Page 6 - Boxing News Magazine (January 2020)

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LETTERS

LETTER OF THE WEEK

R.I.P RONNIE ROWE

VERY sad news to start the new training and managing the Dickinson retirement. He was a British champion
year. Ronnie Rowe passed away brothers as well as several other highly and was so unlucky not to be crowned
on Monday morning (January regarded young pros like Jamie Humble. European champion on three different
6) at the awfully early age of 62. He was When pancreatic cancer was diagnosed, occasions – all of which I was sat ringside
one of the sport’s gentlemen and will be Ronnie was laid very low and obliged supporting him. I’ve been lucky enough
a sad loss to Northern Area boxing in to close the Fighting Chance gym and to meet Lenny and get to know him. He
particular. Ronnie was a good amateur his head trainer, Gary Barr – with him was such a great professional not only
middleweight in the 1970s and ‘80s with since their Birtley days – moved to the in the ring but also outside the ring. He
Grainger Park in Newcastle and did a MTK operation at whose gym Ronnie will be sorely missed by all his fans. I wish
marvellous job building up the Birtley would frequently be found as he fought him a happy retirement.
ABC, as it then was, training the seniors. the disease so hard and, for some while, John Courtman
Among his main successes there were apparently successfully. A personal
Jon-Lewis and Travis Dickinson and piece of serendipity for me was that, the TIME TO CALL IT A DAY?
Martin Ward. Ronnie was also a decent Northern Area Council having chosen UNLIKE a lot of his fellow Cubans,
rugby player for Chester-le-Street RFC Ronnie as the 2018 recipient, I was able Yuriorkis Gamboa is offensively minded
but his boxing career was finished, along to present him with the Maurice Cullen and rarely in a dull fight. Maybe if he
with any possible professional ambitions, trophy in May of that year. R.I.P, Ronnie. had been more active in his prime he
by an off-field accident on a tour to the I and so many others will miss you. would have been touted as a potential
north west. He applied to the Board for David Venn rival to the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko.
a Trainer/Second’s licence in April 2010 He is a great fighter who I have always
and for a manager’s licence in October HAPPY RETIREMENT, LENNY enjoyed watching, but I hope he calls it HIGHLY REGARDED:
2013, setting up the excellent Fighting AS a massive fan of Lenny Daws, I was a day now. Rowe with one of
his ighters,
Chance gym in Felling, Gateshead and gutted to hear the news of his recent Jamie Ingleby
Jon-Lewis Dickinson
Photo: ACTION IMAGES/JOHN CLIFTON

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