ZANIES OF THE RING-6
THE UŽINA MAIL, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 195%
By Gilbert Odd
Two Ton Tony
IN
TN all boxing history there has never been a zanier was all-in Atuff until the
fighter than "Two-Ton" Tony Galento, the rotund position caved in. Jerseyite who bally-hoded himself into a title fight with the great Joe Louis and earned a fortune.
Belleve me, Gulento had no right m the ring with the Brown Bomber or any other boxer for that matter. He broke all the rules, both in and out of the ring: never trained except in his own fantastic fashion, yet set up an amateur record of wins on sheër strength and guts.
Galento knew how to wield a powerful left hook, but he was also a past master in gouging, butting and untral mauling, with, elbow, wrist, and lace work thrown in for good mua-
sure,
The ugliest, bloodiest, dirtiest brawl ever matquerading a contest under Marquis 07 Queensberry ruky was Galento's fight with Lou Nova,
What they did to each ether was nobody's business, but they were hardly recognisable at the finish The referee stopped it in the fourteenth round when Nova was blinded and on the point of collapse.
When someone suggested that the fight with Nova nad been
Actually he was a bone-lazy man, who hated the very iden of exercising. He was a great take "bellever in letting natura
its course,
co he stuffed him self with food, washed it down, with beer, innked Blu, cigars, und left the rest in chance.
He liked nothing better than to kon on his bat, a quart of foaming beer at his elbow, a large cigar m his mouth, and to yan with his customers, telling them how
he beat 50-aku-so
and what he would do with his next opponent,
For besues everything else Tony was a braggert. When he wound up his disparaging marks about another fighter with the famous words: "I'll
op-
Lagging out the huge cubes of bla ice and carrying them on
into houseS, broad shoulders Chops, restaurants, and hotels,
built up a powerful physique."
His love of eating and drink- ing packed on pounds of fal wherever there was toom, Bul
it didn't lesson Tony's strength or ability to fight when. It was necessary.
In New Jersey, they tried more than once to oust Galmato his territory, but tho from thugs never solved the problem. 1115 of his deadly felt hook or street-ftpåling technique.
When he wasn't heaving ico about Tony liked to lo into the local gym and work off his Excess energy on the big bag. He'd got there late and never seemed to tire.
As an amateur Galento was a holy terror, and won so any wrist watches that his father, mother, und multitude of brothers and sisters could wear one on each wrist
somewhat rough, Tony started: molder da bium," he really meant he still had a drawer full.
And if h aldn't actually
"Rough! We had a nice night. If i Nova had trained on beer like i du, he'd have lasted longer," "moider"
Tony was shaped like a bar- el and he really belleved that drinking beer copiously gave in the strength and stamina to fight.
hiu opppachts, he tried his level best He would walk straight In to hook and swing. paying no heet what udover to defence, and once he had
Fol lu eleee-quarters
The lights blazed for Louis as it landed.
it
☆
Tony in a low crouch bobbed around the ring as Joo schemed out a way to beat kle unorthodox challenger.
and plain stoopid. Booze makes me feel Good, I dou'l feel da punches when I'm full of beer." Dempsey walked away in dis- gust. "You'll never get a title. the way you're vlog," he said. BiM Tony did. He continued to win his fights, usually in a few rounds, leaving a battered wreck of a lighter" on the ring
at
Finally the New Jersey clubs politely suggested that Tony should turn professional, so 20 he began to tosa punches for pay and red it a lot better.
He all worked hard on his ice round and even harder the gym. But soon he was plek- ing up substantial purses und was able to buy a motor-trick and pay others to hump the Ice blocks.
in
The ess Galento worked the
more he ate and drank and the Karger he got. The fans would roar with derision
floor.
the mar to deal drastically policemen tenderly felt their with "Two-Ton" Tony; he was bruises and accepted his offer big and strong enough to burst and one of them escorted Tony the Galento bubble, they home. drought.
But it was all over in two rounds, with Mann counted out, And when Tony followed thir sinazing success by knocking out other Loule victims Harry Thomas, Jorge
Brescia, and Nattie Brown all in quicker the As one by one the recognized te than it had taken challengers were belted oat, Brown Bomber to beat them, Tony automatically moved to one could deny Galento nearer a title that with Louls, title chance, Then he made a smart move by Jelfing Joe Jacobs manage bla affairs,
It was Joe who had won the
when he World's championship for Max xiugeer
Schmeling by Fercaming "four" peeled off bls dressing-gow when the German went down and they saw rolls of tot hang-
from it over the waistband of his
by Jack knickers,
Body blow
Sharlay In 1930.
Jacobs could see it was 15
to try and change Tany's
Bul they led the colourful way he fought and the fact that less
he kept winning. They would deas about training, or alter hool
of living. Int and boo at Tony for his his mode
zee that, with the right dirty tactics, but they admired could
he
his powers of endurance and his propaganda, Galento could be ability to soak up punishment steered into a Louis fight. and absorb pain.
All right, he was a freak. Bui a freak who was going places, allaugh when he wld newspaper men that he wanted to fight Joe Louts for the title everyone was helpless with laughter.
