Showing posts with label Historian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Historian. Show all posts

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Lew Jenkins: An Improbable Story of Redemption

By TWI Staff 

Check out Luis Cortes' recent feature article for The Sweet Science on boxing historian and TWI contributor, Gene Pantalone's latest book, From Boxing Ring to Battlefield: The Life of War Hero Lew Jenkins.

Lew Jenkins: An Improbable Story of Redemption




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Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Gene Pantalone Interview

Check out my interview with boxing writer and historian Gene Pantalone! Gene is the author of the brand new book on fighter and war hero Lew Jenkins, From Boxing Ring to Battlefield: The Life of War Hero Lew Jenkins. 

Gene Pantalone is an expert on the golden age of boxing—1920 to 1950—and Madame Bey’s boxing camp, which hosted fourteen heavyweight champions and no fewer than eighty International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees. He is a contributing writer to the boxing website The Weigh-In and author of Madame Bey’s: Home to Boxing Legends.

PODCAST:

Gene Pantalone Discusses his New Book on Fighter and War Hero Lew Jenkins on SoundCloud

Gene Pantalone Discusses his New Book on Fighter and War Hero Lew Jenkins on iTunes




Book Summary from Amazon.com:

From Boxing Ring to Battlefield: The Life of War Hero Lew Jenkins
GENE PANTALONE - FOREWORD BY JOHN DISANTO

World champion boxer Lew Jenkins fought his whole life. As a child, he fought extreme poverty during the Great Depression in the depths of the Texas Dust Bowl. In his twenties, he fought as a professional boxer and obtained the pinnacle of his vocation—a world championship. Jenkins fought in World War II and the Korean War, and in his later years, he fought the ravages from the aging of an abused body.

From Boxing Ring to Battlefield: The Life of War Hero Lew Jenkins details for the first time the extraordinary life of Lew Jenkins, from his difficult childhood to his death in 1981. Despite his talent for boxing, Gene Pantalone reveals that Jenkins often fought and trained through drunken stupors. After wasting his ring title and all his money, Jenkins found purpose during World War II and the Korean War. He fought in major battles that included D-Day, Bloody Ridge, and Heartbreak Ridge, and his efforts earned him one of the highest decorations for bravery, the Silver Star. Unable to find meaning in life at the peak of his boxing success, Jenkins discovered values to which he could cling during war.

From Boxing Ring to Battlefield features exclusive interviews with Lew Jenkins’ son, grandson, and Medal of Honor recipient Ronald E. Rosser who fought with Jenkins in the Korean War, providing a personal perspective on the life of this complicated war hero. The first biography of Jenkins, this book will fascinate boxing fans and historians alike.

Reviews and Endorsements:

"Too often the history of boxing boils down to tales about heavyweights, as if the exploits of Sullivan, Johnson, Dempsey, Louis, Marciano, Ali, and Tyson are all that matter. Well, Lew Jenkins—lightweight champion, war hero, and a danger to himself as much as any opponent—mattered. His is the story of survival in the ring, in two wars, and in life. Gene Pantalone’s biography of Jenkins richly recounts a fascinating life. ‘Only in America,’ as the great Don King always said."
-Randy Roberts, professor of history, Purdue University, and co-author, A Season in the Sun: The Rise of Mickey Mantle

"The life of Lew Jenkins is the stuff of boxing legend. From his Depression era upbringing and carnival barnstorming to winning a world title and squandering it all before becoming a war hero, Jenkins is an epic pulp novel come to life. In the capable hands of Gene Pantalone the story brims with all the hardscrabble detail you want in a great boxing book. This is a must-read for fans of the squared circle's history."
-Chad Dundas, sportswriter and award-winning author of Champion of the World

"I served in combat with Lew Jenkins during the Korean War when he received his Silver Star. Jenkins was a brave soldier who cared for his men. It was an honor to have served with him."
-Sergeant Ronald E. Rosser, Medal of Honor recipient, Korea 1951-52

"Lew Jenkins had a howitzer of a right hand and sometimes fought drunk. What more could you ask for?"
-Nigel Collins, ESPN Boxing analyst and columnist, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, and former editor-in-chief of The Ring magazine

