In the 1930s John Charles Peterson - Jack Petersen as he was universally known - was one of the most graceful and most popular of all British professional boxers.
Sadly, these days Petersen is hardly remembered and that is something of a shame. It is rare to find a fighter who could perform more than adequately at three separate weights – middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight.
Jack Peterson was, partially at least, of Danish descent but was born in Cardiff on 2 September 1911. He was the son of Thomas Peterson – the man who went on to act as his trainer for most of his professional fighting life - and Melinda Rossiter.
As with many young men in the 1920s Petersen took up boxing as a youth. He grew to be just over six feet in height, a well-proportioned lad who was graceful and fluid in his boxing style.
At the age of 18 he reached the finals of the Welsh Amateur Boxing Association in both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. The following year he won the Welsh ABA light heavy and heavyweight titles. As if that wasn't enough, that year he also won the British Amateur Boxing Association light heavyweight title.
In 1931 Jack Petersen turned professional. His first fight was in September at Holborn Stadium in London, a match he duly won by knocking out Bill Partridge in the fourth round.
It was the start of a golden period for Petersen. In the next 12 months he won all 16 of his matches, including a knockout of Dick Power to claim the Welsh light heavyweight title.
In May 1932, less than nine months after turning professional, Petersen won a points victory over Harry Crossley to gain the British title. It was an amazing achievement and ensured huge public adulation for the young man from Cardiff.
He never defended his new title but immediately relinquished his crown and moved up a weight to challenge for the British heavyweight championship. He didn't just win the title - in July 1932 he annihilated Reggie Meen to claim the belt in just the second round of their contest.
It was an auspicious moment, Jack Petersen thus becoming the first Welshman to hold the British heavyweight championship.
Petersen held the title until November 1933, one of his most memorable contests being against Irishman Jack Doyle in the summer of 1933. Doyle was disqualified for repeatedly hitting low. Shortly afterwards Petersen lost on points to Len Harvey. It was his first professional defeat.
He regained the title in June 1934 with a technical knock out over Harvey in the 12th round but already Petersen was beginning to have trouble with his weight – he was not really heavy enough for a heavyweight, but too heavy for a light heavyweight.
Although he defended his title several times, it was his series of fights with German Walter Neusel that were really the highlight of boxing during the 1930s.
Sadly, Petersen lost both of his early encounters with Neusel. On both occasions he lost to a TKO in the 12th round! He had always been managed and trained by his father, financed by a syndicate of interested parties, but after his defeats to Neusel it was time for a change and Jack broke with Thomas Petersen. It was not, perhaps, the best of moves.
He lost his British and Empire Title to Ben Foord in another TKO, and had just one more fight. It was yet another contest against Neusel and, once again, Petersen lost.
He decided to call it a day. He was just 25 years old. In a short but explosive career he had fought 38 times and won on 33 occasions. His five defeats included three against the same man, Walter Neusel.
In 1939 the world went to war and Jack Petersen joined up to do his bit. He served in the RAF as a physical training instructor, making good use of his physical prowess and boxing skills, and after the war became an official with the British Boxing Board of Control. He later became president of the board.
Petersen died at Bridgend of lung cancer on 22 November 1990. His son, David Petersen, is the renowned artist and blacksmith who designed and made the magnificent Welsh dragon at the site of the Battle of Mametz Wood.
Jack Petersen was an elegant and capable boxer who could perform at several weights. Given a few extra pounds, who knows what he might have achieved in the boxing ring.
