a gymnasium in Hollywood, later moving to the American Virgin Islands where he became governor of a prison. The colour bar was finally removed in 1947, partially because of his record, but it was too late to benefit him.
Professional Fight record - Won 50 (25 KO's) - lost 12 - drawn 2 - total 64
Link to the Dictionary of National Biography (only from a Library terminal).
Tommy Martin
Other External Links to more information:
Tommy Martin Biography from Black Presence in Britain website
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