He was the first fighter to defeat the great sugar ray. The former middleweight champion of the world wrote to our founder. The life of boxing legend archie moore is certain to provide a neverbeforeseen side of one of america. A little over a year since his debut, jake had put together an impressive record of 2542 and was scheduled to fight robinson for the first time.
Addendum, after thinking and pondering the darkness of this book i can relate to a bit of the anger. Jake lamotta is an american retired professional boxer and former world middlewe. Well, when you went into a gym years back you would see fighters shadow boxing. He just defeated fritzie zivic and sugar ray robinson in 1943.
Forced as a youth to fight for money, lamotta emerged to make boxing a profession. Jake lamotta was not a great champion but one of the. Jake lamotta, boxings raging bull, who brawled his way to the. Both lamotta and robinson turned pro in 1941, ray a welterweight, jake a solid middleweight. My story is a 1970 memoir by middleweight boxer jake lamotta.
How bronx bull boxer jake lamotta got his nickname and inspired raging bull. One of the greatest middleweights in boxing history. Former boxing world champion jake lamotta has died at 95. Jake lamotta discusses his book raging bull ii more the boxing champion, along with his wife and former wife, reflects on his career and personal life. The book is a brutally honest memoir by jake lamotta, the bronx bull and legendary boxer. The book was made into the 1980 film raging bull, which starred. Jake lamotta and the only knockdown he suffered in his 106. Featuring a foreword by the raging bull, jake lamotta, who provides his own fond memories of moore, the ageless warrior. Jake lamotta shadow boxing at 89 years of age youtube. Jake lamotta, a brawling middleweight champion whose epic battles with sugar ray robinson defined nonheavyweight boxing in the 1940s and. The former middleweight champion died tuesday at a miamiarea hospital from complications of pneumonia, according to his longtime fiancee, denise baker. If raging bull the film is often operatic in its portrayal of jake s rages and struggles with his inner demons, then the book is altogether more darker and detailed. Traditional boxing workouts have created many champions over the years. The film was based on lamotta s biography raging bull of the same name, which was first published in 1970.
Unbloodied by critics, lamotta exits stage leftrightleft. Jake lamotta is the onetime middleweight champion of the world who competed in more than a hundred professional fights. Jake lamotta had one of the best chins in boxing history. He came into the fight winning 19 of his last 22 bouts, including nine knockouts just hours before the fight, the odds drastically changed and fox became the betting favorite. Jake lamotta shadow boxing at 89 years of age after taking. Lamotta, who won the world middleweight crown from frances marcel cerdan in 1949, fought robinson six times and became the first man to beat boxing. Jake lamotta, who has died aged 95, is generally acknowledged as one of the toughest men to have entered a professional boxing ring a world middleweight champion best. A boxing workout routine doesnt need to be complicated. In the book jake is certainly more likeable though just as self destructive. A tribe called quest, dj shadow, schoolboy q, wutang clan, mac miller. Nicknamed the bronx bull or raging bull, lamotta was a rough fighter who was not a particularly big puncher, but he would subject his opponents to vicious beatings in the ring.
The book is an autobiography about jake lamottas life as a young teenage criminal, his reformation in prison, his boxing years and his struggle with the mafia who kept the title out. Vikki lamotta wrote her brutally honest life story 18 years ago but was so shocked by the finished manuscript she insisted it be withheld until after her death she died in february, 2005. He was one of the last remaining links to another time, a time when joe louis was the heavyweight champ and every man wore a hat. Fighting jake lamotta with two hands would be enough of a problem for any. His colorful life was the subject of a book and an academy award winning movie, raging bull. Thomas hauser has authored twentyeight books about boxing that are excellent reading during the holiday season and every other time of year.
Martin scorseses raging bull simultaneously rehabbed lamottas standing as a middleweight champion and exposed the essential ugliness. Im gonna go watch raging bull and spend half the movie liking him and half the movie hating him. The hall of famer had been in hospice care at palm garden nursing home in recent weeks and succumbed following a battle with dysphagia pneumonia. In his fighting prime jake lamotta was an imposing presence. Jake s wife tells tmz, i just want people to know, he was a great, sweet. Yet, his remarkable talent, perseverance and achievement as an athlete make him a somewhat admirable character, as well. In his book raging bull his ring nickname was the bronx bull. It has done well in some nations that used to be part of the soviet union. The six wars between robinson and jake lamotta are particularly well told. Guy is a legend and its beautiful to see he is still able to stand and shadow box at 95 after years of brutal wars in the ring. Jake lamotta, boxing s raging bull, who brawled his way to the middleweight boxing championship in a life of unbridled fury within the ring and outside it that became the subject.
