Wilson the special guest as fight season kicks off

On Thursday night, he welcomes a grandfather from Wolverhampton he used to be “in awe” of.

Tony Wilson, special guest at the Excelsior Sporting Club’s first show of the season, was cruelly denied a medal at the Los Angeles Olympics and went on to win the Lonsdale belt outright during his 29-fight professional career.

Murray was a top amateur himself – and used to dread sparring Wilson, who made headlines 35 years ago this week when mother Minna attacked opponent Steve McCarthy during a fight in Southampton.

“We were all in awe of Tony at the time,” said Murray. “Because of what he achieved as an amateur.”

After starting out at Bilston Golden Gloves, Wilson switched to Wolverhampton Amateur Boxing Club where he was coached by Ray Green who he remembers as “a military man and very strict.”

With Green in his corner, Wilson won back-to-back ABA titles and went to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics where he was cruelly denied a medal.

“They announced me as the winner (of his quarter-final against Mustafa Moussa from Algeria),” said Wilson. “And then they changed it (the decision).

“It cost me a medal, but that’s life. That’s how you grow. You can’t let it burn inside you. You just have to carry on.” Team-mates in Los Angeles included Brian Schumacher – and they became rivals in the professional ring.

Wilson made his first defence of the British title against the Liverpudlian in May 1988.

“It was sad,” said Wilson, now 60 years old and still in the gym most days. “He was my best mate in the Olympic team and then we had to fight.

“At the press conference, he was trying to stare me out and I didn’t get involved.”

The fight was screened on ‘Fight Night’ and was years later included in a video of the show’s best moments.

Down in the first, Wilson went on to blast Schumacher out of the fight in the sixth round with a jaw-dropping volley of thunderous left hooks.

“I let them go,” is how Wilson remembers the ending.

Wilson got a couple of wins ahead of the rematch and produced an exclamation-mark finish in the third to win the Lonsdale belt outright.

He looped a heavy right on to the Liverpudlian’s jaw to send him crashing heavily.

“It was a good punch,” said Wilson. “But he felt it, not me !

“That Lonsdale belt is my pride and joy. It was a great achievement, but looking back, I could have achieved more.”

Type “Tony Wilson Wolverhampton boxer” into YouTube and you see a superbly-conditioned athlete with a quality jab, head movement and punch.

“I was No.6 in the world for a spell,” he said. “But it was a hard division at the time. There were some good fighters out there.”

Good fighters like Tom Collins, who took away Wilson’s British title.

Wilson also shared the ring with heavyweight punchers Frank Bruno and Gary Mason when sparring at the Royal Oak gym in Canning Town.

“Frank Bruno’s jab and right hand... oh boy !” exclaimed Wilson. “I had to move when I sparred him. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t still be here !”