John Conteh TKO over Chris Finnegan, 1974

John Conteh’s win over Chris Finnegan on May 21, 1974 was a rematch between two of Britain’s best-known light heavyweights and a defense of three regional titles at Wembley’s Empire Pool in London. BoxRec lists Conteh as entering the bout with a 24-1-0 record and Finnegan at 26-5-1. The result was recorded as a technical knockout for Conteh in the sixth round, moving him to 25-1-0. The stoppage came in a fight that was not settled by a single knockdown. BoxRec’s bout notes say Finnegan suffered a cut on the scalp above his right ear from a head clash in the sixth round and had also been cut over the left eye in the fifth. Referee Roland Dakin stopped the contest at 2:25 of round six. ### Why was Conteh-Finnegan a notable fight in Britain? Chris Finnegan was already a major British boxing name by 1974. (boxrec.com) He had won Olympic gold for Great Britain at the 1968 Mexico City Games, and his first fight with Conteh in May 1973 had been for the Commonwealth light-heavyweight title. In that first meeting, BoxRec says Conteh won a 15-round points decision and took Finnegan’s British and Commonwealth belts. John Conteh was 22 when he fought Finnegan in the rematch and had already become a leading figure in British boxing. Wikipedia’s career summary, which matches the broad chronology in boxing records, says Conteh held the European, British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles between 1973 and 1974. The Finnegan rematch was part of that run. ### What exactly was on the line at Wembley? (boxrec.com) BoxRec’s event listing shows the May 21, 1974 fight was contested for the BBBofC British light-heavyweight title, the Commonwealth Boxing Council light-heavyweight title and the European Boxing Union light-heavyweight title. Conteh was defending the collection of belts he had built in the division before moving to world level later that year. The venue was also familiar territory. (en.wikipedia.org) The Empire Pool in Wembley, London, appears in BoxRec both for the Finnegan rematch in May 1974 and for Conteh’s later world-title win in October 1974. That made Wembley the site of two of the key fights in Conteh’s rise. ### Was this the fight that made Conteh a world champion? October 1, 1974 was the date Conteh became WBC light-heavyweight champion, not May 21. (boxrec.com) The World Boxing Council’s historical recap says Conteh beat Argentina’s Jorge Ahumada by unanimous decision over 15 rounds for the vacant title after Bob Foster relinquished it. The fight was also held at Wembley’s Empire Pool. Wikipedia’s career summary says Conteh held the WBC light-heavyweight title from 1974 to 1977. The Finnegan stoppage therefore sits as a late regional-title defense that immediately preceded his move into a vacant world-title fight later the same year. ### What should readers take from the record today? BoxRec’s record page is the clearest check on the social-media recap: Conteh’s record did improve to 25-1-0 with the Finnegan win, and the result is officially listed as a sixth-round technical knockout. (wbcboxing.com) The same record notes the stoppage was tied to cuts suffered by Finnegan. The next milestone in the timeline came on October 1, 1974, when Conteh met Jorge Ahumada for the vacant WBC title at Wembley’s Empire Pool. (en.wikipedia.org) WBC and BoxRec records both place that bout as the fight that made Conteh world champion. (wbcboxing.com) (boxrec.com)