Colin Wilson

Colin Wilson was born on 18 April 1972 in Palmerston North, New Zealand. He later moved to Australia and became, in the words of Nine.com.au, an Aussie who flew the flag for boxing in this country. BoxRec lists his residence as Emerald, in central Queensland, and Emerald's local paper described him as the town's one and only Hall of Fame boxer. Details of his parents, schooling and early working life have not been made public.

Details of Wilson's schooling and education have not been made public. His ring name, Kid Coalminer, is widely used in records of his career, but the published sources reviewed for this page do not explain its origin.

Wilson turned professional on 13 November 1992 and won his debut by knocking out Jason Coaker. A tall southpaw, listed at 1.95 metres with a 200 centimetre reach, he fought at heavyweight for his whole career.

He first won the Australian heavyweight title on 17 February 1997. On 13 January 1998 he lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Joe Bugner at Broadbeach, with Bugner taking the Australian title on the way to his late-career world title run. Wilson regained the national title on 19 September 2003 and held it until 2 November 2007, when Bob Mirovic knocked him out in the eighth round at Fankhauser Reserve in Southport. Mirovic had also beaten him on points in 2002 and 2004.

On 29 April 2005 he fought New Zealand's Shane Cameron for the vacant Australasian heavyweight title at ASB Stadium in Auckland and was stopped in the seventh round. On 27 June 2008 he beat Alex Leapai by split decision over 12 rounds at the Mansfield Tavern in Brisbane to win the OPBF heavyweight title. Leapai won their rematch on 19 June 2009 at Southport RSL by eighth-round knockout. A 12-round OPBF heavyweight title bout with Nathan Briggs, their third meeting, was also filmed and posted online in 2009.

On 3 October 2009, on the undercard of David Tua against Shane Cameron at the Mystery Creek Events Centre in Hamilton, New Zealand, Wilson knocked out John Hopoate in the fourth round. The NZ Herald reported that Wilson climbed off the canvas in the third, dropped Hopoate late in that round and ended it in the fourth with a body shot followed by a left hand. Contemporary reports said the bout was scheduled for eight rounds and that Hopoate's title was not formally at stake, but Australian title histories date Wilson's third reign from that night. Justin Whitehead took the title from him in August 2010.

On 17 February 2012 Lucas Browne knocked Wilson out in the third round at Southport RSL to win the vacant Australian title. Wilson continued to box into his forties and lost the last eight fights of his career. His final bout was against Kiki Toa Leutele at the ABA Stadium in Auckland in March 2019. BoxRec records 70 professional bouts from 1992 to 2019, with 35 wins (21 by knockout), 33 losses and one draw. Other published tallies differ: Wikipedia lists 45 wins, 29 losses and one draw, and Nine.com.au reported 89 fights.

For many years Wilson also fought in Fred Brophy's Boxing Troupe, the travelling tent boxing show known for its appearances at outback events such as the Birdsville races. In the tent he fought under the name The Birdsville Butcher. The troupe is often described as the last tent boxing show of its kind.

Wilson lived in Emerald, central Queensland. Friends and colleagues remembered him for his humour and his love of a beer. Tasman Fighters director Matt Clark called him an absolute larrikin who could often be seen polishing off a few schooners after the weigh in. At his post-fight press conference in Hamilton in 2009 he turned up wearing his glasses, a detail the NZ Herald used to underline his veteran status. Details of his family have not been made public.

Wilson was one of the most durable Australian heavyweights of his era. He held the Australian heavyweight title three times across 13 years and shared the ring with Joe Bugner, Shane Cameron, Alex Leapai, Lucas Browne, Bob Mirovic and John Hopoate. The West Australian called his 2009 knockout of Hopoate among the most notable wins of a professional career stretching back almost 17 years. Reaction to his death from boxing figures focused as much on his character as his record.

Australian heavyweight champion three times: 17 February 1997 to January 1998, 19 September 2003 to 2 November 2007, and 3 October 2009 to 20 August 2010. OPBF heavyweight champion after beating Alex Leapai on 27 June 2008. Inducted into the Queensland Boxing Hall of Fame on 9 November 2024, presented by Paul Moore.

Several of Wilson's fights survive online, including his 2009 knockout of John Hopoate, his 2012 Australian title fight with Lucas Browne broadcast by Fox Sports Australia, his 2005 Australasian title fight with Shane Cameron, his OPBF title bout with Nathan Briggs and the end of his 2009 rematch with Alex Leapai. Footage of his 2024 Queensland Boxing Hall of Fame induction was also posted on YouTube.

In February 2026 Wilson was with friends in Emerald when he began slurring his words, and his friends feared he was having a stroke. He was rushed to hospital, where scans revealed a cancerous tumour on his brain, and Emerald Today reported on 15 February 2026 that he had undergone surgery that week to remove it and faced a long road ahead.

His death, at the age of 54, was announced by Tasman Fighters director Matt Clark on X on Tuesday 6 October 2026. The exact date and place of death have not been made public. Clark's post drew tributes from across Australian boxing, including from the journalist Grantlee Kieza, who said: "very sad news, Col was a ripper bloke".