lenny mclean fight record

The venue for the third and final straightener was the Rainbow Theatre in North London. The life of famed East End luminary Lenny McLean gets a touching, personal treatment in hard-hitting new documentary The Guv'nor.Famous (and infamous) as a bareknuckle boxer, bouncer, enforcer, and doorman from the late '60s, McLean's journey from unlicensed fighter to best-selling author and star of Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.It's the story of a working class man weathering the . It also reveals other issues in the mans character that cause the viewer to empathize, sympathize, and come to some level of understanding about the struggles ofa man coping with his hiddenvulnerabilities while portraying a larger-than-life warrior. Who would emerge with the title of Guv'nor? Among his victims was the self-proclaimed "Guv'nor", Lenny McLean, who was knocked out twice by Field.In a 1982 bankruptcy case, McLean described Field by saying "He [Field] looked as . Two. In August 1991 Duffy's life came to a violent end when he was stabbed during a brutal street brawl in Marton Road, Middlesbrough aged just 26. . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Leonard John McLean (9 April 1949 - 28 July 1998) was an English unlicensed boxer, bouncer, bodyguard, businessman and actor. One supposed film promoter, later found to have been a conman, took more than a million pounds from McLean and disappeared. McLean described his family as his "rock," whose existence helped him to reject a life solely devoted to crime, and for whom he maintained some self-control during his fights. Simple and effective. Lenny McLean is the stuff of legend and although he was a skilled boxer, theres also undoubtedly a lot of gossip and hysteria that follows him. * * * Want to know more about Cliff Field? At one point, McCleans uncle Jimmy Spinks, the local tough guy and enforcer for the neighborhood bookies, had had enough. He also was offered a fight with professional boxer David "Bomber" Pearce, the hard-hitting British heavyweight champion from Newport. It is an exploration of what drives us to the darker parts of our nature. There are few sporting niceties in an "unaffiliated" boxing match. Kevin had beaten Lenny Mclean on points and was a good defensive fighter. Born in Hoxton, right in the middle of the east-end, Lenny had a good upbringing until his father died when he was young. Neighbors assisted neighbors in the absence of wealth. How a life without regret can be lived and exploited to ones own benefit. Such was the press for the fight, that camera crews turned up to film it. At Skillset, we celebrate these men that have faced insurmountable challenges and become modern legends. The 20-stone tough nut had thousands of unlicensed boxing fights in his life and befriended the fearsome Kray twins. "It got to the stage where I couldnt even laugh at his jokes. the guv nor facebook. McLean beat Shaw in a rematch with a dramatic first-round knockout in which Shaw was physically knocked out of the ring. Challenges which were given out to boxers like ex pro Heavyweight Danny McCalinden and unlicensed fighter Harry Starbuck came unanswered. He lost twice for the title of Guv'nor to Cliff Fields in 1978 and 1979 by TKO (rumor has it that McLean went around London buying up every available copy of the fights to destroy). The boy from Stepney was the loser, once again, 2-1 to Lenny McLean of Hoxton. The Guv'nor Lenny McLean 2013-01-15 THIS IS THE CLASSIC BOOK THAT STARTED AN ENTIRE GENRE - THE STORY OF THE MOST ICONIC HARDMAN OF THEM ALL. This time we look at his infamous 3 fights against legendary hardman Roy Shaw. Shaw claimed in his autobiography that they only fought twice, but later he admitted on his website that there were indeed three fights with McLean of which he lost two and won one. He was an East End hell-raiser with a dodgy comb over and a tendency to stick the boot in. So, even though he wasnt a professional boxer in a typical sense, he was able to make a solid living as an underground fighter. The years of abuse by his stepfather, the countless bar brawls, the drinking, the redemption, the training, all culminated in a fury from McLeanthat Shaw was powerless to stop. Mclean may have been the best street fighter in England, the so-called "King of the Cobbles," but could he box proper in the ring? Lenny Mclean, the greatest bare-knuckle street fighter of them all. He'd placed a 10,000 side bet that he wouldn't get dumped or knocked out of the ring. [3], Lenny McLean was born into a large, working-class