The Legendary Arnold Sheppard

[saad]

I recently picked up a Sports Illustrated from 1989. In it was an article about 'opponents' and how they have been used throughout boxing history. They reference the all time losingest boxer as Arnold Sheppard, the Human Canvas Burn. Great nickname. They said he lost 146 bouts in the 20's and 30's. Anyone heard of him?

[Guest]

HEY, HE DON'T HOLD A CANDLE TO STRICKLAND.

[StuartFitz]

I would like to put the record straight on the "human canvas burn" if I may. Arnold Sheppard was a black boxer born in Cardiff, UK in 1908. He fought 338 contests between 1925 and 1939 and won 110, lost 181 and drew 47. (stats courtesy of Miles Stapleton of boxinghistory.org.uk). Arnold and the fighters of his day fought to make a basic living, to feed their families and to survive during difficult times. Being black meant also contending with the "colour bar" in British boxing. We are talking 338 fights in all which meant a staggering (and nowadays, illegal) frequency of fights, and that entailed actually going into most fights before recovering from injuries sustained in previous fights. There is no way on Earth men of this ilk could win every fight. Today they would not be let back into the ring with such ongoing injuries. However, consider this...Mike Tyson has 50 wins, Joe Frazier has 32 wins. These 2 guys generally stepped into the ring in the peak of health. Arnold Sheppard generally stepped into the ring hammered to hell. In my book Arnold's record of more wins than both blows the records of Frazier and Tyson combined to bits. I think it is a tragedy that the records of men such as Arnold are seen on the basis of some numbers on a sheet of paper and totally out of context with the reality of the careers "suffered" by men that in my book are out and out heroes. As a consequence of his punishing career Arnold eventually lost his sight and spent the last years of his life with severe neurological impairment, not to mention poverty. It is too easy to miss the point when reading blank stats and we should stand in awe and utter respect of the likes of Arnold and his battered contemporaries. When you live and fight through hell you do end up with a few burns.

[basham]

What a thoughtless article that must have been in sports illustrated.

Very sad to see what you think is a great nickname.

Arnold Kid Sheppard was from Ferndale in the Rhondda Valley.
Such a shame he did not get a mention in Boxers of Wales from the Rhondda.