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Sammy Bonnici, one of Malta’s better known boxers of the 50’s era. A true and proud stalwart of his Maltese heritage, with the eight pointed cross embroidered on his boxing shorts, throughout his career.

Sam was born in Malta on the 21st of December 1930 and emigrated to England along with his family in 1933 and in his teens joined the, St Catherine’s Amateur Boxing Club in Epson, East London.

Sam started his boxing career when he was 21 years of age under trainer / manager, Jim Pettengell. Sam showed great potential but being a south paw with a reputation of an unpredictable left hand that connected frequently with the opponents jaw, was making it exceedingly difficult to find managers willing to match their boxers with him.

Sammy’s professional debut was in July 1951 at the ‘Mile End Arena’, were he out pointed, Johnny Nicholson. Sammy had mixed fortunes for the rest of the year, he won 2 more fights, lost 2 and drew 3. In 1952 he lost to Johnny Butterworth, who at the time was rated number six in Britain. Sammy won his next three fights with Roy Paine, Jackie Turpin and Freddie Hicks , he was then outpointed by Charlie Simpkins and then he beat Stan Skinkiss and Dai Davies.

Sammy’s next fight was in September of 1952 as under-card on a major London show, with promoter Freddie Mills, against, Don Mc Taggart, this appearance was a disaster with Sammy being ruled out and the crowd showing their dis-approval.

After this Sammy remained unbeaten through out 1953 and 1954. Sammy’s winning streak ended in Milan, Italy early in 1955, when he was out pointed by, Alvaro Cerasani, this was followed by a KO win in Dukirk, over Marcel Ranvial.

In Madrid, Spain he lost to Spaniard, Fred Galiana and in his last fight on British soil he drew with Matt Fulton.

In June of 1956, Sammy went down under to Australia and immediately took on and beat the former Australian, feather weight champion, Russel Sands.

1957 turned out to be a bad year for Sammy, however he did make it on the front cover of the “Australian Ring Digest”

In 1958 he won his first four fights and then lost to George Fleming in a controversial decision, after this he retired.

Sammy Bonnici – passed away in 2002 at the age of 72.

Won 35 (KO + lost 17 (KO 1) + drawn 6 = 58