FORMER boxer Pete Neal has celebrated his 50th birthday with a party at the Moonrakers pub.
Pete, who once challenged for the British welterweight title, is the landlord at The Manor in Cheney Manor Road, but his wife Bev said that so many people were at the party they had to hold it at a bigger venue.
He began boxing when he was 11 years old and later turned professional, fighting for 17 years as a welterweight. He was once ranked number two in England and was Southern Area Champion in the late 1970s. One of his most memorable battles was champion fighter Henry Rhany's comeback contest, which Peter won, while losing 10 pounds in weight.
Peter said: "Four hundred family and friends were there and I knew every single one. The party brought back a lot of memories. Around the room there were lots of huge pictures blown up from when I was boxing. It has all been a dream come true."
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