Johnny Basham | |
|---|---|
 Basham in 1914 | |
| Born | 13 September 1890 Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales |
| Died | 7 June 1947 (aged 56) |
| Nationality | British |
| Other names | Sucker |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Welterweight, Middleweight |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 84 |
| Wins | 61 |
| Wins by KO | 24 |
| Losses | 18 |
| Draws | 7 |
John Michael Basham (1890 – 7 June 1947) was a Welsh boxer who became British and European champion at both welter and middleweight. His professional career spanned over 20 years, from 1909 to 1929, and after being stationed in Wrexham through military service, he fought most of his bouts in nearby Liverpool.
Basham was the first welterweight to win the Lonsdale Belt outright, successfully defended his British welterweight title on two occasions and also took the Commonwealth Welterweight title in 1919. His career was defined not only by his successes, but also through the death in the ring of opponent Harry Price, which saw Basham face manslaughter charges, and his failed contests with Ted "Kid" Lewis towards his career's end.