Rose, Lionel (1948-2011), an Aboriginal Australian boxer, was the world bantamweight champion in 1968 and 1969. Rose was the first Aboriginal Australian to win a world sports championship. In 1968, he defeated defending champion Masahiko “Fighting” Harada of Japan by a decision for the title in Tokyo. It was Rose’s 16th consecutive win and brought his total to 28 victories out of 30 professional bouts. He lost his title to the Mexican boxer Ruben Olivares in Mexico in 1969.
Rose was born on June 21, 1948, in Warragul, Victoria. He was the oldest of nine children. Rose won the Australian amateur flyweight championship in 1963. After his father died in 1964, Rose became a professional boxer to support his family. He won the Australian bantamweight title by a decision from Noel Kunde in 1966. In 1967, Rose successfully defended his title with a 13th round knockout over Rocky Gattellari. In 1968, Rose was named Australian of the Year . He retired from boxing in 1970 and then tried an unsuccessful comeback in 1975 and 1976. Rose died on May 8, 2011.
