Johnny Brown

Philip Hickman (18 July 1902 – 1 July 1976), who fought under the name Johnny Brown, was an English Jewish bantamweight boxer of the 1920s, though he fought some as a feather and lightweight. Born in Spitalfields, London he won the National Sporting Club (NSC) (subsequently known as the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC)) British bantamweight title, British Empire bantamweight title, and European Boxing Union (EBU) bantamweight title. His professional fighting weight varied from , i.e. flyweight to , i.e. featherweight., though the majority of his important fights were fought as a bantam.

Early life and career Brown was born on 18 July 1902, in St. Georges, East London, England. He was the older brother of the boxer, Young Johnny Brown , an English featherweight contender who fought in both American and England. In 1921, Brown traveled to the United States, and fought eighteen bouts that by 1922, were against the world's top bantamweights. During the mid-1920s, Brown was consistently rated among the top ten bantamweights in the world.

In an important early contest, Brown lost to Kid Davis on 26 May 1921 in the last round of a bantamweight belt competition at the Ring on Blackfriars Road in Southwork, England. Brown had had victories in contests leading to this final bout, in the previous month, and his performance in the competition marked him as a top young English bantamweight competitor, of enough skill to draw crowds in America.

Early career boxing in New England and Canada, 1921-3 Brown lost to New York's Frankie Jerome in a ten-round points decision at Dykman Oval in Manhattan, on 27 September 1921. Jerome would fight many of the best boxers of his era, and the boxing reporters took note that Brown was a quality competitor yet to make his mark.

Brown lost to New York East Side boxer Charlie Beecher on 31 January 1922 in a twelve-round points decision that served as the feature attraction of New York's Pioneer Athletic Club. The New York Times wrote that Brown fought as a willing and clever boxer with a strong punch, and "forced Beecher to extend himself to win". Brown left the ring unmarked. Beecher won the bout by establishing a points margin over his opponent with the effective use of both hands at long range and a consistent attack to the body at close quarters. In a close bout, a draw may have been the more popular decision. Beecher breezed into the lead in the tenth with blows delivered in clinches that were unpopular with the fans.

Brown defeated Tommy Murray on 16 October 1922 in an eight-round newspaper decision at the Olympia Athletic Club in Philadelphia. Murray would face quality boxers in his career including Pete Zivic, Bud Taylor, and Benny Bass, but he had only been boxing three years when he met Brown.

Taking the British, European, and Empire bantamweight titles, November, 1923 At the National Sporting Club in London, on 26 November 1923, Brown took the European, British and Commonwealth (Empire) bantamweight titles with a twenty-round decision over "Bugler" Harry Lake. Lake had held the European title since 30 July when he defeated French boxer Charles LeDoux. Though Brown took the first round, Lake forged ahead in points around the tenth. Lake floored Brown near the end of the fourteenth, and later shook him with a left and right. Brown attacked fiercely in the last four rounds, however, and managed to win by a narrow points margin, taking the Lonsdale Belt.

In his first defence, Brown defended his titles against Harry Corbett on 23 February 1925, winning in a sixteenth-round knockout at the National Sporting Club at London's Covent Gardens. Corbett was badly beaten, particularly in the last three rounds, when he was repeatedly knocked down with hard blows to the jaw. In the sixteenth, Corbett's seconds tossed in the towel, when they saw he was hopelessly beaten.

Brown defeated Frenchman André Routis, 1928 World Featherweight Champion, on 30 April 1925, in a fifth round disqualification at Royal Albert Hall in Kensington. Routis had taken the French Bantamweight title in 1924, and still held it at the time of the bout. Routis would take the Featherweight Championship of the World in 1928. Brown was initially a half pound overweight, and had to briefly exercise to lose the weight.

Tough bouts with top opponents in America and Canada, 1926 Brown lost to Carl Tremaine, a former holder of the Canadian world featherweight title, on 5 February 1926 in a ten-round points decision at the Coliseum in Toronto, Canada. The match was one sided throughout, with Brown taking a count of nine, seven times during the fighting. Brown escaped being knocked out due to his excellent conditioning.

On 14 May 1926, Brown lost to superb black American boxer Chick Suggs, in a fifth-round technical knockout at New York's Madison Square Garden. The bout was one sided throughout, with Suggs doing as he pleased, and though Brown withstood the punishment, the referee humanely stopped the bout 2:23 into the fifth round. Suggs scored no knockdowns but outboxed Brown throughout the match, cutting him around the mouth and nose.

Brown lost decisively on 11 June 1926 to Jackie Johnston, Canadian bantamweight champion, in a ten-round points decision at Maple Leaf Stadium in Toronto, Canada. Johnston dropped Brown briefly in the fourth for a no count.

In his last bout in the United States on 11 October 1926, Brown lost to Tommy Ryan, 1924 contender for the World Bantamweight Title against Abe Goldstein, in an eighth-round technical knockout at Broadway Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. Brown retired from boxing after the bout.

He died on 1 July 1976, aged 73.