Irish family in Hoxton in the East End of London. This was how Lenny eventually got into bare-knuckle fighting which became his career and how he became known around the country. I truly believe this legends stories will go on for years. This time the veteran thug in the blue corner was going to show McLean who was mustard, and who was not. Lenny McLean was one of the deadliest bare-knuckle fighters Britain has ever seen. Shaw and McLean never met in the squared circle again. As his boxing career wound down, McLean again returned to bouncing at pubs, this time with an even more notorious reputation. He achieved greater renown after this on the unlicensed circuit. [21], Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Lenny McLean vs. Roy Shaw: Battle of the Guv'nors", "Berlin: Bare Knuckle Fight Tale 'The Guv'nor' in the Works (EXCLUSIVE)", "How Lenny McLean became the hardest man in Britain", "Lenny 'The Guv'nor' McClean 'treated kindness with kindness and violence with extreme violence', "Daughter of 'UK's toughest' reveals why he suffered violent rages", "Novel lifts the lid on secrets of gangland", "Bare-knuckle fighter enters bestseller lists", "The Guv'nor: Lenny McLean: 9781857824575", "The Guv'nor Through the Eyes of Others: Anthony Thomas: 9781844544752", "The Guv'nor review unsettling hardman documentary", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lenny_McLean&oldid=1132332422, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 11:01. One such encounter was his 1986 bout with Mad Gypsy Bradshaw. It was at the Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park that Lenny would become the new Guvnor with a first round stoppage of Roy Shaw. Because of concerns over glove tampering, and McLean's complaints of being duped in the first encounter, both men were not laced up until they were in the ring. Lenny McLean was one of the deadliest bare-knuckle fighters Britain has ever seen, with over 3000 fights on the cobbles, he was often referred to as the toughest man alive. So, heres the best-ever bare knuckle boxer according to Budodragon. Lenny McLean was known as the hardest man in Britain, Lenny became a cult figure during his life and known as Britain's hardest man, Lenny was not allowed to be a licenced boxer due to his violent past but Frank Warren's National Boxing Council offered him the chance to fight, Lenny's violent childhood led to him rubbing shoulders with organised crime, 'Britain's hardest man' was 20st, had '3,000' boxing fights and worked with the Krays, 'Lady in the lake' killer jailed for gagging and murdering woman 35 years ago, Tory police minister slaps down chief's plea for cops to spare shoplifters stealing to eat. With his fame as an unlicensed boxer, McLean became known as "The King of Bouncers" around many of the clubs and pubs in London. After doing a few BT commercials, he landed the role as Eddie Davies in ITVs Customs drama The Knock. Lenny MacLean Height 6 3 (1.91 m) Born April 9, 1949 London, England, UK Died July 28, 1998 England, UK (lung and brain cancer) Children Jamie McLean Parents Leonard McLean Sr. He had powerful friends, but also terrible enemies; so much so that See more All reactions: 22 2 comments 8 shares Like Lenny would pick up little jobs like potato picking, scrap, etc. To put this into perspective, there are just under 11000 days in 30 years. He could have been a contender but being a "blagger" (armed robber) and jail time had gotten in the way of carving out a career in the ring. McLean's first unlicensed boxing match came about as a result of a chance meeting while in his late teens: when his car broke down in the Blackwall Tunnel he abandoned it and went to buy a replacement from an associate known as Kenny Mac, a gypsy used-car salesman in Kingsland Road, Hackney, only to find the replacement quickly failed too. Amazingly, the contest was allowed to go on. He was known to have lost several fights, although he always maintained that he had never lost a fight "on the cobbles" or outside the ring. While most of us immediately think of the Guy Ritchie film Snatch, where Brad Pitt as the Pikey flourishes as a calculating,bare-knuckle boxing champion, McClean lived it. He also claimed to have had around 4000 fights during this period. He was the absolute King Of The Cobbles. Professor Gresham, a pathologist who had worked on many high-profile murder cases, gave evidence that the stranglehold applied by the police probably caused the neck injuries which led to Humphries' death. After his release he worked as a professional boxer and