As a youngster growing up in Shepparton, I had heard many a Goulburn Valley sports fan describe Darcy Ritchie as a great boxer.
While researching this article what became clear, was not just how good he was but how good he could have been.
Naturally funny, light-hearted and as tough a concrete, Ritchie had a stellar career.
With a record of 26 wins, five losses and three draws across three decades as a professional fighter, he is widely considered as someone who should have won a world title.
Former super featherweight world champion Barry Micheal described the ex-Shepparton fighter as one of the best fighters he has ever faced in the ring. Not that they actually fought against each other but they sparred hundreds of rounds together.
“If I was sparring Darcy and I threw a left hook, he could actually catch the punch and hit me straight down the middle with a right hand before I could bring my left back to my face”, he said.
“No other fighter in the world, including Lester Ellis could hit me with that punch. He was super quick and it’s a shame he didn’t take the next step as he was as good as anyone I have seen”.
Frank Ropis, another of Australia’s boxing greats described being personally hurt that the aboriginal boy from country Victoria didn’t get the title he deserved.
“He is the first bloke you would want in the trenches with you, he is very selfless and just a champion guy”, he said.
“He had amazing reflexes and looked as if he had all the time in the world, it was just a joy to watch him fight. If they had of taken him over the America he would have blitzed them”.
High praise from two of Australia’s all-time greats, throwing weight behind the argument that in many ways, Darcy Ritchie was the one that got away.
Born in Shepparton in 1955 he was abandoned by his mother as a baby and his father died of a brain haemorrhage when he was nine years old, leaving him to be raised by his grandparents.
“I didn’t know my mother and I only knew my dad when I was really young. He fought in the boxing tents a lot, Ritchie said.
“When I started fighting as a professional, blokes would say I wasn’t as good as my father and I agreed with them”.
“Although I haven’t lived in Shepparton for 25 years but I have good memories of the town and I owe my grandparents everything”.
Now 62 years old and working for a council somewhere between Rockhampton and Alive springs, his early memories of boxing include him watching his father in the tents and seeing boxing on television.
“I like bike racing initially but at about 16 years of age boxing took my fancy”, he said.
With his mates playing football for Lemnos or Shepparton United in the Goulburn Valley Football League, he convinced local lightweight champion Max Carlos to teach him the finer points of the sweet science.
Max Carlos was a local boxing legend. The 1956 Olympian was well known for his three legendary fights against the great George Bracken in the 1950s.
“Max trained me for months and months before he even let me spar in the ring. He was a perfectionist. He taught me how to hit and not be hit and was the reason I did ok as a fighter, he said.
Fighting only seven amateur fights he turned to the professional ranks after being “robbed” in the senior state championships fighting as a junior.
“Max taught me too well, I was fighting like a pro and the officials didn’t like it, so I turned professional”, he remembered.
“I even had to get permission from my grandparents because I was under the legal age to fight professionally”.
Turning to pro boxing in 1971, he remained undefeated for 23 straight fights over 13 years, and played a major part in a boxing institution of the time, TV Ringside.
From 1966 through to 1975 TV Ringside was broadcast on channel seven from festival Hall in West Melbourne every Monday night.
“Boxing was big back then. There were a lot of fighters around and you really had to fight your way to the top, Ritchie said.
“I didn’t have a driver’s license and I was living and working in Shepparton at the time. My old pop would pick me up at work on Monday lunchtime and take me out to the drive in and I would hitch a ride to Melbourne to fight that evening”.
“Pop would write down the registration number of the car that picked me up and Max Carlos bought me back that night. I was back at work in Shepparton the next morning”.
In typical Carlos style, Ritchie was said to have a water tight defence and a toughness that couldn’t be taught.
Carlos declared to fight fans at the time that Ritchie had more natural ability than Rocky Mattioli, who won a world middleweight title.
After leaving the Goulburn Valley and Carlos, Ritchie trained with Reg Johnson in Preston. He eventually moved back to Shepparton and worked with Ray Styles. He also conceded he also had 300 tent fights just to earn an extra quid.
“I fought all the best fighters of the time when I could actually get them in the ring”, Ritchie said.
“I sparred with Lester Ellis, Barry Micheal, Rocky Mattiolli and Hector Thompson. I didn’t have any problems with them”.
“I retired a few times because nobody wanted to fight me. I got sick of it. It wasn’t just small time fighters that avoided me, fighters like Baby Cassius Austin, Frank Ropis and Russell Sands all pulled out of Australian title fights with me, often only a day or two before the fight”.
Former journalist Noel Hussey remembers Ritchie having to take fights against bigger opponents towards the end of his career just to get a pay day.
“He called it quits a few times because he just couldn’t get anyone into the ring”, Hussey said.
“He spent months training for a fight only for the opponent to pull out. I remember him being bitterly disappointed with the sport at stages throughout his career.
As far as titles Ritchie laughs about the time he “won” the Victorian welterweight title.
“The officials came up to Shepparton and gave me a trophy. I didn’t even fight for it because they couldn’t get anybody to fight me. What a joke, so I threw the trophy in the Goulburn River”.
Hampered by a lack of fights in the ring Ritchie was also dogged by problems outside the ring that took him from the sporting back pages, to the front page.
Two stints in prison and numerous “runs ins” with the law added to the frustration of a career that could have gone anywhere.
“I got 44 months jail somewhere between 1985 and 1990 but I ended up only doing 28 months”, he said.
“I went to jail for stealing. We took a safe from a jewellery shop in Melbourne and strangely enough the police pulled us over and we got in a bit of trouble.
“I also went to prison for another smaller offence and yes I admit, I did have my troubles with the law over the years.
“I look back on it all and my only regret is for the people I may have hurt on the way through but most of it I wouldn’t change, even going to prison. I made some good friends in prison. A lot of the prisoners knew me from TV Ringside.
“I ended up becoming mates with a guy by the name of Mark Read, better known as ‘Chopper’. He was a funny bloke and he still had his ears in those days”, he laughed.
Touted as one of Australia’s best boxers, Richie sees only the positives. in a career that didn’t quite reach the heights that others expected.
“I have done ok with my career and do you know what, I would change anything”, he said. “I would do it all the same again if I had the chance”.
“I didn’t win an Australian title, but I am not punch drunk and broke like a lot of ex- fighters who did a lot better than I did. I am broke but at least you can talk to me”, he said matter- of- factly.
“I don’t live for the fight game anymore, in fact there is nothing related to boxing in my house – no photos, no gloves, nothing”.
“I look forward now and its one of the reasons I don’t go to the fights anymore, I don’t want to talk about the past. I live for now, the past is past”, he adds with no hint of bitterness.
Retiring from the fight game in 1994, and with plenty of funny stories to tell, the larrikin Ritchie now watches the career of his son from afar.
Now 15 wins with only one defeat, Dwight Ritchie is a star on the rise.
“He’s a good boxer, he still needs some work but with time he could win a big title”, Darcy Ritchie said.
“I hope he stays out of trouble, works hard and with a bit of luck maybe he can win the title I couldn’t.
My advice to him though is make sure he keeps a job and gets a trade away from the ring because it’s a tough sport and not many make it”.