Tributes to Hessle Road boxing legend Ken Dry who impressed Muhammad Ali – Hull Live

Tributes have been paid to a Hessle Road boxing legend whose fans included international star Muhammad Ali.

Ken Dry was not only a hugely successful boxer, but also had an international career as referee for the sport that spanned nearly four decades.

He featured regularly in the Hull Daily Mail and also shared his views with the paper on Muhammad Ali after meeting the boxer for the second time in 2010, saying he still thought of him as "the greatest artist there has ever been".

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Ken died peacefully on Friday, January 14. He was 87.

His eldest son Jeremy Dry has spoken to Hull Live for a special tribute to his dad and revealed how he got into boxing.

Jeremy said: "He was coming home from school and some boy stole his hat.

"His dad told him to go out and not come back until he got the hat back, which he did.

"That was the day he swore he would protect himself."

Ken joined Hull Boys' Club that year, in 1945, at the age of 11.

"His first bout his mother didn't know he was competing in. Tommy Smith of the Seamen's Mission called him up because they were short of boxers."

It was the start of a highly successful boxing career with Ken winning the prize of a nine-and-half pence autograph book from Woolworth's that day.

Ken's family grew up in Emily Grove, near Hessle Road.

Jeremy said: "His mother used to mend fishing nets in the front room.

"He was the first one to buy his own house."

Ken won the local schoolboy championship in 1948 but shot to fame locally at the age of 15 when he fought at the London Wembley Arena in the Junior Amateur Boxing Association's Championship of Great Britain.

There were thousands of people in attendance and it was one of the earliest sporting events broadcast live by the BBC.

Ken was a featherweight amateur boxer and made the final of the senior Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) championship twice, in 1956 and 1957.

He fought 218 times and was defeated on only 14 occasions.

In his early twenties, Ken became a referee in the sport and quickly became one of the most respected arbiters in the sport.

He joined the World Panel of boxing referees in 1977, when it consisted of only 12 referees and travelled the globe to referee bouts.

In 1990, he went to New Zealand for the Commonwealth Games, where he met Muhammad Ali.

The renowned heavyweight boxer is alleged to have said to Ken Dry: "By god, you're a strict referee, you are! I don't think we'll have you!"

The following year, Ken Dry officiated at the World Championships in Peru.

"He was a very modest guy," said Jeremy.

"He lived by the motto, 'Play the Game' - it was ingrained in him as a little boy for his entire life."

The motto was painted on a wall at Hull Boys' Club, which opened in 1902 and closed in 2015.

Jeremy also mentioned the support of Ken's second wife, Lesley: "She was a rock all the way through his second marriage, supporting him through everything."

England Boxing has a tribute to Ken Dry and comments remembering him have flowed on tributes to him on social media.

Ken also taught basketball classes at Hull Boys' Club, which has been remembered by some.

"A true gentleman and a great trainer," said one. "Everyone looked up to Ken."

"A wonderful gentleman who was always firm but fair, he will be sadly missed by all who knew him."

A funeral service is being held for Ken at Haltemprice Crematorium in Willerby on Friday, February 11 at 3.30pm.

Members of the public are welcome to attend.

He is survived by his wife, Lesley, two sons, Jeremy and Timothy, and five grandsons.

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Tributes to Hessle Road boxing legend Ken Dry who impressed Muhammad Ali - Hull Live