Freddie Steele Appreciation Thread

Interesting BB. I was just going off what I read in Ring Magazine. I'll take your word for it.

 

Nice to see Steele getting some love. About time.

 

Don't forget that Steele turned pro at age 13 !!! People try to discredit his Garcia win for example by talking about his inexperience yet Steele was only 19 and Garcia 25 the first time he beat him

Dont forget that leaping left hook which was beautiful and nasty. His first KD against Dundee being a good example of it.

 

Steele was a body double for Errol Flynn in Gentleman Jim. The director filmed Steele from the waist down in certain scenes, editing in Steele's feet as he was shadow boxing to capture Jim Corbett's fancy footwork for the movie.

 

Burt what do you know of a few other outstanding middles of that time too, in Glen Lee, Ben Brown (I think that was his name) and one or two others?

 

It's good to see Jock McAvoy getting a mention on here a helluva puncher back then and a real handful for anyone.
So what about Jock's great rival from these shores back then Len Harvey who beat Jock 3 times out of four? What's peoples thoughts on him?

 

it is good and not only good but Fair & Accurate, McAvoy was 'probably' the best middleweight in the world mid-late 30s and I've never understood Steele getting the kudos and Mac is non existant, however MOST people just didn't realise or know all the McAvoy facts!

as to Len Harvey, Harvey was a 'true' L-HW cum HW, he was a bigger man than McAvoy and a defensive wiz, which was his downfall in the 'rugged' states, but an all-time great non the less. Personally I think Len Harvey IS Britain's Greatest ever fighter all things taking into consideration - SKILL, Opposition, LONGEVIETY, and Weight Divisional title holder.

and thats when these titles actually meant something!!!

 

My old man used to speak in reverend tones about Harvey saying he was a really clever and highly skilled fighter,but very tough with it.
I did wonder whether there was a bit of a size difference between Harvey and McAvoy so thanks for that Thistle,although Jock did move up eventually.

 

As a kid I recall the names Glen Lee and Ben Brown. Glen Lee was a rugged MW along the lines of Gene Fullmer who's best win was over Solly Krieger...Bullish was he but couldn't beat the top MW contenders of that rich laden MW era. Ben Brown was a very good MW who beat Teddy Yarosz twice and drew with the great [forgotten sadly] Ken Overlin...Today as a MW Ben Brown would most likely hold a title...What an era for middleweights, the 1930s !

 

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