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Ray Wheatley

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Ray Wheatley OAM is an Australian boxer. Wheatley is a former Golden Gloves champion and Australian heavyweight contender also a former IBF supervisor, referee and judge of world championship title fights in Australia, America,South Africa, Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia. He was a regular guest on Sky Channel KO show during the 1990's with Mathew Brooks and in 2005 & 2006 was a broadcaster on Foxtel "Fenech Fight Night" with Andy Raymond and Colonel Bob Sheridan also Sports Sunday with Ken Sutcliffe in 1997 on channel Nine Television Network. Wheatley was a commentator on ESPN documentary - "Ali The Greatest Of All Time with Kostya Tszyu, Joe Bugner, Jeff Fenech. Also on ESPN " Speed and Power" with Grantlee Kieza and Jeff Fenech. Wheatley was inducted into the Australian Boxing Hall Of Fame in 2012.

He was voted IBF Vice-President in Acapulco, Mexico in June 2000 and held that position until 2012 when he resigned in Waikiki, Hawaii. Wheatley attended regular Board meetings in New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Orlando, Miami, Phoenix, New Orleans, San Antonio, Toronto, Canada, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Hamburg, Germany, Panama City, Panama, Waikiki, Hawaii.

Wheatley was Editor and Publisher of World of Boxing (1992-2013) which is a record of 21 years of a continuous boxing publication in Australia under the one publisher. Also Publisher of 'Title Fight (1997-2007) and 'The Greatest magazine (three issues).

Career

Boxer

Wheatley started boxing as an amateur in 1963, under Pat Rochford at the Parramamtta Police Boys club. He won his first ten bouts by knockout. In 1964, he won the New South Wales featherweight title. At the Balmain Leagues club in 1967, Wheatley won the New South Wales Golden Gloves welterweight title. In 1968 Wheatley was defeated by Dennis Mason from Narrabri in the light middleweight division at the 1968 Mexico, Olympic Trials. Bill McConnell, who trained world bantamweight champion Jimmy Carruthers, asked if Wheatley would like to train with him. Wheatley finished his amateur career with a record of 25 wins and four losses.

Wheatley turned professional in 1969, and competed in nine bouts. He retired from boxing in 1971. In 1969, Wheatley boxed future great Tony Mundine, dropping him with a right hand shot in round one. Mundine got up and stopped Wheatley in the following round.

After twelve years in retirement, Wheatley made a comeback in 1983 and defeated Australian heavyweight contenders Leo Moore and Brian Fitzsimmons. He lost to Australian heavyweight champion Dean Waters and top contender Rudy Darno.

Official

He refereed, judged or supervised world IBF title bouts in Australia, USA, China,South Africa, Indonesia, South Korea, Philippines, New Zealand and Thailand. He worked as an official on four Kostya Tszyu IBF title bouts in Australia and USA. In 2002, he was an IBF supervisor for IBF heavyweight world title bout Evander Holyfield vs Chris Byrd in Atlantic City. He was also an IBF official on bouts featuring world champions Vic Darchinyan, Lovemore Ndou, Nonito Donaire and Muhammad Rachman.

Wheatley was voted Vice President of the International Boxing Federation in Acapulco Mexico in 2000.

In February 2001, Khoder Nasser who guided the career of Anthony Mundine, consulted with Australian based IBF Vice-President Ray Wheatley about Mundine challenging for the IBF super-middleweight crown. After a meeting at Luigi Coluzzi's restaurant in February 2001, at Kings Cross, Wheatley advised Nasser that Mundine challenge for the IBF Pan Pacific title. After contacting the management of Sven Ottke and supplying a VHS tapes of the 1st Mundine v Soliman also the Mundine v Pompey, in 2001, Wheatley was advised by the German promoter of IBF champion Sven Ottke that IBF rated Anthony Mundine had been approved and secured the IBF super-middleweight title bout in Dortmund, Germany on December 1, 2001.After leading on points early in there IBF title bout,Mundine was stopped in round ten by Sven Ottke.This was Mundine's first million dollar plus purse.

There have been eleven (11) Australian based boxers who were successful in capturing IBF world titles

. Lester Ellis IBF super featherweight champion 1985 Jeff Fenech IBF bantamweight champion 1985-86 Barry Michael IBF super featherweight champion 1985-86,Kostya Tszyu IBF light welterweight champion1995-97&2001-2005,Vic Darchinyan IBF flyweight champion 2004-2007,Robbie Peden super featherweight champion 2005 Gairy StClair IBF super featherweight champion 2006,Lovemore Ndou IBF light welterweight champion 2007 Daniel Geale IBF middleweight champion 2011-2013,Billy Dib IBF featherweight champion 2011-2013, Sam Soliman IBF middleweight champion 2014.

Wheatley resigned from IBF Board in 2012.

