Dennis Jeffrey Avoth (25 October 1947 – 20 December 2023) was an Egyptian-born British heavyweight boxer. Avoth was a promising amateur boxer who turned professional in 1967. He held the Welsh Heavyweight Championship title from 1971 to 1973. He was the brother of Eddie Avoth, who was also a boxer and who became British, and Commonwealth Light-heavyweight champion, and European Light-heavyweight challenger. Dennis Avoth died in Glamorgan on 20 December 2023, at the age of 76.[1]

Dennis Avoth
Born
Dennis Avoth

(1947-10-25)25 October 1947
Died20 December 2023(2023-12-20) (aged 76)
Glamorgan, Wales
NationalityBritish
Statistics
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Boxing record
Total fights45
Wins22
Wins by KO4
Losses20
Draws3
No contests0

Boxing career

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Avoth boxed out of the Victoria Park boxing club as a youth, and whilst still a teenager, he won the Welsh Amateur Boxing Association title, beating Del Phillips, who at 6 ft 5ins was seven inches taller than Avoth.[2] The Welsh title allowed Avoth to enter the European championships, but was forced to retire after a torn rib ligament.[2]

Avoth turned professional in 1967 and like Eddie Avoth, his older brother before him, he joined the stable of Merthyr based trainer, Eddie Thomas. Avoth's first professional bout was against London-based fighter Doyley Brown at Grosvenor House in Mayfair, an undercard to a Ken Buchanan match. Avoth stopped his opponent via technical knockout in the fifth of the six round fight. This was the first in a string of seven unbeaten fights, including a victory over Paul Brown at the National Sporting Club in January 1968. Despite this promising start, his allusions of following his brother as a major contender were broken by four straight loses.

Avoth was back to winning ways in the first half of 1969, remaining unbeaten in six fights, though all were through points decision. His run was broken in May when he faced future British heavyweight champion Bunny Johnson at the Midlands Sporting Club in Solihull. The eight round fight went the full distance, with the bout being awarded to Johnson. This was followed by a draw against his amateur title opponent Del Phillips, before Avoth again faced a future British heavyweight champion, Danny McAlinden. The fight against McAlinden was part of a national heavyweight competition held in Mayfair, London for a prize of £1,000. The eight-man knockout contest was scheduled for three rounds per bout and Avoth faced Manchester-based fighter Obe Hepburn in the quarter-finals. After beating Hepburn on points, he then beat Billy Wynter by the same decision in the semi-final. The other semi-final was between McAlinden and another future champion, Richard Dunn. McAlinden knocked out Dunn in the first round, and then managed to stop Avoth in the final again in the first round, but this time via technical knockout. Avoth fought once more in 1969, a loss to Central Area champion, Billy Aird, before readjusting his sights on a new challenge, the Welsh heavyweight title, held by North Walian Carl Gizzi.[2]

1970 began with mixed results for Avoth. He lost to Charlie White, a fighter he had faced four times previously as a professional, before he recorded a win over Terry Feeley at the National Sporting Club. He then lost to Cliff Field before a Wales heavyweight title eliminator with Del Phillips was arranged. The fight was arranged as the top billing at Swansea's Top Rank Suite on 22 June 1970. The night started poorly for the Avoth family when younger brother Leslie was beaten by Santos Martins on the undercard, and Avoth's ambitions to become Welsh heavyweight champion were dented after Phillips was given the decision by referee Adrian Morgan after the match went the full ten rounds.[2] Avoth finished 1970 with another two losses; to Peter Boddington in London and then to Bunny Johnson in Aberavon, both on points decision.

In 1971, and now managed by his father Jack, Avoth got his shot at the Welsh heavyweight title, which was still held by Carl Gizzi and had now been undefended in the six years since Gizzi won the title. The title fight was taken out of Wales and was staged at the National Sporting Club in London. The fight went the full ten rounds and Avoth was given the decision, making him the new Wales heavyweight champion. 1971 ended with two more wins, over Guinea Roger and Brian Jewitt; but 1972 began with two loses, which included the first time he had ever lost a professional fight by knockout when Roger Tighe stopped him in the sixth round of an eight-round contest. In April 1972, Avoth defended his Welsh title for the first time when he again faced Del Phillips. The two met in Swansea and again the fight went the distance, but this time referee Adrian Morgan gave the fight to Avoth. Avoth defended his title just once more when he beat Gene Innocent in Swansea in June 1973. Avoth was to fight just once more, a home bout in Sophia Gardens Pavilion in his home town of Cardiff. His challenger, Phil Matthew, knocked Avoth out in the first round, and Avoth retired from the sport soon after.[3]

