Barney Ross, One of the greatest pound for pound fighters in history, a champion in three weight classes, he finished his career with a 72-4-3 record with 2 no decisions, having gone 51-1-1 in a seven year span. He was an absolute boxing genius with a chin made of diamond, he was never knocked out in 81 fights, an impressive feat considering who he fought, some real savages. This man is a god to us in the sport of boxing, he was practically unbeatable in his prime and he fought some all-time greats. But it doesn't end there, he was also a WWII hero. After boxing he enlisted in the Marines, he was sent to Guadalcanal in 1942, and spent 13 hours in a mosquito filled foxhole with his dying comrades, and managed to kill two dozen Japanese single handedly, earning him the Silver Star for his heroics. He had a crazy life, he grew up working for Al Capone, was friends with Jack Ruby, the man who killed Lee Harvey Oswald, and later became addicted to morphine after taking the pain medication to ease the pain from the wounds he suffered at Guadalcanal. He is a legend, in fact Sylvester Stallone named his character in the Expendables movies after him, Barney Ross is based on him. Stallone is a fan and student of the fight game, he knows what a bad ass Barney Ross inside the ring and outside of it.
THE BARNEY ROSS STORY
An aspiring rabbi turned street hustler, professional prizefighter, and celebrated war veteran – Barney Ross fought some memorable battles in the ring, but faced his toughest conflicts outside of the squared circle. Despite neglecting his faith after tragedy derailed his life during his early teens, he is remembered as an important figurehead of the Jewish community across America. These are the life and times of Barney Ross.
Early Life
Beryl (Dov-Ber) David Rosofsky was born in New York in 1909, to father Isidore “Itchik” Rosofsky and Sarah Epstein Rofosky. His father had fled to the States after being subject to a pogrom in his home country of Belarus, in which he nearly lost his life.
Once ‘LittleDov’ was born, the family relocated to a Jewish neighbourhood in Chicago and opened a small vegetable shop in Maxwell Street – a crime-ridden, poverty-stricken district of the inner city. Jack Ruby and Jacob Guzik (Al Capone’s trusted financial advisor) were both peers of Dov, who escaped the confines of the same ghetto and went on to achieve notoriety.
During his early years, Dov helped his family by working shifts at their grocery shop, but his dream was to become a rabbi – a Jewish scholar or teacher. Despite his virtuous aspirations, the temptation to join one of the local street gangs pervaded throughout his teenage years.
His father, a respected rabbi himself, shielded his son from the negative influences surrounding him but life would change forever during an attempted robbery on his parents’ vegetable store. When his father refused to surrender the contents of the cash register, it resulted in his senseless killing.
The murder of Isidore ravaged the Jewish family. Dov’s mother Sarah suffered a nervous breakdown and her children were sent to an orphanage. He and his older brother Morrie refused, so were instead placed under the care of their cousin. He quickly dropped out of school and was left to fend for himself on the tough Chicago streets at just fourteen-years-old.
Street Gangster
During the prohibition era of the 1920s and 1930s, Chicago became a hotbed of organised crime, with Johnny Torrio and Al Capone controlling much of the ‘Windy City’s dirty dealings. With no family and little direction, Dov joined a local gang and gained a reputation as a brawler. Boxing supplied him with honest amounts of cash and fuelled his desire to one day reunite what remained of his broken family.
During this time he became running buddies with a fellow Jewish kid from the ghetto, Jacob Rubenstein, who would later become (as Jack Ruby) world-famous for murdering Lee Harvey Oswald – the killer of President John F. Kennedy. The pair would run errands for the larger than life Capone, who was building his reputation as the most violent gangster in the country. But when they weren’t hustling, Dov and Ruby could be found training together in the local youth centre or boxing club.
Finding Boxing
It was a popular trend amongst Jews to assume American names to help settle into their communities, so Dov adopted the new name ‘Barney Ross’. This also meant his mother wouldn’t recognise his name in the local newspaper when the amateur boxing results were announced.
The strong-minded Jewish kid from Chicago climbed his way up the amateur ranks, competing over 250 times, becoming the Intercity and Chicago Golden Gloves champion by the age of nineteen. It is believed that Capone would often purchase tickets to his amateur fights to help support the young fighter financially.
In 1929, although still an amateur, Ross had become a popular figure within Jewish communities across the States, during a time when Adolf Hitler and his supporters were propagating their anti-Jewish agenda. Despite somewhat neglecting his faith, he embraced becoming a figurehead for American-Jews during the 1920s and 30s, proudly providing an alternative narrative to the tribulation of European Jews.
Professional Debut
In September of that very same year, Ross would make his professional debut, beating Ramon Luga over six rounds. He would enjoy a ten fight winning streak before tasting defeat for the first time at the hands of Carlos Garcia.
Ross was incredibly versatile and would employ various styles to deal with his opponents. Some describe his style as an aggressive boxer-puncher – just without the punch – his tiny hands didn’t carry concussive power. His biggest attributes were toughness, resilience and a granite chin, which allowed him to absorb more punishment than other fighters at the time.
Another principal weapon was his left-hand. He used it mainly for perpetually flicking out the jab, but was also pinpoint accurate when thrown in the form of a left-hook – often doubled up – or switched from body to head.
