A silver-gilt and enamel Lord Lonsdale Challenge Boxing Belt awarded to Bunny Sterling, hallmarked M...
A silver-gilt and enamel Lord Lonsdale Challenge Boxing Belt awarded to Bunny Sterling, hallmarked Mappin & Webb, Sheffield, 1967, the centre of the belt set with an enamel portrait plaque of Lord Lonsdale, the reverse of which is inscribed THIS BELT IS THE SOLE PROPERTY OF BUNNY STERLING WHO HAS WON THE MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF GT. BRITAIN THREE TIMES, four smaller plaques decorated with British emblems of rose, thistle, daffodil & shamrock, two enamelled plaques depicting boxing scenes, set with six presentation plaques inscribed with details of contests comprising Jonny Pritchett 26.2.68, Les McAteer 14.7.69, Mark Rowe 12.5.70 & Bunny Sterling 6.9.70, 19.9.72 & 17.1.73, all joined by elongated oval links with original red, white & blue silk backing, 91.5cm., 36in.; sold with a copy of John Harding's book Lonsdale's belt, including a full account og Sterling's achievements (2) footnote Bunny Sterling was the first black West Indian immigrant boxer to hold a British professional boxing title, when crowned Middleweight Champion in 1970. This was the first step in a process that would see a host of black boxers emerge in Britain in subsequent years.