Schedule News Current Champs WAIL! Encyclopedia Links Store Home
The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia -- Title Contender

Len Harvey
(Leonard Austen Harvey)

BORN   July 11 1907; Stoke Climssland, Cornwall, England
DIED November 28 1976; London, England
HEIGHT 5-11 (6-0 according to some reports)
WEIGHT 137 1/2-184 lbs
MANAGER Dan Sullivan

Harvey was a very special fighter who had an outstanding career; Many regarded him as a modern-day Bob Fitzsimmons since he was ringwise crafty, a good boxer and carried a heavy punch for his size; He fought many men who were larger than himself and was highly successful

Len lost only 13 of 133 bouts and scored 51 knockouts; During his career, he won the
Heavyweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth), the BBBC  Heavyweight Championship of Great Britain, the Light Heavyweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth), the BBBC Light Heavyweight Championship of Great Britain, the Middleweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth) and the BBBC Middleweight Championship of Great Britain

He defeated such men as Larry Gains, Jock McAvoy, Jack Petersen, Marcel Thil, Eddie Phillips, Manuel Abrew, Jack Casey, Len Johnson, Jack Hood, Dave Shade, Jack Etienne, Frank Moody, Andy Newton, Billy Bird, Alex Ireland and Joe Bloomfield

Harvey was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008

1920
Jan  2 Young King                  Plymouth, England                W  6
Jan 16 Young Fern                  Plymouth, England                L  6
Apr  9 Young Stanley               Plymouth, England                W  6
Jul 30 Kid Roberts                 Plymouth, England                W  6
Aug  6 Young Mac                   Plymouth, England               KO  1
Sep 17 Young Paul                  Plymouth, England                D  6

1921
Feb  4 Young Jinks                 Plymouth, England                W  6
Mar 18 Young Jinks                 Plymouth, England                W  6
Apr 15 Young Jinks                 Plymouth, England                W  8
May  6 Young Jinks                 Plymouth, England                W  6
Jun 17 Young Richards              Plymouth, England               KO  1
Jun 24 Young Jinks                 Plymouth, England                W  6
Sep  9 Young Callicot              Plymouth, England                W  6
          -Some sources report "Stanley Nipper"
Nov 25 Johnny Cotter               Plymouth, England                W  6

1922
Feb  4 Young O'Neill               Plymouth, England               TK  2
Mar 17 Johnny Cotter               Plymouth, England               TK  3
Mar 31 Billy Williams              Plymouth, England               TK  3
Jun 30 Young Callicot              Plymouth, England                L  8
          -Some sources report "Stanley Nipper"
Sep 29 Young Callicot              Plymouth, England                W  8
          -Some sources report "Stanley Nipper"
Nov 17 Jack Palmer                 Plymouth, England                W  8

1923
Jan  2 Billy Lewis                 London, England                  W 10
Apr 27 Young Callicot              Plymouth, England                D  8
          -Some sources report "Stanley Nipper"
Jun 22 Fred Bicknell               Plymouth, England                W  8
Jul 28 Young Jinks                 Plymouth, England                W  6
Sep 21 Kid Socks                   Plymouth, England                W 15
Oct 22 Billy "Pop" Humphries       London, England                  W 15
Nov 30 Bill Riley                  Plymouth, England                W 15

1924
Feb 11 Billy "Pop" Humphries       London, England                  W 20
Mar 10 Matt George                 London, England                 TK  3
Apr 12 Bill Riley                  London, England                  W 15
Apr 24 Bill Davies                 London, England                  W 15
May 17 Sam "Young" Clancy          London, England                  W 15
Jun  2 Ernie Jarvis                London, England                  W 15
Jun 21 "Young" Freddie Welsh       London, England                  W 15
Jul  3 Wally Jordan                London, England                 KO  1
Jul 17 Albert Hicks                London, England                  W 15
Aug 11 Billy Streets               London, England                  W 12
Sep  1 Tim Rowley                  London, England                 TK  2
Sep 20 Bert Saunders               London, England                  W 12
Oct  4 Albert "Young" Dando        London, England                  D 15
Oct 20 Albert "Young" Dando        London, England                 TK  4
Dec  8 Sid Cannon                  London, England                  W 12