After the Garcia defeat, he would build his record to 32-1-2, the most notable victories coming against former world champions Battling Battalino and Cameron Welter.
He was then pitted against the veteran Ray Miller. Despite once being a top contender, Miller was your typical boxing gatekeeper, with one of the meanest left-hooks of all-time, Ray Miller was the only man in history to stop Jimmy Mclarnin, the "baby faced assassin." Barney was the underdog but managed to grind out a victory, demonstrating his impenetrable chin once again by soaking up Miller’s best shots.
Now knocking on the door of world honours, his next obstacle was the much avoided Billy Petrolle on March 26, 1933, whom he overcame via a 10 round points decision, his reward being a world title shot against the three-weight world champion Tony Canzoneri.
World championship & Tony Canzoneri
The American-Italian Canzoneri held the world championship at lightweight and light welterweight. At the time, he was considered by many as the pound for pound number one. Their first meeting took place in Ross’ home city of Chicago, where he fought repeatedly throughout his amateur and paid career.
Ross claimed the decision victory, becoming a two-weight world champion and the first man in the history of the Queensbury rules to win two world titles simultaneously. He immediately relinquished the lightweight strap and two more victories soon followed over Johnny Farr and Johnny Datto at 140-pounds, before facing Canzoneri for their rematch.
Becoming a world champion had transformed Ross’ life. Finally able to reunite his broken family, he had fulfilled two dreams at once and was on top of the world.
Their second meeting would be hosted on Tony’s turf this time, in-front of 40,000 rowdy spectators at the Polo Grounds in the Big Apple. It was a bloody battle, fiercely contested throughout – until the final few rounds when Ross had Canzoneri out on his feet. He took the points decision over fifteen rounds and returned to Chicago with the light welterweight belt.
He retained his title by decision against first Sammy Fuller, to conclude 1933 and Peter Nebo, to begin 1934, followed by a stalemate with former world champion Frankie Klick.
Jimmy McLarnin Trilogy
Every great pugilist has a rival, an equally talented or skilled fighter with whom they share a series of gruelling or exciting battles. Ross had proven his superiority over Canzoneri, so there was little appetite for a third fight – but a trilogy with Jimmy McLarnin the "baby faced assassin" would see the Irish-Canadian become his perfect dance partner.
McLarnin, alongside Ross and Canzoneri, was one of the most accomplished and talented fighters from the lower weights during the 20s and 30s. During his illustrious career, Mclarnin beat a total of ten world champions and built a reputation for conquering Jewish fighters, which fuelled the rivalry between him and Ross. His list of Jewish victims included Jackie Fields, Rudy Goldstein, Joey Glick and Kid Kaplan – plus a post-prime Benny Leonard.
Barney opted to move up to welterweight and challenge McLarnin for his version of the championship on May 28, 1934. Sixty thousand fans filled the Long Island Bowl and were witness to a gruelling battle between two of the best fighters in the game’s history.
The pair went toe-to-toe from the opening bell, with Ross’ advantages in speed and movement giving him the upper hand. The fight exploded into chaos in the ninth round when McLarnin landed a thudding right hand that sent Ross to the canvas. Angry at touching the canvas for the first time in his career, Ross jumped up and returned fire. Forty-five seconds of action ensued, ending with two rollicking left-hooks from the challenger, which saw McLarnin slump to the deck.
After fifteen completed championship rounds, McLarnin’s face was battered, bruised and smeared in blood. Ross was awarded the decision and his third world championship. Although the outcome was correct, the scoring was bizarre. One judge had Ross winning eleven rounds, a second judge gave McLarnin the majority with nine and the referee gave the deciding verdict, with Ross winning thirteen rounds.
A few months later, McLarnin would avenge the defeat in a rematch. The decision, again, was highly controversial, with twenty-two of the twenty-nine ringside reporters favouring Ross on the cards. Barney eschewed a decider with McLarnin for a while and moved back down to light welterweight to defend his title against Bobby Pacho, the aforementioned Klick and Henry Woods. Brimming with the confidence of a champion once again, he pumped himself back up to 147lbs and challenged McLarnin for the title in the decider of their famous trilogy.
The rubber match would be less barbaric than their previous meetings as Ross proved himself as the superior boxer, despite breaking his right thumb in the sixth round. He seemed to finally have McLarnin’s number and cruised to the unanimous decision.
This victory would inscribe Ross’ name in the history books once again, becoming the first man to win a world title on the same date – May 28.
End of his professional career
Subsequently, Ross enjoyed sixteen successive victories, the most notable names being future middleweight titleholder Ceferino Garcia – and Al Manfredo.
In his final outing, Ross put his title on the line against Henry Armstrong on May 31, 1938. It was a brutal and regrettable ending to a spectacular career. The up-and-coming Armstrong pummelled the experienced champion over fifteen damaging rounds. Ross was running on empty and his corner wanted to throw in the towel on numerous occasions but Barney’s pride kept him from conceding.
Ross bowed out of the hurt business with an astounding record of seventy-two wins, four losses, three draws and two no-decisions, twenty-two of those wins coming inside the scheduled distance. He was later ranked #21 on Ring Magazine’s list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years and inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
World War II
Most fighters struggle to occupy their time once they wave farewell to the fight game. Some replace slugging with other addictions like alcohol or drugs. Ross, however, was different – and enlisted into the United States Marine Corps in April of 1942. Despite the Marines’ desire to keep him stateside and utilise his celebrity status for propaganda, Ross was insistent on active service. Rather than accept the relative safety of a role as boxing coach, he was granted his wish and flown overseas to fight in the Pacific Theatre.
