Sport in the United Kingdom the evolution of modern boxing, with the codification of the rules of the sport known as the Queensberry Rules, named after John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry in 1867. Britain's first heavyweight world champion Bob Fitzsimmons made boxing history as the sport's first three-division world champion. Some of the best contemporary British boxers included; super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe, featherweight champion Naseem Hamed, and heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. Welshman Calzaghe's display against Jeff Lacy in 2006 prompted Lacy's trainer to state "I have never seen a better performance than that in the world." British professional boxing offers some of the largest
William "Honey" Mellody once facing both a young Joe Walcott, and former welterweight world champion "Mysterious" Billy Smith three times. Mellody's third round knockout of contender Willie Lewis in Chelsea, Massachusetts three months before facing Walcott foreshadowed his imminent conquest of the World Welterweight Title. Mellody got his first shot for the vacant World Welterweight title against the legendary Black Joe Walcott on October 16, 1906, at the Lincoln Athletic Club in Chelsea, Massachusetts. The "Pittsburgh Press" noted Mellody was barely 21 at the time of the fight and had been fighting professionally for only around three years. The bout required the full