1973 archive photo of John Conteh kissing his mother surfaces

John Conteh’s latest appearance in boxing conversation came through an old ringside image, not a new bout. Social-media boxing-history accounts on May 22 circulated a 1973 photograph of the Liverpudlian kissing his mother after beating Chris Finnegan at Wembley, reviving one of the key domestic fights of the British light-heavyweight division. The image pointed back to May 22, 1973, when Conteh outpointed Finnegan over 15 rounds and left with the British, Commonwealth and European titles. A second wave of posts also recalled their rematch a year later, when Conteh stopped Finnegan in six rounds at the same venue. ### Which fight is the photo tied to? May 22, 1973, is the date attached to the photograph now being recirculated. BoxRec’s bout record says Conteh, then 21, beat Chris Finnegan on points over 15 rounds at the Empire Pool in Wembley, with referee Sid Nathan scoring it 74.25-73.5. The British, Commonwealth and European light-heavyweight titles were all at stake. (boxrec.com) Chris Finnegan entered that contest as the holder of the British and Commonwealth belts, while Conteh came in as European champion. Boxing News, looking back on the fight 50 years later, described it as a high-profile domestic matchup between Finnegan, the 1968 Olympic middleweight gold medalist, and Conteh, then a rising young contender from Liverpool. (boxrec.com) ### How did Conteh beat Finnegan that night? BoxRec’s summary of the 1973 fight says there were no knockdowns, but Conteh hurt Finnegan in the 10th and 13th rounds and opened a cut over Finnegan’s right eye. The decision gave Conteh Finnegan’s British and Commonwealth titles while preserving the European title he already held. (boxingnewsonline.net) The result sits near the start of Conteh’s most important run. BoxRec’s career listing shows the Finnegan win in May 1973 was followed by successful outings against Vicente Rondon, Baby Boy Rolle and Fred Lewis before Conteh defended the European title again in March 1974. ### Why does the 1974 rematch keep coming up with it? May 1974 is the other Conteh-Finnegan date that boxing-history accounts often pair with the 1973 image. (boxrec.com) BoxRec lists a rematch at the Empire Pool, Wembley, on May 21, 1974, with Conteh winning when the fight was stopped in the sixth round. BoxRec’s note says Finnegan suffered a cut on the scalp above the right ear, caused by a head clash in the sixth round, and also had a cut over the left eye from the fifth. (boxrec.com) The bout again involved the British, Commonwealth and European light-heavyweight titles, and it moved Conteh’s record to 25-1 at that point. ### Where does this sit in Conteh’s career? (boxrec.com) John Conteh was born in Liverpool on May 27, 1951, and went on to become one of Britain’s best-known light-heavyweights of the 1970s. His professional record stands at 34 wins, four losses and one draw, according to BoxRec. October 1974 was the next major milestone after the Finnegan rematch. Wikipedia and BoxRec both show Conteh beating Jorge Ahumada for the vacant WBC light-heavyweight title, which he held until 1977. (boxrec.com) ### Why does one old photo still resonate? Liverpool is central to the image’s afterlife. Conteh was one of the city’s most prominent postwar fighters, and the photograph captures a family moment immediately after the night he unified the main domestic and European honours available to him. (en.wikipedia.org) The picture’s circulation this week appears to have been driven by the anniversary of the May 22, 1973 fight rather than by any new event involving Conteh himself. May 27, 2026, is Conteh’s next notable date on the calendar, when he turns 75. His two fights with Finnegan, along with the October 1974 win over Ahumada for the WBC title, remain listed in the BoxRec archive and continue to anchor the anniversary posts now resurfacing online. (en.wikipedia.org) (boxrec.com)