Chris Ryan
@rushcuttersbox
Writer, co-host of The Fighting Life, PT and former amateur boxer
A 5’9”, 240-pound street thug, Tony Galento’s favourite punch was an eye gouge. He trained on beer and hotdogs, boxed a kangaroo, and dropped Joe Louis. Born on this day in 1910, hear about his wild life at The Fighting Life: open.spotify.com/episode/7eF7kk…
Out tomorrow!
Tomorrow, on the Boxing Movie Podcast, Johnny Restall joins me to discuss John Huston's Fat City (1972). Available on all the major podcast platforms.
July 22, 1963: Heavyweight champ Sonny Liston consoles Floyd Patterson after knocking him out in the first round of their rematch in Las Vegas, Nevada. From the New York Journal-American photo morgue.
One of the things I love about researching is the gems you stumble on, like this description of Jesse Owens running in Berlin, written by Arthur John Daley for the New York Times.
#OnThisDay in 1989, Jeff Harding stopped Dennis Andries by TKO in round 12 of 12 to win the light heavyweight title. Harding was behind on all three judges scorecards at the time of the stoppage with just 97 seconds remaining.
Why am I only just learning about Joe Frazier's musical career? Here he is on The Ed Sullivan Show, the night before he fought Jimmy Ellis for the world title. youtu.be/ByT5qbi7I6I?si…
Great feature on Ketchel here by Ben Fowlkes. Has some cracking stories we didn’t cover in our podcast: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the…
He shot a kid who worked his training camp in the leg for waking him from a nap. He once purposely drove his car into a fruit stand just to see the lemons fly. He was known to ask for his fight purse in advance so he could bet it all on himself. sports.yahoo.com/boxing/article…
George Foreman poses with a tray of McDonalds in 1991. Three years later, at the age of 45, he would make history by reclaiming the heavyweight title. 📸 David Scarbrough
Sonny Liston training in Florida ahead of his heavyweight showdown with Cassius Clay, 1964.
The Freckled Freak
Bob Fitzsimmons, boxing's first three-division champion, was born on this day in 1863.
Domenico Assogna. Italian resistance fighter, immigrant to Australia, pastry cook, truck driver, sparring partner, then pro boxer. In '59, he suffered a string of KOs in the US but met Evangeline, his wife of 48 years. He died in California in 2007, aged 82. #forgottenfighters
Live fast, fight hard, die young: the Stanley Ketchel story: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the…
In 1913, boxers on the Tour of Champions, Jimmy Clabby, Jonny Kilbane, Jonny Coulon, and Luther McCarty, flanked by their managers, paid their respects at the grave of Stanley Ketchel. Learn why Ketchel inspired fellow fighters in our latest podcast: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the…
40 years ago today, Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns delivered one of boxing's greatest battles at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.