It was during this time that he reportedly met and befriended the Kray twins. His portrayal of Barry The Baptist in Lock, Stock and Two Smokin' Barrels is probably one of the most iconic characters of the passed thirty years of cinema. 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. So much so that he has two bullet wounds in his back, and has been stabbed repeatedlyalways from behind. "n 1992, McLean was working as the head doorman at the The Hippodrome in London's Leicester Square, one of the largest nightclubs in the capital, when he ejected a man named Gary Humphries who was reportedly on drugs, streaking through the nightclub and harassing young women. To put this into perspective, there are just under 11000 days in 30 years. please view pictures for more details. Lenny McLean bare knuckle boxer. Both men traded shots in Round 1 with Shaw aggressively probing the defense of McLean with body shots and left hooks to the jaw. TM & 2023 BoxingScene.All Rights Reserved. His reputation for being a psychopath apparently had no ill effect on his career. One man he did lose to was Roy Shaw. Leonard John McLean (9 April 1949 - 28 July 1998) was an English unlicensed boxer, bouncer, bodyguard, businessman and actor. He was later cleared on the charge of manslaughter but was sentenced to serve 18 months for ABH. He is still generally regarded as. McLean wanted Craig Fairbrass to portray him as he had known the actor for some time and also considered that Fairbrass resembled himself as a younger man. He escorted him outside with a broken jaw. Lenny became a nightclub enforcer and was feared around the city. McLean also had enemies from years of ejecting people from pubs and clubs. Lenny Mclean is back. Lenny McLean was one of the deadliest bare-knuckle fighters Britain has ever seen. His most famous bout was against George 'Pappy' Langley. Manchester Evening News Sport: All the latest news on Manchester City, Manchester United, Greater Manchester non-league football, rugby union, boxing, cricket, ice hockey, basketball, speedway and . How a life without regret can be lived and exploited to ones own benefit. Dont know who to believe out of McLean and Shaw, im more swayed towards McLean as Shaw reckons he drank a bottle of Vodka before his fight (why?). In the old days, barehanded or gloved up, working class Englishmen settled their differences with their fists. He died shortly afterwards on July 28, 1998, a month before the films release. Lenny Mclean, the greatest bare-knuckle street fighter of them all. Headbutts. What is a front kick, and why the heck do I need one? McLean said that he later caught up with Dalton and punished him. However, other sources have claimed that he had closer to 2000. Probably not, but tough guys are becoming more rare by the minute. Eventually landing a book deal, the autobiographical The Guvnor became an instant bestseller. Lenny Mclean, the greatest bare-knuckle street fighter of them all. [6], McLean admired his great-uncle thereafter and when he became a street fighter he said that he considered every victory to be won on behalf of his vulnerable younger self. McLean was featured prominently in a television documentary on nightclub security staff, titled Bounce: Behind The Velvet Rope. Shaw had fought and won 10 bouts as a prounder an assumed name when he was on the lam from the law. It was his series of fights with The Mean Machine Roy Shaw that became legendary. Fighting was all he knew."[8]. sold for entertainment purposes only. At the time, this was a lot of money. McClean did not drink after that incident, but his work in the pubs was far from over. "He always looked like he had the world on his shoulders.. He picked up a nice little wage and two broken hands as well. However, the truth maybe stranger than fiction. After serving 18 months in prison, Lenny was sacked from his job after beating up his boss on a construction site. Yet fighting was their stock in trade, and recreational pastime, and both men odd jobbed as nightclub bouncers, debt collectors and mob enforcers. His father, Leonard John McLean Sr., had been a Royal Marine during the Second World War, but after being debilitated by a near-fatal disease which he contracted in India, he became a petty criminal and swindler. [2], In his later life, McLean became an actor, and received praise for playing Barry the Baptist in Guy Ritchie's 1998 gangster comedy film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Basically, he lived in a different era where records werent easy to get hold of, especially in underground boxing. The 20-stone tough nut had thousands of unlicensed boxing fights in his life and befriended the fearsome Kray twins. McLean's pugilist reputation began in the East End of London in the late 1960s and was sustained through to the late 1980s. Check out our podcast Skillset Live and get in on the conversation of Instagram and Facebook! McLean's charge was reduced to manslaughter, of which he was cleared at the Old Bailey when it emerged that Humphries had been in a scuffle with the police after being ejected from the nightclub. One of the assailants, Barry Dalton, a former bare-knuckle fighter who ran protection rackets across London, had a falling out with McLean and confronted him with a shotgun at his home while his children were in the house. Joined: Mar 19, 2010 fight scenes lenny mclean documentary the guv nor. They usually end up confused because I always reply Cliff Field! During this time, he may have legitimately had several fights on a regular work shift. It was in 1992 while working at the Hippodrome club that Lenny would get arrested for assault. Lenny The Guvnor Mclean v Roy Pretty Boy Shaw, This div height required for enabling the sticky sidebar, Copyright at 2023. The bout was over. Two such geezers with major beef and no manners were Lenny McLean and Roy Shaw. Even crazier, had he participated in 4000 fights, this would have meant hed have fought once every 2-3 days on a weekly basis for 30 years. Early on in his career, he was paid hundreds of pounds to fight. They weren't legit boxers per se. Entdecke LENNY MCLEAN & ROY SHAW - DIE GUVNORS SIGNIERTES POSTER - NICHT LIZENZIERTE BOXER - VERBRECHEN. Street fighter and boxer. 