Publisher

Wheatley published World of Boxing in 1992 with Jeff Harding and Manny Hinton on the cover. The final issue was published in April, 2013 with Daniel Geale and Graham Shaw on the cover.It had been distributed throughout Australia and New Zealand. The longest surviving (21 years) boxing publication under one publisher. It was regarded as "Australia's Bible of Boxing". The chief boxing writer was Grantlee Kieza and the chief photographer - Werner Kalin.

In 1997, Wheatley published Title Fight magazine, which was distributed throughout Australia and New Zealand until 2007. Wheatley was on the rating committee of KO Magazine for Editor Steve Farhood - 1998 - 2000. Wheatley was also on the IBF Ratings Committee from 2000. In 2008, Wheatley published The Greatest by Kieza. Wheatley appeared as a regular television commentator on Sky Channel's KO Boxing with Jeff Fenech and Mathew Brooks during the 1990s.

Commentator

In 2005 and 2006 Wheatley was a commentator on Foxtel Cable Television's Fenech Fight Night. During the 1990s Wheatley was Australian correspondent for Virgil Thrasher's Boxing Update and Flash publication.

In 2007 Wheatley was a regular guest on 2SM radio on Saturday boxing program " In Your Corner" with Mark Warren and Johnny Lewis.

Wheatley was Australian correspondent for Fight Fax record book that was published and distributed worldwide during the 1990s by editor Phil Marder. Wheatley has had several boxing articles published in Australia's leading newspaper - The Telegraph over a fifteen-year period.

In 2003 Wheatley was a commentator with Jeff Fenech, Kostya Tszyu, Joe Bugner and Ern McQuillan jnr on ESPN Special "Ali - The Greatest of All Time". In 2004, Wheatley was a commentator with Grantlee Kieza and Jeff Fenech on ESPN Special -"Speed and Power"

In 2010 Wheatley was promoted to International Editor to the leading boxing website Fightnews.

YouTube video interviews that have been conducted by Wheatley and published on Fightnews include, Kostya Tszyu, Jeff Harding, Charkey Ramon, Troy Waters, Colonel Bob Sheridan, Daniel Geale, Lovemore Ndou, Gary Shaw, Sam Soliman,Kevin Barry,Marlon Wright, Danny Green,Ricky Hatton, Philip Fondu, Lucas Browne, Arthur Tunstall, George Kambosis, Solomon Haumono, Tim Tszyu, Justin Fortune,Nikita Tszyu, Barry Michael, Tony Weeks, Bruce McTavish, Dave Paris, Brad Vocale, Father Dave Smith, Billy Dib, Sakio Bika, Bill Treacy, Garrie Francisco, Kevin Johnson, Joe Diaz, Paul Nasari,Jimmy Chaichotchuang, Liu Gang, Robert Hoyle, Kali Meehan, Shannan Taylor, Ryan Waters, Joe Brunker, Alex Leapai, Grantlee Kieza, Lauryn Eagle, Susie Ramadan.

Worlds leading referee's interviewed by Wheatley include Pete Podgorski, Jack Reiss, Robert Byrd, Pat Russell, Bruce McTavish, Tony Weeks, Wayne Kelly, Randy Neumann, Steve Smoger,Marty Denkin, Micky Vann, Dave Paris.

World's leading officials interviewed by Wheatley Glenn Hamada and Mike Fitzgerald.

Boxing greats interviewed by Wheatley include Larry Holmes(2000)George Foreman (1995), Evander Holyfield (1991)), Colonel Bob Sheridan, Riddick Bowe(1996)Jake LaMotta (1988) Tommy Hearns (1994) Marvin Hagler (1995), Emile Griffith (1992),,Joe Bugner, Roy Jones, Michael Spinks (1995) Azumah Nelson, Juan LaPorte, Alexis Arguelo(2009) Cedric Kushner(2009)), Donny Lalonde, Bob Arum (1995), Don King(1996)Tim Witherspoon(1995)Shane Mosley(1999) Wladimir Klitschko (2008)Sven Ottke(2008) Arthur Abraham(2008) Bernard Hopkins(2002), Felix Trinidad (1995) Dwight Qawi(1997), Jose Torres (2003), Paul Spadafora (2003),Scott LeDoux (1994) Bill Brennan (1996) Bob Lee (1996)

Aussie legends interviewed by Wheatley include Vic Patrick, George Barnes, Bob Dunlop, Lionel Rose, Johnny Famechon,Jeff Harding, Danny Green, Jeff Fenech, Lester Ellis, Barry Michael, Charkey Ramon, Troy Waters, Lovemore Ndou, Kostya Tszyu, Vic Darchinyan, Daniel Geale, Sam Soliman, Billy Dib, Robbie Peden,Gairy StClaire.

Recognition

  • 2008: Queen's Birthday Honour list to receive the Order of Australia Medal
  • 2011: Snowy Robbins Trophy by the NSW Veteran Boxers.
  • 2012: Australian Boxing Hall Of Fame

References

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