Reginald Meen (20 November 1907 – 1984) was a British boxer, who won the British heavyweight title in 1931.
Career
Reggie Meen was born in
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...
in 1907 and grew up in
Desborough
Desborough is a town in Northamptonshire, England, lying in the Ise Valley between Market Harborough and Kettering. It was an industrial centre for weaving and shoe-making in the 19th century and had a long association with the Co-operativ ...
in
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by
two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...
, where he was originally a bootmaker by profession. Meen's boxing career began in August 1927, and after mixed results initially went on to win eight consecutive fights between 1928 and 1929. He fought Primo Carnera at the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
in front of a crowd of 10,000 in December 1930, losing in two rounds. After another period of mixed results he hit another winning streak in 1931, including a victory against French champion Maurice Griselle, leading to a fight for the vacant
BBBofC
The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) is the governing body of professional boxing in the United Kingdom.
History
The British Boxing Board of Control was formed in 1929 from the old National Sporting Club and is headquartered in Cardiff. ...
heavyweight title against Charley Smith in November, which he won on points despite a cut over his left eye sustained in the second round.
His next fight was a challenge for the EBU heavyweight title against
Hein Müller
Hein Müller (6 December 1903 – 29 April 1945)George Cook in March in an eliminator for a British Empire championship fight, losing on points. Meen was due to have his first fight outside England in May 1932, but after travelling to
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...
to fight Salah El Din, the two were unable to agree terms and he returned home.
Meen held the British title until July 1932, when he was beaten by Jack Petersen by a second-round knockout. In September 1932 he indicated that he was considering retirement from boxing, after defeat to Don McCorkindale, but returned two months later with a win over
Bob Carvill
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to:
Places
*Mount Bob, New York, United States
*Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica
People, fictional characters, and named animals
*Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*Bob (surname) ...
. Meen fought Larry Gains in February 1933, losing after being disqualified for holding. He fought Petersen again in February 1934 in front of 10,000 people at the Granby Halls and again lost in two rounds, although Meen's supporters suspected a low blow had ended the fight, leading to fighting at ringside, and spectators smashed windows to get more air.
In October 1934 he suffered a broken arm during a crash in which his car overturned, requiring a second operation in December to remove splinters of bone, and it was ten months before he returned to boxing, although he took up
all-in wrestling
All-in wrestling was the first wave of professional wrestling in the United Kingdom to be based on the catch as catch can style of wrestling. It was conducted under the All-In rules of 1930 in which (unlike Olympic freestyle wrestling) no holds ...
, winning his first contest in March 1935.
In September 1935 he suffered head injuries and concussion after slipping while walking through
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...
, and caused concern when he went missing from his home; He was found by police in Leyton, unable to recall the events of the past two days. He recovered sufficiently to resume wrestling the following week. Meen returned to boxing and continued to fight until 1938, his final fight a defeat to Tony Arpino, also continuing to wrestle into the late 1930s.
In the late 1930s Meen turned to promotion, including a bill at the Melton Carnival.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
Meen served in the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...
, and in 1945 was stationed in
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
.
Meen married Winifred Ada Littlewood at Oadby Parish Church on 13 April 1936. In October 1952 they emigrated to
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...