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National ABA title 1890

11^th ABA National Championships

1890 - 1891

Year:        Saturday 18 April 1891

Venue:    Her Majesty's Theatre Haymarket, London

Val Barker 91kg (Belsize ABC) wins his first ABA title.  It was only his only title win against club member J. Dainty.    Val Barker will go on to become President of the ABA (1926 - 1929), hold office with the former IABA (FIBA) and have a special trophy named after him awarded each Olympic Games (since Berlin Games 1936) to the 'most stylish boxer' of the Games!   Joe Steers 75kg (Middleton ABC) wins his second title.   His first at 91kg (Heavyweight) in 1890 and this at 75kg (Middleweight)!  The ten-guinea slilver cup remained the prize.  The entries for this final were:

And smoking in the arena was not allowed.

12^th ABA National Championships

1891 - 1892

Year:        Friday 29 April 1892

Venue:    Central Hall, Holborn, London

Joe Steers 75kg and 91kg (Middleton ABC) wins both the middleweight and heavyweight title in the same year!   Now he has won (4) titles at (2) weights in (3) years!!!.  The event made £59 (19) shillings and (11) pence for the ABA!

13^th ABA National Championships

1892 - 1893

Year:        Friday 14 April 1893

Venue:    St James Hall, London

Again Joe Steers 75kg and 91kg (Middleton ABC) wins (2) titles!   Now its (6) National ABA titles!   This record of (6) wins was to stand for (100) years before John Lyons (Greenhall St Helen's ABC) equalled it in 1987 and went onto win (8) National ABA titles by 1989.   Mr. C. Peirce 75kg becomes the first 'unattached' boxer to reach a final.  Warnings were issued to all who attended:

• NO SMOKING
• NO BETTING

Profits Up!  (£60 0s 3d).

14^th ABA National Championships

1893 - 1894

Year:        Friday 6 April 1894

Venue:    The Queen's Hall, Langham Place, Regent Strreet, London

Richard Gunn 60kg (Vandom ABC) wins the first of his (3) National ABA title before going onto win Olympic Gold in 1908 (London, England).   Our most successful ever Olympic Games.   Richard Gunn becomes the first National ABA Champion to go on and become an Olympian.   Percy Jones (New Kent Road ABC) wins the first of his (3) titles.

15^th ABA National Championships

1894 - 1895

Year:        Thursday 4 April 1895

Venue:    St. James Hall, London

Captain W. Edgeworth-Johnston 91kg (Royal Irish Regiment) becomes the first 'official' ABA National Champion representing the newly formed 'Army Boxing Association' (1892).   Geoff Townsend (Goldsmith Institute ABC) wins the first of his (4) titles.  

The entries were:

• Banthamweight (10)
• Featherweight (8)
• Lightweight (7)
• Middleweight (7)
• Heavyweight (9)

16^th ABA National Championships

1895 - 1896

Year:        Saturday 11 April 1896

Venue:    St. James Hall, London

It is a remarkable achievement that Richard Gunn 60kg (Lynn ABC) wins his first National ABA title in 1894 and wins Olympic Game in 1908 (London) at Featherweight!   At that point he was (37) years old and still the oldest ever Olympic boxing champion.   Fred Parks 75kg (Stanhope ABC) would go on and win an Olympic Bronze medal in 1908 at 91kg (Heavyweight) (London), England).   Harold Brewer 64kg (Sydney ABC) Finalist would become an Olympian in 1908 (London, England) at 91kg.

17^th ABA National Championships

1896 - 1897

Year:        Wednesday 14 April 1897

Venue:    St. James Hall, London

William Dees 75kg (Goldsmiths Institute ABC) would go on and become an Olympian (at 75kg) at the 1908 Olympic Games (London, England).   He would also win the National ABA title again in 1890 at 91kg.   Geoff Townsend 91kg (Goldsmith Institute ABC) wins the first of his (4) titles in (3) years (1894, 1897, 1898).

18^th ABA National Championships

1897 - 1898

Year:        Tuesday 5 April 1898

Venue:    St. James Hall, London

H. Marks 64kg (Cardiff Harlequins BC) (lightweight) becomes the first ever 'Welsh' Champion.   Geoff Townsend, 75kg and 91kg (Goldsmiths Institute ABC) wins (2) titles in the same year.   Now he has (4) titles.   The 'famous' Rube Warnes 75kg (Columbia ABC) will earn many more honours in the sport after being a Finalist this year.   Including an Olympic Bronze medal in 1908 (London, England) and (4) more ABA titles between 1899 to 1910.

19^th ABA National Championships

1898 - 1899

Year:        Tuesday 28 March 1899

Venue:    St. James Hall, London

J. L. Scholes 60kg becomes the first ever overseas ABA Champion, travelling from Canada.   Rube Warnes (Columbia ABC) wins the first of his (5) titles.   His last in 1910!   Rube Warnes went onto win Olympic Bronze at the 1908 Olympic Games (London, England).   Joined by Frank Parks 91kg (Polytechnic ABC) also winning Bronze.   Harold Brewer 64kg (Polytechnic ABC) was to be an Olympian in 1908 also.