Lee Haskins
Encyclopedia
Lee Haskins is a British professional boxer
from Bristol
in England
who has fought in the Flyweight
, Super Flyweight
and Bantamweight
divisions. He is a former English
and Commonwealth
flyweight champion and the reigning British super flyweight champion.
the home of Bristol City Football Club. In his very next contest he defeated future British champion Chris Edwards
this time over 6 rounds at the same venue. By the time he had compiled a winning ledger of 9-0 he challenged journeyman
fighter Delroy Spencer for the English Flyweight title and claimed the belt after Spencer retired after the third round of the 10 round contest. In February 2006 almost three years from his professional debut and now with a winning record of 13-0 Haskins challenged the Tanzanian fighter Anthony Mathias for the vacant Commonwealth Flyweight title. He stopped Mathias in the 2nd round at The Pavilions in Plymouth
to pick up his second career title.
In October 2006 Haskins chose to move up a weight division and compete for the Commonwealth Bantamweight title. The current champion, another South African called Tshifhiwa Munyai
had claimed the belt with an upset win over British Bantamweight title holder Martin Power
. Going into the fight Haskins was confident saying “I think he's gonna come in and try to take me out. That's what I want. I've changed a few things, and hopefully it'll work on the night.” The fight which was Haskins debut at the York Hall
in London
ended in the 6th round with Munyai scoring a tko.
. The fight once again proved to be a disappointment for Haskins with ringside reporters claiming he was looking tired before he retired hurt with an arm injury in the 7th round, handing the feather-fisted Napa the only knockout win of his career. in March 2008 Haskins put the memory of defeat behind him by scoring a win over former British title challenger Jamie McDonnell
over 8 rounds in Barnsley
. The win set him up for another crack at a title, this time against the British Super-Flyweight champion Andy Bell
. The fight with Bell took place in November 2008 and ended with a unanimous points decision for the Bristolian in what was considered to be a close fight. Speaking after the fight Haskins paid tribute to his opponent saying "I don't know what to say. It feels great. I knew Andy Bell is a great fighter, he is very tough. He hits hard as well and it just feels great to be champion" On 10 July 2009 Haskins defended his belt for the first time against Sheffield's Ross Burkinshaw, winning in the 4th round.
on points in Newport
, Wales
and becoming a two weight Commonwealth champion. Haskins claimed the belt having scored a unanimous points victory on all three judges scorecards in what was described as a 'scrappy' contest. Following the fight Haskins was scheduled to face Italian Andrea Sarritzu for the European title at super flyweight only for the contest to be called off on a total of four occasions, another fight against the Frenchman Karim Guerfi also fell through after the fighters failed to agree terms. The delays meant that Haskins was out of the ring for over a year until on 30 April 2011 he met Bulgarian boxer Fikret Remziev over six rounds, scoring a fourth round stoppage, at the Olympiad Leisure Centre in Chippenham
. Speaking about the delays promoter Chris Sanigar described the period as being "very frustrating" and said that he'd like to see Haskins fight for the British title again with a view to stepping up to Bantamweight to challenge Jamie McDonnell
at some point in the future. To add to Haskin's disappointment, he was stripped of the Commonwealth belt after failing to defend it.
On 14 July 2011, Haskins traveled to Morocco to except a short notice challenge for the WBA Inter continental and the IBF International bantamweight titles. His opponent, Mohamed Bouleghcha had won the titles in April and as the fight was at bantamweight meant that Haskins would have to not only concede home advantage but also weight advantage as he had not fought in the division for four years. Haskins won a victory over 12 rounds, including two knockdowns, and said that the victory represented that he was now ready for the world stage.
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...
from Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
who has fought in the Flyweight
Flyweight
Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing less than 112 lb but above 108 lb .-Professional boxing:...
, Super Flyweight
Super Flyweight
Super flyweight is a weight division in professional boxing. It is alternatively referred to as junior bantamweight and light bantamweight...
and Bantamweight
Bantamweight
Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
divisions. He is a former English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
flyweight champion and the reigning British super flyweight champion.
Early career
Haskins made his professional debut in March 2003 when he took on and defeated Ankar Miah stopping him in the first round at Ashton GateAshton Gate
Ashton Gate Stadium is a stadium in Ashton Gate, Bristol, England, and is the home of Bristol City F.C. Located in the south-west of the city, just south of the River Avon, it has an all-seated capacity of 21,497, with an effective capacity for football matches of around 19,500, with an average...
the home of Bristol City Football Club. In his very next contest he defeated future British champion Chris Edwards
Chris Edwards (boxer)
Chris Edwards is an English professional boxer who competes in the flyweight and Super flyweight divisions. He comes from Stoke-on-Trent and is the current British and Commonwealth flyweight champion having previously held the British title at Super flyweight....
this time over 6 rounds at the same venue. By the time he had compiled a winning ledger of 9-0 he challenged journeyman
Journeyman (boxing)
A journeyman boxer is defined as a fighter who has adequate boxing skill, but does not have the caliber of a contender or gatekeeper. Outside of boxing, a "journeyman" is a trader or crafter who has completed an apprenticeship, but is not at the level of a master craftsman...
fighter Delroy Spencer for the English Flyweight title and claimed the belt after Spencer retired after the third round of the 10 round contest. In February 2006 almost three years from his professional debut and now with a winning record of 13-0 Haskins challenged the Tanzanian fighter Anthony Mathias for the vacant Commonwealth Flyweight title. He stopped Mathias in the 2nd round at The Pavilions in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
to pick up his second career title.
