Between September 1915 and December 1916 he lost more fights than he won, suffering defeats to Ben Callicott, Bob Cotton, and Hardcastle, but beat some highly regarded opponents including Curley Walker and Alex Lafferty.
By the end of 1919 he had built up a run of eleven straight wins, and in January 1920 faced Marchant at the National Sporting Club for the vacant British featherweight title.
[4][5] In May 1920 he faced Arthur Wyns for the vacant European featherweight title, losing after being knocked out in the tenth round.
[7][8] He made the first defence of his British title in October 1920, his opponent Tancy Lee retiring in the nineteenth round.
[12] After a long period in West Ham Sanitorium, Dagenham, he died in 1944, aged 48, the death reported on 2 December.