Born in Hull in 1896, Ernie Rice fought out of Hounslow and made his professional début in December 1911 with a loss to Bill Mansell.
His early record was undistinguished and in 1917 lost six of his first nine fights, including a defeat at the hands of French champion Georges Papin.
He beat Joe Conn in November 1920 and in April 1921 knocked out Ben Callicott in the seventh round to win the British lightweight title vacated by Bob Marriott.
[5][6] In September 1922 he was beaten on points over 20 rounds by Seaman Nobby Hall at Liverpool Stadium, losing his British and European titles.
[19] His other cousin Toni (sibling to Dick) was also a boxer before becoming a professional musician and the leader of the Santa Maria Dance Band, which regularly performed on British radio.