"Until the publication of Gene Pantalone’s biography, the annals of boxing have been missing a chapter—a chapter on Hall-of-Famer Lew Jenkins. Jenkins was a bony Texan who, as a world lightweight champion, mastered the stylized warfare of the ring as well as the real thing—WWII and the Korean War. A must-read for all students of the history of the sweet science, Pantalone’s richly-documented biography presents an arresting portrait of a boxer and soldier who was as wild as a pirate and as courageous as Achilles."
-Gordon Marino, veteran boxing trainer and award-winning boxing writer for the Wall Street Journal and HBO Inside Boxing

"A full-length biography of boxer Lew Jenkins has been long overdue, and here Gene Pantalone does a good job of connecting Jenkins’ hardscrabble upbringing in rural Texas to the bright lights of Broadway to the grim realities of the battlefield. It’s an exceptional story of a fighter’s struggle, success, disgrace, and a sincere and hard-earned redemption."
-Clay Coppedge, author of Texas Singularities and Forgotten Tales of Texas

"Gene Pantalone has done a remarkable job bringing lightweight champ and Hall of Famer Lew Jenkins to life in this most entertaining and informative biography. "The Sweetwater Swatter" was one helluva hard puncher... so's his biographer."
-Clarence George, boxing writer and historian  

Purchase the Book:

Amazon.com

*DISCOUNTED* from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers




Ward and Pantalone



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Monday, January 8, 2018

The Weigh-In Podcast #14 (Frederick Romano - Boxing Writer and Historian)

The Weigh-In Podcast Episode #14

The Weigh-In Episode #14 on SoundCloud

The Weigh-In Episode #14 on iTunes

The fourteenth episode of The Weigh-In Podcast features my interview with boxing writer and historian, Frederick V. Romano.

Romano is the author of The Golden Age of Boxing on Radio and Television: A Blow-by-Blow History from 1921 to 1964. In this book, Romano explores the many roles that each medium played in both the development and the depiction of the sport. Principal among the topics covered are the ever-changing role of technology during the four-decade-plus period, how it impacted the manner in which the sport was presented to its public audience, the exponential growth of those audiences, and the influence radio and television had on the financial aspects of the sport, including the selective use of radio and television and the financial boom that the mediums created.

The Golden Age of Boxing on Radio and Television: A Blow-by-Blow History from 1921 to 1964 is available for purchase online through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.


(MW, left, and Frederick Romano at the VBA Library in Philadelphia, PA)


If you love the intro and outro music as much as we do, please check out the music of Replicant! "Worthless Desires" is available for purchase here. 


The Weigh-In Podcast is brought to you by One Stone Recording and Mastering in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Check out One Stone Recording and Mastering for all of you mixing and mastering needs. Go to onestonerecording.com/theweighin and receive 10% off your first session!


 


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Tuesday, April 11, 2017

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast Episode #6 (Historian Gordon Bond)

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast Episode #6

The Weigh-In Episode #6 on SoundCloud 


The Weigh-In Episode #6 on iTunes


The sixth episode of The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast features my interview with historian Gordon Bond. Gordon runs the history website Garden State Legacy and is the author of three books on New Jersey history. In his most recent book, Wicked Woodbridge & Crazy Carteret, Gordon wrote about the 1926 Carteret race riot. This race riot was incited by the murder of a popular local boxer Johnny Carroll by a black man named Robert Ducrest (aka George Ducrest).


For more information on Gordon Bond, Garden State Legacy, and boxer Johnny Carroll, please visit the following websites:




(Boxer Johnny Carroll)

The Weigh-In Boxing Podcast is brought to you by One Stone Recording and Mastering in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Check out One Stone Recording and Mastering for all of you mixing and mastering needs. Go to onestonerecording.com/theweighin and receive 10% off your first session!



MW

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Schedule of Upcoming Episodes!

Coming at ya... The Weigh-In Podcast! 

Check out the upcoming episodes schedule with information on guests! 