Turning professional in 1941, lamotta quickly became a crowd favourite in the cigarette smokefilled boxing halls littered throughout new york, thanks to his highpressure fighting style. Robinson beating turpin cover, with classiic photos of marciano knocking out louis, and jake lamotta knocking out laurent dauthuille. With a little bit of luck, fate, talent, and chance, he eventually becomes a champion boxer. The odds soared so much that day that bookies stopped taking action on fox. Turning pro in the early 1940s, lamotta ran up an impressive undefeated streak before losing.
Boxing champion jake lamotta was the subject of martin scorseses. Jake lamotta, alltime great middleweight and subject of. In over 110 fights against the greatest middleweights in history, lamotta was only knocked to the canvas once in his entire 14 year career. Jake lamotta shadow boxing at 89 years of age after taking nutronics labs igf1. Lamotta handed sugar ray robinson his first defeat.
In the book, lamotta wrote that he had earned the moniker for his style in the ring. In the decades after his boxing career came to an end, jake lamotta who has died. Jake lamotta on learning to take a punch with ger gilroy youtube. Jake lamotta threw a boxing match for the mob but not for. Ive read a few boxers biographies,ali, jack dempsey, benny lynch, ive got to say. My story is a colorful but tragic story about a rather despicable man. An undefeated amateur star, robinson got off to a fast start as a pro and by the time of their first meeting in october of 1942, he was 350 and already a top ranked welterweight. Jake lamotta died on september 19 2017 at the age of 95 and shadow boxes no more. Jake lamotta shadow boxing at 89 years of age after taking nutronics labs igf1 duration. He was one of the last remaining links to another time, a time. Lacking finesse, he often allowed himself to take a severe beating before ferociously turning on his foe. Giacobbe jake lamotta july 10, 1922 september 19, 2017 was an american professional boxer, world middleweight champion, and standup comedian. Jake lamotta, the former middleweight boxing champion whose life is the subject of martin scorseses acclaimed film raging bull, died yesterday at the age of 95. See more ideas about raging bull, boxer and american boxer.
In prose as straightforward and at times as brutal as his style in the ring, former middleweight champion jake lamotta wove together an unforgettable autobiography. Sugar ray robinson the bright lights and dark shadows of a champion documentary duration. Jake lamotta, who was famously portrayed by robert deniro in 1980s raging bull, is 95, the worlds oldest living boxing champion, and still. Jake lamotta, a brawling middleweight champion whose epic battles with sugar ray robinson defined nonheavyweight boxing in the 1940s and early 50s, has died, his fiancee said wednesday. Jake lamotta, the middleweight champion boxer famed for his ferocity in the ring in the 1940s and early 50s, died this week nearly 40 years after his obituary was written. Famous boxers like jake lamotta, joe louis, and rocky marciano to modern warriors like manny pacquiao have repeated the same rigorous boxing training routine countless times. Raging bull jake lamotta is still shadow boxing at 95 boxing by ryan williamson on october 17, 2016 october 17, 2016 most of us would like to just make it to 95 years old. Former boxing world champion raging bull, jake lamotta. With use of constant stalking, brawling and inside fighting, he. To lamotta, fighting was a personal statement, author and historian bert sugar wrote in his 2006 book boxings greatest fighters.
In his honest and often selfpitying biography, jake lamotta admits to being an abuser, a rapist and a thief. Jake lamotta, byname of giacobbe lamotta, born july 10, 1922, new york, new york, u. Jake lamotta shadow boxing for 30 minutes a day at 89 years of age after taking nutronics labs 100,000ng igf1 plus. Opinion jake lamotta and the art of taking a punch the. Raging bull delivers outside the ring as classic sports. Though wobbly in the legs, boxing, like jake lamotta, isnt easily knocked down.
The oldest living boxing world champion 95 years old jake. Lamotta shadowboxing in a performance of the lady and the champ, an. New york boxing greats mike tyson and jake lamotta interviewed on. Jake lamotta, at 90, wraps up the lady and the champ off. Lamotta was a brawling middleweight champion whose epic battles with sugar ray. Newly crowned world middleweight boxing champion jake lamotta. Lamotta entered the 1947 bout with billy fox as the favorite. Lamotta was a wildly popular fighter in his home bronx, new york.
1497 543 1045 1291 845 994 362 67 558 1208 1359 424 1520 1061 176 1244 1556 1116 635 467 830 1160 763 153 850 671 1024 888 764 1193 21