Jake LaMotta dies

By Boxing News - 09/20/2017 - Comments

Image: Jake LaMotta diesBy Ric Thomas, photo: Boxing Hall Of Fame – Former middleweight champion Jake LaMotta passed away at 95 on Tuesday. According to TMZ, Lamotta (83-19-4, 30 KOs) died from pneumonia at a nursing facility.

Actor Robert De Niro played LaMotta in the movie, ‘Raging Bull’ in 1980 and brought a lot of attention to the former world champion.

LaMotta beat the then undefeated boxing great Sugar Ray Robinson by a 10 round unanimous decision on February 5, 1943. This was arguably the high point of LaMotta’s 13-year pro career. LaMotta wound up facing Robinson 6 times, losing 5 of them. LaMotta would later say, “I fought Sugar Ray so often, I almost got diabetes.” Those 6 fights were hugely popular between the two of them. LaMotta’s first fight against Robinson came on October 2, 1942. Their last fight against each other was on February 14, 1951.

That defeat, a 13th round knockout, was the beginning of the end for LaMotta as a professional fighter. He would lose his net 2 fights against Bob Murphy and Norman Hayes. LaMotto’s career was never the same. He beat Al McGroy and Jhonny Pretzie before ending his career with a 10-round split decision to Billy Kilgore on April 14, 1954.

At only 5’8”, LaMotta was short for a middleweight, although he was roughly the same height as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez from this era, but not nearly as heavy after he would rehydrate for his fights. Boxing is a much different sport nowadays compared to when LaMotta was fighting. Back then, fighters fought in divisions that were near their true body weight. You didn’t see guys dehydrating 20 to 30 pounds to fight in a weight class not designed for their body. In this era, it’s all about gaining an edge over your opponents by melting down vast amounts of weight to fight guys that are smaller. Gone are the same day weigh-ins that would prevent fighters from gaming the systems by dehydrating vast amounts of weight like they do in today’s boxing.

On June 16, 1949, LaMotta defeated boxing great Mercel Cerdan by a 9th round stoppage to win the National Boxing Association world middleweight title. Cerdan suffered a shoulder injury that limited his effectiveness during the fight.

LaMotta had some epic fights against Fritzie Zivic in facing him 4 times and beating him in 3 of those fights. They real wars from start to finish. LaMotta also beat Bob Satterfield, a very good fighter, Billy Fox, Dick Wagner, and Tommy Bell.

LaMotta will be missed. He was a great fighter and had a heck of a career. If LaMotta had fought in this era, he would have done well.