1925
Jan  1 Seaman Harrod               London, England                 TK  5
Jan 26 Harry Kent                  London, England                 TK  4
Feb 19 Laurie Guard                London, England                 TK  5
Mar 30 Walter Maloney              London, England                 KO  1
Apr 18 Johnny Thomas               London, England                 KO  1
Apr 30 Karel van 't Veldt          London, England                  W 15
May 14 Paul Leukemans              London, England                  W 15
Jun 13 Pietro Bianchi              London, England                 KO  6
Jun 22 Fred Bullions               London, England                 TK 10
Jul  2 Terry Donlan                London, England                 TK  2
Jul 20 Paul Leukemans              London, England                  W 15
Aug 22 Harry Kent                  London, England                 KO  2
Sep  2 Bill Handley                Plymouth, England               TK  8
Sep 26 Glyn Davies                 London, England                 KO  2
Oct 29 Henri Dupont                London, England                 TK  2
Nov 19 Eduard Baudry               London, England                  W 15

1926
Jan  4 Alf Mancini                 London, England                  D 20
Feb  2 Billy Bird                  London, England                 KO  7
Mar  1 Johnny Sullivan             London, England                  L 20
Apr 29 Harry Mason                 London, England                  D 20
          -BBBC Welterweight Championship of Great Britain
Jun 14 Billy Mattick               London, England                 KO  7
Jul  4 Nol Steenhorst              London, England                 TK 15
Sep 13 "Hamilton" Johnny Brown     London, England                  D 20
Nov 23 Nol Steenhorst              London, England                  W 15
Dec 13 Andy Newton                 London, England                 TK  8

1927
Jan  3 Len Johnson                 London, England                  L 20
Mar 14 Maurice Prunier             London, England                  W 15
Apr  4 Joe Bloomfield              London, England                 WF 12
Apr 25 Joe Ralph                   London, England                 KO 10
Jun  5 Piet Brand                  London, England                 WF  6
Jul  7 Emile Egrel                 London, England                 TK 13
Aug 11 Charles Screve              London, England                 KO  2
Sep  1 Billy Farmer                London, England                 KO  2
Sep 22 Primo Ubaldo                London, England                 KO  2
Oct 16 Piet Brand                  London, England                  W 14
Oct 31 Jack Etienne                London, England                 TK 13
Dec 12 Marcel Thil                 London, England                  W  5

1928
Jan 19 Kid Nitram                  London, England                 WF 14
Mar  5 Antoine Farr                London, England                 TK  7
Apr 24 Auguste Lengagne            London, England                 TK 10
Jul 30 Emile Egrel                 London, England                  W 15
Sep  2 George West                 London, England                 WF  4
Oct  1 Auguste Lengagne            London, England                 TK  9
Oct 29 Johnny Sullivan             London, England                 TK  6
Dec  3 Leo Frick                   London, England                 TK  2
Dec 17 Antoine Dubois              Birmingham, England             TK  1

1929
Feb 21 Frank Moody                 London, England                 TK  6
May 16 Alex Ireland                London, England                 KO  7
          -Middleweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth);
          BBBC Middleweight Championship of Great Britain
Oct 21 Jack Hood                   London, England                  W 15
          -Middleweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth);
          BBBC Middleweight Championship of Great Britain
Dec 18 Jack Hood                   London, England                  D 15
          -Middleweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth);
          BBBC Middleweight Championship of Great Britain

1930
Mar 24 Francois Stevens            London, England                 KO  3
May 22 Steve McCall                London, England                 TK  9
          -Middleweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth);
          BBBC Middleweight Championship of Great Britain
Jun 15 Charlie McDonald            London, England                 KO  2
Jul  6 Henri van der Vyver         London, England                 TK  1
Sep 20 Dave Shade                  London, England                  W 15
          -Some sources report 9/29/30
Dec 14 George Slack                Leeds, England                   W 12

1931
Jan  9 Vince Dundee                New York, NY                     L 12
Feb 13 Vince Dundee                New York, NY                     L 12
Mar 20 Ben Jeby                    New York, NY                     L 12
Jun  1 Rienus Devos                London, England                 KO  1
Jun 22 Jack Hood                   London, England                  W 15
          -Middleweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth);
          BBBC Middleweight Championship of Great Britain
Jul  1 Jerry Daley                 Bristol, England                KO  3
Nov 30 Fred Shaw                   Manchester, England             KO  3