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. Thank you for subscribing! He also claimed to have had around 4000 fights during this period. He wanted payback. If you are or represent the copyright owner of materials used in this video and have a problem with the use of said material, please feel free to contact me via my email in the \"about\" page on my channel. Leaving the world of nightclubbouncing behind him, asegue into writing in the 1990s helped McLean tell his story to a much wider audience. He died in 2012, but, like his archrival, he is a much-missed character. A reviewer for The Times said Helman was "woefully miscast" as McLean. In July 2018, McLean's daughter Kelly released the book My Dad: The Guv'nor with ghostwriter Lee Wortley.[12]. Jamie McCleans reflections on his own upbringing, his struggles with violence and histime in prison for fighting, round out the film leaving the viewer with questions about father/son relationships. Dream fight:Lenny McLean vs Kimbo Slice. For that sleight, McLean went to town on Bradshaw and decked him. On that night,McLean systematically destroyed his opponent, punching him so hard in the second roundhe knocked him out of the ring, disqualifying Shaw. Lenny would pick up little jobs like potato picking, scrap, etc. Nearly everyone, at some point in their lives, has imagined themselves as a real-life action star, effortlessly taking on goon. Gasping for breath, down Lenny Mclean is back. He was known as "The Guv'nor", "the King of the Cobbles " and "the hardest man in Britain". He suffered two bullet wounds from separate attacks, and was attacked from behind and stabbed on two occasions. It was upon filming this that Lenny was struck ill. What he thought was a dose of the flu, would turn out to be Cancer of the brain. Your email address will not be published. He then took advantage of his name to become a bouncer, local mafia henchman, bodyguard and even an actor. Gangsters Mafia All Rights Reserved, Roy Shaw Interview Part 2 - Mad Dog Mullins - Ron Stander, Italian Ultras Hooligans - Football Hooligans, Frankie Fraser - Richardson Enforcer - Gangsters Mafia, Roy Shaw Interview - Armed Robbery - Broadmoor - Gangsters Mafia. McLean was declared the winner and he shouted out into the crowd of cockney punters, "I'm the Guv'nor!" Shaw fought periodically until bowing out of the unlicensed game aged 45 in 1981. Some real idiots have claimed to be the best unlicensed fighter of that time but the fact is Cliff was the man! The arse over elbows finale cost Shaw a bit more than his rep. who beat his prize-fighting partner Leonard MacLean, causing him to lose a 15,000 bet on his own success, which led to a London Bankruptcy Court hearing. Combined with his huge frame, its no wonder why he gained such a tough reputation. Who is the hardest bare-knuckle fighter? Paperback - January 1, 2003. Lenny along the way would take on Irish bare-knuckle Heavyweight Sean Mcafferty, stopping him in the first round. 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. The end result of the abuse was a welling hate that grew inside the young lad. However, finding a publisher proved to be tougher than any fight in the previous 30 years. The man who took no s**t from anybody . His father died when Lenny was young and an abusive stepfather took his place. These days, the world of bare knuckle boxing has enjoyed something of a resurgence. Shaw was trapped in the corner and on the end of a savage and unerring onslaught of punches. However, it was determined that McLean was responsible for Humphries' broken jaw. McLeans particular talents led him to moonlight as a debt collector for organized crime families like the Kray Twins. When you look at this objectively, it seems very unlikely that this was possible. Within a few days, McLeanwas arrested for murder. As his boxing career wound down, McLean again returned to bouncing at pubs, this time with an even more notorious reputation. Reportedly, the police had forcefully restrained him with a stranglehold. Lenny Mclean lost the first fight, and called for an immediate rematch, going on to. 