Yesterday’s Heroes: Dave Tuohey and Terry Mintus have been two good males

Miles Templeton pays tribute to Leeds heroes Tuohey and Mintus

LEEDS has just lately misplaced two of its stalwarts from the Nineteen Seventies with the passing of Dave Tuohey and Terry Mintus.

Through the Sixties and Nineteen Seventies Leeds was a digital wasteland when it got here to the staging {of professional} boxing. There was just one event held every year, and that was a charity present organized every December by the Jewish Sportsman’s Charity. Dave and Terry would subsequently should be repeatedly on the street to earn something from the sport. Consequently, they each picked managers who might get them this work. Dave went with Halifax-based Tommy Miller, who had an enormous secure of keen lads, and Terry was managed by Trevor Callighan, who, on the time, was additionally liable for Alan Richardson, Les Pearson. Bob Tuckett, Jimmy Pickard, Steve Butler, Malcolm Heath, Ian Pickersgill and Tom Collins, amongst many others.

The one common venue for boxing within the space was the Yorkshire Government Membership in Bradford, the place the 2 boxed on just a few events, however with each being journeymen within the true sense of the phrase, they have been often boxing in any respect types of locations up and down the nation. The 2 males have been fairly totally different with Terry, a hard-punching heavyweight, and Dave, a wise featherweight. I properly keep in mind Dave once I used to go to Leeds Ex-Boxers Affiliation a few years in the past, and it was Frank Johnson, from the affiliation, who rang me final week to inform me the unhappy information. Dave was slightly sprightly chap, even in his early sixties once I knew him. I by no means had the pleasure of assembly Terry, however I carefully adopted his profession again within the day.

Mintus crossed swords with three British heavyweight champions in Bunny Johnson, Gordon Ferris and Neville Meade. Unsurprisingly, he was stopped by all three, however he did beat some good males throughout an eight-year profession, and so, lets think about these. He beat Ishaq Hussein in his second bout. 

I keep in mind a BN cowl again in January 1977 which proclaimed that Hussein aimed to be British champion by the point he was 20. This by no means occurred, however he was a expertise. Terry additionally beat Liverpool’s Paul Kinsella in three rounds as Southend in 1976, taking revenge for a factors defeat inflicted the earlier 12 months. In 1977 Terry beat Hendon’s Tony Moore, one other first rate prospect at one time, and he additionally beat Bjorn Rudi and Austin Oyoke the next 12 months. After beating George Scott in a Central space heavyweight title eliminator, Terry misplaced out to Neil Malpass within the title contest, held on the Irish Centre in Leeds, in 1981. He retired having received 12 of his 31 contests, in 1983.

Dave was solely a 12 months older than Terry, however his skilled profession began a few years earlier than, in 1967. The primary reference I can discover for him in BN was in 1962, when he received the Nationwide Faculties championships at 6st 2lbs. Shortly afterwards BN printed an image of the fifteen-year outdated, punching the bag, dutifully held by his mom Harriet, who was described as his coach and largest fan. He received the NABCs in 1964 at 8st, and when he went professional three years later BN reported that his victory over Nigerian Jimmy Addy, on the Royal Station Resort in York, got here after Dave solely signed skilled kinds that day at one o’clock. Ten hours later he had his first win. After one other victory Dave took two years off, re-emerging in 1970 to win one other 4 on the trot.  

Dave beat Billy Waith on factors in a six-rounder in 1971 and in addition held wins over fellow-Yorkshiremen Joey Gilbert and Steve Enwright. Throughout a 52-bout profession he boxed two British champions, Dave Needham and Alan Richardson. Like Mintus, he was stopped on each events, however he managed to go the space in opposition to prospects Mark Bliss, Billy Sensible and Jimmy Flint. The 2 males have been a hyperlink to the boxing previous of their nice metropolis, and they’ll each be sadly missed.