RIP our Lionel

[The Hen]

Boxing great Lionel Rose passes away in bittersweet weekend for Australian boxing
The Daily Telegraph May 08, 2011 7:41PM
Australia boxing great Lionel Rose, who became the first Aboriginal to win a world title, has died aged 62. He had been ill for several months.

Lionel Rose Bio
Name: Lionel Edward Rose
Born: June 21, 1948 in Jackson's Track, Victoria
Division: Bantamweight
Boxing record: 53 fights, 42 wins (12 by KO), 11 losses
Career Highlights
Won bantamweight title in 1968 by defeating Japan's Fighting Harada in Tokyo. First Aboriginal boxer to win a world title. Was named Australian of the year in 1968, the first Aborigine to receive the award, and received an MBE the same year. Embarked on a successful singing career having hits with I Thank You and Please Remember Me in 1970.
The bantamweight champion had 53 fights for 42 wins and was one of Australia’s greatest sporting legends.

His close friend Jeff Fenech was shattered when told of his passing.

“Lionel was not only a great fighter but a wonderful human being,” Fenech said.

“He was an absolute legend and I was honoured to know him as a friend.”

Anthony Mundine described Rose as the "best fighter in Australian history''.



The two-time WBA super middleweight champion and son of trainer Tony Mundine used Twitter to express his feelings on the news of Rose's death.

"To all my followers it's a sad day as the best fighter in Australian history has passed, Lionel Rose,'' Mundine wrote.

"RIP mate.''

Rose’s wife Jenny was too upset to talk when contacted.

Rose beat Fighting Harada in 1968 to take the world bantamweight title and in doing so became the first Aboriginal to win a world title.

On his return to Australia with the title belt, he was greeted by more than 100,000 people outside Melbourne's Town Hall.

Rose was made Australian of the Year that same year.

World Boxing Council (WBC) official Frank Quill said Rose was a fantastic world champion and one of the first sports identities to make a stand against Apartheid-ravaged South Africa.

"He became world champion at a time when, in two or three states of Australia, Aboriginal people weren't entitled to vote,'' Quill, president of the WBC's ratings committee, said.

Quill recounted Rose's refusal of a big money fight in South Africa in 1970.

The offer came not long after Rose had lost his world title to Mexico's Ruben Olivares.

"He considered the fight and if he had have taken it he would have had to go there (South Africa) as an honorary "white'','' Quill said.

"So he said: `I'm not going'.

"To my knowledge he was the first sportsman to refuse to go to South Africa because of Apartheid.''

His death makes it a bittersweet day for Australian boxing, coming on the day Daniel Geale became only the fourth Australian boxer to win a world title overseas.

Rose was born into poverty at Jackson's Track, near Warragul in country Victoria on June 21 1948 and started boxing aged 10.

By 15 he was the Australian amateur flyweight champion.

Four years later he was world champion.

In the 70s Rose became a recording artist and had two hits with I Thank You and Please Remember Me.

He had suffered a stroke in 2007 that left him partially paralysed and with speech difficulties.

The wife of Rose's former trainer Jack Rennie said she received a phone call at around 6pm from the boxer's cousin Graham Brooks who told her Rose had died.

Nita Rennie said Rose had been suffering from heart problems in recent months.

She said the last time her husband and Rose got together was last year for Rennie's 80th Birthday.

[Aard Vark]

I have been a fan and follower of Lionel Rose since I can remember.
The days of the great and humble sportsman are coming to a close with his passing.

For an "Abbo" to rais to the hights he did is more than most understand. 1960's Australia was not a place to be Black But Lionel overcame all obstickles and became the world champian.

He is/was a truly great man who will be long remembered

[dales]

Say, what?

[The Hen]

A Rose amongst the thorns ...

[Aard Vark]

When I was 19 I was in a pub in the NT and over the bar was a signed photo of Lionel and the Publican out the front of the pub.
The stupid point to the photo was it was a whites only bar and Lionel was (as far as I know) the only non-white to stay there.

He was only a few years older than me and I wanted to be like him so bad. Just never got the tan right

[loCAtek]

Ha! One of your best posts Aardy!

[oldr_n_wsr]

Just never got the tan right

You a burn and peel type of guy too?

[Aard Vark]

No I tan but never could get it dark enough.