Former middleweight champion Alan Minter dies at 69

Former world middleweight champion Alan Minter has died aged 69 , British boxing chiefs announced on Thursday .

Minter won Olympic bronze in Munich in 1972 and claimed the WBC and WBA titles with a win over Vito Antuofermo in March 1980 in Las Vegas .

But his reign lasted a matter of months as he was beaten by the great Marvin Hagler at Wembley Arena .

The southpaw ended his professional career the following year after being stopped inside three rounds by compatriot Tony Sibson , retiring with a record of 39 wins and nine defeats .

“ The stewards and staff of the British Boxing Board of Control are very saddened to hear of the passing of former world middleweight champion Alan Minter , ” a brief BBBoC statement said .

Minter had been suffering from cancer.

Former British world heavyweight champion Frank Bruno paid tribute to Minter , writing on Twitter : “ Alan Minter RIP .

“ Alan and I worked together many times a great boxer in his day I would ask people to look at the old footage of him fighting a great boxer a sad day for British Boxing RIP ‘ Boom Boom ’ . ”

AFP