David Pearce (boxer)


David 'Bomber' Pearce was a British heavyweight boxing champion.
Pearce, known as 'The Welsh Rocky', was one of a quartet of exciting British heavyweights in the 1980s, along with Frank Bruno, John L. Gardner and Noel Quarless, who held out the possibility of a future British heavyweight world champion.
He held both the Welsh and the British Heavyweight titles and held the number one World Cruiserweight ranking from September 1983 to September 1985. In all he won 17 of his 21 professional bouts, losing 3 with 1 drawn. He also won 2 of his 3 unsanctioned boxing bouts.
David "Bomber" Pearce while still in his prime was due to fight Buster Douglas in Columbus, Ohio, USA, but the bout was cancelled on 3 hrs notice by the BBBoC whilst Pearce was warming up in the changing room. Donnie Long, replaced Pearce, Buster Douglas had fought for the
IBF World heavyweight title in his previous bout.
Pearce was seen as the first real Cruiserweight from Great Britain, but due to the British Boxing Board of Control reluctance to recognise the division, he was unable to fight for the WBA Cruiserweight title in 1983 after signing the contracts with promoter Morgans Palle. Subsequently the BBBoC recognised the Cruiserweight division in 1985, one year after Pearce was forced to retire on medical grounds. David Pearce was voted, in The Ring magazine, in the top ten of unluckiest boxers never to win a World title. Pearce was hugely disadvantaged at that time, however he defeated a number of top heavyweights, by knockout, in his short career, including Mal Tetley, Bobby Hennessey, Winston Allen, Denton Ruddock, Theo Josephs, Larry McDonald, Ishaq Hussain, Dennis Andries, Gordon Ferris, Albert Syben, Neville Meade and John Tate. The tragedy of Pearce is that he was medically retired when just entering his physical prime.

Biographical details

Pearce, born in Pillgwenlly, Newport, Gwent, was one of nine children: seven brothers, six of whom boxed professionally, and one who was a professional dancer, and two sisters.
He boxed out of St Josephs ABC in Pillgwenlly, Newport and coached junior and senior boxers at Alway ABC in Newport before his death.
Soon after his final unsanctioned boxing fight in 1994, in California, Pearce became seriously ill, in later years developing epilepsy. There was no specific evidence that this had been brought on by repeated blows to the head, but he immediately retired from boxing on medical advice. He died 7 years later, at the age of 41, due to SADS. The South Wales Argus described him as "Newport's most famous boxer." Around 2,000 people attended his funeral in Newport at Stow Hill Cemetery.

Boxing career achievements

Pearce took a fight with Percell Davis on 2 days notice, even though he was a shadow of his former self he still showed tremendous heart and was courageous in defeat. The referee stopped the fight in Rd 8 with Pearce still on his feet. The American TV commentators said they had not seen such bravery in a boxing ring.
Pearce later had a second wind and decided to train for 6 months in his final comeback in America after his unprepared previous trip to the states.
David "Bomber" Pearce knocked out John Tate, and Mary Konate, in 1 and 3 rounds respectively, in unsanctioned bouts in Bakersfield, California in 1994. This was reported by Mr John Francis of the South Wales Argus.

Other notable boxing facts

BBBofC British Heavyweight Title.

Pearce Brothers

Pearce has been name-checked in a number of books, including Diana Dors' A-Z of Men, Bartley Gorman and Peter Walsh's King of the Gypsies and Leighton Frayne's The Frayne Brothers. Paddy Monaghan's "TheSunshine in my life".
Pearce's family relative Luke Pearce has donated 61 copies of a portrait of Pearce, to be installed at well-known locations in Newport and the rest of Wales and the UK. Including 3 overseas locations.
Boxing News, the UK's biggest boxing magazine, supported the campaign for a Pearce statue. In 2016 The David 'Bomber' Pearce Statue Fund was given permission to erect a bronze sculpture to commemorate Pearce in Newport City Centre. On the 9 June 2018 a life-sized sculpture of Pearce, by Laury Dizengremel, was unveiled at Newport riverfront.
A charitable organisation named #NewportsRocky was set up to support local community projects in the South Wales area.

Gallery