LaMotta instead fought a title defense against Tiberio Mitri before going on to retain his title in a bout with Laurent Dauthuille. The rematch never happened because Cerdan was involved in a fatal airplane accident. Nevertheless, it was intended that the two men should fight again in the not too distant future. His opponent was the Frenchman Marcel Cerdan, who put up a good performance but was no match for the American. In 1949, LaMotta finally had the chance to fight for the middleweight championship of the world. Although rumors persisted that the bout had been fixed, nothing was proven to that effect at the time. He seemed unstoppable, which made his 1947 loss to Billy Fox one of the greatest shocks of the era. LaMotta then went on to fight a succession of hard-hitting fighters, including the likes of Tommy Bell, Fritzie Zivic, and Tony Janiro. However, in 1943, LaMotta was granted a rematch and won, becoming the first man to defeat Robinson in his entire professional career. There was little surprise when LaMotta lost his first match-up with the legendary champion, who was then unbeaten. LaMotta in His PrimeĪt this time, the best boxer in the middleweight division by far was Sugar Ray Robinson, one of the most storied fighters of all time. This was a dangerous tactic that sometimes ended with him taking hard punches – but he was already getting known for his “iron chin,” a reputation which would stay with LaMotta throughout his boxing career. When that happened, LaMotta would take the opportunity to strike. He would frequently employ mind games, pretending that he was in trouble in the hopes that his opponents would drop their guard a little. Creating a Boxer Mentalityįrom his early days in the ring, LaMotta displayed a relentless aggression and a sense of disdain for those who faced him. By the time he was 19, though, he had turned his back on the underworld completely and had opted to try to make a name for himself as a professional boxer. His father persuaded the boy to set up street fights in order to help earn money for his poverty-stricken family.īefore long, LaMotta turned his violent streak to crime, being sent to a reform school after being caught in the act of attempting a jewelry store robbery.
From an early age, he was known in his neighborhood for his bouts of ill temper. LaMotta was born in the Bronx, New York, on July 10, 1921. He won more than 80 fights, but was best known for his matches against Sugar Ray Robinson. LaMotta was himself known as the Raging Bull and the Bronx Bull, too. LaMotta was world champion in the middleweight division, and he was also the inspiration for the Oscar-winning Robert De Niro film, Raging Bull.
His true first name is Giacobbe, but he was universally known as Jake during most of his career. Jake LaMotta (born 1921) is a former American professional boxer.
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