was len harvey the youngest pro EVER (Age 12)

Absolutely. Can't imagine it.

 

Bumping great threads lately chief.

 

Cheers, bud!

 

12 is ****ing young!!
These days 12 year olds have 'skills bouts where the referee tells both kids and their corner men which punches they are allowed to throw
The bouts are safe, the kids seldom get hurt and it's a great introduction to boxing.
12 years old and fighting as a pro, that takes some understanding.
Ted kid Lewis, Tommy Farr and Nipper Daly also started very young.
Lewis got 6d for his first fight and a penny back for a cup of coffee.
Farr was left orphaned at an early age and worked down the pit and boxed to bring some money in.Compared to his early life, Joe Louis was little Lord Fauntleroy.No wonder Farr was so hard.

 

1. Bad record keeping and the kid being older than they think they are
2. Early puberty happens. Without mentioning gender, I have a 10 year old child who is completely done with puberty. Medically, physically, etc. Standing there in street clothes, with their face covered up (as the baby-face remains to an extent), you'd guess late teens. They are as heavy and as strong as an adult of their size, and are already about the average size of an adult of their gender. The changes started happening at 9.

Probably a combo of the two.

 

Kids are reading puberty early these daaaze, especially grrrls due to estrogenic chemicals.
Some of the ability for those very young to compete might be that they are still growing & will end up larger than the division they stop at.

 

the 12 year olds were probably usually match with other youths in professional match.
is probable wrong to have assumption of them always or often battle with grown tough seasoned boxers.
the boys usually match with other boys
in professional match.

 

When it comes to females, younger females have always been competitive in women's pro sports. Back in the early 90's in tennis, Jennifer Capriati was competitive with the best in the world at age 13. IIRC, the rules of some tournaments were even changed to keep her out.

Random anocdote I remember. A friend of mine in 6th grade was 6'4", 250lbs. That's one big ass 12 year old.

 

Capriati was an extreme, & that was before woman had as much invested in power & strength.
Woman's gymnastics is a sport where the very young have excelled-& we know that being small & not having a fully developed typical adult female body is an advantage there.