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McLean could not enter licensed boxing due to his unpredictable temper, his violent reputation and criminal record; he therefore entered the murky world of unlicensed boxing (which despite being legal, was not sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control) and quickly became one of the biggest names in that field. When Frank Warren formed the National Boxing Council in the 1970s, it allowed the toughest underground fighters in Britain to legally go head to head. For the first time, the aggression and passion of the underground boxing world was now being channelled through a licensed outlet. The results were explosive. Irish and gypsy boxing champions met the hardest brawlers from the London gangland scenes for the first time.
McLean, who in his prime was six foot two inches tall and weighed over twenty stone, boasted that he could beat anybody, in either a legitimate match of boxing or in an unlicensed match without gloves, and sent out challenges to all the big names of the day. Muhammed Ali was approached by an agent of McLean, but turned down a match against the Guv'nor, either because he did not wish the risk of damaging his reputation in an unlicensed match or risk any severe injury which is unlikely in a professional match. McLean also sent out an invite for a bout to Mr. T, but was turned down, as Mr. T said he was concentrating on his film and television career and did not wish to appear with facial injuries. In Charles Bronson's autobiography, Bronson claimed that McLean wouldn't fight him. However, McLean later went on record saying that he would have fought Bronson, but Bronson was in prison and the authorities would not have allowed it.
Lenny McLean was not invincible, however, and had his losses like any boxer. McLean was twice knocked out by Johnny "Big Bad" Waldron during the early days of his boxing career, both times in the first round. He was also knocked out in the first round by Cliff Fields (neither knockout losses are mentioned in his autobiography) and beaten on points by Kevin Paddock, although McLean always maintained that he never lost a fight "on the cobbles", or outside the ring.
Despite these defeats, McLean claims to have fought in almost four thousand bare knuckle fights over three decades, and only lost a small number of these. This led many to give McLean the unofficial title of Heavyweight Champion of the World in unlicensed boxing. McLean's fame even spread "across the pond", gaining him notoriety in the United States. At one time McLean was flown over to New York City to fight in a high-profile, multi-million pound illicit match allegedly organised by the Mafia. McLean's opponent, John McCormack, said to be the hardest man in New York, lasted three minutes. Sylvester Stallone, Gene Hackman and Christopher Reeve were all in the crowd; Stallone referred to McLean as "the real Rocky". Mickey Rourke was another well-wisher, although not present at the fight, but watched a live recording of the fight.
Being the best-known figure in the world of unlicensed boxing produced many fans as well as enemies, for McLean. Supporters of rivals, and also people who had lost money betting on McLean's opponents, became staunch ememies. McLean also made enemies from years of ejecting people from pubs and clubs. He suffered two bullet wounds from separate attacks, as well as being stabbed on two different occasions, on both of which he was attacked from behind. McLean survived all attempts on his life.
Mclean later caught up with one of his assailants, a drug addict known as Billy Quinn, who attempted to shoot McLean on his own doorstep with his children in the house. Quinn was on the undercard along with "Man Mountain York", whom McLean was fighting. McLean heard of this and burst into the dressing room; when Quinn begged for mercy, McLean shook Quinn's hand a symbol of it being over, but berated Quinn for using a weapon instead of his fists, and said he didn't want to see Quinn again. He didn't: Quinn was "taking liberties all over the place" and had made numerous enemies of his own, a year later he was found dead with a bullet in his head.
