Olympia in Kensington. The more experienced Lewis won the contest in the ninth through a technical knockout (from cutting Basham's lip), taking Basham's titles. Five months later, Basham was given an opportunity to challenge Lewis for the British and European titles he had lost in their first encounter. Contested at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Basham lasted until the nineteenth round when he was knocked out by Lewis. By 1921, Lewis had moved up to Middleweight, and Basham responded by doing the same. Gus Platts, a Sheffield fighter who had beaten Basham in Cardiff in 1911, was the present holder of both the British and European Middleweight titles, having won them respectively from Tom Gummer and Ercole de Balzac earlier in the year. Basham was allowed the first challenge for the two titles and faced Platts on 31 May 1921 at the Royal Albert Hall. The twenty round fight went the full distance and Basham was awarded the contest on points, becoming the new British and European Middleweight champion. Basham held the Middleweight titles for less than five months, losing both to his arch-rival "Kid" Lewis when the two met in October 1921. Again Basham was unable to last the distance, being stopped by technical knockout in the twelfth. Basham never challenged for a title again and he ended his career with a series of losses, being knocked out by World Champion Mike McTigue and a points loss to fellow Welshman Jerry Shea. Basham came out of retirement in 1929 to face "Kid" Lewis, but for the fourth time he was stopped within the distance. Basham reportedly suffered from "cauliflower ear", or thickening and enlargement of his left ear, in his retirement due to trauma from boxing. Basham died on 7 June 1947, aged 56. References Bibliography External links Johnny Basham in Training: video newsreel film British Pathe newsreel 18 November 1920 Welsh male boxers Sportspeople from Newport, Wales Welterweight boxers Middleweight boxers 1890 births 1947 deaths Royal Welch Fusiliers soldiers British Army personnel of World War I European Boxing Union champions Military personnel from Monmouthshire