Sad news in the boxing world today, the legendary Bronx boxer, Jake LaMotta has passed away at the age of 95 in a Miami hospice from complications of pneumonia.
Jake’s long time fiancee Denise Baker told TMZSports of his death, and wanted people to remember him as, “a great, sweet, sensitive, strong, compelling man with a great sense of humor, with eyes that danced.”
LaMotta was best known in the boxing world for his grit and toughness, he wasn’t the most technically sound boxer and lacked one punch knockout power but made up for it with his heart, an iron chin and his constant swarming pressure.
In 1941 he began his boxing career at 19 years old, he won the National Boxing Association World Middleweight Title in 1949 against French boxer Marcel Cerdan, but his greatest achievement was his upset over Sugar Ray Robinson in 1943, he was gave Robinson his first professional boxing loss.
After his retirement from boxing in 1954, he owned a couple bars, he also went into stand up comedy and movies.
In 1980 his 1970 memoir, Raging Bull: My Story was made into a film titled “Raging Bull” it was directed by Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro played LaMotta. De Niro won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of LaMotta.
Giacobbe “Jake” LaMotta (July 10, 1922 – September 19, 2017)
