Hello people, I am new here and this is my first time posting. Did anyone out there ever see Tippy Larkin fight? If so, what fighter or fighters would you compare him to? Unfortunately there is no footage of him available to see for myself. I understand he was a masterful boxer, and if he would have had a better chin, he would have been one of boxing's all-time greats. A friend of mine saw him fight many times and always brags about him. Also, I understand Tippy was involved in a bad car accident after he quit fighting, does anyone know any details about this? Was he badly hurt, anyone killed? Any response is greatly appreciated, thank you!
Ike Williams was a good friend of mine. He told me that Larkin was the best pure boxer he ever faced. That's HUGE praise when one considers the large numbers of great boxers Williams faced in his day. You are correct. Larkin's chin was his downfall.
Yes, I heard that Surf Bat. I remember reading an interview where Ike said "he boxed my ears off for the first few rounds until I knocked him out". A friend of mine met Ike up in Canastota and he asked Ike who was the best he ever fought, and he said Tippy Larkin... Ike Williams was an extremely hard puncher. When I look at his record, it makes me wonder how he even lost the fights he did. Great fighter...
J,you wanna know how great a boxer Tippy Larkin was ? Well so good a boxer that when be fought the MASTER boxer Billy Graham, Tippy WON about EVERY round ! In Larkin's day, the 2nd golkden age of boxing,Dan Parker a great sports columnist compared Larkin to the inimitable Benny Leonard, except for one thing, Larkin had no chin...In over 100 bouts Tippy was NEVER outboxed,and only lost when he was knocked out..If Tippy who I saw a few times ringside had Billy Graham's chin he would be almost unbeatable as a lightweight...Cheers...
Yesw R,I have that footage somewhere in my house, but I SAW that bout in MSG in 1947...Tippy Larkin could not be outboxed, but he was kod several times by big punchers liks Bummy Davis, Beau Jack, Lew Jenkins, Ike Williams etc. He was so great a boxer that Tippy outboxed a terrific stylist Willie Joyce twice...Thefilm oof that bout I have somewhere is silent and not too clear. Probably taken from an illegal camera...I'm going to see if I can locate that clip...
I first met Tippy Larkin in 1978. They had a article about me in the Bergen Record called "Henry Hascup: He's Quiz Whiz" and when I went to my 2nd Ring 9 meeting, the secretary read it to the membership. When he got done another former boxer by the name of Billy Kilroy said, OK kid, when and who did Tippy Larkin win the World title off of. I said April 29, 1946 against Willie Joyce. He then said, your right, now sit down and say hello to Tippy Larkin. We became friends since that day. I would take him with me anytime we had a boxing function. He got the name of Larkin from his brother Bobby Larkin, who also fought as a pro and Bobby got it from another ex-boxer, manager, Jack Larkin Amato. Jack took the name of Larkin when in 1928, he went to see his brother Sammy Amato box. The match-maker wanted to know if anyone weighed 147 pounds that wanted to box that night. Jack said I'm 147, and then discovered he was to box his own brother, so he gave the name of Jack Larkin. The name of Tippy was suppose to be his initials, his real name was Tony Pilleteri (TP), But he once told me that he got it because his younger brother couldn't pronounce his name. He tried to say Tony, and it came out TP. I think between the 2 they came up with Tippy. The only tape I found on Tippy was with Graham. It was shot from the balcony but it does show the boxing skill Tippy had. I remember bringing Tippy to an affair and I was the MC. One of my duties was to introduce all the boxing people. When I got to him, I told everyone how great he was but one night he showed more then any other. I told them the story of him boxing in Newark against Tommy Cross, who was a very popular boxer from Philly and he brought up a lot of his fans. Back in those days, the boxers use to lay out with there robe on and relax before they came out to box. Tippy did just that and feel asleep. A while later there was a knock of the door and the voice yelled out, Larkin your up. Tippy got up and went to the ring. When he got to the ring the announcer announced the referee Paul Cavaliere, who was another very popular boxing person and the crowd gave him a big hand. Then Tommy Cross was introduced and he was given even a bigger one as most of Philly came down to see him box. Then it was Tippy's turn, when the announcer yelled out his name, Tippy took off his robe and the place went wild. Tippy was very happy and went to the center of the ring and did a little shadow boxing and then went back to his corner to his manager Angelo Pucci and said, Ang, they love me, Angelo said, they should, your giving them a pretty good show. Tippy then looked down and found out that he forgot to put his trunks on. I got another Larkin story. For years all the record book put out his record, BUT I did my research and found several more bouts, including his 1st pro bout against Eddie McGillick, which he lost. Tippy found out some how that I was the one that changed his record. One night we were going to another boxing affair and he brought it up. He said, Henry I never fought McGillick, I think it was my brother Bobby that did. I didn't say much at that time because my wife was in the car. Later when we got to the affair, I was standing next to him as he was greeting a lot of boxing people. Another friend, Sam Capone, who won several Amateur State titles came up to us along with his wife Betty. Betty says to Tippy, don't you remember me? Tippy said you look like someone from my past. Betty said, yes, you fought my brother Eddie, .. Eddie McGillick, I know you remember that. Tippy turned very slowing to me and said, alright I fought him, BUT how a the world did you know that. I said, it's called research, and we both had a good laugh. I really miss him! The Tippy Larkin-Lulu Costantino lightweight bout at Madison Square Garden, New York, on February 9, 1944, was the first time that the breakdown of the officials' cards were announced over the loudspeaker. Instead of merely announcing "Winner-Larkin," The announcer, George Kobb, gave the breakdown as Judge Joe Agnello, 9-1 for Larkin, Judge Sam Robinson, 8-2 for Larkin, Referee Arthur Susskind (Young Otto), 9-1 for Larkin, winner by unanimous decision-Tippy Larkin." Several years ago we put up a monument of Tippy in Garfield, and I was the MC. When he passed away on December 10, 1991, I was asked to give the Eulogy.
Henry, great post from you...Tippy was almost unbeatable as a boxer if you didn't knock him out...You bring up a favourite of mine when I was growing up, Lulu Constantino of the lower East Side of NY...Lulu was a marvelous boxer who I believe won 56 bouts in a row...I saw Lulu many times and to think Tippy won almost every round from Constantino shows what a wonderful boxer Tippy was...:hi:
