by Roy Smith
The Deri champion featured in 16 contests in 1927. More than once Tom had been booked to feature in three fights within a fortnight. The meeting of Tom Thomas and Billy Noble (Kenfig Hill) on 8 January in a scheduled 15-round contest at Tonypandy resulted in a mild sensation, for Thomas was disqualified after ninety-seconds of boxing in the first-round for a low punch. The Monday following in the chief contest at the Hanbury Assemble Rooms, Bargoed, he won a ten-round contest over Ginger Pullen (Cardiff), while a week later he tackled Roy Martin (Crumlin) at Newport, which ended in a shock defeat for Thomas. As the Echo pointed out in its report of the contest – a surprise verdict left many critics completely dumfounded. One critic, who went by his initials ‘G.J.M.’ said “I am not one to quibble about a decision when there is little to choose between the boxers, but when one carries the fight from start to finish and literally runs away with the contest, and is then adjudged the loser, I am bound to say it leaves me astounded.”
Tom had an even busier time in February with three fights in eight days. On Friday 4th, he boxed a disappointing draw over ten-rounds with Dixie Brown (Bristol) at Weston’s Pier Pavilion. On the Sunday, a contest with Frank Lane (Mexborough, York) at the Leeds National Sporting Club had a curious ending. Lane down for a count of eight in round 14 complained of a low blow; after being examined by a doctor, he was awarded the fight. The following Saturday, a return contest with Billy Noble over 15 rounds at Tonypandy ended in a draw.
On Tuesday 1 March, Thomas boxed a draw over 15-rounds against Moses Davies (Penygraig) at Tonypandy Pavilion. The following week he was in Manchester for a contest with Bill Softley (Poplar) over 15 rounds. Softley had a hard fight the previous night, and punters thought it unlikely that he would withstand the onslaught of a hard-hitter such as Thomas. According to the Western Mail 9 March, the Welshman adopted the wrong tactics. “Softley’s strength lies in his powerful short arm jabs, and it was obviously Thomas’ game to keep him at long range. Instead of this, he went in close at every opportunity, and although he seemed to get the better of a vigorous duel in the earlier rounds, he found the strain too great. Thomas ran into a hard right to the jaw in the fifth round and never recovered. He was hit through the ropes in the next round, was down for a count of seven in the seventh, and down for eight in the eighth. He got up, but then shook his head and retired.”
Next up was former Welsh and British amateur champion Ben Marshall (left) of Newport. In only his fourth professional fight, Marshall faced the Welsh champion at Stow Hill Pavilion on March 21. Marshal decked Thomas in the sixth, the punch also opening a cut beneath his right eye – a wound from his previous encounter with Bill Softley. The injury troubled Tom in a toe-to-toe seventh, when he was floored twice, but survived to the bell only for his corner men to throw in the towel, leaving Marshal collecting the title, £100 side stake and an ornate gold belt put up by Newport promoter Jake Channing.
Tom Thomas of Deri had a boxing career spanning 13 years; his record (from my research) shows he took part in 90 contests. He won 51 of his fights, lost 20, drew 13, three results unknown and he took part in at least three exhibition bouts.
In May 1935, Tom Thomas applied for a manager’s licence under the British Boxing Board of Control, but that is a story for another time.
Thomas James Thomas, known as Tom, was born in 1901 when his parents James Lloyd Thomas and Mabel (née Davies) lived in Dynevor Street, Merthyr Tydfil. They were residing at 7 Park Street, Merthyr by the time of the 1911 census and the family had grown with two additions, namely, son William (known as Billy) age 5 years and 2-year-old daughter Emily. Shortly after the family moved to the village of Deri, in the Darran Valley where James was employed as overman at Groesfaen Colliery.
Tommy Milligan (left) of Hamilton, Scotland, proved far too good for Tom Thomas in a ten-round contest at NSC Covent Garden on 17 April. This bout was the eliminating contest for the Championship of Great Britain. Tom, from Deri, was K.O.’d in 4½ minutes of actual fighting, but apparently this was a thriller while it lasted and the Boxing News (8 Sept 1967) report read as follows “This was short-lived, though there was more real hard fighting crammed into the two rounds than one will often see in a 20-rounds contest. Right from the gong, they went at it, slamming and pounding away with the utmost vigour. Thomas wanted to score a knock-out and was aiming mainly for the head, but Milligan, forcing his way in close, smashed furiously at the body, and obviously with the greater force. Neither man worried much about defence, all their energies being concentrated on attack, and one felt sure that the affair could not last long at this gait. Milligan appeared to be shaken by a right to the jaw, but came on more furiously than before, and with a succession of body blows, sent Thomas on his back to the boards. It looked all over, but Thomas rose at ‘eight’ and the slamming continued until another drive to the mark sent the Deri man once more to the boards. Up again at ‘eight’ he fought on to the gong, though ‘dropped’ twice more for ‘three’ each time. In the second round Milligan came from his corner with a rush, met Thomas near his own corner, drove a left to the mouth, crossed heavily with his right to the jaw, and driving the Welshman to the ropes simply pelted him with blows until Thomas, overwhelmed, went through the ropes and out of the ring to be counted out.” Milligan went on to become the British and British Empire Welterweight Champion 1924-25; European Middleweight Champion 1925; and British and British Empire Middleweight Champion 1926-28.