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Alan Minter (born August 17, 1951) in Crawley,
England, is a former boxing|boxer who was
Middleweight champion of the world.

Minter won the bronze medal at the 1972 Munich
Olympic Games. Soon after, Minter began his career
in London on Halloween night of the same year by
knocking out Maurice Thomas in six rounds. 

Minter won five fights in a row by knockout, and
in 1973, Pat Dwyer became the first boxer to go
the distance with him, over eight rounds in
London. Minter won his next five fights, three by
knockout, before tasting defeat for the first time
after the refree stopped the fight in the eighth
round to King George Aido due to bad cuts suffered
by Minter. Two more wins followed  before facing
Jan Magziarz, who beat him twice in a row (once in
the eighth and once in the sixth) again due to
cuts.

1974 was a mixed year for Minter, beating Tony
Byrne by a decision in eight, losing in two to
Ricky Torres (again on cuts), having a third fight
with Magziarz result in a no contest in four
rounds, and closing the year with a win in eight
rounds by decision in his first international
fight, against Shako Mamba in Hamburg, Germany.

1975 was the year that saw Minter shine. He won
four fights in a row, including another bout in
Hamburg, and  by the end of the year, he
challenged Kevin Finnegan for the British
Middleweight title, winning it by a 15 round
decision. In 1976 he won six fights, to make it
ten wins in a row. Among the boxers he beat were
Billy Knight by a knockout in two and Finnegan
once again, by decision in 15, both in defense of
his British title, along with former world title
challenger Tony Licata, knocked out in six, and
American Olympic Games Gold medal winner Ray
Seales, beaten in five. These wins gave Minter a
ranking among the top ten Middleweight challengers
of the time. 

In 1977, he won the European Middleweight title by
beating Germano Valsecchi by a knockout in five in
Italy. But in his next fight his winning streak
ended when he lost to former world title
challenger Ronnie Harris by a knockout in eight.
Minter returned to top ten challenger status by
upsetting the former Welterweight and Jr.
Middleweight world champion Emile Griffith with a
ten round decision win in Monte Carlo, but then,
he lost his European title to Gratien Tonna by a
knockout in eight at Milan. He closed '77 with a
third 15 round decision win over Finnegan to
retain his British title.

1978 was a sad year for Minter, although he won
all three of his bouts. On February 15, at the
Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks I undercard in Las Vegas,
he won his first bout in the United States by
knocking out Sandy Torres in five. Then, he went
to Italy once again, to regain his European
Middleweight title by knocking out Angelo
Jaccopucciy in twelve rounds. Jacopucciy died a
few days after the bout, in another boxing
tragedy. Minter finished his year by avenging his
loss to Tonna with a six round knockout.

In 1979, Minter won all four of his fights, two of
them by knockout, and in 1980, he was finally
given the opportunity all fighters dream of: On
March 16 of that year, in Las Vegas, Nevada|Las
Vegas, Nevada, he was given a shot at champion
Vito Antuofermo's world Middleweight title at the
Caesars Palace. He won the title by a 15 round
decision, and in a rematch, he retained the world
title by a knockout in eight rounds. Minter's run
as world champion came to an end on September 27
of that year, when he lost by a knockout in three
to Marvin Hagler at Wembley Arena in London. After
the fight was stopped, Minter's supporters caused
a riot, throwing beer cans and glass into the ring
and both boxers had to be ushered away by the
police.

Minter beat fringe contender Ernie Singletary in
London, in 1981, but after losses to future Hagler
challengers Mustafa Hamsho and Tony Sibson, both
also in London, he retired for good.

He left boxing with a record of 39 wins, 9 losses
and 1 no contest, with 23 wins by knockout.

Currently he tours all over England in autograph
and lecture shows, alongside Jim Watt, another
world boxing champion.