George Merritt (Silvertown)
Born: 12/1914, Silvertown, London
Died: 05/2007
One of three boxing brothers, George cut his teeth on a fairground boxing booth before turning pro, having never boxed amateur. He had his first proper pro fight in 1932 and boxed until 1945. There are 141 bouts on his record, but it is reckoned more go unrecorded.
Ever ready to box at a moment's notice, George and his elder brother Curly were a promoter's dream. They trained together in a makeshift gym at the back of the family's greengrocer's shop, opposite Silvertown's Tate & Lyle factory. Once, while sparring there, George broke Curly's jaw just days before Curly was due to fight 12 rounds. George agreed to take his brother's place, despite having been booked for his own 12-rounder the night before. Unperturbed, George kept both appointments, boxing a draw in the first fight and winning the second on points.
George beat Con Flynn (Islington), Bill Curran (Walton), Harry Davis (Bethnal Green), Arnold Kid Sheppard (Wales) and many more. He was one of London's last surviving pre-war pro boxers.
Recorded fights
Won: 59
Lost: 53
Drawn: 30
Divisions fought in
Welterweight