| Biography | Born Phil Hickman in St. George's, east London, he started boxing under the alias Johnny Brown so that his widowed mother wouldn't find out.
After two years as a pro Brown was offered a series of fights in the USA and Canada. Naturally, he leapt at the chance, fighting 18 times in nine months in places as far apart as Montreal and New York. Having gained some valuable experience, he returned to Britain with his heart set on a bantamweight title fight.
In August 1922, he tackled reigning champion Bugler Lake in a non-title affair but was beaten on points. Afterwards, he returned to America for a further six months' Stateside fighting, then came back to Britain, determined to try again.
This time he beat Bugler Lake on points to win both the British and European bantamweight titles. In 1925 he stopped Harry Corbett and Mick Hill in title defences, and having won a Lonsdale belt outright, set sail on a worldwide tour.
He returned to Britain in 1927 and boxed on into the 1930s. |