Commonwealth title fights
Following the victory over Mathias, Haskins returned to Bristol just two months later for his first defence against South African Zolile Mbityi. The fight as reported by the BBC was often a 'messy and bad tempered affair' with Haskins never really hitting top gear. Haskins won the fight on points over 12 rounds.In October 2006 Haskins chose to move up a weight division and compete for the Commonwealth Bantamweight title. The current champion, another South African called Tshifhiwa Munyai
Tshifhiwa Munyai
Tshifhiwa Munyai is a professional boxer from South Africa who has competed in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. He is the current holder of the WBA inter-continental bantamweight title and is a former holder of the Commonwealth bantamweight title....
had claimed the belt with an upset win over British Bantamweight title holder Martin Power
Martin Power
Martin Power is an English professional boxer who fights in the bantamweight division. He is a former British champion and has twice competed for the Commonwealth title.-Early Professional Career:...
. Going into the fight Haskins was confident saying “I think he's gonna come in and try to take me out. That's what I want. I've changed a few things, and hopefully it'll work on the night.” The fight which was Haskins debut at the York Hall
York Hall
The York Hall is a health and leisure centre and one of Britain's best known boxing venues.The venue is situated on Old Ford Road in Bethnal Green, London, England. The hall, opened in 1929 with a capacity of 1,200, stages boxing as well as providing a gymnasium and swimming pool.The hall is owned...
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...
ended in the 6th round with Munyai scoring a tko.
British title challenges
Following the stoppage, Haskins next meaningful fight was almost a year later in September 2007 when he returned to the York Hall to take on new British Bantamweight holder Ian NapaIan Napa
Ian Napa is a British boxer originally from Zimbabwe but now living in London. He is the former European bantamweight champion and is a former two time holder of the British bantamweight title.-Early professional career:...
. The fight once again proved to be a disappointment for Haskins with ringside reporters claiming he was looking tired before he retired hurt with an arm injury in the 7th round, handing the feather-fisted Napa the only knockout win of his career. in March 2008 Haskins put the memory of defeat behind him by scoring a win over former British title challenger Jamie McDonnell
Jamie McDonnell
Jamie McDonnell is an English boxer who currently fights in the Bantamweight division. He is the current holder of the Commonwealth, European, and British bantamweight titles.-Professional Career:...
over 8 rounds in Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
. The win set him up for another crack at a title, this time against the British Super-Flyweight champion Andy Bell
Andy Bell (boxer)
Andy Bell is a British professional boxer from Doncaster in England. He is the former holder of the English and British super flyweight titles.-Early Professional Career:...
. The fight with Bell took place in November 2008 and ended with a unanimous points decision for the Bristolian in what was considered to be a close fight. Speaking after the fight Haskins paid tribute to his opponent saying "I don't know what to say. It feels great. I knew Andy Bell is a great fighter, he is very tough. He hits hard as well and it just feels great to be champion" On 10 July 2009 Haskins defended his belt for the first time against Sheffield's Ross Burkinshaw, winning in the 4th round.
British and Commonwealth champion
On December 11, 2009 Haskins added the Commonwealth Super Flyweight title to his collection after defeating the unbeaten Don BroadhurstDon Broadhurst
Don Broadhurst is an English professional boxer who competes in the Flyweight division. He hails from Birmingham and currently boxes for Frank Warrens Sports Network...
on points in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and becoming a two weight Commonwealth champion. Haskins claimed the belt having scored a unanimous points victory on all three judges scorecards in what was described as a 'scrappy' contest. Following the fight Haskins was scheduled to face Italian Andrea Sarritzu for the European title at super flyweight only for the contest to be called off on a total of four occasions, another fight against the Frenchman Karim Guerfi also fell through after the fighters failed to agree terms. The delays meant that Haskins was out of the ring for over a year until on 30 April 2011 he met Bulgarian boxer Fikret Remziev over six rounds, scoring a fourth round stoppage, at the Olympiad Leisure Centre in Chippenham
Chippenham
Chippenham may be:* Chippenham, Wiltshire* Chippenham * Chippenham, Cambridgeshire-See also:* Virginia State Route 150, also known as Chippenham Parkway, USA* Cippenham, Berkshire, UK...
. Speaking about the delays promoter Chris Sanigar described the period as being "very frustrating" and said that he'd like to see Haskins fight for the British title again with a view to stepping up to Bantamweight to challenge Jamie McDonnell
Jamie McDonnell
Jamie McDonnell is an English boxer who currently fights in the Bantamweight division. He is the current holder of the Commonwealth, European, and British bantamweight titles.-Professional Career:...
at some point in the future. To add to Haskin's disappointment, he was stripped of the Commonwealth belt after failing to defend it.
On 14 July 2011, Haskins traveled to Morocco to except a short notice challenge for the WBA Inter continental and the IBF International bantamweight titles. His opponent, Mohamed Bouleghcha had won the titles in April and as the fight was at bantamweight meant that Haskins would have to not only concede home advantage but also weight advantage as he had not fought in the division for four years. Haskins won a victory over 12 rounds, including two knockdowns, and said that the victory represented that he was now ready for the world stage.