MIDDLEWEIGHT division
LEEN SANDERS
RetiredBorn LEENDERT JOSUA SANDERS
Born 1908-06-11, ROTTERDAM (died aged 83)· Died 1992-04-08, ROTTERDAM· NED
Residence: ROTTERDAM
Debut: 1926-11-15· Career: 1926–1946 (21 years)
Wins
40
Losses
20
Draws
16
NC
0
Rated Fights
76
EARLY LIFE
Leen Sanders was born in Rotterdam in 1908 as the fourth of ten children of the Jewish Josua Jacob Sanders and Saartje Grootkerk.
FAMILY LIFE
He married Sellina (Selly) Park in 1932 and had two sons with her.
He remarried in 1946 to Henriëtte van Creveld and left with her for Aruba, where they had a son. In 1954 they moved to Culver City on the Southern California coast and in 1985 they returned to Rotterdam. Leen Sanders died there in 1992 at the age of 83.
WORLD WAR II
During the bombing of Rotterdam, their house was destroyed and they moved to The Hague. Sanders joined the resistance, forged identity cards and distributed anti-German pamphlets. To escape deportation, the family went into hiding, but they were betrayed after four months and deported via Camp Westerbork to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
His wife and both sons were murdered in the gas chamber in 1943.
When Auschwitz was evacuated, Sanders was sent on a death march to Groß-Rosen and from there by cattle truck to Dachau. At the end of April 1945 he was liberated by the Americans.
Back in Rotterdam, it became clear to him that in addition to his wife and children, seven of his brothers and sisters and his parents had also been murdered.
PHOTO
Photo courtesy of David Roake at fightersfotos.com
Head-to-Head Comparison
Compare LEEN SANDERS's career against any other fighter on record — records, ratings, common opponents, and any direct bouts.
Title Reigns — 2
1934-03-26 → 1940-08-11 · 6y 4m · 5 defences
Lost to LUC VAN DAM · W
1929-11-26 → 1930-02-18 · 2m 23d · 0 defences
Lost to BEP VAN KLAVEREN · W
Complete Record — 76 Bouts
| Date | Result | Opponent | Rds | Div. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🔒 18 APR 1946 | DEC | JAN DE PAUW | 8 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 08 APR 1946 | DEC | JAN DE PAUW | 8 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 02 DEC 1940 | LOSS | LUC VAN DAM | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 11 AUG 1940 | LOSS | LUC VAN DAM | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 04 MAR 1940 | DEC | CLETO LOCATELLI | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 19 FEB 1940 | DEC | BOB RIEGER | 3 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 05 FEB 1940 | DEC | LUC VAN DAM | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 08 JAN 1940 | DEC | HENS DEKKERS | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 28 NOV 1938 | DEC | JEAN DE SCHRIJVER | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 14 MAR 1938 | DRAW | OSCAR DESCHEEMAECKER | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 08 JAN 1938 | LOSS | JEAN SIMON | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 15 DEC 1936 | LOSS | JOMME WEGNER | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 19 NOV 1936 | DEC | ARIE DE JONG | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 31 OCT 1936 | LOSS | KID TUNERO | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 23 JUL 1936 | LOSS | FELIX WOUTERS | 15 | WELTERWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 20 JAN 1936 | LOSS | FELIX WOUTERS | 10 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 17 DEC 1935 | DRAW | JEAN MORIN | 10 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 02 DEC 1935 | TKO | FELIX WOUTERS | 4 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 16 NOV 1935 | DEC | VICTOR DECKMYN | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 04 NOV 1935 | DEC | LOUIS SAERENS | 10 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 14 SEP 1935 | DRAW | BEP DONNARS | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 01 APR 1935 | DRAW | HUIB HUIZENAAR | 15 | WELTERWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 13 MAR 1935 | LOSS | AL BAKER | 10 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 25 FEB 1935 | DEC | ROBERT DISCH | 10 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 04 FEB 1935 | DEC | BEP DONNARS | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 10 DEC 1934 | DEC | ARIE VAN VLIET | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 26 MAR 1934 | DEC | ARIE VAN VLIET | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 19 NOV 1933 | LOSS | FRANCOIS SYBILLE | 10 | LIGHTWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 01 NOV 1933 | TKO | JIM HUNTER | 7 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 27 SEP 1933 | DRAW | STOKER BOB REYNOLDS | 10 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 02 JUL 1933 | DRAW | HUIB HUIZENAAR | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 24 APR 1933 | DRAW | STOKER BOB REYNOLDS | 8 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 16 FEB 1933 | DEC | BEP DONNARS | 10 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 12 FEB 1933 | LOSS | CAMILLE DESMEDT | 10 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 06 FEB 1933 | DRAW | HUIB HUIZENAAR | 10 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 19 DEC 1932 | DEC | ARIE VAN VLIET | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 07 NOV 1932 | DEC | LOUIS SAERENS | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 28 OCT 1932 | LOSS | WALTER HEINISCH | 5 | LIGHTWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 14 OCT 1932 | DEC | KONRAD STEIN | 8 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 17 JUL 1932 | DRAW | FRANCOIS SYBILLE | 10 | LIGHTWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 16 APR 1932 | DRAW | ADRIEN ANNEET | 10 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 21 MAR 1932 | DEC | ERWIN VOLKMAR | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 03 MAR 1932 | DRAW | ADRIEN ANNEET | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 25 JAN 1932 | LOSS | HUIB HUIZENAAR | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 11 DEC 1931 | DRAW | HANS SEIFRIED | 8 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 30 NOV 1931 | DEC | BILLY BIRD | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 07 SEP 1931 | DEC | CAMILLE DESMEDT | 10 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 04 JUL 1931 | LOSS | HANS WIESER | 6 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 20 APR 1931 | DRAW | BEP VAN KLAVEREN | 10 | LIGHTWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 15 DEC 1930 | DEC | FRANKIE PAUL | 10 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 24 NOV 1930 | DEC | JOE BRAECKE | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 03 NOV 1930 | TKO | JIM SHIPPEN | 7 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 21 OCT 1930 | DEC | GORDON COOK | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 23 SEP 1930 | DRAW | LOUIS SAERENS | 10 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 28 APR 1930 | LOSS | JOHNNY CLIFT | 1 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 24 MAR 1930 | TKO | LOUIS BAETENS | 6 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 18 FEB 1930 | LOSS | BEP VAN KLAVEREN | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 31 JAN 1930 | LOSS | FRANS DE CONINCK | 3 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 26 NOV 1929 | DEC | I FLORIJN | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 27 MAY 1929 | DRAW | OTTO LAUER | 8 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 13 MAY 1929 | LOSS | JAN SCHEFFERS | 15 | LIGHTWEIGHT | TITLE |
| 🔒 15 MAR 1929 | DEC | GUSTAV EDER | 8 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 22 FEB 1929 | DEC | FRITZ KRACHT | 8 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 29 APR 1928 | LOSS | HARRY LAKE | 10 | FEATHERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 12 APR 1928 | DEC | SAVERIO TURIELLO | 15 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 16 FEB 1928 | DRAW | GEORGE ROSE | 15 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 26 JAN 1928 | DEC | HAROLD RATCHFORD | 15 | FEATHERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 28 NOV 1927 | DEC | JOSEPH LEROY | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 21 MAR 1927 | TKO | BATAILLE | 5 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 28 FEB 1927 | DEC | FERNAND VERHAEGEN | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 17 JAN 1927 | DEC | KAREL DE JAGER | 10 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 06 JAN 1927 | LOSS | GEORGE ROSE | 12 | WELTERWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 27 DEC 1926 | DEC | FRED PATTEN | 12 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 28 NOV 1926 | DEC | TOM HOWARD | 12 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 22 NOV 1926 | LOSS | HARRY BART | 5 | MIDDLEWEIGHT | |
| 🔒 15 NOV 1926 | KO | EDDIE HUTTON | 3 | MIDDLEWEIGHT |
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Final Resting Place
