Jimmy Batten dead at 70: British champion boxer who was forced into retirement with brain damage passes away

SportBoxing FAMOUS British boxer Jimmy Batten, 70, has sadly passed away. Batten, one of the sport’s great characters in the 1970s and early 80s, had been battling Parkinson’s disease and the effects of brain damage from his boxing career for many years. Roberto Duran fights Jimmy Batten in a 10 round welterweight fight in Florida Credit: Getty Light-middleweight boxer Jimmy Batten making fists shirtless back in 1977 Credit: Getty He started the sweet science at the age of six and was a member of Terry Lawless’ famous London gym. Names like John H. Stracey, Maurice Hope, Charlie Magri, Kirkland Laing, Jim Watt, and Mark Kaylor all hailed from the same gym. Stracey said on social media: “So sad to hear about my dear friend Jimmy Batten passing away. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! “My great stablemate and sparring partner of many, many years… God bless you, my friend.” Although he never won a world title, he was the British light-middleweight champion for nearly three years in the late 70s. Many would argue that was the peak of his powers, but the apex of his career was undoubtedly the showdown with Roberto Duran in 1982. Past his prime, he was thrown in with the legendary Duran in only six months after being stopped in the opening round by Mario Maldonado. But the lovable East-Londoner lasted the full 10 rounds, eventually losing via unanimous decision after giving it everything he had – even suffering three broken ribs in the process. He simply refused to yield. His last fight came 12 months later, stopped in six by Prince Rodney giving him a final record that read 40-9 (20 KOs). Most read in Sport He was the British light-middleweight champion for a number of years Credit: Getty Batten battled bravely with Parkinson’s disease in his later years Credit: The Times Towards the end of his career and certainly post Duran, there were already concerns that the sport had taken too much from his health. In retirement he had some success as an actor in small roles that carried on into the 90s, but he needed to attend speech therapy to cope with the brain damage he continued to endure. His most notable appearances came in The Krays and The Bill. In his final years when the hangover from his boxing career really took ahold, he worked as a stand-up comedian and briefly as a doorman before an altercation with three customers led him to a short stint in prison. He then returned to his beloved sport and worked as a boxing trainer. Comment now