The posting was not without incident though, as the Marine Corps were planning to punish Ross for assaulting an officer who’d reportedly made anti-Semitic remarks. An intervention from Jewish Captain Berthol E. Davies persuaded the board to overlook his crime. On this rare occasion, the rulebook was thrown out the window.
Whilst in the South Pacific, he served with B Company, 1 Battalion, 8 Marines in the Battle of Guadalcanal. This is where Ross would begin a lifelong friendship with the Frederic Gehring, a famous wartime chaplain who later labelled Ross a “national treasure”.
The bravery and courage he’d demonstrated in the ring were translated into his military career, when he and three other marines came under attack from the enemy. Pinned down in a mosquito infested foxhole with his three comrades wounded, Ross reportedly used their ammunition in addition to his own and tossed hand grenades, eliminating an estimated two dozen Japanese soldiers over the course of the night. Two of the injured men later died, but the third, weighing 104kg, was hoisted on the shoulders of the 64kg Ross, who carried him to safety.
For his actions, Barney was awarded the Silver Star – the third-highest military honour for an American soldier. President Roosevelt subsequently presented him with the Distinguished Service Cross and a Presidential Citation at a ceremony at the Rose Garden.
Post War Addiction
Whilst recovering in hospital, he developed an addiction to morphine and upon arriving back in the States, substituted morphine for the more accessible heroin. The addiction spiralled out of control and he would regularly consume up to $500 worth a day. His demand for narcotics decimated his finances and relieved him of his career earnings.
He lost everything, including his marriage and his successful Chicago lounge bar. Realising he’d hit rock bottom, he spent the next six months fighting his addiction at a government recovery facility. Upon returning to normal life, he regularly lectured at high schools about the dangers of drugs.
Later Life
In his later years, his image was used by companies, mainly casinos, to promote their brand. He remained loyal to his childhood best friend Jack Ruby, testifying on his behalf at the Oswald murder trial. Ross would later lose his life at age 57 in his beloved Chicago home, after a vigorous battle with throat cancer.
To this day, especially amongst the Jewish fraternity, Ross is recognised as a national hero in the United States. He has since been inducted into several Halls of Fame and been acknowledged for his achievements both in and out of the ring.
Barney Ross vs Jimmy Mclarnin, Mclarnin was nicknamed the "baby faced assassin" because of his young looking face, but also because he was a murderous puncher, a tough as nails Irishman that wore a clover leaf on his trunks, he's also a legend in the sport. Barney Ross was able to move up in weight and beat Mclarnin twice which is crazy because Ross didn't carry much power in his punches, but he was able to win because of his sheer cleverness in the ring.
Barney Ross also managed to beat Tony Canzoneri, a five time world champion and three weight division champion, Canzoneri was a brutal man that ran with gangsters, he was a deadly puncher as well.
You know, often times when discussing boxing, we refer to some fights as wars, we get carried away a bit I must admit, and I apologize for that, because no sport should be compared to war. I can't imagine a more terrifying situation than war. I have a relative that served in Iraq, and to this day he will not talk about the things he saw over there. A while back, I watched the series "The Pacific" about WWII, very realistic portrayal of what it was like for the US Marines that fought the Japanese in the Pacific during WWII. Like I was saying earlier, after retiring from boxing, Barney Ross signed up with the US Marine Corp, and ended up going to Guadalcanal. I forget, but I believe Guadalcanal was the first island the Marines landed in when we went to war with Japan, it wasn't like Iwo Jima, where the Marines were met with blazing, non-stop machine gun fire as soon as they approached the island, Guadalcanal was quiet when the Marines washed ashore, no Japanese in sight, no incoming machine gun fire from well hidden Japanese machine gun nests like on Iwo Jima. The Marines were able to wash ashore, and it was quiet and peaceful, very eerie, no enemy in sight, it seemed like thr enemy had abandoned Guadalcanal. But as the Marines pushed forward on Guadalcanal, they discovered the enemy was very much there, and all hell broke loose.
Barney Ross during rifle training
Barney Ross was only the third boxer in history to win world titles in three weight classes. After his hall-of-fame career, he joined the Marine Corps, gaining further distinction and notoriety during World War II.
On Dec. 4, 1942, a New York Times headline screamed out: “Barney Ross Wins a New Title In Fierce Battle on Guadalcanal.”
Ross was one of America’s best-known athletes when World War II arrived. He was famous as both a champion boxer and for his personal story as a former street brawler who mingled with Chicago criminal-underworld honchos like Al Capone. The prizefighter, billed as “The Pride of the Ghetto,” earned three world champion titles across three weight classes — lightweight, junior welterweight, and welterweight — in 329 amateur and professional boxing bouts. Just four years after he’d lost his last title, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and soon found himself on Guadalcanal.
On Nov. 18, 1942, Ross and his company spearheaded an Army push above the Matanikau River. When fierce fire erupted, the 33-year-old Marine lay low, waiting for Army reinforcements to arrive, but they didn’t get there quickly enough.
