The Lonsdale Belt awarded to the Welsh boxer Jack Petersen in 1933

The National Sporting Club Heavy Weight Championship Challenge Belt "The Lonsdale Belt" awarded to the Welsh boxer Jack Petersen in 1933, the 9ct gold central medallion with enamel picture of two boxers in a cartouche by Mappin & Webb with oak leaf and scroll border, flanked by two small 9ct gold rosettes, two further 9ct gold medallions with central enamel pictures of boxers training, two circular engraved medal bearing '12th July 1932 Jack Petersen defeated Reggie Meen at Wimbledon Stadium 2 rounds' and '26th January 1933 Jack Petersen defeated Jack Pettifer 12 rounds', flanked by two further 9ct gold medallions each engraved 'May 26th 1919 Frank Goddard defeated Jack Curphey 10 rounds' and 'May 14th 1923 Joe Beckett defeated Dick Smith 17 rounds' and a further 9ct gold circular medal engraved '12th July 1933 Jack Petersen defeated Jack Doyle 2 rounds', the medallions and medals connected by 9ct gold links, laid upon the red, white and blue colours, in a fitted Mappin & Webb case; sold together with a photograph of Jack Petersen wearing the Lonsdale Belt (3) Jack (John Charles) Petersen OBE TD (Welsh, 1911 - 1990), an amateur Welsh boxer having won the Welsh ABA titles at both light-heavyweight and heavyweight and the British ABA title at light-heavyweight in 1929/30. Turning professional in 1931 with his first professional fight at the Holborn Stadium, London against Bill Partridge, which he won in the fourth round through a knockout. Whilst winning his first sixteen professional fights he won the Welsh heavyweight title in 1932 through knockout against Dick Power in Greyfriars Hall, Cardiff within 21 seconds of the first round. For the British light-heavyweight title against Harry Crossley in May 1932 at the Holborn stadium, London, Petersen won on point over fifteen rounds, this title he later relinquished without defending it. In July 1932 he fought Reggie Meen for the British heavyweight title at Wimbledon Stadium, London, where he knocked out Meen in the second round, becoming the first Welshman to be British heavyweight champion, all achieved within ten months of becoming a professional boxer. Defending the title against Jack Pettifer in January 1933 at Olympia, Kensington with a knockout in the twelfth round. Petersen defended his title again against Jack Doyle, an Irish boxer from County Cork on the 12th July 1933 at White City Stadium, London, to a crowd of 30,000 approximately. The fight was ended in two rounds due to the disqualification of Doyle for repeating punching low. The third defence of the British light-heavyweight title for Petersen was against Len Harvey in November 1933 at the Royal Albert Hall, London and was lost to Harvey on points over fifteen rounds. The first defeat for Petersen in twenty-five professional fights. A re-match against Len Harvey in June 1934 at the White City Stadium, London for the British and the British Empire (Commonwealth) titles was won by Petersen in the twelfth round on a technical knockout. He defended these titles against Larry Gains in September 1934 at White City Stadium, George Hook in December 1934, Len Harvey in January 1936 at Wembley and Jock McAvoy in April 1936 at Earls Court. He lost both of the titles to South African Ben Foord in August 1936 at Leicester by a technical knockout in the third round, after which he retired at the age of twenty-five. The Lonsdale Belt (Lord Lonsdale Challenge Belt) is the oldest championship belt in British Professional Boxing introduced by Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale on behalf of the National sporting Club (NSC) in 1909 and from 1929 the British Boxing Board of Control, awarded to British boxing champions. Recipients include Freddie Welsh (1909 British Lightweight title) and Henry Cooper (Heavyweight title) the only boxer to win the coveted Lonsdale Belt three times, having won the last 9ct gold belt outright in 1959. The holder of the Lonsdale Belt under the rules of the NSC were required to defend his title within six months of a challenge and the belt became the holder's property after three successful bouts held under the auspices of the NSC, consecutive or otherwise or after it was held for three consecutive years. Outright winners would receive a NSC pension of £50 per year from the age of fifty, the holder was required to pay a deposit and insurance for the belt.