But Tony was verlmus and he could afford to let them laugh. When he told newspaper boys that he would "moider da bra" they gave hlin headlines, and his newly-acquired bar- room in New Jersey was pack ed all day.
☆
So he not only let Tony Eo his own sweet way, but en- aut and gave ouraged him highly imaginary stories to the PRPs. Scon Cahinto was phalo- graphed doing his
rondiwork from a · Rolls-Royce, while h "sparring - partner" puffed along.
day cigara.
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A
Overnight the barrel-shaped
national became gure. Galento was so swept up in the general New Jersey en- thusiasm he allowed himself to be taken off to a proper train- In camp. But he was back hom in three days.
"All daf fresh air was making mel 11," train best on city smoke."
he protested. "I
One night before the big event he was returning from a night-club, very late and very full of beer, when he was con- fronted by four tough-looking men who demanu.d to where he was going.
know
"You look suspicious," said one, advancing in front of the others, Tony was seared that this was a hold-up,
He let fy with a felt hook, and next moment. he was stand ing wide-legged with his back S101 of the training time was to the wall taking on the other spent in the bar where Tony three. boasted that I drank 25 pints 2 There were
black eyes and dozen bit blondy and smoked
ncses. Then one man drew a gun. "You're ander or That was too much for the rent," he shouted, "We're police Boxing Commission. They "cent offers." Galento was taken to Jack Denguey came to ste for Culenta and told him that the stallon, him. He brought the famous his clowning was hurting the American trainer Bay Arcel fight Kotne and if he didn't along and they fold Tony, they mend his ways he would Le could take him to the top, but put under suspension. he would have to cut out his present style of easy living.
"Come out to my Montana ranch,"
sald the old Manossa Mauler, "Ray will soon talice few slonca off you and you'll feel good without the beer and cigars."
"Aw, Galento.
ruls," answered "Don't ask me to do flat, Jack. No booze? Why dat's
1
And what a fight be gave the Brown Bomber!
Thirty-five thousand frenzied fons pucked their way into the Yankee Stadium that night te zer it "Two-Ton" Tony could bring off a million-to-one shot and beat the great Jọc Louis,
The Brown Bomber, A to Night the battle of his life. weighed 14st. 4lb. Galento, podgy and as out of condition any man would be, scaled -10st, 97b, and was the shorter
by five inches,
Everyone in the vast areno knew
Thut
beer- the Jersey barrel was practically commit- ring as he was against a fight- ting suicide; that to go into the
initi machine like Louls was ntamount to walking the plank of a pirate ship.
Everyone, that 15, oxempt Tony. At least, he knew that it would have to be a short fight If he was going to win.
☆☆
So from the opening bell he bowled into the Brown Bomber, taking theo sharp-shooting Jabs on his broad face and let- ting Joe's Jethal rights go sizzling across his bald head,
Then he let go his drag left, hook. It was a ride tuo high, but hard enough to send Louls staggering off balance and shoke him up. excited fans, and adopting a very low crouch Galento work- d his way round the Bomber, then leapt in to hook again. The champion was alert but he had
a job to pinpoint i smaller opponent, who belbed around to make Louis miss and then jumped in with a hook on swing to the body,
The spectatory could scarcely and
"After him, Tony," roared the
Was &
Tony thumbed his bulton Fortunately for Tony the maN
breathe through the first mace to the Commissioners, Qiews on duty at the charge desk was
photographed a fight fan who recognised him, tenseness as Joe, fully recovered
second counds. There himself drinking milk through a straw and sucking a sugar-stiel
nre reinforce from that early shock, ichened in metis for the big night," he cald, out a way to bent his unorthodox didn't know you and challenger. And then in the pince of his usut rigor.
011
"Th
These men
So they shopped a suspenclan you should have told them who bath manager and tighter you were. Now what are we but lifted it soon afterwards, Loing to do?"
Less than three months earlier "Would you feliers Uke to see Mann had stayed thite rounda me molder dat by Louis? with doc Louis. He looked just asked Galento.
מינ
injured!
third roud Tony almost brought off that million-lo-one shot, Very nearly made good his promire to "molder da bum."
Ducking A right from the champ, he sent his left whistling towards Joc's chin. There was |everything behind that clenched as it described its swift
are.
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The lights blazed for Louls as it landed; the roar of 35,000 thrill-crazy volces gent the air. Down went Joe on his left side, blu left arm going out to breuk is fail.
Over he rolled
to s hands id knees and then got up a te refereo was conducting Galento to a neutral coler,
Only "two had been called, then the referee signalled them to "box on." in went Cakento
for the "P", urged on by
| the screaming multitude.
A
Bat Louis, in the tradition of
true clumplon, stood his ground and boxed off the chal- lenger with stinging blows from elther band that had Tony
Toggy at the bell.
**
fourthi round "molder" but not for Louis.. With calculang ruthlessness, ha hammered Tony with every punch in the book,
Gamely Galento fought back until, with his features cut to ribbong
pourided against
and his fal body
to jelly, he collapsed the ropes and the re- ferco mercifully enlied, a halt,
Tito gamest zanie had shot
his bolt.
The H.K. Anti-Tuberculosis Association
FLAG DAY
Saturday, 23rd November, 1957
(7 am to 12 noon)
PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY
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