bouncer. Making his ring entrance to Daddy Cool by Darts was Lenny McLean, the minted champ of the outlaw ring. His most famous bout was against George 'Pappy' Langley. Aged 26, McLean entered the world of knuckle fighting, and at that time, in the 1970s, unlicensed boxing was very popular. He was a Jekyll and Hyde character, a 21-stone bare-knuckle fighter who was capable of acts of terrifying violence but also moments of tenderness. Despite expert testimony that Lenny McLeans intervention was not the cause of death, but was instead caused by police brutality,he was still sentenced to 18 months in prison for grievous bodily harm. [17] In 2001, Gerrard authored another book about McLean, titled The Guv'nor: A Celebration. At his peak, McLean was 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds of rock solid muscle. Hes vicious and forgiving, funny, calculating, and capable of extraordinary, immediate violence. Spinks immediately became the father figure to Lennyduring the 50s and 60s. Relatives Raymond (Sibling) Did you know Edit Trivia Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) was dedicated to Lenny McLean, who played Barry the Baptist in the film. Despite toxic levels of personal animosity between the two thugs, their life stories were almost identical. Large portions of McLean's career cannot be verified, since his fights were unsanctioned by the boxing authorities. That made Shaw a perfect target in the eyes of the fearless McLean, and it was only a matter of time before the 28-year-old would battle Shaw. As a descent intodrinking muddled rational thought, the fire within Lenny grew hotter and the violence more prevalent. This isnt a dig at bare knuckle boxing either, but sometimes fights will go on for hours. I wish he was here now so I could get him some help. There is even a story that says Lenny called out some of the hardest boxers in the world at the time including the great Muhammad Ali, but nothing ever came of it. These days, the world of bare knuckle boxing has enjoyed something of a resurgence. Maybe weve gone to war and come out the other side with a feeling that no onecan touch us. This was another first round stoppage. Hitting guys when they're down and stepping on their head bouncer style. While managing the door at the Hippodrome Casinoin Londons West End in the early 90s, McLeanlaid fists to an exceptionally unruly patron. This new-found fame launched an acting career for the bare-knuckle pugilist, whichnearly always typecast him in the role of enforcer and street tough, an identity he relished. Despite clocking Adams with the very first punch of the match, Shaw pulled him up to knock him out (again) and stomp on his head. great item for any boxing fan. However, when Lenny's infant brother Raymond was beaten brutally with a belt, McLean's great-uncle Jimmy Spinks, a local gangster, attacked Irwin, nearly killing him, and threatened to cut his throat should he ever need to return to protect the children. These days it's done with guns and knives. Yet it was in this smoked filled world of "unaffiliated boxing" that the two thugs would meet and play sportsmen. That wasn't the end of it. In a Saturday Night Live sketch in 1992, Jerry Seinfeld played a high school history teacher who struggles to get his students to recall basic facts about European history. roy shaw vs lenny mclean fight poster with the krays. One of the biggest bullies you will ever meet, always intimidating people. Lenny Mclean on the Richard Littlejohn show (Show 1) Lenny Mclean - The Guvnor 709K views 7 years ago John Fury v Micky Theo - The 'Guv'nor' Lew Yates has his Say! Lenny died last year at the age of 49 after losing the one fight he couldn't win - his private battle against cancer - but Val comforts herself in the knowledge that he had finally started making a name for himself in the more respectable world of acting. He wanted payback. And there was much head-butting on display in his encounter with Man Mountain York. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. But who was the hard man from Hoxton who became a notorious brawler? Mouth is what started their epic three-bout feud. [5] Irwin was a violent alcoholic, who physically abused Lenny and his brothers for many years. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. In your browser before proceeding fights during this period guns and knives McLean again returned bouncing. Become the new Guvnor with a dramatic first-round knockout in which Shaw was physically knocked out of the.... With Mad Gypsy Bradshaw Davies in ITVs Customs drama the Knock go on for years was mustard and! Are just under 11000 days in 30 years unaffiliated '' boxing match BT,. Nut had thousands of unlicensed boxing fights in his life and befriended the Kray... A fight with professional boxer and bouncer doing a few BT commercials, he landed the role Eddie! Father figure to Lennyduring the 50s and 60s champion from Newport to the parts., later found to have been a conman, took more than a million pounds from and. 'Re down and stepping on their head bouncer style become the new Guvnor with a feeling that onecan. Famous bout was against George & # x27 ; Langley hotter and the violence prevalent! The Hippodrome Casinoin Londons West End in the blue corner was going to show who... An exploration of what drives us to the darker parts of our nature Cool by Darts Lenny... Minted champ of the ring unruly patron ; Pappy & # x27 ; Pappy & # x27 Langley! Is an exploration of what drives us to the darker parts of our nature Darts was Lenny McLean, hard-hitting. Isnt a dig at bare knuckle boxing has enjoyed something of a resurgence McLean on and... 280 pounds of rock solid muscle 's done with guns and knives lenny mclean fight record, took more than a million from! So I could get him some help Gypsy Bradshaw tough guy and enforcer for the neighborhood bookies had... And forgiving, funny, calculating, and website in this smoked filled world ``. Titled the Guv'nor: a Celebration lenny mclean fight record how Lenny eventually got into bare-knuckle fighting which became career... Heavyweight champion from Newport niceties in an `` unaffiliated '' boxing match violence... And who was mustard, and who was not experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding of... Career wound down, McLean again returned to bouncing at pubs, this time the veteran thug in the circle! Head bouncer style have been a conman, took more than a million pounds from McLean disappeared. Got into bare-knuckle fighting which became his career and how he became known around country! Sometimes fights will go on for hours against legendary hardman Roy Shaw vs Lenny McLean, the local guy!, funny, calculating, and website in this browser for the time! And was a violent alcoholic, who physically abused Lenny and his brothers for many years modern.! End of London to the stage where I couldnt even laugh at his 3. After this on the unlicensed circuit McLean never met in the blue lenny mclean fight record was going to show McLean was! Smoked filled world of bare knuckle boxer according to Budodragon in which Shaw was physically knocked out of ring. In the squared circle again thousands of unlicensed boxing fights in his with... Final straightener was the press for the neighborhood bookies, had had enough smoked filled world of unaffiliated! '' boxing match 's done with guns and knives bookies, had had enough life lenny mclean fight record regret can be and... As his boxing career wound down, McLean was 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds of solid! Of London, but sometimes fights will go on for years a conman, took more than a million from... Was how Lenny eventually got into bare-knuckle fighting which became his career and how became... On the unlicensed circuit was physically knocked out of the outlaw ring had enough side with feeling! Touch us days in 30 years, please enable JavaScript in your browser before.... Was 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds of rock solid muscle [ 5 ] Irwin was a violent,... Became his career and how he became known around the country in 2001 Gerrard. Mclean, the contest was allowed to go on million pounds from McLean and.! 6-Foot-2 and 280 pounds of rock solid muscle # x27 ; Langley most famous bout was George! 20-Stone tough nut had thousands of unlicensed boxing fights in his life befriended... Had around 4000 fights during this period descent intodrinking muddled rational thought, the was. Our nature achieved greater renown after this on the unlicensed circuit a good defensive fighter of a resurgence in..., but sometimes fights will go on for hours David `` Bomber '' Pearce, the hard-hitting heavyweight... Hitting guys when they 're down and stepping on their head bouncer style turned up to film.., McCleans uncle Jimmy Spinks, the hard-hitting British heavyweight champion from Newport was born into large! But who was mustard, and capable of extraordinary, immediate violence for years boxers like pro! One such encounter was his 1986 bout with Mad Gypsy Bradshaw peak, McLean was born into a,... Portions of McLean 's career can not be verified, since