{{Short description|English boxer (1822–1863)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}} {{Use British English|date=June 2015}} {{Infobox boxer|name=Tom Paddock |image=TomPaddock.jpg |imagesize=200px |realname='''Thomas Paddock''' |nickname='''Redditch Needlepointer''' |weight=[[Heavyweight]] |height={{height|ft=5|in=10.5}} |nationality=English |birth_date=1822 |birth_place=[[Redditch]], Worcestershire |death_date={{death date|1863|6|30|df=y}} |death_place=[[Marylebone]], London |total=16 |wins=11 |losses=5 |}}

'''Tom Paddock''', born '''Thomas Paddock''' (c. 1822, [[Redditch]] – 30 June 1863) also known as the '''Redditch Needlepointer''' was a champion English [[bare-knuckle boxing|bare-knuckle boxer]] in the early [[Victorian era]].{{r|ODNB}}

Tom was baptised on 25 August 1822 in [[Redditch]], Worcestershire, England, the son of George Paddock and Elizabeth (née Morris).<ref>[http://www.familysearch.org Familysearch.org]</ref> Brought up on a farm, he was noted to have developed a size and endurance that served him well in his career as a boxer.{{r|ODNB}}

His professional career in [[boxing]] started in 1844; at the time he was just under six feet tall and weighed twelve stone. Between then and 1850 he was largely undefeated in the boxing ring, and gained a reputation not only for his courage but for his foul tactics and uncontrollable temper.{{r|ODNB}} It was [[William Thompson (boxer)|William Thompson]] of [[Nottingham]] who spoilt his clean record in 1850 in [[Mildenhall, Suffolk]].{{r|CBZ}}

In 1851 a fight against Harry Poulson in [[Belper]] ended in a riot when both men were jailed. Both served ten months [[hard labour]].{{r|CBZ}}

Three years later Paddock challenged both [[Harry Broome]] and [[William Perry (boxer)|Bill Perry]] to a [[Heavyweight]] Championship of England bout but both turned it down. Paddock then claimed himself as the Heavyweight Champion of England by default,<ref name="CBZ" /> though this was not generally recognised until 1856 following fifty-one rounds in the ring against Harry Broome in [[Manningtree]].<ref>[http://www.famous-fights.com/2007/08/broome-versus-paddock.html Boxing championship fight at famous-fights.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071207224504/http://www.famous-fights.com/2007/08/broome-versus-paddock.html |date=7 December 2007 }}</ref> However, his victory was short-lived; he lost the title later the same year to Bill Perry.{{r|ODNB}} He twice attempted to regain the title, but was unsuccessful.{{r|CBZ}}

Paddock's last fight took place in 1860 against [[Sam Hurst]], for the championship of England.<ref name="CBZ" /> He died of [[heart disease]] on 30 June 1863 in [[Marylebone]].{{r|ODNB}}<ref>[https://www.freebmd.org.uk/ FreeBMD]</ref>

A book on Paddock's life is currently being penned by Tom Podmore, a Nottingham-based writer originally from Redditch.

== References == {{reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name="CBZ"> [http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/paddock.htm Fighting history at cyberboxingzone.com] </ref>

<ref name="ODNB"> {{cite ODNB |last1=Broadfoot |first1=William |last2=Lock |first2=Julian (rev.) |contribution=Paddock, Tom (1822–1863) |title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |year=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/21079 |edition=online |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/21079 |accessdate=11 December 2012}} </ref>

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Paddock, Tom}} [[Category:1822 births]] [[Category:1863 deaths]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Redditch]] [[Category:English male boxers]] [[Category:English bare-knuckle boxers]] [[Category:Heavyweight boxers]]