“One of my buddies motioned to me and I looked up and saw the advance guard of a large Jap contingent moving slowly toward us through the jungle,” Ross told The New York Times. “They got no more than ten yards away and everybody started firing and scattering.”
Ross’ best friend was shot in the leg, another teammate was shot through the stomach, and a third was wounded in the knee. Ross moved the wounded soldiers into a shell crater and dove into a larger crater protected by a heavy log.
“Every time I poked my head up, machine-gun bullets would ricochet off the log and bounce on my helmet,” Ross said in the interview. “I was told later there were at least thirty furrows in my tin hat.”
From his back, he gathered every hand grenade in his immediate vicinity, pulled the pins, and hurled them at the Japanese machine-gun positions. Reports estimated he tossed as many as 20 hand grenades in his assault. He emptied 80 rounds from his rifle and fired his wounded teammates’ weapons while they reloaded for him. In several hours of fighting, Ross fired more than 300 bullets in defense of their position.
When all the bullets were expended, the four Marines fixed bayonets and prayed, believing they wouldn’t survive the night. At the crack of dawn, following a rainstorm and relentless Japanese machine-gun fire, Ross moved his friends beyond his shell crater. Although he weighed only 140 pounds, the former boxer carried his 215-pound Marine teammate and the other wounded Marine out of the fray with the help of his commanding officer.
“Then, by half-crawling and half-walking, we reached the main lines,” Ross said. “Bullets were still coming a mile a minute. Every seven or eight yards we fell flat on our faces.”
The Army successfully rescued the third wounded Marine. When Ross reached friendly lines, he was immediately promoted to corporal and was recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross medal. Ross wasn’t a fan of the accolades, though, whether in the ring or at war.
“The ring is kid’s play compared to the battle out here — this is a finish fight with no holds barred and no referee to break up the clinches,” he told the Times correspondent. “Tell ’em to give it to my company,” he added, in reference to his medal for bravery. “This is no one-man show.”
Ross ultimately received the Silver Star and was credited with killing 22 Japanese soldiers, despite suffering from malaria. The Marine returned home to a hero’s welcome. Over the years afterward, he struggled with morphine addiction but was inducted into several sports halls of fame, including the International Boxing Hall of Fame. In 1967, Ross died of cancer. He was 57 years old.
Barney Ross kisses the ground after returning home from his terrifying ordeal on Guadalcanal. You notice he has a walking stick in his left hand, he needed it to help him walk after his injuries on Guadalcanal. He also contracted malaria from the mosquitos.
Barney Ross was already a huge star from boxing, but after his heroics on Guadalcanal, he became a national hero. He didn't like the attention, and he would tell you himself, all of the soldiers are heroes.
Ricky Hatton, "the hitman", another one of my favorites. He had an all action style, a real blood and guts warrior, had a ton of heart, serious knockout power, but what I loved most about him was his body punching, he could tear a guy up with just brutal punches to the liver and ribs, he stopped quite a few guys with vicious body shots.
Ricky Hatton ended his career with a record of 45-3, he was a British fighter, probably the greatest British fighter of all-time, he was like a rock star in Great Britain, they loved him. He turned pro in 1997, in 2001 he stopped Tony Pep in four rounds for the WBU super lightweight title and held it until 2004 making 6 defenses of the title along the way, then he challenged IBF super light titleholder Kostya Tszyu. The legendary Tszyu is another one of my favorites, he was an animal and had already built a hall of fame career. I remember thinking Tszyu was going to take Hatton out, Tszyu had that kind of reputation and status, he was a bad dude. Tszyu had this hairstyle, short hair with a little ponytail hanging down on the back of his head, he reminded you of the villain from the movie "Kickboxer", Tong Po, it gave him a sinister appearance to go along with his already brutal reputation. I couldn't have been more wrong about my prediction for that fight, it was a grueling battle, Ricky Hatton fought the fight of his life that night, applying relentless pressure on Tszyu and really going after him, Tszyu got his own shots off and battered Hatton as well, but Hatton was young and hungry and he really took it to Tszyu. The fight ended when Tszyu couldn't come out for the 12th round because the referee determined he had had enough. It would be the end of Tszyu's legendary career, and it was Ricky Hatton's finest moment.
Ricky Hatton on the left, Kostya Tszyu on the right.
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Laszlo Papp on the right after a winning a fight.
Papp at the Olympics after winning one of his three consecutive Gold medals.
Laszlo Papp fighting during the Olympics.
Laszlo Papp's three Gold medals.
After communist Hungary ended Papp's career, he became a boxing coach later on. This is a photo of Papp showing a young fighter some tips.
Papp standing beside his trophy case.
Papp holding his Gold medals.
The statue of the great Laszlo Papp in Budapest.
A plaque honoring Papp's three consecutive Olympics Gold medals wins.
Laszlo Papp in his prime.
