Charles Shepherd (Boxer)
Encyclopedia
Charles "The Bull" Shepherd (affectionately known as Charlie) is the former British, Commonwealth and World Super Featherweight
boxing
champion.
Born in Burnley
, Lancashire
on the 28th of June 1970, Shepherd began boxing at the age of twelve becoming a British ABA
champion aged fifteen.
Shepherd moved to Cumbria when he was sixteen and made a winning professional debut in 1991.
After several impressive performances Shepherd earned a crack at the British Super Featherweight title in 1996 against PJ Gallagher.
The fight was a classic with Gallagher somehow managing to hang on for a controversial half point victory after Shepherd had sent him crashing to the canvas in the twelth round.
The British Boxing Board of Control ordered an immediate rematch but Gallagher chose to relinguish the title rather than face Shepherd a second time.
The fight went on to be awarded the British Boxing Board of Control's 'Fight Of The Year' at their annual award ceremony.
In 1997 Shepherd defeated Dave McHale to finally claim the British Super Featherweight title and at the same time become Cumbria's first ever boxing champion.
In one of the most one sided fights seen Shepherd floored McHale twice in the first round and eventually knocked his opponent clean out of the ring in the tenth.
Shepherd successfully defended the title against Matt Brown only two months later.
Shepherd then went on to successfully defend the title a third time in 1998 against Peter Judson at The Royal Albert Hall
in London
winning a coveted Lonsdale Belt
in the process.
A year later and Shepherd claimed the Commonwealth Super Featherweight title in his adopted home city of Carlisle after knocking out Zimbabwe
's Trust Ndlovu in the sixth round.
Shepherd defended the title in the same year against the Ghana
ian Smith Odoom and was again victorious winning comprehensively on points.
In July 1999 Shepherd faced his greatest challenge when he fought the legendary American boxer Tom "Boom Boom" Johnson
for the vacant IBO World Super Featherweight title but claimed a famous victory on points against his much fancied opponent.
Around this time talks had progressed regarding the possibilty of Shepherd dropping a weight to featherweight and fighting the biggest name in boxing a certain Naseem Hamed and it was with this in mind that Shepherd entered the ring weighing in at only nine stone and half a pound when he made the first defence of his world title against Affif Djelti in February 2000.
Despite knocking the Frenchman out of the ring in the first round Shepherd suffered a shock loss losing by way of TKO in round six.
Shepherd later acknowledged that "trying to show i could make featherweight was a big mistake and cost me my title".
Although he made a successful comeback four months later when he beat the Ukrainian Rakhim Mingaleev on points to claim the IBO Inter-Continental Super Featherweight title, Shepherd decided to retire after failing to get the rematch he craved against Djelti.
After six months out of boxing Shepherd decided to make a comeback as a lightweight and after winning a couple of warm up fights he challenged Barry Hughes for the WBU International title in Hughes's home city of Glasgow.
The fight ended controversially in a majority draw even though one of the judges had Shepherd winning by six rounds.
This was to be Shepherd's last fight as he finally decided to call it a day after failing to get a rematch with Hughes.
Featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion.
Born in Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
on the 28th of June 1970, Shepherd began boxing at the age of twelve becoming a British ABA
Amateur Boxing Association of England
The Amateur Boxing Association of England is the governing body of amateur boxing clubs in England. There are separate organisations for Scotland and Wales with boxing in Northern Ireland being organised on an All-Ireland basis. The Association was founded in 1880...
champion aged fifteen.
Shepherd moved to Cumbria when he was sixteen and made a winning professional debut in 1991.
After several impressive performances Shepherd earned a crack at the British Super Featherweight title in 1996 against PJ Gallagher.
The fight was a classic with Gallagher somehow managing to hang on for a controversial half point victory after Shepherd had sent him crashing to the canvas in the twelth round.
The British Boxing Board of Control ordered an immediate rematch but Gallagher chose to relinguish the title rather than face Shepherd a second time.
The fight went on to be awarded the British Boxing Board of Control's 'Fight Of The Year' at their annual award ceremony.
In 1997 Shepherd defeated Dave McHale to finally claim the British Super Featherweight title and at the same time become Cumbria's first ever boxing champion.
In one of the most one sided fights seen Shepherd floored McHale twice in the first round and eventually knocked his opponent clean out of the ring in the tenth.
Shepherd successfully defended the title against Matt Brown only two months later.
Shepherd then went on to successfully defend the title a third time in 1998 against Peter Judson at The Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
winning a coveted Lonsdale Belt
Lonsdale belt
The Lonsdale Belt was a boxing prize introduced by Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, to be awarded to British boxing champions. It is still awarded to British champions today.-National Sporting Club:...
in the process.
A year later and Shepherd claimed the Commonwealth Super Featherweight title in his adopted home city of Carlisle after knocking out Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
's Trust Ndlovu in the sixth round.
Shepherd defended the title in the same year against the Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian Smith Odoom and was again victorious winning comprehensively on points.
In July 1999 Shepherd faced his greatest challenge when he fought the legendary American boxer Tom "Boom Boom" Johnson
Tom Johnson (boxer)
Tom Johnson was a boxer in the Featherweight division. Known as "Boom boom" ,Johnson turned pro in 1986 and in 1991 challenged Manuel Medina for the IBF Featherweight Title, losing a technical decision. In 1993 he rematched Medina and was able to win the title with a narrow split decision victory...
for the vacant IBO World Super Featherweight title but claimed a famous victory on points against his much fancied opponent.
Around this time talks had progressed regarding the possibilty of Shepherd dropping a weight to featherweight and fighting the biggest name in boxing a certain Naseem Hamed and it was with this in mind that Shepherd entered the ring weighing in at only nine stone and half a pound when he made the first defence of his world title against Affif Djelti in February 2000.
Despite knocking the Frenchman out of the ring in the first round Shepherd suffered a shock loss losing by way of TKO in round six.
Shepherd later acknowledged that "trying to show i could make featherweight was a big mistake and cost me my title".
Although he made a successful comeback four months later when he beat the Ukrainian Rakhim Mingaleev on points to claim the IBO Inter-Continental Super Featherweight title, Shepherd decided to retire after failing to get the rematch he craved against Djelti.
After six months out of boxing Shepherd decided to make a comeback as a lightweight and after winning a couple of warm up fights he challenged Barry Hughes for the WBU International title in Hughes's home city of Glasgow.
The fight ended controversially in a majority draw even though one of the judges had Shepherd winning by six rounds.
This was to be Shepherd's last fight as he finally decided to call it a day after failing to get a rematch with Hughes.