BRIAN LONDON not only fought them all, he outlived them all. The former British heavyweight king, who shared a ring with four world champions and fought the cream of heavyweight contenders in the 1950s and 60s, succumbed on June 23 at the age of 87.
London battled valiantly through his final years and now joins old rivals like world champions Muhammad Ali, Floyd Patterson, Ingemar Johansson and Willie Pastrano, top contenders Jerry Quarry, Zora Folley, Eddie Machen, Nino Valdes, Thad Spencer and Pete Rademacher and domestic rivals Henry Cooper, Joe Erskine, Dick Richardson and Johnny Prescott in the sky. Of his esteemed British rivals, only Joe Bugner (who ended London’s career in 1970) and Billy Walker (who lost to Brian over 10 in 1965) remain.