Dave Sands

Dave Sands (born David Ritchie; 4 February 1926 – 11 August 1952) was an Aboriginal Australian professional boxer.

The man the Americans called the "boxer with the educated left hand" received his due when he was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1998 at a ceremony held in Los Angeles, recognised as one of the greatest boxers never to have won a world title.

Sands was the 2009 Inductee for the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame Veterans category.

Early life Sands was born at Burnt Bridge near Kempsey, New South Wales. He was the fifth of eight children of George and Mabel (née Russell) Ritchie. His parents were both Aboriginal, from the Dunghutti people, and his father worked as a rodeo-rider and timber-cutter.

Sands' brothers also boxed and, in doing so emulated their father and their maternal great-uncle Bailey Russell, who had been a noted bare-knuckle fighter. At age 15, Sands joined Percy there and lived at the gym. Ultimately Sands, and his five brothers took on the Sands name, taken from train guard "Snowy" Sands who helped the travel, fare-free, to Newcastle.

Career

While training, and without Maguire's knowledge, Sands fought a four-round preliminary bout in August 1941 at Newcastle Stadium which he won in the first round. Maguire disapproved but it showed Sands skills and, by the end of 1942, he had knocked out a dozen opponents in the area and was soon boxing in twelve-round matches in front of large crowds in Brisbane and Sydney. He died of head and internal injuries that evening in the local hospital and was buried at Sandgate Cemetery, near Newcastle, New South Wales.

His portrait, by an unknown photographer, is held at the National Portrait Gallery.

Professional boxing record

Titles