Nobby Baker didn’t train in an up-to-date gym with
lockers and hot and cold showers, but he
averaged a fight a week for years clocking
up over 600 fights during his boxing career.
His first training sessions were at the
Colliers Arms, Trealaw with the legendary
fighter John T. Alsop who won a Lonsdale
belt. Nobby used to say he was an ‘absolute
masterpiece’.
While working as a collier at
the Glamorgan collieries, in Llwynypia, he
frequently took part in two or three bouts
in ten days. He worked hard and fought
enthusiastically over 12 and 15 rounds
against the best in Britain. Baker boxed
novices, upcoming, present and future
champions during his career. He appeared at
boxing booths, small workingmen’s clubs, at
open air shows and at best, halls in the
country. A real crowd pleaser, The Toy
Bulldog purveyed his fistic talent for small
purses, but also for some really good money
for the days in which he boxed.
During the depression era, he fought in top-of-the-bill contests
for the equivalent of £10-£25 and took the attitude that it was
better to box regularly for purse money like that than to remain
idle and to pay sparring partners when he had to get boxing fit.
One of Nobby’s most sensational feats was acting as a substitute
for
Selwyn Davies and going to Premierland to defeat London’s Nipper
Pat Daly, (then looked upon as a future champion) in the 13th
round.
Between the two world wars, Nobby fought David Wilde, the son of
the great Jimmy Wilde at a Cardiff show. It was Jimmy shouting
instructions to David, which gave Nobby tips on the right way to
handle David. Think of any prominent featherweight or
lightweight of the 1930’s and it’s even money that Nobby met
them at least once. Nobby was a big favourite at Judges Hall,
Trealaw and the skating rink in Tonypandy. He always seemed to
have a rival; there was Gordon Cook (Penygraig), Walt Saunders (Clydach
Vale), Donald Jones (Penygraig & London) and the Trealaw pair,
Ivor Drew and Dick Owen to name a few. Nobby must have had great
satisfaction in knocking out Matt Powell (Penygraig) who was
billed as the knockout king and who could really punch.
Nobby had also won the greatest battle of his career. He went
back to work at the surface of the colliery after medical
opinion thought he would never do so again. He sustained a
spinal injury while working underground in 1946 and was encased
in plaster of paris for a long time. This cut short his boxing
career even at the age of 39. A benefit fund was opened for the
Trealaw battler, who used to fight to help the soup kitchens in
the Rhondda’s grim days of 1926 by using the spectators money to
buy food.
Nobby
used to say of his boxing days that Billy Quinlan (Ammanford), a
lightweight champion, was the best man I ever fought in Wales.
He was really smart and knew all the moves.’ Then Arnold Kid
Shepherd (Ferndale) and Walt Saunders, were pretty useful too.’
He also said that the best masseur and trainer to get you fit in
the Rhondda was Rees Henry (Trealaw) and that Swansea’s Ronnie
James (also Australia), was the best puncher he’d met. ‘I never
saw his punch which put me in queer street’ said Nobby.
The Trealaw boy was a popular performer in fight venues
throughout the mining valleys. In one hectic fortnight, Nobby
defeated George Francombe, Tommy Williams and Curly Edwards.
Shared honours with Billy Granelli and Tommy Edwards and then
fought Darkie Williams to wind up a busy fortnight. No wonder
Nobby declared, ‘It’s better to keep busy and to remain at peak
form rather than to rust away and lose all form.’ |