Barney Ross, One of the greatest pound for pound fighters in history, a champion in three weight classes, he finished his career with a 72-4-3 record with 2 no decisions, having gone 51-1-1 in a seven year span. He was an absolute boxing genius with a chin made of diamond, he was never knocked out in 81 fights, an impressive feat considering who he fought, some real savages. This man is a god to us in the sport of boxing, he was practically unbeatable in his prime and he fought some all-time greats. But it doesn't end there, he was also a WWII hero. After boxing he enlisted in the Marines, he was sent to Guadalcanal in 1942, and spent 13 hours in a mosquito filled foxhole with his dying comrades, and managed to kill two dozen Japanese single handedly, earning him the Silver Star for his heroics. He had a crazy life, he grew up working for Al Capone, was friends with Jack Ruby, the man who killed Lee Harvey Oswald, and later became addicted to morphine after taking the pain medication to ease the pain from the wounds he suffered at Guadalcanal. He is a legend, in fact Sylvester Stallone named his character in the Expendables movies after him, Barney Ross is based on him. Stallone is a fan and student of the fight game, he knows what a bad ass Barney Ross inside the ring and outside of it.
THE BARNEY ROSS STORY
An aspiring rabbi turned street hustler, professional prizefighter, and celebrated war veteran – Barney Ross fought some memorable battles in the ring, but faced his toughest conflicts outside of the squared circle. Despite neglecting his faith after tragedy derailed his life during his early teens, he is remembered as an important figurehead of the Jewish community across America. These are the life and times of Barney Ross.
Early Life
Beryl (Dov-Ber) David Rosofsky was born in New York in 1909, to father Isidore “Itchik” Rosofsky and Sarah Epstein Rofosky. His father had fled to the States after being subject to a pogrom in his home country of Belarus, in which he nearly lost his life.
Once ‘LittleDov’ was born, the family relocated to a Jewish neighbourhood in Chicago and opened a small vegetable shop in Maxwell Street – a crime-ridden, poverty-stricken district of the inner city. Jack Ruby and Jacob Guzik (Al Capone’s trusted financial advisor) were both peers of Dov, who escaped the confines of the same ghetto and went on to achieve notoriety.
During his early years, Dov helped his family by working shifts at their grocery shop, but his dream was to become a rabbi – a Jewish scholar or teacher. Despite his virtuous aspirations, the temptation to join one of the local street gangs pervaded throughout his teenage years.
His father, a respected rabbi himself, shielded his son from the negative influences surrounding him but life would change forever during an attempted robbery on his parents’ vegetable store. When his father refused to surrender the contents of the cash register, it resulted in his senseless killing.
The murder of Isidore ravaged the Jewish family. Dov’s mother Sarah suffered a nervous breakdown and her children were sent to an orphanage. He and his older brother Morrie refused, so were instead placed under the care of their cousin. He quickly dropped out of school and was left to fend for himself on the tough Chicago streets at just fourteen-years-old.
Street Gangster
During the prohibition era of the 1920s and 1930s, Chicago became a hotbed of organised crime, with Johnny Torrio and Al Capone controlling much of the ‘Windy City’s dirty dealings. With no family and little direction, Dov joined a local gang and gained a reputation as a brawler. Boxing supplied him with honest amounts of cash and fuelled his desire to one day reunite what remained of his broken family.
During this time he became running buddies with a fellow Jewish kid from the ghetto, Jacob Rubenstein, who would later become (as Jack Ruby) world-famous for murdering Lee Harvey Oswald – the killer of President John F. Kennedy. The pair would run errands for the larger than life Capone, who was building his reputation as the most violent gangster in the country. But when they weren’t hustling, Dov and Ruby could be found training together in the local youth centre or boxing club.
Finding Boxing
It was a popular trend amongst Jews to assume American names to help settle into their communities, so Dov adopted the new name ‘Barney Ross’. This also meant his mother wouldn’t recognise his name in the local newspaper when the amateur boxing results were announced.
The strong-minded Jewish kid from Chicago climbed his way up the amateur ranks, competing over 250 times, becoming the Intercity and Chicago Golden Gloves champion by the age of nineteen. It is believed that Capone would often purchase tickets to his amateur fights to help support the young fighter financially.
In 1929, although still an amateur, Ross had become a popular figure within Jewish communities across the States, during a time when Adolf Hitler and his supporters were propagating their anti-Jewish agenda. Despite somewhat neglecting his faith, he embraced becoming a figurehead for American-Jews during the 1920s and 30s, proudly providing an alternative narrative to the tribulation of European Jews.
Professional Debut
In September of that very same year, Ross would make his professional debut, beating Ramon Luga over six rounds. He would enjoy a ten fight winning streak before tasting defeat for the first time at the hands of Carlos Garcia.
Ross was incredibly versatile and would employ various styles to deal with his opponents. Some describe his style as an aggressive boxer-puncher – just without the punch – his tiny hands didn’t carry concussive power. His biggest attributes were toughness, resilience and a granite chin, which allowed him to absorb more punishment than other fighters at the time.
Another principal weapon was his left-hand. He used it mainly for perpetually flicking out the jab, but was also pinpoint accurate when thrown in the form of a left-hook – often doubled up – or switched from body to head.
After the Garcia defeat, he would build his record to 32-1-2, the most notable victories coming against former world champions Battling Battalino and Cameron Welter.
He was then pitted against the veteran Ray Miller. Despite once being a top contender, Miller was your typical boxing gatekeeper, with one of the meanest left-hooks of all-time, Ray Miller was the only man in history to stop Jimmy Mclarnin, the "baby faced assassin." Barney was the underdog but managed to grind out a victory, demonstrating his impenetrable chin once again by soaking up Miller’s best shots.
