LES MURRAY
Donald Eric Barclay, better known by his ring name, Les Murray, was born in Hamilton, Sept 10, 1898. He started boxing in Invercargill during the years of WW1. After a dozen or so amateur bouts, of which he lost just one, Les settled on the idea of becoming a professional boxer. To pursue this goal he crossed the ditch, disembarking in Sydney. Once there he hooked up with, Dave Smith, formerly from Dunedin, Smith himself a former champion boxer had become a highly regarded trainer, famous for his association with, Les Darcy.
With Smith in his corner, Les entered the pro ranks, winning by first round KO at the Sydney Hippodrome, against local fighter, Will Robertson (Dec 12, 1919). Les remained in Australia throughout 1920 fighting mainly in and around Sydney. He went undefeated in 14 contests, two were called even, 10 he ended inside the distance. Having won two novice, lightweight tournaments & with the benefit of, Dave Smith’s expert tuition stored away and his ring apprenticeship all but completed, Les decided to return home.
Mar 7 1921, having based himself in Dunedin Les boxed two ND bouts both ended inside the scheduled distance. These were his first recorded contests in New Zealand. His first real test came a couple of months later May 9 in the Wellington Town Hall against 103 fight veteran – and former Australian lightweight champion – Herb (Kid) McCoy, from Melbourne; Murray stopped McCoy in the ninth round of a scheduled 10-rounder.
McCoy was the first of 10 imports Les faced during his career, Pat Gleeson (x 2), Mick Rutherford, Hughie Dwyer, Bill Scroggins, Tommy Fairhall, Eugene Volaire (x 4), Harry ‘Hop’ Stone, Hector McDonald, and Silvino Jamito, were the others. In 14 fights Les established a record of 10 – 4. Only Gleeson 2 from 2, Hughie Dwyer & Tommy Fairhall, got the better of him.
February 16, 1924, on a fleeting visit back to Australia, Les defeated American, Earl France – a veteran of 140 pro bouts – by way of sixth-round disqualification in Sydney. Seven days later, against the ‘Gympie Whirlwind’ Australian Lightweight Champion, Archie Bradley, Les retired in his corner at the completion of the fifth round. Murray a last-minute stand in gave a good account of himself against the Aussie champion.
Back home, local opposition was swept aside by Les’s constant pressure style coupled with his hard punching. Nov 10, 1921, Runanga’s Frank O’Neill’s brief reign as New Zealand lightweight champion ended abruptly; Les dispatching him in three rounds. He defended the title five times and retired as undefeated champion. In addition to O’Neill, Les defeated, Jock Graham, Paul Hannah, Fred Hansen, Clarrie Blackburn, Reg Trowern, Charlie Purdy, and Billy Chambers. His record against Kiwi fighters stood at 10 – 1 – 1. His sole defeat was against, Charlie Purdy over 15 rounds in Dunedin (Jan 30 1926). Les evened the score when the pair met for the New Zealand lightweight title six weeks later, (Mar 15), in Wellington. In four fights against, Reg Trowern the best Reg could manage was a single draw in their second encounter, (Oct 24 1925), in Greymouth.
It was that larger-than-life character, Harry ‘Hop’ Stone who suggested to Les that he should try his hand in America when they met up in Christchurch (April 1924). Following the Chambers fight, (June 17 1926), Les decided to act on Stones advice. Following his arrival in New York, he had the good fortune to make contact with, Billy Gibson, influential manager of heavyweight champion, Gene Tunney. Gibson had the clout to get, Les good fights. Barely recovered from the long voyage, Les was matched against highly touted New Yorker, Murray Elkins. Seven years younger and 6 lbs heavier than Les, Elkins had an impressive 21 – 1 – 1 – 1 ND record from 24 bouts. They met in Queensboro Stadium, Long Island City on Sept 7, 1926; after a close fight, Elkins took a narrow 10-round decision.
