THE legacy of one of Newport’s greatest athletes continues to be told – with special codes added to the statue allowing visitors to access information on him.
David ‘Bomber’ Pearce was honoured in 2018, with a ‘Newport’s Rocky’ bronze statue unveiled in the city to honour the late boxing hero.
Now, his nephew Luke Pearce has revealed QR codes - which can be scanned with a mobile phone to access specific information - have been added to the statue to allow people to learn all about the life and legacy of his uncle.
Mr Pearce said: “The QR codes were included to inform any visitors to the statue of his biography and also the charity work that is being done across the locality in the name of his legacy.”
The statue of David 'Bomber' Pearce being unveiled in 2018
The codes are a first for the city and an innovative step by NewportsRocky to further spread Mr Pearce’s legacy. One of the QR codes will provide a biography on his life and the second will take the user to the NewportsRocky social media.
More than £60,000 was raised for the statue to be erected on June 9, 2018, and the David Bomber Pearce Legacy charity has given more than £15,000 in grants to clubs, teams, disability charities and remembrance charities.
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David Pearce, a former steelworker, was affectionately nicknamed 'Newport’s Rocky', and had his first professional fight in 1978. He had a number of wins before defeating Dennis Andries, the three-time world light heavyweight champion, in 1981.
David Pearce fighting Neville Meade in 1983
In 1983, he fought Swansea’s Neville Meade in Cardiff’s St David’s Hall and became the Welsh and British heavyweight champion – a title he never lost in the ring.
Mr Pearce died in 2000.
A bid has also been placed to posthumously award the boxer with the Spirit of Newport award – which has the backing of many people, including mayor William Routley.
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