Jake LaMotta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jake LaMotta
LaMotta in a postcard dated 1952
Statistics
Real name	Giacobbe LaMotta
Nickname(s)	The Bronx Bull The Raging Bull
Rated at	Middleweight Light heavyweight
Height	5 ft 8 in
Reach	67 in
Born	(1922-07-10)July 10, 1922 Manhattan, New York City
Died	September 19, 2017(2017-09-19) (aged 95) Aventura, Florida, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	106
Wins	83
Wins by KO	30
Losses	19
Draws	4

Giacobbe "Jake" LaMotta (born July 10, 1922 – died September 19, 2017) was an American professional boxer. He was the world middleweight champion from 1949 to 1951. People called him "The Bronx Bull" or "Raging Bull" because of his tough fighting style. He was known for always moving forward and hitting his opponents hard. He was a "bully" in the ring, meaning he was very aggressive.

Jake LaMotta was famous for being able to take many punches without falling down. Boxers call this having a strong "chin." He fought in an era with many great middleweight boxers. His six fights against Sugar Ray Robinson were some of the most exciting in boxing history. Even though LaMotta knocked Robinson down many times, he only won one of their fights. LaMotta's life story was made into a famous movie called Raging Bull in 1980. He was also honored by being put into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

Early Life and Start in Boxing

Jake LaMotta was born in New York City on July 10, 1922. His parents were from Italy. His family lived in the Bronx for a while.

From a young age, Jake learned to fight. He started boxing as an amateur, meaning he didn't get paid for his fights. He won all of his amateur matches. In 1941, when he was 19, he became a professional boxer. During World War II, he could not join the military because of an ear problem that affected his hearing.

Boxing Career Highlights

Jake LaMotta started his professional career very strong. He won 14 of his first 15 fights. His first loss was a very close decision against Jimmy Reeves. People in the crowd were very upset about the decision. LaMotta fought Reeves two more times, winning their third match by knockout.

LaMotta vs. Robinson: A Great Rivalry

LaMotta had a famous series of six fights against Sugar Ray Robinson. These fights were legendary because both boxers were incredibly skilled.

• First Fight (1942): LaMotta fought Robinson for the first time in New York City. LaMotta knocked Robinson down in the first round. But Robinson recovered and won the fight by decision.
• Second Fight (1943): In their rematch, LaMotta knocked Robinson out of the ring in the eighth round! Robinson barely got back in before the count of nine. LaMotta won this fight, giving Robinson his first-ever loss.
• Third Fight (1943): Just a few weeks later, they fought again. Robinson was knocked down in the seventh round. But he got up and won the close fight.
• Fourth and Fifth Fights (1945): Robinson won both of these fights by decision. The fifth fight was very close and many people disagreed with the judges' decision. LaMotta later said it was one of his toughest fights with Robinson.

The Fixed Fight

In 1947, LaMotta fought a boxer named Billy Fox. LaMotta later admitted that he purposely lost this fight. He did this because some powerful people promised him a chance to fight for the world title if he lost to Fox. This event caused problems for him later on.

Becoming World Champion

Jake LaMotta finally got his chance to fight for the World Middleweight title on June 16, 1949. He fought Frenchman Marcel Cerdan in Detroit. LaMotta won the title when Cerdan had to stop fighting because he hurt his arm.

LaMotta defended his title two times. He won against Tiberio Mitri and then had a thrilling fight against Laurent Dauthuille. Dauthuille was winning the fight on points, but LaMotta knocked him out with only 13 seconds left in the final round! This fight was named the "Fight of the Year" in 1950.

The Saint Valentine's Day Massacre

The sixth and final fight between LaMotta and Robinson happened on February 14, 1951. This day is known as Saint Valentine's Day, so the fight became famous as "boxing's Saint Valentine's Day Massacre." In the later rounds, Robinson hit LaMotta with many powerful punches. LaMotta was taking a terrible beating, but he refused to fall down. The referee finally stopped the fight in the 13th round because LaMotta could no longer defend himself. Robinson won, and LaMotta lost his world title.

Moving Up in Weight

After losing his middleweight title, LaMotta moved up to fight in the light heavyweight division. He fought a few more times. In 1952, he fought Danny Nardico, who knocked LaMotta down for the only time in his career (not counting the fight he purposely lost). LaMotta retired from boxing in 1954.

Life After Boxing

After he stopped boxing, Jake LaMotta opened a bar in Miami Beach. He also became an actor and a comedian. He appeared in more than 15 movies, including The Hustler with Paul Newman. He was also in some TV shows. LaMotta loved baseball and even started his own baseball team in the Bronx.

In 1960, LaMotta told a U.S. Senate committee about how he had purposely lost his fight against Billy Fox to get a title shot.

LaMotta's Fighting Style

Jake LaMotta was known for his incredible ability to take punches. He had one of the strongest "chins" in boxing history. Even when hit with powerful blows, he rarely went down. In his last fight with Sugar Ray Robinson, he took many hard punches but stayed on his feet until the referee stopped the fight.

LaMotta was one of the first boxers to use a "bully" style. This meant he always stayed very close to his opponent, constantly moving forward and throwing punches. He was willing to take punches himself if it meant he could land his own. This aggressive style earned him the nickname "The Bronx Bull."

Raging Bull Film

Hollywood decided to make a movie about Jake LaMotta's life, based on his book Raging Bull: My Story. The film, Raging Bull, came out in 1980. It was a huge success with critics. The director was Martin Scorsese, and Robert De Niro played Jake LaMotta. De Niro won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his amazing performance. To play LaMotta, De Niro trained with the real Jake LaMotta to learn how to box. He also gained a lot of weight to show LaMotta's life after boxing.

Later Life and Passing

Jake LaMotta had a challenging personal life and was married seven times. Sadly, he lost both of his sons in 1998. His elder son, Jake LaMotta Jr., died from liver cancer, and his younger son, Joseph LaMotta, died in a plane crash.

LaMotta continued to be active, giving speeches and signing autographs. He also wrote more books about his boxing career and life. A new movie about his life, called The Bronx Bull, was made later.

Jake LaMotta passed away on September 19, 2017, at the age of 95. He died from problems related to pneumonia in Florida.

Images for kids

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  LaMotta in the 1980s, with wife Vikki LaMotta, right, actress Cathy Moriarty, left

See also

In Spanish: Jake LaMotta para niños

• List of middleweight boxing champions
• Bronx Walk of Fame