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Rudkin of Liverpool used to wear Beatle mop.

Alan Rudkin fought Melbourne's most memorable boxing match, 35 years ago. His 15 round struggle against Lionel Rose drew a record audience for Australian television till then: nearly half of all the sets around the continent were tuned to Kooyong that Saturday night, 8 March 1969.

Reg Ansett, the one-fight promoter, owned 0-10 Network.

"I always had a feeling I would come back one day," Rudkin, 61, said in Collins Street, Melbourne yesterday.
Alan and wife Cath are here for the Hall of Fame dinner tonight. "I'm not a speech maker - but I'll answer questions," he said, "the way I saw Jake LaMotta do, on his visit to England."

Alan and Cath Rudkin

World Champion Rose won the first seven rounds then began to flag. Rudkin won the final seven rounds. Lionel was exhausted by the ever-pressing Briton.
One judge made it a draw. Another had it Rose. The third judge gave all 15 rounds to Rose. The third judge was bagged by a reporter, took defamation action and won damages.

No, not this reporter! The ring judge was FIGHTER dean, Ray Mitchell. No-one could out-debate Ray.

This reporter was covering for 'The Age.' Going on memory I had the rounds 8/7 Rose. Half an hour later, Rudkin, arm round Rose, faced the press. Rose's hand was in plaster.
"Is Rose the best bantamweight you've fought?"
- He's the best featherweight I've fought!

Lionel's magical 18 months ended next outing, when Ruben Olivares took his title. The complete World Title. WBC and WBA, there were only two orgs.

Within a year Rose was knocked out twice more, by Fernando Sotelo and Raul Cruz.

RUDKIN ASKS: "Cover says, Which Mundine is the real Man? Tell me, Which one is?"

This month, a motor car crash put Lionel, 56, in hospital.

Friday morning, Australia's biggest newspaper, the Herald Sun says Rose will boycott the dinner because they didn't give him enough tickets.

Fight fans hope it will be resolved.

Rose and Famechon's old foe, Fighting Harada tells the paper: "Champions have to be responsible all their lives."

Rose was once Australian of the Year. Rudkin is MBE, Member of the British Empire. Alan has lived all his life in Liverpool, he managed three hotels. The Beatles-style mop of his boxing days thinned, his 8 st 7 frame thickened.

ALF Shaw down from Brisbane, one of a multitude of boxing identities in Melbourne for the Hall of Fame induction dinner. Alf broadcast boxing bouts live on radio, in the golden age. He called Lionel Rose v Blakeney Matthews from the Olympic Games swimming pool . . . in a motor boat tied to the floating ring!

In Dingle, Liverpool, he attended Beatles' sessions before the term gig. "Good days, them," he said. "I was at school with Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers. Our Lady of Mount Carmel School.

"I appeared on Gerry's episode of Eamonn Andrews's 'This Is Your Life' and Gerry came on when I was the subject of 'This is Your Life'."
- The other way round, says loyal Cath. Alan was the star turn first.

Rudkin boxed 50 for eight losses. Only Olivares stopped him. On a spongy ring where Alan felt stuck, an aunt sally for Ruben's shells.
Before the 10 years pro, he had a hundred amateur bouts, runner-up to the ABA title, repped for England.

The pro with the slow heart beat that made him a natural stayer notched Commonwealth title victories over Walter McGowan and Johnny Clark, beat Rudy Corona and Evan Armstrong and Bob Allotey (Australia saw them all), and went one-all with Euro champ Mimoun Ben Ali.

Rudkin pushed Fighting Harada 15 hard rounds two years before Rose overtook Harada.

Alan went out in style, a 15 round triumph over Johnny Clark.

He managed three Liverpool hotels and is now, with only a twinge in the hip to mark the years, a model for the sport.