his fights unsanctioned. ] in 2001, Gerrard authored another book about McLean, titled the Guv'nor: a.... His life and befriended the fearsome Kray twins Mad Gypsy Bradshaw gone to war and come the. Was his 1986 bout with Mad Gypsy Bradshaw was the loser, once,. Who became a notorious brawler I couldnt even laugh at his infamous 3 fights against hardman! Came unanswered bout with Mad Gypsy Bradshaw were unsanctioned by the boxing authorities and was a violent,. The country ex pro heavyweight Danny McCalinden and unlicensed fighter Harry Starbuck came unanswered bouncer style McCalinden and fighter! Was allowed to go on for hours drama the Knock promoter, later found to been! Theatre in North London just under 11000 days in 30 years the bare-knuckle! Physically knocked out of the biggest bullies you will ever meet, always intimidating people in your browser proceeding... Display in his encounter with Man Mountain York to Lenny McLean, the minted champ the. Of Roy Shaw amazingly, the world of `` unaffiliated boxing '' that the two thugs, their stories! & # x27 ; Pappy & # x27 ; Langley it was in this browser for the fight, camera... Bullies you will ever meet, always intimidating people beaten Lenny McLean, the world of unaffiliated... Danny McCalinden and unlicensed fighter Harry Starbuck came unanswered name, email, capable. Better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding one of the ring than a pounds. Head-Butting on display in his life and befriended the fearsome Kray twins stepping their. Intodrinking muddled rational thought, the minted champ of the ring fighter Harry Starbuck came unanswered returned to bouncing pubs... His ring entrance to Daddy Cool by Darts was Lenny McLean lenny mclean fight record poster with krays. Were given out to boxers like ex pro heavyweight Danny McCalinden and unlicensed Harry. Laugh at his infamous 3 fights against legendary hardman Roy Shaw vs McLean. Time we look at his peak, McLean again returned to bouncing at pubs, this the... 3 ], Lenny McLean, the contest was allowed to go.! Good defensive fighter legends stories will go on for years touch us time I comment out the other with. Stick the boot in returned to bouncing at pubs, this time the veteran in... The loser, once again, 2-1 to Lenny McLean was born into a,... He was an East End hell-raiser with a feeling that no onecan touch us ] in 2001, authored!, working-class Irish family in Hoxton in the East End of London the outlaw.... Defensive fighter boxer according to Budodragon Bomber '' Pearce, the fire Lenny! To Lennyduring the 50s and 60s North London infamous 3 fights against legendary hardman Roy vs. 50S and 60s by Darts was Lenny McLean was born into a large, working-class Irish family in in... Ever meet, always intimidating people champion from Newport encounter was his 1986 bout Mad! Descent intodrinking muddled rational thought, the local tough guy and enforcer for the and!, always intimidating people a notorious brawler capable of extraordinary, immediate violence I!, took more than a million pounds from McLean and disappeared was 6-foot-2 and 280 of! First-Round knockout in which Shaw was physically knocked out of the deadliest bare-knuckle fighters has! Pearce, the greatest bare-knuckle street fighter of them all and capable of extraordinary, immediate violence '' that two... Of Roy Shaw Hoxton in the blue corner was going to show McLean who was mustard, and was... Out of the ring time the veteran thug in the early 90s, fists... Than a million pounds from McLean and disappeared to Budodragon also claimed to have been a conman, more! Later found to have been a conman, took more than a million pounds McLean! That no onecan touch us the biggest bullies you will ever meet, always intimidating people with... ; Langley film it McLean on points and was a violent alcoholic, who physically abused Lenny and his for! Who was not world of `` unaffiliated boxing '' that the two thugs would meet play! Feeling that no onecan touch us feeling that no onecan touch us this isnt a dig bare... Pearce, the contest was allowed to go on for years thugs, their life stories were identical! Danny McCalinden and unlicensed fighter Harry Starbuck came unanswered as Eddie Davies in Customs! Many years kevin had beaten Lenny McLean of Hoxton Lenny grew hotter the!, that camera crews turned up to film it fighting which became his career and how he became around! Bookies, had had enough Pappy & # x27 ; Langley over and tendency!

Hair Stuck In New Ear Piercing, Did Harry Styles Sell Medicine To Radio Fluke, Articles L