Tony Zale
| Tony Zale | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Antoni Florian Zaleski |
| Nickname(s) | Man of Steel[1] |
| Rated at | Middleweight |
| Height | 5 ft 7 1⁄2 in (1.71 m) |
| Reach | 69 in (175 cm) |
| Nationality |
 American |
| Born |
May 29, 1913 Gary, Indiana |
| Died | March 20, 1997 (aged 83) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 87 |
| Wins | 67 |
| Wins by KO | 45 |
| Losses | 18 |
| Draws | 2 |
| No contests | 0 |
Anthony Florian Zaleski (May 29, 1913 – March 20, 1997) was an American boxer.[2] Zale was born and raised in Gary, Indiana, a steel town, which gave him his nickname, "Man of Steel."[3] In addition, he had the reputation of being able to take fearsome punishment and still rally to win, reinforcing that nickname. Zale; who held the World Middleweight title multiple times was known as a crafty boxer and strong body puncher, who punished his opponents and steadily wore them down before knocking them out.[4]
Zale was a 1991 inductee in the Boxing Hall of Fame. In November 2015, his championship belts were stolen[5] from the IBHOF. The belts were on loan from Zale's family, and have yet to be returned.
Bouts against Rocky Graziano
Zale was a 2-time world middleweight champion and made the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. Zale is best remembered for his three bouts over a 21-month period with Rocky Graziano for the middleweight crown. These three bouts were among the most brutal and exciting middleweight championship matches of all time. The first match took place in Yankee Stadium, New York. Zale had served in World War II, was thirty-three years old, and had been inactive for about four years. Graziano was on a winning knockout streak and seemed to be in his prime. In their first match (September 27, 1946), after flooring Graziano in the first round, Zale took a savage beating from Graziano, and was on the verge of losing the fight by TKO. However, he rallied and knocked out Graziano in the sixth round to retain his title. The rematch, a year later in Chicago (July] 16, 1947), was a mirror image of their first fight. Graziano was battered around the ring, suffered a closed eye and appeared ready to lose by a knockout, then rallied and knocked Zale out in the sixth round, becoming middleweight champion of the world.
Their last fight was held in New Jersey the following year (June 10, 1948). Zale regained his crown, winning the match by a knockout in the third round. The knockout blows consisted of a perfect combination of a right to Graziano's body, then a left hook to Graziano's jaw. Graziano was knocked unconscious. This fight was Zale's last hurrah. His age and the many ring wars he fought seemed to catch up with him in his next fight against European Champion Marcel Cerdan later that year, who stopped him in the eleventh round to win the middleweight championship of the world (September 21, 1948). Graziano commented that years later he would wake up in a cold sweat having had the recurring nightmare of being back in the ring with Zale, who he said really was a man of steel.
Edith Piaf, who at the time was having an affair with Cerdan, was in the audience, praying to Saint Therese for his victory. Two of the three Graziano fights and the Cerdan fight were named Ring Magazine fights of the year.
Zale was originally cast to play himself in the movie Somebody Up There Likes Me. When Paul Newman (playing Graziano) and he were sparring prior to filming, Newman got rough and Zale knocked him out. Zale was replaced by Courtland Shepard for the final fight scene.[6]
References
- ↑ "Tony Zale, Boxing's `Man Of Steel,' Dies At 82 - tribunedigital-chicagotribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. 1997-03-21. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/04/sports/zale-is-still-a-quiet-worker.html
- ↑ Bob Mee. "Obituary: Tony Zale | Obituaries | News". The Independent. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/15/sports/l-effect-of-war-on-tony-zale-085838.html
- ↑ Stein, Jeff. "Theft of a Boxer’s Championship Belts Devastates His Upstate Hometown". http://www.nytimes.com (New York TImes). Retrieved 2016-01-22. External link in
|website=(help) - ↑ Cooper, Michael (1997-03-22). "Tony Zale, 83, Middleweight Boxing Champion in the 1940's". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
External links
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Al Hostak |
NBA Middleweight Champion July 19, 1940 – July 16, 1947 |
Succeeded by Rocky Graziano |
| Preceded by Billy Soose Retired |
NYSAC World Middleweight Champion November 28, 1941 – July 16, 1947 | |
| Vacant Title last held by Freddie Steele |
The Ring Middleweight Champion November 28, 1941 – July 16, 1947 | |
| Vacant Title last held by Mickey Walker |
World Middleweight Champion November 28, 1941 – July 16, 1947 | |
| Preceded by Rocky Graziano |
The Ring Middleweight Champion June 10, 1948 – September 21, 1948 |
Succeeded by Marcel Cerdan |
| World Middleweight Champion June 10, 1948 – September 21, 1948 | ||
| ||||||