Bill Caplan's life as a publicist began when his brother-in-law got him hired to work for his boyhood idol, former heavyweight champion Joe Louis. Louis took a liking to the energetic kid, even though the champ couldn't remember the young man’s name and always called him brother-in-law. Caplan had listened with his dad to many of Louis' fights on the radio. Years later, Caplan found himself traveling with his boyhood idol to promote a fight. It was just the two of them. Caplan never forgot how proud he was, wishing his late father could see him there, sitting on a train seated next to the boxing legend. Caplan worked for promoter George Parnassus in the 1960's until he punched fellow publicist, Don Frazier, in the face and was abruptly fired. Out of work, with seven mouths to feed, Caplan called his friend, and matchmaker, …show more content…
"I found true friendship tonight," he said. "I found a true friend in Bill Caplan." Foreman had hit on the true essence of Bill Caplan. He cared. And he was loyal. Oscar De La Hoya and Foreman were his two favorite fighters. While working for Top Rank, Caplan was there when Don King spoke disparagingly of De La Hoya after his fight with Felix Trinidad. Caplan told his daughter Debbi to pull the plug on King's microphone, leaving the noisy promoter addressing thin air. Caplan could be stubborn. In 1992, he refused to allow WBC bantamweight champion Lupe Pintor to leave a press conference. Pintor and his team waited nearly an hour for opponent Seung-Hoon-Lee to show up. Fed up with the wait, they walked outside and got into their station wagon before Caplan placed his 300-pound frame on the ground in front of them. He stayed there until Lee arrived and the press conference was on. Caplan's friend, Herald Examiner writer Alan Malamud, wrote, "Everyone was rooting for the station
Danny always stood up for Holling (92). Mickey Mantle was in his town and everyone wanted to go see him, but he had to do the Shakespeare play so Holling couldn't go. Holling finished his play on time so he tried to rush to meet him. He ran and ran till he got to the bus stop.
This was a time when blacks were being discriminated against, the military was segregated, blacks were not allowed to play Major League Baseball. When he started boxing early in the 1930's hero worship was not achievable in any professional sports, there were none that were able to command the attention away from whites, however that would all change. Joe Louis began his boxing career at the Brewster Recreation Center. In his first amateur bout, Louis was knocked down 7 times, but he rapidly improved over the years, he captured the 1934 National AAU Lightweight Crown and turned to the professional level later in that same year. Louis won his first 27 fights, 23 of them by knockout, beating people of fame like Primo Carnera and Max Baer. His first defeat was against Max Scheming at Yankee Stadium, he was knocked out in the 12th round. This was Louis greatest defeat, and the start of his greatest challenge.
Jack Dempsey was best known for his intriguing knockouts and his fists of steel (“Biography”). In his fight against Jess Willard, former champion, Dempsey knocked him down seven times within three minutes (Smith). This was the boxing match that began Dempsey’s reign as heavy weight champion of the world (Hadden 161). After the fight he earned the nick na...
Joe D. Ball born on January 6, 1896 was not a very nice or social able person. Living as a bootlegger in the early 1900’s had more secrets then just illegally selling alcohol. Joe was secretly a murderer, Killing family, friends, and workers. Joe wasn’t always a terrible person, he was part of one of the richest family in Elmendorf but he didn’t stay that way very long because he became known as the alligator man, blue beard, and the butcher of Elmendorf. Ball joined the army to fight in World War I; he saw some action in the frontlines of Europe and was honorably discharged. After the war he returned to his home town of Elmendorf and became a bootlegger driving around selling alcohol during the Prohibition. Then he started hiring black men to do his job and wasn’t very nice to them he would shoot at their feet to make them dance.
Remnick does not shy away from discussing the shadowy history of the boxing world (no pun intended). It's well known boxing has been affiliated with the 'mob,' but perhaps what is lesser known is Clay's absolute refusal to be in any way associated with the Mafia.
“Whatever comes next for me, as far as boxing is concerned, I have no regrets. I would never change what I've accomplished and the history I've made.” (Oscar De La Hoya). This quote was said by the one and only Oscar De La Hoya, the man who I chose to write about. Oscar was born in Los Angeles, CA on February 4, 1973. His nationality is American from a Mexican origin and comes from a boxing family. His nickname was “The Golden Boy”. I chose Oscar De La Hoya, because he is the greatest boxer known to man.
After a while he became part of the well known Five Points gang and worked for the fellow gangsters. While he was working one night as a bouncer at the Harvard Inn, he insulted a patron and her brother attacked Capone leaving him with his infamous facial scars which later gave him his nickname “Scarface.”
When prominent boxers of the 20th century are discussed, many heavyweight champions are mentioned. Names like Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier always find their way to the front of the conversation. But it is Muhammad Ali, a three-time heavyweight champion and political activist, who always seems to find the forefront of it all. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942, Ali came into the ring after his bike was stolen at the age of twelve. He brought up his anger to Officer Joe Elsby Martin Sr. who suggested he start boxing. Ali quickly became a star after winning a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics. At 6’3”, Ali demonstrated extraordinary speed and accuracy and he quickly became a contender for the heavyweight title.
Muhammad Ali was a man made to box. He had a great career before him since he made his first professional fight under President Eisenhower presidency. His Professional Career was really impressive. His had a great balance and was able to move his hands and feet in great speed and coordination. Ali was said to dance in the ring while destroying his opponents. Ali started fighting at a very short age, and his first teacher was Joe Martin (Hauser 18). Through hard work and discipline, he became a professional fighter and eventually the Heavyweight champion of the world. Although he lost the title twice, he regained it three times, putting him in the history books. His boxing career was put to an end when he started suffering from Parkinson's disease. This was the end of his boxing, but his greatness will never die.
At first, Muhammad Ali had no intension of boxing. After his bike was stolen, in the month of October 1954, when he was twelve, his whole life was set. Upon finding out that there was a police officer in the basement of a gym, Ali went down to the officer in a shocked state of mind demanding a "state wide bike hunt" for hsi stolen bicycle. But all the cop told him to do was to learn to fight. and that
I’m sure that everyone here has heard the phrase “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee”. This was the slogan used by the man considered by many to be the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali was born in 1942 with the name Cassius Clay, but later changed it to Muhammad Ali after he became a Muslim. Cassius grew up in Louisville Kentucky and threw one of his first punches when he was only six months old, hitting his mother so hard that she had to have two teeth pulled out. Clay got into boxing at the age of 12. After having his bike stolen, Cassius ran into police officer Joe Martin and told him that he was gonna whoop whoever stole his bike. The police officer happened to run a boxing gym, and suggested that Cassius should learn proper boxing technique first. Clay soon began to excel in boxing and furthermore began his journey down the path of greatness.
“Ali was banished from boxing for years for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War. It took the country years to acknowledge the courage and wisdom in the [position he] took”(Wendel).
the first set of rules to be used at bouts in his club. Not counting
A prodigious talent in the ring, Muhammad Ali’s greatest battle ensued outside the ropes amidst a backdrop of the Vietnam War and a steamrolling civil rights movement during the turbulent 1960’s. Were it not for Ali standing up for his religious beliefs and the plight of black people in America by refusing entry in the Army in 1967, Ali would not be the symbol of humanitarianism he is today, respected and recognized the world over. Had he not been willing to risk fortune, fame and freedom for his personal convictions, Ali would now only be known as a great fighter, maybe even the greatest, but along the lines of Joe Frazier or Sugar Ray Robinson, and not the Dalai Lama.
...’ decision. Ali beat him in a re-match, 2 years after. He had another huge win when he beat the reigning WWC (World Heavyweight Champion), George Foreman. He emerged victorious, becoming WHWC once again.