1948 Fights: Lee Oma, Harringay Arena 21st September 1948

Oma

Lee Oma was something of an unknown quantity to British boxing commentators and fans. A veteran of some 80 fights, a bit of a playboy and showman, he had beaten Baksi on points, shared honours with Mauriello, and knocked out Lesnevich.

When he arrived in the UK on September 6th and started training at Jack Solomons’ West End gym, he seemed impressive enough. But when boxing journalist Norman Hurst saw Oma training the week before the fight, he reported that “one of his sparring partners, young and promising Johnny Williams of Wales, demonstrated that he can be reached with a fast left hand. It is true that Oma rode with the punches, but nevertheless they landed. Shrewd judges asked: ‘What will happen if Woodcock hits him with a couple of stiff lefts?’ In my opinion Oma will not take the liberties with Woodcock he is doing with his sparring partners.”

In his ghosted autobiography, Solomons himself records being seriously concerned about Oma’s liking for late-night gaming sessions, one of which he apparently attended the night before the fight: “imagine my feelings when, next day, he was reported to have been seen parading in Piccadilly in the early hours of the morning! When I asked him about it at the weight-in, he laughed uproariously, and told me to stop playing detective.” [Jack Solomons Tells All, 1956 p. 131]

Bruce in Training

Bruce’s training in his Plough gym was witnessed by a number of journalists and boxing commentators: The Birmingham Daily Gazette reported “Looking very fit - but perhaps a little too heavy about the legs - Woodcock soon showed himself to be in good trim. His left leads were speedy and his right-hand punches carried plenty of power, but above all the critics were impressed by the extreme accuracy with which his blows were delivered. He boxed six rounds altogether, but several of these were cut short owing to the sparring partners - among them Tommy Caswell, George Nuttall, and Canadian Gene Fowler - being in difficulties from devastating right-hand blows. Woodcock’s showing yesterday should make him favourite for the fight next week.” 

The Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer added a bit more detail: “Woodcock was in first-class condition. He faced three sparring partners - Tommy Caswell (Mitcham), Gene Fowler (a coloured Canadian, and George Nutall (Stockport) - and against each of them, Woodcock worked hard and put his weight behind his blows. Fowler, who ‘mixed it’ with the champion, was put down twice in one round and had to take time off to recover from a right to the jaw as Woodcock shadow-boxed out the remained of the round. Fowler, who saw Oma beat Joe Baksi in the United States two years ago, said: ‘Woodcock is improving every day, and he is the hardest hitter I have met. My money goes on him on Tuesday.’”

A ‘New Punch’

Even Frank Butler gave a qualified thumbs up under the headline “Bruce Has ‘New’ Punch, But -”.

Invited over to see the revitalised Bruce by “King Solomons”, who put a plane at the disposal of the elite boxing journalists, Butler groused

“But what did we see, hear, or learn of Woodcock? Nothing - or almost nothing.”

“We climbed the stairs to the barn above the stables which Bruce has converted into his personal gym. We saw a bigger Woodcock than the dazed young man who fought Baksi 18 months ago, but the sparring partners were so mediocre that in actual fact we learned nothing at all. [. . .]”

“Woodcock, looking fit and strong, at just over 14st., punched his sparring partners dizzy, and, praise be he has abandoned that ridiculous amateurish and cautious stance which caused his speedy downfall when he rose from his corner against Baksi and ‘posed’ for the Sucker Punch.”

Escape to Blyth

Perhaps to escape from such attention, Bruce’s team relocated for their final days of training to the little village of Blyth, where as usual they played a lot of dominos, as the Yorkshire Post reported:

“Blyth is a quiet little village a dozen miles from Doncaster, and Bruce Woodcock is training there for his fight with Lee Oma on Tuesday. The only person who knows why Woodcock pitched his camp at Blyth is Woodcock himself. 

All that his brother Malcolm knows is that some weeks ago Bruce announced: - ‘We’re training out town,’ and expanded this statement couple of days later into ‘We’re training in Blyth.’ All that the landlady the Red Hart knows is that Bruce’s arrival coincided inconveniently with Doncaster race week. Mrs Townsend, like good innkeeper, hates to turn anyone from her door, so she cleared the partitioned upstairs dining room into a dormitory suite for the Woodcock entourage. All that Tom Hurst, Woodcock’s manager knows is that when he and Mrs. Townsend met they asked each other simultaneously ‘Why did he come to Blyth?’

The answer seems to be that Blyth is an excellent place, for the purpose, with a rich agricultural hinterland abounding in game, poultry and rural serenity. You can see Bruce out for mushrooms and roadwork any morning at 7 a.m., and thereafter playing cricket and peggy on a field at Moore's farm, on the Nottingham road.

Towards noon you will find him having a game or dominoes in the taproom of the Red Hart, with brothers Malcolm and Billy, Pa Woodcock and Glen Harris. Everybody is in slacks and sweaters. Everybody is a bit sleepy. Hard training has been going on for several weeks. The game of dominoes wears on towards lunch. Bruce sweeps the pieces together, says: ‘Just time for another game.’ Bruce is fond of his game of dominoes.

At this point Mrs. Townsend enters. She is a plump old lady of 60. ‘Time for you boys to have lunch,’ she says. Bruce’s hand falters on the dominoes. He exchanges a look with brother Malcolm. He gets up. The rest follow suit. They go to lunch. ‘They’re good boys,’ says Mrs. Townsend. ‘That can be said.’ The company modestly concurs. ‘Ah,’ says the company, ‘he’s a nice chap,’ or ‘He’s a quiet chap,’ ‘He’s a big chap.’ They don’t go much beyond that. Blyth is not embarrassing Bruce with tactless attentions. Nevertheless, something like fight fever is sweeping the village. Bruce Woodcock is about the most exciting thing that has happened to Blyth since the Normans arrived 1087.

After lunch Bruce goes upstairs, and the well-known Woodcock iron curtain descends for hour or two. Around four o’clock you will see Pa Woodcock pottering upstairs with enormous teapot. Shortly afterwards Bruce emerges, cocky and confident, in a heavy sweater and a broad-brimmed hat that he bought on Seventh Avenue, New York. The whole party piles into cars, bound for the Doncaster gym.

A propos the question of the Woodcock iron curtain, a great deal of nonsense is talked about that. People say that Bruce can’t talk, won’t talk, has no platform personality, and things even unkinder. All this is so much bunk, mixed in with small-town jealousy. Bruce will talk if you carry the conversation him, and talk rather well.

‘Why did you come Blyth?’ I asked him.

‘It’s a nice quiet little village. I’ve always liked it. I used to come here courting, and eat at the Red Hart. And I like Mrs. Townsend. She is a very, very nice woman.’

‘What about Lee Oma?’

Bruce considered. ‘I think I can win,’ he said, which is a good level answer when you consider the number of fighters who can do everything to the other fellow - except in the ring.

‘Half Blyth,’ I said, ‘is going up to Harringay to see you.’

‘That'll make six,’ grinned Bruce.

Bruce finishes training on un-day, and goes to London on Monday.”