Len Wickwar: the busiest boxer in history
By Alex Daley
Len Wickwar's record of 467 recorded pro fights makes him the most active boxer in history. It is a feat never likely to be bettered.
Born Leonard Arthur Wickwar on 21 March 1911, the Leicester lad first came to the attention of manager George Biddles when he saw him outbox an experienced pro called Bill Newbold in a sparring session at Leicester's Friar Tuck gym in 1928. Biddles persuaded the 17-year-old Wickwar to turn pro on 23 October that year and he stopped stablemate Jimmy Shepherdson inside four rounds on his debut. At the time Wickwar weighed only 7 stone 4lb, but eventually he grew to be a lightweight.
Biddles handled Wickwar throughout his long career, during which he won at least 337 fights, with 93 wins inside the distance, and beat such top men as Harry Mason, Arthur 'Ginger' Sadd, George Daly, Pat Butler and Kid Farlo. His last bout was on 6 February 1947, when he was knocked out by Scotland's Danny Cunningham.
By coincidence, the British boxer with the second most recorded fights ever is Wickwar's stablemate George Marsden (Nottingham), who amassed an amazing 372 contests, was born the same year as Wickwar, and died on the same day in 1980.
There's footage of Wickwar losing to the fearsome Eric Boon on the Pathe News website. By this time, however, the Leicester man was a little past his best:
Watch Boon versus Wickwar footage
(N.B. Boxrec.com lists 465 fights for Wickwar but boxing historian Miles Templeton - of prewarboxing.co.uk - has two more. Boxrec.com has 317 for Marsden but Miles has traced 372. There may well be further unrecorded bouts for both men.)
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