As Carl Frampton, MBE (26-2, 15 KOs) steps into the ring this weekend to face Tyler McCreary (16-0-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round junior lightweight battle, many boxing fans are curious about what the MBE actually means. Grab a pint blokes, because we’re here to explain.
The acronym following the Northern Irish fighter’s name means that he’s a distinguished Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a tradition that dates back to World War One (insert Luis Ortiz joke here) and its exclusive members are comprised of civilians (or non-military) who have achieved extraordinary feats. That means renown scientists, artists, and yes, boxers. The 2016 Fighter of the Year‘s MBE is the first and most basic rank. From there, you have OBE, CBE, KBE/DBE, and GBE. And you thought WBC’s belt system was complicated.
Over the years, many other fighters from the United Kingdom have been enshrined in the Order of the British Empire. Let’s have a look, old chaps.
Anthony Joshua, OBE
While Anthony Joshua (22-1) dropped three world title belts to Andy Ruiz earlier this year, he’s still got a lot of shiny hardware left on the trophy shelf. Last December, “AJ” was honored with the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Prince Charles at the Buckingham Palace. An OBE is no interim championship but puts the Great Britain Olympic gold medalist among the ranks of names like Idris Elba, JK Rowling, and David Beckham.
Audley Harrison, MBE
These days, Audley Harrison (31-7) is best known for being one of the many faceless names on Deontay Wilder’s brutal knockout catalog, but he’s an MBE cardholder for good reason. Back in 2000, “A-Force” was truly a force, becoming the first British boxer to bring home Olympic gold in the super-heavyweight division. While he never lived up to Ring Magazine’s prediction of the next “Lennox Lewis,” Harrison remains a big star in the UK and has been on Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity MasterChef.
Lennox Lewis, CBE
Nobody should be gobsmacked by Lennox Lewis’ (41-2-1) inclusion in this elite class. The three-time world heavyweight champion is hands-down the greatest British heavyweight of all-time. “The Lion” is a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), the highest civilian award outside of knighthood. Many CBE recipients are knighted later in their lives like Ian McKellan, Michael Caine, and Anthony Hopkins, so a Sir Lennox Lewis could be in the cards.
Naseem Hamed, MBE
Unlike Errol Spence’s world titles, an MBE can be stripped for reckless driving. “Prince” Naseem Hamed (36-1) learned that the hard way after Queen Elizabeth revoked his crowning achievement in 2007. The flamboyant southpaw star served a 15-month prison sentence after crashing his McLaren into another car, severely injuring the other driver. Blimey.
Sir Henry Cooper
There’s only one boxer ever to achieve knighthood, and bollocks was he a good one. The late, great Sir Henry Cooper (40-14-1) never donned a shiny suit of armor but famously crossed swords twice with a guy named Cassius Clay. Outside the ring, Cooper embodied class, refusing to ever trash talk and spent his life as a family man and philanthropist until he quietly passed in 2011.
