Noel Wilders (born 4 January 1975) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2006. He held the IBO bantamweight title in 2000 and challenged once for the same title in 2004.[1] At regional level, he held the British bantamweight title from 1999 to 2000[2] and the EBU European bantamweight title from 2003.[3]

Noel Wilders
Born (1975-01-04) 4 January 1975 (age 49)
Castleford, England
NationalityBritish
Statistics
Weight(s)Bantamweight
Height5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
StanceSouthpaw
Boxing record
Total fights29
Wins24
Wins by KO7
Losses4
Draws1

Career

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Born in Castleford, Yorkshire, Wilders first had success as an amateur, winning the ABA bantamweight title in 1995.[4]

He made his professional debut in March 1996 with a fourth round stoppage of Neil Parry. In February 1998 he beat Marcus Duncan to win the vacant BBBofC Central Area bantamweight title.

After beating Ady Lewis in a final eliminator he beat Francis Ampofo on points in October 1999 to take the vacant British title.[4] He made a successful defence in January 2000 against Steve Williams.

In March 2000 he faced Kamel Guerfi for the vacant IBO World bantamweight title, winning on points.[4] He successfully defended the title four months later against Paul Lloyd. Later that year he was prevented from boxing and stripped of his titles after a problem with a routine brain scan.[5]

He regained his licence and after splitting from promoter Frank Warren after a string of cancelled fights, in January 2003 beat Fabien Guillerme in Nice to win the vacant European bantamweight title.[5][6] Two months later he defended the title against Frédéric Patrac, the fight ending in a technical draw after an accidental clash of heads left Wilders badly cut.[7] In June 2003 he made a second defence against David Guerault. Guerault knocked him out in the seventh round, inflicting the first defeat of Wilders' career.[8][4]

In August 2004 Wilders attempted to regain the IBO World title when he challenged the unbeaten Silence Mabuza in Temba, South Africa;[9] Mabuza knocked him out in the fifth round.

Wilders returned in May 2005 at super bantamweight when he was beaten by Esham Pickering,[10] and in October was due to face Bernard Dunne for the IBC super bantamweight title, but had to withdraw.[11] He decided to retire but reversed his decision and faced Dunne in what was his final fight in January 2006, Dunne stopping him in the sixth round.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "BoxRec: Title". boxrec.com. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  2. ^ "BoxRec: Title". boxrec.com. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  3. ^ "BoxRec: Title". boxrec.com. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d "Former champ Wilders back on world title trail", Yorkshire Evening Post, 17 January 2004. Retrieved 19 October 2015
  5. ^ a b "Wilders claims European title", BBC, 28 January 2003. Retrieved 19 October 2015
  6. ^ "Wilders shows his class in French test", Yorkshire Evening Post, 29 January 2003. Retrieved 19 October 2015
  7. ^ "Cut ends Wilders fight", BBC, 18 March 2003. Retrieved 19 October 2015
  8. ^ "Results from 2003", BBC, 4 January 2004. Retrieved 19 October 2015
  9. ^ "Silence could be golden for ace Wilders", Yorkshire Evening Post, 29 July 2004. Retrieved 19 October 2015
  10. ^ "Esham eases to win ahead of title fight", The Star, 9 May 2005. Retrieved 19 October 2015
  11. ^ "Dunne to take on Wilders in Dublin bout", RTÉ, 14 June 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2015
  12. ^ Dunne, Bernard (2010) My Story, Penguin, ISBN 978-1844882571
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