Dennis Avoth pugile

Dennis Avoth (born 25 October 1947) is a retired Egypt-born heavyweight boxer. Avoth was a promising amateur boxer who turned professional in 1967. He held the Welsh Heavyweight Championship title from 1971 to 1973. He is the brother of Eddie Avoth, who was also a boxer and who became British, and Commonwealth Light-heavyweight champion, and European Light-heavyweight challenger.Avoth boxed out of the Victoria Park boxing club as a youth, and whilst still a teenager, he won the Welsh Amateur Boxing Association title, beating Del Phillips, who at 6 ft 5ins was seven inches taller than Avoth. The Welsh title allowed Avoth to enter the European championships, but was forced to retire after a torn rib ligament.Avoth turned professional in 1967 and like Eddie Avoth, his older brother before him, he joined the stable of Merthyr based trainer, Eddie Thomas. Avoth's first professional bout was against London-based fighter Doyley Brown at Grosvenor House in Mayfair, an undercard to a Ken Buchanan match. Avoth stopped his opponent via technical knockout in the fifth of the six round fight. This was the first in a string of seven unbeaten fights, including a victory over Paul Brown at the National Sporting Club in January 1968. Despite this promising start, his allusions of following his brother as a major contender were broken by four straight loses.Avoth was back to winning ways in the first half of 1969, remaining unbeaten in six fights, though all were through points decision. His run was broken in May when he faced future British heavyweight champion Bunny Johnson at the Midlands Sporting Club in Solihull. The eight round fight went the full distance, with the bout being awarded to Johnson. This was followed by a draw against his amateur title opponent Del Phillips, before Avoth again faced a future British heavyweight champion, Danny McAlinden. The fight against McAlinden was part of a national heavyweight competition held in Mayfair, London for a prize of £1,000. The eight-man knockout contest was scheduled for three rounds per bout and Avoth faced Manchester-based fighter Obe Hepburn in the quarter finals. After beating Hepburn on points, he then beat Billy Wynter by the same decision in the semi-final. The other semi-final was between McAlinden and another future champion, Richard Dunn. McAlinden knocked out Dunn in the first round, and then managed to stop Avoth in the final again in the first round, but this time via technical knockout. Avoth fought once more in 1969, a loss to Central Area champion, Billy Aird, before readjusting his sights on a new challenge, the Welsh heavyweight title, held by North Walian Carl Gizzi.