CLASH OF THE GIANTS
LEN HARVEY VS JACK PETERSEN (1933-36)
HARVEY and Petersen were two of Britain’s most popular prizefighters of the 1930s.
A pro at 12, Cornishman Harvey boxed at every weight from flyweight up to heavyweight and wherever Petersen went, thousands of Welshmen followed.
There were 70,000 fans at White City Stadium to see colourful Irishman Jack Doyle slung out in the second round of their fight for repeated low blows and the first time Petersen fought Harvey in November 1933, hundreds were locked outside the Royal Albert Hall.
That gruelling fight went Harvey’s way on points to bring him the British heavyweight title and interest in the rematch was such the promoters hoped for a crowd of 100,000 at White City Stadium in June 1934.
The attendance was closer to 70,000 and they saw Petersen get his revenge to take away Harvey’s British and Commonwealth titles when Len, brave to the end, was withdrawn after 12.
Tickets for their rubber match at Wembley Arena in January, 1936 soon sold out and Petersen knocked Harvey down in the first and won on points.