Now knocking on the door of world honours, his next obstacle was the much avoided Billy Petrolle on March 26, 1933, whom he overcame via a 10 round points decision, his reward being a world title shot against the three-weight world champion Tony Canzoneri.
World championship & Tony Canzoneri
The American-Italian Canzoneri held the world championship at lightweight and light welterweight. At the time, he was considered by many as the pound for pound number one. Their first meeting took place in Ross’ home city of Chicago, where he fought repeatedly throughout his amateur and paid career.
Ross claimed the decision victory, becoming a two-weight world champion and the first man in the history of the Queensbury rules to win two world titles simultaneously. He immediately relinquished the lightweight strap and two more victories soon followed over Johnny Farr and Johnny Datto at 140-pounds, before facing Canzoneri for their rematch.
Becoming a world champion had transformed Ross’ life. Finally able to reunite his broken family, he had fulfilled two dreams at once and was on top of the world.
Their second meeting would be hosted on Tony’s turf this time, in-front of 40,000 rowdy spectators at the Polo Grounds in the Big Apple. It was a bloody battle, fiercely contested throughout – until the final few rounds when Ross had Canzoneri out on his feet. He took the points decision over fifteen rounds and returned to Chicago with the light welterweight belt.
He retained his title by decision against first Sammy Fuller, to conclude 1933 and Peter Nebo, to begin 1934, followed by a stalemate with former world champion Frankie Klick.
Jimmy McLarnin Trilogy
Every great pugilist has a rival, an equally talented or skilled fighter with whom they share a series of gruelling or exciting battles. Ross had proven his superiority over Canzoneri, so there was little appetite for a third fight – but a trilogy with Jimmy McLarnin the "baby faced assassin" would see the Irish-Canadian become his perfect dance partner.
McLarnin, alongside Ross and Canzoneri, was one of the most accomplished and talented fighters from the lower weights during the 20s and 30s. During his illustrious career, Mclarnin beat a total of ten world champions and built a reputation for conquering Jewish fighters, which fuelled the rivalry between him and Ross. His list of Jewish victims included Jackie Fields, Rudy Goldstein, Joey Glick and Kid Kaplan – plus a post-prime Benny Leonard.
Barney opted to move up to welterweight and challenge McLarnin for his version of the championship on May 28, 1934. Sixty thousand fans filled the Long Island Bowl and were witness to a gruelling battle between two of the best fighters in the game’s history.
The pair went toe-to-toe from the opening bell, with Ross’ advantages in speed and movement giving him the upper hand. The fight exploded into chaos in the ninth round when McLarnin landed a thudding right hand that sent Ross to the canvas. Angry at touching the canvas for the first time in his career, Ross jumped up and returned fire. Forty-five seconds of action ensued, ending with two rollicking left-hooks from the challenger, which saw McLarnin slump to the deck.
After fifteen completed championship rounds, McLarnin’s face was battered, bruised and smeared in blood. Ross was awarded the decision and his third world championship. Although the outcome was correct, the scoring was bizarre. One judge had Ross winning eleven rounds, a second judge gave McLarnin the majority with nine and the referee gave the deciding verdict, with Ross winning thirteen rounds.
A few months later, McLarnin would avenge the defeat in a rematch. The decision, again, was highly controversial, with twenty-two of the twenty-nine ringside reporters favouring Ross on the cards. Barney eschewed a decider with McLarnin for a while and moved back down to light welterweight to defend his title against Bobby Pacho, the aforementioned Klick and Henry Woods. Brimming with the confidence of a champion once again, he pumped himself back up to 147lbs and challenged McLarnin for the title in the decider of their famous trilogy.
The rubber match would be less barbaric than their previous meetings as Ross proved himself as the superior boxer, despite breaking his right thumb in the sixth round. He seemed to finally have McLarnin’s number and cruised to the unanimous decision.
This victory would inscribe Ross’ name in the history books once again, becoming the first man to win a world title on the same date – May 28.
End of his professional career
Subsequently, Ross enjoyed sixteen successive victories, the most notable names being future middleweight titleholder Ceferino Garcia – and Al Manfredo.
In his final outing, Ross put his title on the line against Henry Armstrong on May 31, 1938. It was a brutal and regrettable ending to a spectacular career. The up-and-coming Armstrong pummelled the experienced champion over fifteen damaging rounds. Ross was running on empty and his corner wanted to throw in the towel on numerous occasions but Barney’s pride kept him from conceding.
Ross bowed out of the hurt business with an astounding record of seventy-two wins, four losses, three draws and two no-decisions, twenty-two of those wins coming inside the scheduled distance. He was later ranked #21 on Ring Magazine’s list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years and inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
World War II
Most fighters struggle to occupy their time once they wave farewell to the fight game. Some replace slugging with other addictions like alcohol or drugs. Ross, however, was different – and enlisted into the United States Marine Corps in April of 1942. Despite the Marines’ desire to keep him stateside and utilise his celebrity status for propaganda, Ross was insistent on active service. Rather than accept the relative safety of a role as boxing coach, he was granted his wish and flown overseas to fight in the Pacific Theatre.
