Biography
Born Basil Sylvester Sterling in Jamaica, he was always known to his family as Bunny. He moved with his parents to live in London at the age of six. Managed by George Francis, he made his professional debut in September 1966, losing on points to Joe Devitt. After also losing his next two fights, he gained his first win in December, with a points decision over Fess Parker.
In May 1968, he unsuccessfully challenged for Johnny Kramer's Southern Area middleweight title, losing narrowly on points. The two fought again for the title in December, this time Bunny taking the win after a cut to Kramer led to the fight being stopped. In his next four fights, he lost three (to former British champion Wally Swift, Harry Scott, and Dick Duffy) and drew one (with Nessim Max Cohen), but in January and May 1970 respectively, beat Dennis Pleace and Scott in eliminators to get a shot at the British middleweight title. At this time he was studying Law as well as pursuing a boxing career.
He won the British and Commonwealth middleweight titles on 8 September 1970 at Wembley Stadium in London, stopping Mark Rowe at the end of the fourth round due to a cut. Although he had been allowed to compete for the British title based on his residency, he didn't become a British citizen until 20 October 1970, which also gave him eligibility to fight for the European title. He successfully defended his Commonwealth title in November 1970 against Kahu Mahanga.
He made a third defence of the Commonwealth title in March 1971, receiving an unanimous decision against Johan Louw in Edmonton. Wins over Billy Douglas, former world welterweight champion Luis Manuel Rodríguez, and former European champion Tom Bogs followed, before he got his first shot at the European title in December, challenging defending champion Jean Claude Bouttier. Bouttier knocked him out in the fourteenth round to retain the title.
Bunny lost the Commonwealth title in April 1972, Tony Mundine stopping him in the fifteenth and final round in Brisbane. Bunny made a successful defense of his British title against Phil Matthews in September 1972, Don McMillan in January 1973, and Rowe in April 1973, to win the Lonsdale Belt outright. With the European title becoming vacant, Bunny got a second shot at it in November 1973 against Elio Calcabrini in San Remo. The Italian took the title on points.
Bunny lost the British title in his fourth defense, Kevin Finnegan taking a points decision in February 1974. When Finnegan vacated, he took the chance to win it back, stopping reigning light-middleweight champion Maurice Hope in the eighth round in June 1975. He vacated the title to once again challenge for the European title.
