One of the oldest recorded competition sports in the world, boxing dates back to 3000 BCE when fist-fighting became popular in ancient Mesopotamia. In Grimsby, the sport became popular following the growth of the fishing industry, when bare-knuckle fighting between hardened, working-class dockers participated at “smokers”. These events would often be a way to resolve conflicts and would take place in smoke-filled rooms close to the quaysides.
Towards the turn of the 20th century, and the end of Queen Victoria’s reign, boxing began to move away from bare-knuckle scuffles with the opening of hubs such as the ‘Gymnasium’ at the Dockers’ Club, in King Edward Street. An early star fighter was Jerry Thompson, also known as ‘The Fighting Fisherman’, famed for a “devastating right-hand swing” and a tough reputation.
By the end of the 20th Century, regular fights would take place in North East Lincolnshire at venues such as the Beachcomber and the Winter Gardens, with trainer and promoter Joe Frater a significant name in the sport.
A prominent local fighter at the Winter Gardens in the early 2000s was Wayne Bloy, a bantamweight boxer who started life on Grimsby’s East Marsh and became the first boxer from Grimsby to fight for a Commonwealth title. Wayne has gone on to become the founder and CEO of Fusion Community Centre in Ladysmith Road and is a staunch advocate for boxing and its benefits for health, confidence, and socialising.
“Fusion as a boxing club began as a pop-up in 2013 before we took over the Ladysmith Road building in 2015,” Wayne explained. “It was a council storage space that had little use at the time.
“Since then, we have added two extensions and have planning permission for an additional floor and a further extension, which will give us three boxing rings that will enable us to accommodate the number of people attending the centre each night.
“There can be up to 100 using the gym, the boxing area, and the youth club every day, so it does get busy and the space is needed!”
The popularity of boxing at Fusion supports Wayne’s theory that Grimsby is a “fighting town”, underpinned by the local history of the sport and the numerous boxers that have since hailed from the area, such as Levi Giles.
Wayne said: “As a sport that is embedded in Grimsby’s history, Fusion is keen to support the bid for us to become the UK’s first ‘Town of Culture’.
“Grimsby people ‘get’ Grimsby people! We have a unique way about us, and it would great for the confidence of the area’s population, and the young people growing up here, if we were given some positive national recognition and the chance to shine.”
Sarah Smith, Creative and Heritage Programmes Manager for North East Lincolnshire Council, finished: “Boxing has a long and interesting history in Grimsby, particularly within the fishing communities and those working in the dock area during the 20th Century.
“The GY28 bid has been shaped by stories embedded in local culture and boxing has played a big part during the last 100 years. We are delighted to have Wayne and Fusion Community Centre on board as we continue on this exciting Town of Culture journey.”
To find out more about the bid, visit www.gy28.co.uk and for more about Fusion Community Centre, visit www.fusioncentre.co.uk
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