Phineas John

Phineas Gladney John (1910–1985) was a Welsh professional boxer who fought from 1927 and 1940. John ended his career as a featherweight, but in his early professional bouts, he fought as a flyweight before increasing to bantamweight. Soon after he turned professional John competed for area titles, taking the Welsh flyweight belt in 1928 and then the Welsh bantamweight in 1929. After 1929 John failed to pursue any further titles, but continued fighting across the United Kingdom, ending his career with at least 242 professional fights.

History Rhondda born Phineas John, turned professional around 1926, fighting local fighters in the Glamorgan area of south Wales, mainly in Bridgend and Pontypridd. The Welsh Boxing Association wrote to the British Boxing Board of Control who decided the fight should not take place. His winning streak was stopped on 22 April 1929, when he faced Jackie Brown at the National Sporting Club. John lost on points to Brown, who later that year would become British flyweight champion. John faced further disappointment that year when he lost his Welsh flyweight title to Freddy Morgan on 22 July.

John responded to his title loss by moving up a weight division to bantamweight. His first bout at his new weight saw him take the Welsh Area bantamweight title from Cuthbert Taylor in a contest on 2 September 1929 at Pontypridd. By 1930 John had moved up the weights again, settling at featherweight. He took on-board manager Ted Broadribb, and in 1931 John moved his family to London and centred his boxing career there. His time fighting out of London was very successful winning 19 out of 25 fights, with only three losses. Of those three losses two were against Benny Sharkey. In April 1932, John travelled to South Africa, where he undertook three fights at City Hall in Johannesburg. He won all three bouts, including a points win over South African featherweight champion Willie Smith and future South African champion, Len McLoughlin. On his return to Great Britain, John fought another six times that year, with patchy results; winning three but losing against Ginger Jones, Seaman Tommy Watson and another defeat at the hands of Benny Sharkey.

In 1933, the News Chronicle and the Sporting Life set up a knockout contest between 16 featherweight contenders, to find a challenger to face British champion Nel Tarleton. The challenge for the British title against Tarleton didn't occur, as both men were managed by Broadribb and the fight was never on. On his return from Australia, John's form suffered, finishing 1934 with losses to Johnny King, Dick Corbett and Cuthbert Taylor. His form didn't recover until 1938 when he lost only four of his seventeen bouts, which saw John defeat the likes of George Marsden and Tommy Hyams.

John continued to box until 1940, ending his career fighting in exhibition boxes for the armed forces.