2006 Scots Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee (Posthumous)
“All Time Great”
No Scottish World Champion has been treated more shabbily than Edinburgh born Johnny Hill. Taking all facts into concern he well deserves his place of honour in the Scots Boxing Hall of Fame.
Johnny Hill was born on the 14th December 1905, at Number 5 Brunswick Road in Leith, Edinburgh. His father David was a sober, industrious, stonemason, who had not only boxed for Edinburghs long vanished Netherbow Boxing Club with some distinction, but was a frugal, teetotaller and an excellent, prosperous, sought after craftsman. Facts that allowed Hill senior to bring up his brood, including Johnny, in a style and comfort beyond that normally enjoyed by early 20th century working class craftsmen.
In 1920, his father took Johnny, then aged 12, to the Melbourne amateur boxing club, situated in Edinburghs St. James Square and introduced his son to featherweight boxer, James “Tancy” Lee, Scotland’s first outright Lonsdale Belt winner. It was watching the young novice swop ring leather that alerted both Tancy and David Hill that Johnny had the makings of an outstanding talent. Nevertheless, it was when he moved to the Leith Victoria Club that the ring greatness of Johnny Hill really began to flower. One who remembered Hill well was Leith Vics clubmate and future world class referee, Eugene Henderson. “I was the same age as Hill and sparred with him many times, worked out moves with him in the gym. I liked him immensely, he was a quiet man with a devilish sense of humour but he could punch hard, very hurtfully, against boxers his own weight, He was a beautiful boxer with a great left jab and he could hook an uppercut like a master.”
He won his first Scottish senior flyweight title in February 1925 by beating Glasgows Western District Champion, Willie Barr. One newspaper at the time said “Young Hill was quite simply the best boxer on view.” Even greater things were to follow during the year of 1926 as he won the Eastern District title; next he knocked out Willie Gibb of Armadale and disposed of Fifes Pat Healey in the final. The scene was set for him to defend his Scottish flyweight crown on 26th march and win the Scottish bantamweight title as well! Fighting at the Hippodrome Johnny won all four bouts to retain his title and he was never really extended.
In his first title defence bout the towel was thrown in in the first round by Kilmarnocks George Skilling. Three subsequent wins against Scottish rivals Pat Devine, Jackie Ferguson and Dan Docherty clinched the title once again. Then it was on to claim the Scottish bantamweight crown again as he beat clubmate George Shaw in the final. Following the Shaw win Johnny Hill went south to contest the British ABA flyweight title in Londons Albert Hall in April 1926.He won the title with ease and the ringside judges cup for the best ring stylist. Johnny Hills decision to turn pro in august 1926 was as sensational as his impact on Britains paid flyweight boxers. In his first paid scrap he made short work of Stepneys Billy Huntly whom he stopped in five rounds. Even more sensational was his second paid bout with Stepneys Mark Lesnick where after 15 rounds it was declared a no contest by former welterweight champion Ted Lewis. Lewis should have disqualified Lesnick not penalised Hill. Still, what followed this disappointment was a whirlwind campaign as in November the same year he fought five fights back to back. He impressed referee of a thousand fights, Eugene Corri who wrote, “The more I see of Johnny Hill the more I am certain that he will become a pugilist of high degree.”
One of his most significant wins in this period was his win before the future King Edward V111. When he stopped Londoner Young Brown and impressively showed that he had bottle as well as a knockout punch.1927 was equally sensational when in January a points victory over Tiny Smith was quickly followed by a thrilling knockout of Frenchman Denain. His next bout against Phil Lolosky proved the talent of the young Scotsman as he won in the 15th round. The Daily Herald reported, “The Scot showed rare accuracy with his right, paving the way with his smart left hand and had Lolosky troubled as early as the third round.” Another British title clash within nine months had him beat Brightons Barber to a dummy as he brought home Scotlands third flyweight Lonsdale belt. By March 1928 the European title was won by beating the Frenchman Emile “Spider” Pladner over 15 rounds.
Now the stage was set for Johnny Hill to win, in just 23 months, World, European and British flyweight titles, a record that still stands today. The world title fight with Newsboy Brown from California attracted an outdoor audience of 50,000 people, in a pre- television age and the newspapers at the time declared Johnny Hill World Champion and Britain regains World title. The Scotsman of 30th August 1928 hailed Hills coronation as Caledonias first world champion. Yet nobody could then have foreseen that just 12 months later, at the age of just 23, Scotlands first ever World Champion would be dead, the victim in a pre-antibiotics age of a blood clot in the lung.