Professional boxing record

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22 Wins (4 knockouts, 18 decisions), 20 Losses (6 knockouts, 14 decisions), 3 Draws [1]
Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
Loss 13–4   Phil Matthews KO 1 1 August 1973   Sophia Gardens Pavilion, Cardiff, United Kingdom Avoth knocked out at 2:29 of the first round.
Win 10–3–1   Gene Innocent PTS 10 27 June 1973   Top Rank Suite, Swansea, United Kingdom BBBofC Welsh Heavyweight Title.
Loss 9–1   Eddie Neilson PTS 8 30 April 1973   National Sporting Club, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom
Loss 5–0   Tim "Fire" Wood PTS 8 19 April 1973   Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom 39.25–39.5
Win 10–20–1   Guinea Roger PTS 8 5 February 1973   Top Rank Suite, Swansea, United Kingdom 39.25–39.
Loss 6–0   Eddie Nielson PTS 8 27 November 1972   National Sporting Club, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom
Loss 6–0   Frank "The Tank" Carpenter PTS 8 24 October 1972   Bull Ring Sporting Club, Birmingham, United Kingdom 38.25–40.
Loss 5–0   Frank "The Tank" Carpenter PTS 8 27 June 1972   Villa Park, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Win 13–5–1   Del Phillips PTS 10 24 April 1972   Swansea Cwmfelin, Swansea, United Kingdom BBBofC Welsh Heavyweight Title.
Loss 6–0   Les "Is More" Stevens TKO 6 27 March 1972   Top Rank Suite, Reading, United Kingdom
Loss 20–6–3   Roger Tighe KO 6 14 February 1972   National Sporting Club, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom
Win 9–7–2   Brian Jewitt PTS 8 29 November 1971   West of England Sporting Club, Bristol, United Kingdom
Win 8–18–1   Guinea Roger TKO 5 9 November 1971   Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
Win 31–11   Carl Gizzi PTS 10 11 October 1971   Cafe Royal, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom BBBofC Welsh Heavyweight Title.
Win 22–5   Bunny Johnson PTS 8 22 September 1971   Midlands Sporting Club, Solihull, United Kingdom
Win 9–8–2   Brian "City" Hall PTS 6 5 July 1971   Grosvenor House, Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Loss 18–4   Bunny Johnson PTS 10 19 October 1970   Aberavon, United Kingdom
Loss 13–1   Peter Boddington PTS 8 8 September 1970   Empire Pool, Wembley, London, United Kingdom
Loss 8–4–1   Del Phillips PTS 10 22 June 1970   Swansea, United Kingdom BBBofC Welsh Heavyweight Title Eliminator
Loss 6–0   Cliff Field TKO 7 9 March 1970   Centre Hotel, Bloomsbury, London, United Kingdom
Win 9–5   Terry Feeley TKO 4 10 February 1970   National Sporting Club, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom
Loss 6–7   Charlie "Wizzer" White PTS 8 12 January 1970   Mayfair Sporting Club, Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Loss 3–0   Billy Aird PTS 6 29 September 1969   National Sporting Club, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom
Loss --   Danny McAlinden TKO 1 7 July 1969   Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Win 10–21–2   Billy Wynter PTS 3 7 July 1969   Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Win 7–11–2   Obe Hepburn PTS 3 7 July 1969   Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Draw 7–0   Del Phillips PTS 8 2 July 1969   Cardiff, United Kingdom
Loss 12–2   Bunny Johnson PTS 8 7 May 1969   Midlands Sporting Club, Solihull, United Kingdom
Win 1–1   Jack Cotes PTS 6 28 April 1969   Grosvenor House, Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Win 5–12–3   George Dulaire PTS 6 24 March 1969   National Sporting Club, Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Win 1–0   Jack Cotes PTS 6 10 March 1969   Colston Hall, Bristol, United Kingdom
Draw 6–10–1   Obe Hepburn PTS 8 24 February 1969   National Sporting Club, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom
Win 5–11–3   George Dulaire PTS 8 3 February 1969   Cafe Royal, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom
Win 4–4   Charlie "Wizzer" White PTS 8 23 January 1969   Dunstable, United Kingdom
Loss 3–4   Charlie "Wizzer" White PTS 6 27 November 1968   Sophia Gardens Cricket Ground, Cardiff, United Kingdom 29.5–29.75.
Loss 8–6–1   "Crown" Vic Moore TKO 7 12 May 1968   Grosvenor House, Mayfair, London, United Kingdom
Loss 10–2   Terry Daly PTS 6 9 April 1968   Empire Pool, Wembley, London, United Kingdom 28.75–30.
Loss 2–2   Charlie "Wizzer" White PTS 8 27 February 1968   Drill Hall, Northampton, United Kingdom 39–39.5.
Win 3–2   Terry Feeley PTS 6 12 February 1968   Grosvenor House, Mayfair, London, United Kingdom 29.75–29.5.
Win 2–3   Paul "Cleveland" Brown PTS 8 22 January 1968   National Sporting Club, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom 39.75–39.
Win 2–1   Charlie "Wizzer" White PTS 6 11 December 1967   Raynors Sporting Club, Leicester, United Kingdom 29.75–29.25.
Win 0–2–1   "Boxing" Bert Johnson PTS 6 28 November 1967   Afan Lido, Aberavon, United Kingdom
Win 1–1   Paul "Cleveland" Brown TKO 5 22 October 1967   Hotel Metropole Sporting Club, Brighton, United Kingdom
Win 3–12–3   Barry Rodney PTS 6 9 October 1967   Raynors Sporting Club]], Leicester, United Kingdom
Win 3–4   Doyley Brown TKO 5 14 September 1967   Grosvenor House, Mayfair, London, United Kingdom

References

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  1. ^ "Dennis Avoth". Forever Missed. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Jones (2009), p.1
  3. ^ Jones (2009), p.2

Bibliography

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