Lionel Rose

Lionel Edmund Rose MBE ( born June 21, 1948 in Warragul, † May 8, 2011 ) was an Australian boxer.

On December 11, 1967 Rose won the Australian bantamweight title against Rocky Gattellari by a knockout in round 13; on July 2, 1968 placed against Takao Sakurai on points, the fight was on 15 rounds. With this victory, Rose won the WBC and WBA world championship belt bantamweight. These two belt he lost again in his seventh title defense on 22 August 1969 against Rubén Olivares by knockout in the fifth round.

After Rose lost twice in 1976, on 28 August against Rafael Limon by technical knockout in the third round and on December 18 o against Maurice Apeang by K. in the second round, he finished his career.

In 1968 he was awarded the Australian of the Year. He was the first Aborigine to win a world title in boxing.

Rose suffered a stroke in 2007. He died on 8 May 2011 at the age of 62 years.