BoxRec

Just been looking at some of that grainy old cine footage of the unlicensed scene in Britain in the late 1970's with guys like Roy Shaw and Lenny MacLean brutally battering each other. What always surprises me about this period is how well attended these events were, and how much coverage they received in the tabloids. These were big events getting big coverage in "The Sun", not just 2 blokes pummelling each other in a pub car park. I do wonder why it all died out, why was it so popular in the 1970's but has no appeal today? I notice old allegedly FW pops up in some of the footage, I think he cut his teeth on unlicensed stuff back in it's heyday before he had his BBBoC license. Interestingly in a documentary on the subject a very youthful Frank states the reason his National Boxing Council fights are so popular is because it gives the fans competitive contests....

Does anyone have any views on why the unlicensed scene bloomed back then but then died off?

On a slightly different subject matter, I was speaking to a cousin of Henry Wharton's at the MEN Arena on Saturday and asked him if Henry had ever fought in gypsy fights on the cobbles.

Apparently only a few weeks ago he answered the challenge of a huge traveller from the North East (said to be 7 foot tall). He under took 6 weeks of preparation and took the upstart out early with a pair of left hooks.

Looks like Henry's hook has lost little of its menace in the years since his retirement!

Former title-challenger Henry Wharton is now fighting unlicensed bouts? Is that something he always did?