1932
Jan 17 George Slack                London, England                  W 15
Feb  8 Jack Casey                  Newcastle, England               W 15
Mar 21 Jock McAvoy                 Manchester, England              W 15
          -Middleweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth);
          BBBC Middleweight Championship of Great Britain
May 11 Len Johnson                 London, England                  W 15
          -Some sources report Middleweight Championship of Great Britain;
          It was not recognized by the BBBC because Johnson was black
Jul  4 Marcel Thil                 London, England                  L 15
          -NBA Middleweight Championship of the World;
          IBU Middleweight Championship of the World
Nov 14 Theo Sass                   Bradford, England               TK  1
Nov 21 "Seaman" Albert Harvey      Leicester, England               W 10
Dec  2 Glen Moody                  Plymouth, England               TK  6
Dec 12 Jack Casey                  Newcastle, England               W 15
          -Middleweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth);
          BBBC Middleweight Championship of Great Britain

1933
Mar 13 Eddie Phillips              London, England                  D 12
Apr 10 Jock McAvoy                 Manchester, England              L 15
          -Middleweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth);
          BBBC Middleweight Championship of Great Britain
Jun 13 Eddie Phillips              London, England                  W 15
          -BBBC Light Heavyweight Championship of Great Britain;
          Some sources report 6/12/33
Oct 16 Carmelo Candel              Paris, France                   KO  5
Nov 30 Jack Petersen               London, England                  W 15
          -BBBC Heavyweight Championship of Great Britain

1934
Feb  8 Larry Gains                 London, England                  W 15
          -Heavyweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth);
Apr 12 Jimmy Tarante               London, England                 WF  5
Jun  4 Jack Petersen               London, England                 LT 12
          -Heavyweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth);
          BBBC Heavyweight Championship of Great Britain
Nov 26 Walter Neusel               London, England                  D 12

1935
Apr 29 Marcel Lauriot              London, England                  W 10
          -Some sources report "W 12"
Oct 26 Eddie Phillips              Plymouth, England                W 15
          -BBBC Heavyweight Championship of Great Britain - Elimination Bout

1936
Jan 29 Jack Petersen               London, England                  L 15
          -Heavyweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth);
          BBBC Heavyweight Championship of Great Britain
Nov  9 John Henry Lewis            London, England                  L 15
          -Light Heavyweight Championship of the World

1937
Sep 15 Manuel Abrew                Glasgow, Scotland               TK 14

1938
Apr  7 Jock McAvoy                 London, England                  W 15
          -BBBC Light Heavyweight Championship of Great Britain
Dec  1 Eddie Phillips              London, England                 WF  4
          -BBBC Heavyweight Championship of Great Britain

1939
Mar 16 Larry Gains                 London, England                 TK 13
          -Heavyweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth)
       John Henry Lewis            London, England                SCH   
          -Light Heavyweight Championship of the World;
          This bout was scheduled but not held;
          Lewis failed the physical exam due to his eyesight
Jul 10 Jock McAvoy                 London, England                  W 15
          -Light Heavyweight Championship of the World;
          (as recognized by the BBBC)
          Light Heavyweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth);
          BBBC Light Heavyweight Championship of Great Britain

          -Harvey enlisted in the British Royal Air Force at the outbreak
          of World War II and became a fighter pilot

1941
Dec 22 George Davis                London, England                 EX  2
Dec 22 Corporal Hobson             London, England                 EX  2
          -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date

1942
Jun 20 Freddie Mills               London, England                 LK  2
          -Light Heavyweight Championship of the British Empire (Commonwealth);
          BBBC Light Heavyweight Championship of Great Britain
Nov 22 -Harvey relinquished the Heavyweight Championship of the British Empire 
          (Commonwealth) and the BBBC Heavyweight Championship of Great Britain
          and announced his retirement from the ring

          -Harvey became a boxing instructor in the British Royal Air Force

          -Harvey became a successful proprietor of a Pub near London after the war


Record courtesy of Tracy Callis, Historian, International Boxing Research Organization

Schedule

News

Current Champions

Boxing Journal

Encyclopedia

Store

Home

[Return to Top]