HOME | POLITICS | SPORTS | LIFE | SCI/TECH | OPEDS | HELPFUL TIPS
|
Mar. 29, 2005 There was a time when Jewish fighters completely dominated the lighter weight classes in professional boxing. Early in the twentieth century many Jews fled the Eastern European pogroms that presaged the holocaust. With virtually nothing in their pockets, they came to the United States in hopes of not only a better life, but also a life where they wouldn't be in danger of becoming convenient scapegoats for both totalitarian governments and an ignorant populace. Most migrated to big cities, especially New York's eastside ghetto. Initially, economic opportunities in this new land were not much better than those in Europe. The most common job available was the sweat shop kind in the garment industry--an occupation that bordered on slavery. People worked twelve hour days in miserable conditions and went home to miserable, crowded apartments where one-hundred people on a floor shared one filthy toilet. Read Kevin Baker's Dreamland for a taste of what life was like then. It's an excellent novel. Out of poverty came a whole generation of Jewish boxers who rose to prominence in their sport. Each has his own fascinating story. Here are some of my favorites. Joe Choynski was the exception--he came from an affluent family; his father was the first Jewish graduate of Yale who published a muckracking newspaper in San Francisco. Joe Choynski probably would have been a light heavyweight champion, but between the years of 1888 and 1902 when he fought, this weight class didn't exist, so he had to fight fighters bigger than he was. His most notable early fight was against Gentleman Jim Corbett, and Joe was the recipient of the world's first left hook--a Corbett invention that he created of necessity after he broke his hand. It was a twenty-seven round illegal brawl fought offshore on a barge to avoid police. (Boxing was illegal in California at the time.) Choynki lost, but came back and won many fights in Australia, and the American West. His greatest win was against a young Jack Johnson, the legendary future champion. Johnson was fighting out of Texas, and no Southern white wanted to get whipped by a black man. Besides, mixed race bouts were illegal. Choynski took the challenge, and the promoter called it a "physical education instruction." Choynski knocked Johnson out in the third round; and then five Texas Rangers threw both of them in jail where they became great friends and sparred for the guards. Pound-for-pound, the greatest Jewish boxer of all time was Benny Leonard who was lightweight champion from 1917 to 1925. He was a very popular fighter among both Jews and Gentiles; he gave proceeds of some fights to charitable causes, and he carried himself with class. His record in the ring was almost impeccable. He lost his very first and very last fights. Between those two he fought over two-hundred times and lost only twice, both early in his career. Benny learned to fight early. After getting thrashed and mugged by a group of punks, his irritated grandfather took him to a boxing club. Soon Benny was winning street fights, and according to him, fights in the ring were much easier in comparison. Benny's greatest rivals in the ring were other Jewish fighters: Lew Tendler, Charlie "left hook" White, and Phil "Ring Gorilla" Bloom, all of whom gave him tough fights. Some Jewish boxers never gave up their day jobs. Leach Cross, the fighting dentist, once knocked K.O Brown's front teeth loose. The next morning he shocked the poor guy by being Dr. Louis Wallach (his real name), and he finished the job with a pair of pliers. Abe "the newsboy" Hollandersky was forced to support his family beginning at the age of seven by selling newspapers to Navy men. The sailors taught him how to box, and he went toe-to-toe with champions in boxing and wrestling. He even took on animals: beating a muzzled bear, but losing to a kangaroo. Barney Ross, lightweight, junior welterweight, and welterweight champ from 1933-1938 was the last of the great Jewish champions. Born in the lower eastside of New York, his family moved to Chicago, while he was a teenager. His father--a rabbi and storekeeper--was murdered in a holdup, and Barney went wild in the following years. He became a street tough who started brawls, and he applied for a job with Al Capone. Capone gave him twenty bucks, but rejected the application because he didn't want to corrupt a rabbi's son. Barney took up boxing, and as a master of defense he won the combined lightweight/junior welterweight championship from another great fighter, Tony Canzoneri. His greatest win was when he beat Jimmy Mclarnin for the welterweight championship. Mclarnin had a ten fight winning streak against Jewish fighters, and Barney became the hero of the Jewish ghetto by avenging those losses. Later, he became a real hero when he volunteered for the marines and earned a Silver Star during the battles on Guadalcanal. For more on Jewish boxers be sure to read The Jewish Boxers Hall of Fame by Ken Blady. ------------ About the author Mark Gelbart: My book, Talk Radio, is a black comedy about a radio talk show host who gets kidnapped and psychologically tortured by a loser. It will be published by Publish America within the next year. www.mark-gelbart.com Email: agelbart@aol.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