Having impressed against, Elkins, Les was matched against, Solly Seeman at that time ranked among the top ten lightweight contenders by ‘Ring Magazine’. Seaman had given world lightweight champion, Sammy Mandell all sorts of problems when the pair met 15 months earlier in a non-title bout. That decision went, Mandell’s way although it was hotly debated by many in the press. Seeman – who featured on the cover of the September 1925 edition of ‘Ring Magazine’ – was keen to get the champ back in the ring with the title on the line when he took on Murray at Madison Square Garden, in the main support bout to the of the Tod Morgan Vs Carl Duane, World Jnr Lightweight Title fight (Nov 19,1926). Les upset the apple-cart, winning a comfortable 10-round decision; no doubt the best win of his career. Seeman never did get that title shot, despite having beaten such great fighters as Jimmy Goodrich and Billy Petrolle, among others.
Next up for Les was, Billy Petrolle, ‘The Fargo Express’, they met over 10 rounds, Dec 20th out in Milwaukee. If it was quick turnaround for Les, just 4 weeks after the Seeman fight, for Petrolle, it was his 19th bout that year. Louis ‘Kid’ Kaplan & Sid Terris had been among them. Near the peak of his powers and a pro just 4 ½ years, Petrolle 21, had already racked up some 80 bouts when he climbed into the ring to face Les.
From the opening bell Petrolle swarmed all over Les, handing out the only real hiding Murray received in his 52-bout career. Clobbered at the start of the opening stanza, down in the second and again in the third, the referee called it off. Petrolle proved then – and would go onto prove time and again that he thoroughly deserved a shot at the lightweight title. Unfortunately, no champion was prepared to give, Billy a championship fight; hence Nat Fleicher’s oft-repeated line, “Billy Petrolle was the greatest fighter never to win a world title.”
Two months after his collision with ‘The Fargo Express’, Les was matched against, Jack Bernstein. Bernstein started boxing professionally aged 14; picking up the princely sum of 50-cents for his first fight. Born John Dodick, (Nov 7, 1898), he’d grown up on New York’s Lower East Side, his next-door neighbour, four-years his senior, was one Benjamin Leiner who would later go on to become one of the great legends of the game as under the name Benny Leonard. Bernstein’s resume contained names such as, Benny Valger, Rocky Kansas, Sammy Mandell, and Jimmy Goodrich to name just a few. The high point of, Bernstein’s career no doubt was when he climbed off the canvas in the third round and went onto defeat Johnny Dundee by decision to win the World Jnr Lightweight title, (May 30 1923,). Dundee regained the title six months later, (Dec 17) by way of a controversial split-decision.
Murray and Bernstein clashed at the Knickerbocker A.C. in Albany, New York. A hard, close fight, Bernstein got the nod after 12 rounds (Mar 1 1927) Rather than attempt to fight his way back up the rankings, a hard task at his age, Les decided to retire and return home to focus on the next stage of his life.
Back on civvy street, Les reverted to his birth name, Donald Barclay. He settled in Nelson and for a number of years worked as a stock and share broker. Financially secure, he became a director of many local companies, though he always maintained an interest in the sport that had given him so much. Les Murray died in Nelson, July 4,1983. Aged: 84.
That doyen of NZ boxing writers, the late, Brian O’Brien, in his book ‘Kiwis With Gloves On’ ranked, Les Murray as this country’s greatest Lightweight (with Charlie Purdy at #2). In the more than 60 years that have passed since those rankings were published only one boxer has come along with the credentials to challenge Les Murray for that number one position; the late great Manny Santos*. Almost 100 years since he last hung up the gloves, one can still put forward a good argument as to why, Les Murray deserves that number one spot.
Les Murray’s final ring record stands at:
52 Bouts, 34 W – 9 L – 3 D – 6 ND.
MP 2024.
*Manny Santos was inducted into the NZBHOF in 2022.
Burial: Marsden Cemetery, Nelson, Nelson City, Nelson, New Zealand Plot info: Memorial Walk A 443
Barclay, Donald Eric, 1898-1983. Boxer, Les Murray with his trainer, Tom Harris. Crown Studios Ltd :Negatives and prints. Ref: 1/2-205139-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22852273