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Tommy Tucker was a heavyweight boxer and pub landlord who lived in Bamber Bridge in Lancashire. He was born in Preston on 1st April, 1902, with the name Thomas Fletcher. It was claimed the name Tommy Tucker arose from a childhood stammer when he was made to recite the Little Tommy Tucker nursery rhyme over and over.
Following a fairly successful boxing career up to May, 1932 (13 wins, 6 losses) he went on to a run of ten matches without a win. He was a well known personality in the locality, a local hero, up to the time of his death. The biggest crowd he attracted was a boxing match against Australian Jack O’Malley, who beat him on points at the Preston North End ground, Deepdale, in front of 7,000 people.
After a points loss to George Stockton in May, 1934, he decided to take a temporary break from boxing. A few days earlier he and his wife, Mary, had taken over as licensee at Schools Lane Hotel in Bamber Bridge. When the licence was granted the police described him as “A very suitable man for the job.”
During his first year running the public house his weight increased to eighteen stones.
Tommy had hopes to return as a boxer but turned to wrestling as part of his fitness regime to reduce his weight to fourteen stones. He returned to the ring in May, 1935, as a wrestler, and there was no going back to the boxing. He made his debut in Nelson on 30th May, knocking out The Terrible Turk. In a twelve round match the Terrible Turk was carried to his corner, nose and mouth bleeding, at the end of the third round. He came out for the fourth but was immediately floored by Tommy.
Tommy Tucker the wrestler was on his way. Although he never achieved great acclaim as a wrestler his local status did gain him some success in the wrestling rings with matches against Billy Riley, Alan Garfield, Arthur Beaumont and Francis Sullivan. He continued wrestling until the early 1950s and mine host at the Schools Lane Hotel, locally known as Tommy Tuckers bar.
Outside the ring Tommy had an interest in soccer, and played as goalkeeper for Dick, Kerr & Company, the engineering and transport firm. A religious man he was also a Methodist preacher.
Tommy Tucker died in 1959.
Page added 04/09/2022
Page reviewed 18/03/2024
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