Tony Galento

Tony Galento
Galento in November 1938
Born
Dominick Anthony Galento

(1910-03-12)March 12, 1910
Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedJuly 22, 1979(1979-07-22) (aged 69)
Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Other namesTwo Ton Tony
Statistics
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) or 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
ReachUnknown
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights112
Wins79
Wins by KO57
Losses26
Draws6
No contests1

Dominick Anthony Galento (March 12, 1910 – July 22, 1979) was an American heavyweight boxer.[1] He is best remembered for scoring a third-round knockdown against Joe Louis in a world title stoppage loss in June 1939.[2] Active from the late 1920s to the early 1940s, he compiled a record of 79 wins, 26 losses, and 6 draws. Besides Louis, Galento fought against several other prominent heavyweights of his era—including Al Ettore, Arturo Godoy, Lou Nova, and Max and Buddy Baer.[3][4] Though assumed by some sportswriters to have been a reference to his "pulchritude" or physical appearance, Galento's nickname, "Two Ton", was apparently derived from his work as an iceman: a job he pursued in tandem with his pugilistic career. On one occasion, as a result of his ice-lugging commitments, Galento was reportedly upbraided by his cornerman for being late for a bout. "Take it easy", the New Jersey-born slugger reputedly replied to his colleague's complaint, "I had two tons of ice to deliver on my way here. I'll be right up."[5] In addition to "Two Ton", Galento was also known as the "Jersey Nightstick", the "TNT Kid", the "One-Man Riot", the "Orange Orangutan", and the "beer barrel that walks like a man".[6][7][8] The boxing historian Bert Sugar called him a "human butcher block".[9]

Galento is widely regarded as having been one of boxing's most colorful characters.[10][11] According to Chris Mead, a biographer of Joe Louis, he "was a press agent's dream."[12] Anecdotes, some of which may be apocryphal,[13][14][15][16][17] pertaining to his outlandish behavior and unschooled wit are common.[18][19] On learning about Gene Tunney's predilection for reading George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Butler, and William Shakespeare while in training camp, Galento is said to have remarked, in characteristic fashion, "Shakespeare? I ain't never hearda him. He must be one of dem European bums[.] Sure as hell I'll moider dat bum."[20] An alternative rendering of Galento's commentary on Shakespeare runs as follows: "Never hoid of him... What's he, one of those foreign heavyweights? I'll moida da bum."[21] To Galento, all his potential opponents and competitors, even Joe Louis and the Bard of Avon, were "bums". In fact, to Galento, nearly everyone was a "bum".[22]

  1. ^ "Tony Galento, Brawling Heavyweight, Dies". The New York Times. July 23, 1979.
  2. ^ Bailey, Charley (March 14, 1970). "Charley Bailey Says: Birthday Bit Leads to Memory Lane". Courier-Express. Buffalo, New York. Sports columnist and broadcaster Bailey wrote: "Galento's chief claim to renown was the fact he floored champion Joe Louis in the first [third] round of their June 28, 1939, fight in New York."
  3. ^ Mee, Bob (2006). The Heavyweights: The Definitive History of the Heavyweight Fighters. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Tempus. pp. 112–114. ISBN 0-7524-3426-8.
  4. ^ Parker, Dan (April 30, 1937). "He Needed Polish and was Simonized". Waterbury Democrat. Waterbury, Connecticut. King Features Syndicate.
  5. ^ Monninger, Joseph (2006). Two Ton: One Fight, One Night: Tony Galento v. Joe Louis. Hanover, New Hampshire: Steerforth Press. pp. 70–71. ISBN 978-1-58642-115-1.
  6. ^ "Sport: Beer Punch". Time. May 23, 1938. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  7. ^ "Notables of Many Fields Hail Columbus in Newark". The New York Times. October 11, 1976. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  8. ^ Fernandez, Robert F. Sr. (2014). Boxing in New Jersey, 1900–1999. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-7864-9476-7.
  9. ^ Sugar, Bert Randolph (2006). Boxing's Greatest Fighters. Guildford, Connecticut: The Lyons Press. p. 11. ISBN 1-59228-632-1.
  10. ^ "Legend Galento is dead". The Montreal Gazette. Associated Press. July 23, 1979.
  11. ^ "Two-Ton Tony—The K. O. Specialist". The Scotsman. Edinburgh, Scotland. July 24, 1979.
  12. ^ Mead, Chris (2010). Joe Louis: Black Champion in White America. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications. p. 165. ISBN 978-0-486-47182-2.
  13. ^ "The Challenge of Tony Galento: Fantastic Stories of Louis's Opponent: Fight or Fiasco?". The Yorkshire Post. June 27, 1939.
  14. ^ Murphy, Bob (April 8, 1941). "Bob Tales: Conn's Backers Go Down". Detroit Evening Times. Detroit, Michigan.
  15. ^ "Games and Players: Ring Characters". The Glasgow Herald. Glasgow, Scotland. February 1, 1949.
  16. ^ "Notes on Current Events: Chronicle and Comment: Battling Shakespeare". The Derry Journal. April 4, 1949.
  17. ^ Hails, Jack (1983). Classic Moments of Boxing. Ashbourne, Derbyshire: Moorland Publishing Co Ltd. p. 99. ISBN 0861900545.
  18. ^ Williamson, Anthony (December 15, 1946). "Craziest Boxer Ever". The People. London.
  19. ^ McInnes, Peter (August 23, 1958). "Strange Tales of the Ring: "Two-Ton" Tony Trained on Beer and Cigars". The Liverpool Echo. Liverpool, England.
  20. ^ Mee. The Heavyweights. p. 113.
  21. ^ Monninger. Two Ton. p. 78. Yet another version of Galento's contribution to literary criticism reads: "Shakespeare? I ain't never heard of him. He's not in no ratings. I suppose he's one of them foreign heavyweights. They're all lousy. Sure as hell I'll moider dat bum." See Mullan, Harry (1988). The Book of Boxing Quotations. London: Stanley Paul. p. 19. ISBN 0-09-173722-2.
  22. ^ Fernandez. Boxing in New Jersey. p. 24.