The Weigh-In Podcast is available on iTunes and SoundCloud: 

iTunes

SoundCloud


February 1st

Frank Savannah

Frank Savannah fought professionally from 1991-1997, and retired with an impressive record of 15 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. On December 14, 1994, Savannah fought Dana Rosenblatt for the WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Title. This bout was the only defeat in Savannah’s six year boxing career. Frank is currently a boxing coach and trainer at Nick Catone MMA & Fitness in Brick, New Jersey.



February 15th 

Artur Petrosyan and Sonny Gutierrez


Artur Petrosyan was an Armenian National Boxing Champion who fought professionally as a lightweight from 1999 to 2003. Artur runs Camelback Boxing Gym in Phoenix, Arizona.

Sonny Gutierrez is a former amateur and professional boxer who runs Sonny's Boxing Gym in Goodyear, Arizona.



March 1st

Randy Neumann

Randy Neumann currently serves as a certified financial planner (CFP) at Randy Neumann Wealth Management in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Randy captured the USA New Jersey State Heavyweight Title on December 9, 1971 with a victory over Chuck Wepner. He worked as a professional boxing referee from 1983 to 2014, and refereed hundreds of matches featuring boxing legends such as Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Wladimir Klitschko, and many others.




March 15th

Steve Peacock

Steve Peacock is a professional ring-announcer, voice talent and writer. For the past three years he has been the announcer for Global Proving Ground and Fight Club Champion, and during that time has also announced several USA Boxing-sanctioned tournaments and combat-sports events for promoters including Dead Serious MMA, Cage Fury Fighting Championships, and World Class Kickboxing Championships. Last baseball season he also successfully auditioned for a PA announcer slot for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, a AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees. He is available for ring/cage/stage announcing and emcee gigs as well as for voice-over recording productions. Separately, Peacock is putting the finishing touches on his novel PLAY DEAD, ROLL OVER, a fictionalized account of his ill-fated pursuit of a career with NYPD, which was cut short after getting shot by a retired New York City cop.




March 29th

Curtis Parker

Curtis Parker is a former USBA Middleweight Champion and middleweight contender Curtis Parker. Curtis fought professionally from 1977 to 1988 and is just one of the many great fighters to come out of the City of Brotherly Love. During his career, Curtis compiled a record of 29 wins, 9 losses, and zero draws.

On May 4, 1980, Curtis defeated Mike Colbert for the USBA Middleweight Title in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Parker fought his final professional bout on March 19, 1988 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In this bout, Curtis was defeated by Michael Nunn for the NABF Middleweight Title bout.



April 12th

Gordon Bond

Gordon Bond is a historian who runs the history website Garden State Legacy and is the author of three books on New Jersey history. In his most recent book, Wicked Woodbridge & Crazy Carteret, Gordon wrote about the 1926 Carteret race riot. This race riot was incited by the murder of a popular local boxer Johnny Carroll by a black man named Robert Ducrest.


April 26th


Joe DeGuardia

Joe DeGuardia runs Star Boxing in White Plains, New York. Star Boxing fighters include Chris Algieri, Demetrius Andrade and Joe Smith Jr.


MW

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Gordon Bond Interview

I will interview historian Gordon Bond on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Gordon runs the history website Garden State Legacy and is the author of three books on New Jersey history. In his most recent book, Wicked Woodbridge & Crazy Carteret, Gordon wrote about the 1926 Carteret race riot. This race riot was incited by the murder of a popular local boxer Johnny Carroll by a black man named Robert Ducrest (aka George Ducrest). The interview will be featured on an upcoming episode of our new biweekly podcast The Weigh-In.

If you have any questions that you would like Gordon to answer, please post them in the comments of this blog entry, or send them to me via Twitter @RevWarBuff23 and Facebook.

For more information on Gordon Bond, Garden State Legacy, and boxer Johnny Carroll, please visit the following websites:

Garden State Legacy Page

Garden State Legacy Facebook Page

Garden State Legacy YouTube Page

Gordon Bond Amazon Author Page

Johnny Carroll BoxRec Page

John "Johnny" Carroll Find a Grave Page

Twitter - @GB_GSL

MW


(Boxer Johnny Carroll)