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. McLean's pugilist reputation began in the East End of London in the late 1960s and was sustained through to the late 1980s. After receivinga vicious beating at the hands of Spinks for the pain he was inflicting on his family, Irwin disappeared for several years. He died when Lenny was four years old. Despite toxic levels of personal animosity between the two thugs, their life stories were almost identical. Born in Hoxton, right in the middle of the east-end, Lenny had a good upbringing until his father died when he was young. At 19 he met Val, a year later they were married. McLean, oblivious to the Marquis of Queensberry rules, or the looming figure of the referee in black tie, punched Shaw as he was on the ground with a right-handed haymaker worthy of a pub brawl at the Blind Beggar. roy shaw vs lenny mclean fight poster with the krays. The trilogy between Lenny Mclean and Roy Shaw will never be forgotten. If something's wrong, please, report it. Pearson's Magazine - 1921 How to Beat Up Anybody - Judah Friedlander 2010-10-05 . He wrote: "A week before the off, Sykes went into a club in Wakefield where he lives, got well p***** and had a ruck with four doormen. After doing a few BT commercials, he landed the role as Eddie Davies in ITVs Customs drama The Knock. He's reduced to being a pusillanimous figure, unable to stop the flow of backhands, rabbit punches, headbutts and Don King head stomps. Why Lenny McLean was the greatest Bare Knuckle Boxer ever. Over the years, there have been many who claim to be the best bare knuckle boxer. It was then in July 1998 that Lenny sadly passed away. 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. Hi. He bashed me right about until I was 12, McClean explained. Hes vicious and forgiving, funny, calculating, and capable of extraordinary, immediate violence. Lenny would then have to endure years of abuse from his step-father Jim. McLean, the bully beef fighter, was not quite done with his course. In passing conversation its rare that a man is described as tough anymore. Thompson is an excellent writer of the subject, Only wrote about 3 or 4 books mate, primarily a journalist but knows a hell of a lot about British crime and worth a read. 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. The nickname stuck for the rest of his life. Then onto little parts in such films as The Fifth Element, The Krays and then onto his most acclaimed role in Lock, Stock and two smoking barrels playing the part of Barrie The Baptist. Get in on the latest boxing conversations in our Forum and comment on articles. Lenny would bottle up the abuse for years and then he would one day unleash this rage on his opponents, in the ring or on the cobbles. Shaw and McLean never met in the squared circle again. Married at 19, McClean had his world rocked when hismother died suddenly two years later. In his autobiography, McLean recounts that various film studios had expressed an interest in making a film based on his life and career in unlicensed boxing. Who would emerge with the title of Guv'nor? As soon as he fights anyone who doesnt fear him and has even decent skills he probably loses. Humphries died later that night and was found to have a broken jaw and severe neck injuries. This was a time when men fought men with fists to settle disputes. He used to say he'd had 3,000 fights, which was crap. lets have a look#lennymclean#royshaw#boxingIf you would like to buy me a coffee it really would mean the world .https://www.patreon.com/propaboxingThankyou so much .Buy yourself some PROPA MERCHANDISE You'll love it - quality hoodies / t-shirts / mugs / presents for the wife: propa-2.creator-spring.comFollow me on Insta for some nutty posts: https://www.instagram.com/this_is_propa/All materials in these videos are used for entertainment purposes and fall within the guidelines of fair use. a4 certificate sized. Lenny McLean earned a reputation as Britains hardest man - and for good reason. Sadly, well never know the truth though as only Lenny himself would truly know. He expressed the rage resulting from his abusive childhood with such abandon that often it would take several men to separate him from his defeated opponent, gaining the nickname "Ten Men Len" because of how many men would be needed to restrain him. Social Darwinism (survival of the fittest), and the cult of the personality (reputation). Something went wrong, please try again later. how tall was roy pretty boy'' shaw. Bradshaw made the mistake of nutting McLean as they touched gloves. Spuggy has been approached about a book but declined . While shot in the leg, he chased down the motorcycle-ridingassailants nearly catching them. Shaw's nemesis would come in the form of Lenny McLean. Theres no shame in this but the fact that McLean never went professional is quite telling. McLean was also described as a "fixer" and a "minder", meaning a bodyguard, for criminals and celebrities including Mike Reid, Boy George, and the casts of television shows such as EastEnders and The Bill. As you may expect, there are lots of myths and rumors that circulate in the bare knuckle boxing community too. According to McLean's autobiography, his name was useful for the smooth progress of various criminal dealings, and to warn off members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and the Mafia. 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? This was how Lenny eventually got into bare-knuckle fighting which became his career and how he became known around the country. ease you to see guide Stay In The Fight The Story Of The World Champion as you such as. the 6ft 7in Mighty Man-Mountain from Dunstable. He died in 2012, but, like his archrival, he is a much-missed character. Aged 12 he was 4ft 2 and weighed 8 stone. LennyMcLean was raised in the East End of London in the years following World War II. No copyright infringement is intended. stories about famous people. Street fights. He claimed "The King meets The Guvnor. The guvnor Lenny Mclean, Bare-knuckle boxer, and Doorman from Down South. 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