Lionel Rose
Australian bantamweight boxer, Lionel Rose died at age 62 on 8, May 2011.
Rose had been undergoing many health issues since he suffered a severe stroke in 2007 that left him partially paralysed.
Many believe that Lionel Rose was the best Australian fighter that has ever lived, especially as he made history in 1968 when he was acknowledged as the first Indigenous Australian to win a world title.
He had 53 fights and 42 wins.
Tributes to Rose were outpouring for weeks after his death. Rose’s funeral was held on the 17th of May at Festival Hall in Melbourne, where his first major victory took place, and more than 2,000 people were in attendance to pay respect to his successful life.
Lionel Rose is remembered as an extraordinary fighter and an Australian icon that made history by helping shape Aboriginal culture in Australia, making all Australians proud.
