Australian sports and political figures on Monday paid tribute to boxing great Lionel Rose, the first Aboriginal boxer to win a world title, who died over the weekend aged 62.
Rose, who outpointed Fighting Harada in Tokyo in 1968 at the age of 19, became a national sports hero and an icon for Australia’s indigenous community and hundreds of thousands lined Melbourne’s streets to welcome him home after his title triumph.
He was named Australian of the Year later that year, the first Aborigine to be awarded the honour and was also appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Rose went on to make three successful world bantamweight title defences against Japan’s Takao Sakurai, Mexican Chucho Castillo and Englishman Alan Rudkin before he lost the title to Mexican Ruben Olivares in a fifth-round knockout in August 1969.
Rose, who had been in ill health after suffering a stroke in 2007 that left him partially paralysed in a wheelchair and with speech difficulties, won abiding national respect for his achievements.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard described Rose as an inspirational Australian.
“Lionel Rose was an Australian champion in every sense of the word, and an inspiration to all of us,” she said in a statement on Monday.
‘Missed but never forgotten’
Aboriginal Anthony Mundine, the two-time WBA super-middleweight champion, said on Twitter: “To all my followers it’s a sad day as the best fighter in Australian history has passed, Lionel Rose. RIP mate.”
Three-time world champion Jeff Fenech said: “Lionel was not only a great fighter but a wonderful human being. He was an absolute legend and I was honoured to know him as a friend.”
Daniel Geale, who joined Rose as one of four Australian-born fighters to win a world title overseas with his victory over Sebastian Sylvester in Germany at the weekend, also paid tribute to the former champion.
“My deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Lionel Rose,” Geale said on Twitter.
“An absolute boxing legend. You will be missed mate but never forgotten.”
‘Something to fight for’
World Boxing Council (WBC) official Frank Quill said Rose was one of the first sportsmen to make a stand against the apartheid regime of South Africa.
“He became world champion at a time when, in two or three states of Australia, Aboriginal people weren’t entitled to vote,” Quill said.
Quill said Rose refused a big money fight in South Africa in 1970 at a time when he was in need of money.
“He considered the fight and if he had taken it he would have had to go there [to South Africa] as an honorary ‘white’,” Quill said.
“So he said: ‘I’m not going’.
Former Australian Boxing Federation president Brad Vocale, who is also Rose’s cousin, said Rose was an Australian sporting legend.
“He created history. He made all Australians proud, especially my [Aboriginal] race, my people,” he said.
“He made us all very, very proud. He gave us all something to fight for and something to live for.”
Rose finished his professional career after 53 fights with 42 wins, 12 of them by knockout. — AFP