The posting was not without incident though, as the Marine Corps were planning to punish Ross for assaulting an officer who’d reportedly made anti-Semitic remarks. An intervention from Jewish Captain Berthol E. Davies persuaded the board to overlook his crime. On this rare occasion, the rulebook was thrown out the window.
Whilst in the South Pacific, he served with B Company, 1 Battalion, 8 Marines in the Battle of Guadalcanal. This is where Ross would begin a lifelong friendship with the Frederic Gehring, a famous wartime chaplain who later labelled Ross a “national treasure”.
The bravery and courage he’d demonstrated in the ring were translated into his military career, when he and three other marines came under attack from the enemy. Pinned down in a mosquito infested foxhole with his three comrades wounded, Ross reportedly used their ammunition in addition to his own and tossed hand grenades, eliminating an estimated two dozen Japanese soldiers over the course of the night. Two of the injured men later died, but the third, weighing 104kg, was hoisted on the shoulders of the 64kg Ross, who carried him to safety.
For his actions, Barney was awarded the Silver Star – the third-highest military honour for an American soldier. President Roosevelt subsequently presented him with the Distinguished Service Cross and a Presidential Citation at a ceremony at the Rose Garden.
Post War Addiction
Whilst recovering in hospital, he developed an addiction to morphine and upon arriving back in the States, substituted morphine for the more accessible heroin. The addiction spiralled out of control and he would regularly consume up to $500 worth a day. His demand for narcotics decimated his finances and relieved him of his career earnings.
He lost everything, including his marriage and his successful Chicago lounge bar. Realising he’d hit rock bottom, he spent the next six months fighting his addiction at a government recovery facility. Upon returning to normal life, he regularly lectured at high schools about the dangers of drugs.
Later Life
In his later years, his image was used by companies, mainly casinos, to promote their brand. He remained loyal to his childhood best friend Jack Ruby, testifying on his behalf at the Oswald murder trial. Ross would later lose his life at age 57 in his beloved Chicago home, after a vigorous battle with throat cancer.
To this day, especially amongst the Jewish fraternity, Ross is recognised as a national hero in the United States. He has since been inducted into several Halls of Fame and been acknowledged for his achievements both in and out of the ring.
Barney Ross chopping trees with an axe in training.
Barney Ross poses for the camera.
Barney Ross vs Jimmy Mclarnin, Mclarnin was nicknamed the "baby faced assassin" because of his young looking face, but also because he was a murderous puncher, a tough as nails Irishman that wore a clover leaf on his trunks, he's also a legend in the sport. Barney Ross was able to move up in weight and beat Mclarnin twice which is crazy because Ross didn't carry much power in his punches, but he was able to win because of his sheer cleverness in the ring.
Barney Ross and Jimmy Mclarnin face off, Ross on the left and Mclarnin on the right.
Barney Ross also managed to beat Tony Canzoneri, a five time world champion and three weight division champion, Canzoneri was a brutal man that ran with gangsters, he was a deadly puncher as well.
Tony Canzoneri
Ross vs Canzoneri.
Ross was truly phenomenal.
You know, often times when discussing boxing, we refer to some fights as wars, we get carried away a bit I must admit, and I apologize for that, because no sport should be compared to war. I can't imagine a more terrifying situation than war. I have a relative that served in Iraq, and to this day he will not talk about the things he saw over there. A while back, I watched the series "The Pacific" about WWII, very realistic portrayal of what it was like for the US Marines that fought the Japanese in the Pacific during WWII. Like I was saying earlier, after retiring from boxing, Barney Ross signed up with the US Marine Corp, and ended up going to Guadalcanal. I forget, but I believe Guadalcanal was the first island the Marines landed in when we went to war with Japan, it wasn't like Iwo Jima, where the Marines were met with blazing, non-stop machine gun fire as soon as they approached the island, Guadalcanal was quiet when the Marines washed ashore, no Japanese in sight, no incoming machine gun fire from well hidden Japanese machine gun nests like on Iwo Jima. The Marines were able to wash ashore, and it was quiet and peaceful, very eerie, no enemy in sight, it seemed like thr enemy had abandoned Guadalcanal. But as the Marines pushed forward on Guadalcanal, they discovered the enemy was very much there, and all hell broke loose.
Barney Ross during rifle training
Barney Ross was only the third boxer in history to win world titles in three weight classes. After his hall-of-fame career, he joined the Marine Corps, gaining further distinction and notoriety during World War II.
On Dec. 4, 1942, a New York Times headline screamed out: “Barney Ross Wins a New Title In Fierce Battle on Guadalcanal.”
Ross was one of America’s best-known athletes when World War II arrived. He was famous as both a champion boxer and for his personal story as a former street brawler who mingled with Chicago criminal-underworld honchos like Al Capone. The prizefighter, billed as “The Pride of the Ghetto,” earned three world champion titles across three weight classes — lightweight, junior welterweight, and welterweight — in 329 amateur and professional boxing bouts. Just four years after he’d lost his last title, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and soon found himself on Guadalcanal.
On Nov. 18, 1942, Ross and his company spearheaded an Army push above the Matanikau River. When fierce fire erupted, the 33-year-old Marine lay low, waiting for Army reinforcements to arrive, but they didn’t get there quickly enough.
