On This Day In Boxing History

1922: Jake LaMotta Was Born!

Jake LaMotta   

Born: July 10th, 1922

Birth Name: Giacobbe LaMotta

Birth Place: Bronx, New York

Residence: Bronx, New York

Pro-Debut: March 3rd, 1941

Alias: "Bronx Bull"

Division: Middleweight

Stance: Orthodox

Height: 5′ 8″  

Reach: 67″  

Record: 83-19-4, 30Ko’s

Bouts: 106

Rounds: 869

Ko’s: 28%

Died: Age 95, September 19th, 2017

World Middleweight Champion

1949 Jun 16 – 1951 Feb 14

International Boxing Hall of Fame – Class of 1990

Jake LaMotta, famously known as "The Bronx Bull" and "The Raging Bull," was an Italian-American world middleweight boxing champion whose life and career became legendary in the sport. Born Giacobe LaMotta, July 10th, 1922 in the Bronx New York, near Pelham Parkway and Morris Park, LaMotta’s early years were marked by hardship. As a child, his father compelled him to fight other neighborhood children to entertain adults and help pay the rent, a tough upbringing that foreshadowed his gritty boxing style.

LaMotta turned professional at the age of 19 in 1941, embarking on a remarkable career that saw him compile a record of 83 wins, 19 losses, and 4 draws, with 30 victories coming by knockout. He was the first boxer to defeat Sugar Ray Robinson, knocking him down in their first meeting and outpointing him in the second of their legendary six-fight rivalry. In 1949, LaMotta captured the World Middleweight Title by defeating Marcel Cerdan in Detroit. He successfully defended his title against Tiberio Mitri and Laurent Dauthuille, the latter bout becoming famous for LaMotta’s dramatic knockout with just 13 seconds left in the 15th round. LaMotta eventually lost his title to Sugar Ray Robinson in the iconic "Saint Valentine's Day Massacre" of 1951, a brutal 13th-round TKO in which LaMotta, renowned for his iron chin and relentless "bully" style, never went down. His claim of never being knocked off his feet ended in 1952 when Danny Nardico knocked him down.

LaMotta’s career was not without controversy. In 1947, he was knocked out by Billy Fox in a fight later revealed to be fixed; LaMotta admitted to throwing the bout to gain favor with the Mafia for a title shot. He later testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee in 1960 about underworld influence in boxing. After retiring from the ring, LaMotta owned bars, managed a nightclub in Miami Beach, and served six months in prison for promoting prostitution. He also appeared in over 15 films, including a cameo in "The Hustler" (1961), and made television appearances on shows like "Car 54, Where Are You?" In the mid-1950s, he formed the Jake LaMotta All-Star baseball team in the Bronx.

On the personal front, LaMotta was married six times and had four daughters and two sons, both of whom died in 1998. His brother Joey LaMotta served as his manager and was also a professional boxer, while his nephew John LaMotta competed in the 2001 Golden Gloves. LaMotta authored "Raging Bull: My Story" in 1970, which inspired the acclaimed 1980 Martin Scorsese film "Raging Bull," with Robert De Niro winning an Academy Award for his portrayal. LaMotta remained active in public life, publishing books and making frequent appearances, and in 2004, he was named the fifth greatest middleweight of all time by The Ring magazine. He passed away on September 19, 2017, at age 95 in Aventura, Florida, from complications of pneumonia.

LaMotta was known for his wit as well as his toughness, famously quipping about his rivalry with Sugar Ray Robinson, “I fought Sugar Ray so often, I almost got diabetes,” and boasting about his resilience, “No son-of-a-bitch ever knocked me off my feet” (until 1952). His life story stands as a testament to his toughness in and out of the ring, marked by triumph, controversy, and enduring cultural impact.

Ray Robinson vs Randy Turpin

July 10th, 1951

World Middleweight Title

Earls Court Arena, Kensington, London      

July 10th

1900: Joe Gans KO8 Young Griffo

1922: Jake LaMotta was born in the Bronx, New York

Harry Greb W8 Tommy Loughran

Joe Lynch KO14 Johnny Buff

1932: Panama Al Brown W 15 Kid Francis

1933: Ben Jeby W15 Young Terr

1946: Willie PepTKO7 Harold Gibson

1948: Marcel Cerdan W15 Cyrille Delannoit

1950: Rocky Marciano TKO10 Gino Buonvino

Tony DeMarco TKO Roger Ringuette

Gil Turner KO1 George Toussant

1951: Randy Turpin W15 Sugar Ray Robinson only the second loss for Robinson in 133 fights.

1955: Vinnie Curto born.

1959: Don Jordan W15 Denny Moyer

1961: Henry Hank W10 Joey Giardello

1964: Ernie Terrell KO7 Bob Foster

1965: Carlos Hernandez KO3 Percy Hayles

1970: Bruno Acari WF6 Rene Roque

1971: Rubén Olivares TKO4 Efren Torres

1976: Ken Norton TKO10 Larry Middleton

Alfonso Zamora KO3 Gilberto Illueca

1978: 2000 Olympic U.S Bronze Medalist Clarence Vinson was born in Washington, D.C.

1979: Eddie Mustafa Muhammad KO5 Dave Lee Royster

1981: Jimmy Young W10 Jeff Sims

1982: Donald Curry W10 Adolfo Viruet

1983: Thomas Hearns W10 Murray Sutherland

Lupe Madera TW4 Katsuo Tokashiki

Bobby Joe Young TKO9 Darrell Chambers

1987: Jeff Fenech KO5 Greg Richardson

1989: Juan Jose Estrada W12 Luis Mendoza

Nate Miller KO7 Andre McCall

1992: Julio Cesar Chavez KO6 Marty Jakubowski

1993: Julio Cesar Vasquez W12 Alejandro Ugueto

David Tua KO1 Larry Davis

1995: Juan Manuel Marquez KO6 Julio Cesar Portillo

1996: Carlos Hernandez TKO10 Isagani Pumar

1998: Freddie Norwood W12 Luis Mendoza

Wladimir Klitschko KO1 Najee Shaheed

1999: Regina Halmich TKO8 Erzsebet Borosi

2001: Eric Lucas KO7 Glenn Catley

2002: Robin Reid W12 Francisco Antonio Mora

2009: Tony Ferrante W8 Billy Bailey

2010: Juan Manuel Lopez TKO2 Bernabe Concepcion

Nonito Donaire TKO8 Hernan Marquez

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez TKO6 Luciano Leonel Cuello

2014: Rances Barthelemy W12 Argenis Mendez