A proud Belfast man, John was one of the most skillful boxers ever to come out of Ireland and was reckoned to have been exceptionally unlucky to lose his Olympic semi-final in 1956 at the Melbourne Games, claiming a bronze medal.
In 1961 he became the first Irishman to win a world championship since Rinty Monaghan in 1948. He also won the Commonwealth and British titles in 1964 before retiring from the sport a year later.
John boxed out of the famous Immaculata Boxing Club in Belfast.