“One of my buddies motioned to me and I looked up and saw the advance guard of a large Jap contingent moving slowly toward us through the jungle,” Ross told The New York Times. “They got no more than ten yards away and everybody started firing and scattering.”
Ross’ best friend was shot in the leg, another teammate was shot through the stomach, and a third was wounded in the knee. Ross moved the wounded soldiers into a shell crater and dove into a larger crater protected by a heavy log.
“Every time I poked my head up, machine-gun bullets would ricochet off the log and bounce on my helmet,” Ross said in the interview. “I was told later there were at least thirty furrows in my tin hat.”
From his back, he gathered every hand grenade in his immediate vicinity, pulled the pins, and hurled them at the Japanese machine-gun positions. Reports estimated he tossed as many as 20 hand grenades in his assault. He emptied 80 rounds from his rifle and fired his wounded teammates’ weapons while they reloaded for him. In several hours of fighting, Ross fired more than 300 bullets in defense of their position.
When all the bullets were expended, the four Marines fixed bayonets and prayed, believing they wouldn’t survive the night. At the crack of dawn, following a rainstorm and relentless Japanese machine-gun fire, Ross moved his friends beyond his shell crater. Although he weighed only 140 pounds, the former boxer carried his 215-pound Marine teammate and the other wounded Marine out of the fray with the help of his commanding officer.
“Then, by half-crawling and half-walking, we reached the main lines,” Ross said. “Bullets were still coming a mile a minute. Every seven or eight yards we fell flat on our faces.”
The Army successfully rescued the third wounded Marine. When Ross reached friendly lines, he was immediately promoted to corporal and was recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross medal. Ross wasn’t a fan of the accolades, though, whether in the ring or at war.
“The ring is kid’s play compared to the battle out here — this is a finish fight with no holds barred and no referee to break up the clinches,” he told the Times correspondent. “Tell ’em to give it to my company,” he added, in reference to his medal for bravery. “This is no one-man show.”
Ross ultimately received the Silver Star and was credited with killing 22 Japanese soldiers, despite suffering from malaria. The Marine returned home to a hero’s welcome. Over the years afterward, he struggled with morphine addiction but was inducted into several sports halls of fame, including the International Boxing Hall of Fame. In 1967, Ross died of cancer. He was 57 years old.
Barney Ross (on right) with Reverend Frederic Gehring (on left) at Guadalcanal, Ross and Gehring became good friends.
Barney Ross's Marine division on Guadalcanal.
Barney Ross in Marine training.
Barney Ross as a Marine.
Barney Ross kisses the ground after returning home from his terrifying ordeal on Guadalcanal. You notice he has a walking stick in his left hand, he needed it to help him walk after his injuries on Guadalcanal. He also contracted malaria from the mosquitos.
Barney Ross on a stretcher, he had collapsed from the malaria he contracted at Guadalcanal.
Barney Ross telling stories to some military buddies.
Barney Ross with his mother.
Barney Ross was already a huge star from boxing, but after his heroics on Guadalcanal, he became a national hero. He didn't like the attention, and he would tell you himself, all of the soldiers are heroes.
Ross on the cover of Ring magazine.
Anyway, Barney Ross was one heck of a fighter, in the ring and outside it, as tough as they come.
An older Barney Ross holds the heavy bag for Sugar Ray Robinson.
Barney Ross autobiography.
The great Barney Ross.
Barney Ross in his prime. Damn it brings chills down my spine watching these videos, there is simply no other sport like boxing.
Ricky Hatton, "the hitman", another one of my favorites. He had an all action style, a real blood and guts warrior, had a ton of heart, serious knockout power, but what I loved most about him was his body punching, he could tear a guy up with just brutal punches to the liver and ribs, he stopped quite a few guys with vicious body shots.
And Ricky Hatton didn't give a crap about bleeding, the kind of guy that went out on his shield.
Ricky Hatton ended his career with a record of 45-3, he was a British fighter, probably the greatest British fighter of all-time, he was like a rock star in Great Britain, they loved him. He turned pro in 1997, in 2001 he stopped Tony Pep in four rounds for the WBU super lightweight title and held it until 2004 making 6 defenses of the title along the way, then he challenged IBF super light titleholder Kostya Tszyu. The legendary Tszyu is another one of my favorites, he was an animal and had already built a hall of fame career. I remember thinking Tszyu was going to take Hatton out, Tszyu had that kind of reputation and status, he was a bad dude. Tszyu had this hairstyle, short hair with a little ponytail hanging down on the back of his head, he reminded you of the villain from the movie "Kickboxer", Tong Po, it gave him a sinister appearance to go along with his already brutal reputation. I couldn't have been more wrong about my prediction for that fight, it was a grueling battle, Ricky Hatton fought the fight of his life that night, applying relentless pressure on Tszyu and really going after him, Tszyu got his own shots off and battered Hatton as well, but Hatton was young and hungry and he really took it to Tszyu. The fight ended when Tszyu couldn't come out for the 12th round because the referee determined he had had enough. It would be the end of Tszyu's legendary career, and it was Ricky Hatton's finest moment.
Ricky Hatton on the left, Kostya Tszyu on the right.
Hatton vs Tszyu.
One heck of a battle.
Very interesting short video that popped up on my Youtube screen about Sugar Ray Robinson:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wqfMr1_pCCg?t=41&feature=share