Yesterday’s Heroes: Dave Tuohey and Terry Mintus were two good men

Miles Templeton pays tribute to Leeds heroes Tuohey and Mintus

LEEDS has a short while ago dropped two of its stalwarts from the 1970s with the passing of Dave Tuohey and Terry Mintus.

For the duration of the 1960s and 1970s Leeds was a digital wasteland when it arrived to the staging of skilled boxing. There was only just one tournament held just about every year, and that was a charity display arranged each December by the Jewish Sportsman’s Charity. Dave and Terry would for that reason will need to be consistently on the road to earn everything from the activity. For that reason, they both of those picked supervisors who could get them this do the job. Dave went with Halifax-based Tommy Miller, who experienced a huge stable of eager lads, and Terry was managed by Trevor Callighan, who, at the time, was also liable for Alan Richardson, Les Pearson. Bob Tuckett, Jimmy Pickard, Steve Butler, Malcolm Heath, Ian Pickersgill and Tom Collins, amongst several many others.

The only regular venue for boxing in the area was the Yorkshire Govt Club in Bradford, where the two boxed on a handful of events, but with both remaining journeymen in the legitimate sense of the phrase, they had been ordinarily boxing at all sorts of locations up and down the state. The two adult males had been quite unique with Terry, a hard-punching heavyweight, and Dave, a good featherweight. I properly recall Dave when I employed to take a look at Leeds Ex-Boxers Affiliation many years back, and it was Frank Johnson, from the association, who rang me previous week to inform me the unhappy information. Dave was a minor sprightly chap, even in his early sixties when I realized him. I hardly ever had the satisfaction of assembly Terry, but I intently adopted his occupation again in the day.

Mintus crossed swords with 3 British heavyweight champions in Bunny Johnson, Gordon Ferris and Neville Meade. Unsurprisingly, he was stopped by all a few, but he did beat some superior males throughout an eight-12 months vocation, and so, allows focus on all those. He beat Ishaq Hussein in his 2nd bout. 

I keep in mind a BN include again in January 1977 which proclaimed that Hussein aimed to be British champion by the time he was 20. This hardly ever transpired, but he was a talent. Terry also conquer Liverpool’s Paul Kinsella in three rounds as Southend in 1976, taking revenge for a points defeat inflicted the past 12 months. In 1977 Terry conquer Hendon’s Tony Moore, one more decent prospect at just one time, and he also conquer Bjorn Rudi and Austin Oyoke the pursuing yr. Soon after beating George Scott in a Central location heavyweight title eliminator, Terry missing out to Neil Malpass in the title contest, held at the Irish Centre in Leeds, in 1981. He retired acquiring received 12 of his 31 contests, in 1983.

Dave was only a 12 months older than Terry, but his experienced vocation started off lots of decades just before, in 1967. The initially reference I can find for him in BN was in 1962, when he received the Nationwide Schools championships at 6st 2lbs. Soon later on BN printed a image of the fifteen-calendar year previous, punching the bag, dutifully held by his mom Harriet, who was described as his trainer and most significant enthusiast. He gained the NABCs in 1964 at 8st, and when he went professional a few many years afterwards BN claimed that his victory in excess of Nigerian Jimmy Addy, at the Royal Station Lodge in York, arrived following Dave only signed qualified types that day at one particular o’clock. 10 hours later on he experienced his to start with get. After a further victory Dave took two many years off, re-emerging in 1970 to win yet another four on the trot.  

Dave conquer Billy Waith on factors in a six-rounder in 1971 and also held wins around fellow-Yorkshiremen Joey Gilbert and Steve Enwright. For the duration of a 52-bout job he boxed two British champions, Dave Needham and Alan Richardson. Like Mintus, he was stopped on each situations, but he managed to go the distance versus prospective customers Mark Bliss, Billy Clever and Jimmy Flint. The two guys were a backlink to the boxing previous of their good city, and they will the two be unfortunately missed.