Hmm, can't be many boxers who have had that much success in wrestling. One can imagine how he would be a crowd reaction at a time when most people were under six foot. Yeah; apparently he was very distressed by finding out that his boxing career was iffy and that he had been screwed out of a lot of his earnings, but like you say he made the most of what he had and clearly was very smart with the use of his image after he retired.
Gene Tunney had a photostat made of a one million dollar check comprised mostly of the proceeds from his title defense against Dempsey, and framed it. He was smart enough not to be adversely affected by the 1929 Stock Market Crash and ensuing Great Depression. Jack Dempsey apparently was wiped out by the same economic calamity, but not forced out of competitive retirement by it as Joe Louis later was. He cashed in handsomely on what could not be taken away from him, specifically his good name. Jack was in the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest money maker of any boxer, with over ten million in lifetime earnings (including exhibitions and refereeing), a record which stood until Ali finally broke it in the early 1970s. (Sonja Henie held the record of richest athlete of all time when she died of leukemia in 1969 at age 57. Including her show business career, she made a total of over 40 million dollars, thanks in large part to a movie contract Darryl Zanuck signed her to at Fox. So much for gender equality.) In Everett M. Skehan's biography of Marciano, it is mentioned how he was caught reading a book titled, "How Champions Lost Their Fortunes," in bed. Rocky was obviously deeply affected by the plight of Joe Louis, having become all too uncomfortably familiar with the consequences of it from the other side of the ring they once shared. Of all the stories about Jack Johnson, winding up broke and destitute is not one of them. The car in which he met his end was certainly not a broken down model he was having to make his home in. Jim Jeffries and Jim Corbett were evidently comfortable for the rest of their lives. Hagler has forged a whole new cinematic career in Italy. Ray Mancini is probably doing pretty well. SRL too. Foreman and Holmes have set the modern template for post boxing success. Of course it helps that they got out with their brains intact. Tex Cobb has probably had as much entertainment success as any non-champion boxer has enjoyed over the last several decades.
Tony Danza had a pretty good acting career after he was done fighting. http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=028927&cat=boxer Yes, this is the real Tony Danza!
Jose Torres was New York State athletic chairman and president of the World Boxing Organization. He also authored books on Ali and Tyson.
Thanks for the Duodenum-induced chuckle. I guess Ken Norton is doing pretty well, considering he should have been fertilizer by now, on account of another fast car he flew out of Black Marvel-style, to be cushioned by a tree that came out of nowhere.
Tony Danza was still competing when he was starring on Taxi. Carlos Palomino was still the WBC WW Champion when he guested on an episode of Taxi centered on Tony's character's boxing. Another episode showed Tony boxing before an audience. The book on Danza, as I recall, was that he had a deadly left hook, but not a terrific chin. Miami schoolteacher Max Hord was the most successful boxer he defeated. But he was knocked out in one by Morris Watkins, the only bout Watkins would ever win, and he had to get off the deck to take out Ralph Garcia in one. Anybody who was reading "Flash" Gordon's underground newsletter at the time is familiar with Flash's coverage of Danza's boxing. One of those newsletters I have buried in storage lists Danza as the fourteenth ranked middleweight in New York around 1978-1979.
Louis was forced out of retirement by unpaid inland revenue demands.Johnson was given his cars because the makers knew that the publicity he would generate from speeding tickets and fines would all be grist to their mill,In his later years Johnson was reduced to appearing at a Flea Circus at Coney Island ,spieling for peanuts,he was broke ,buit still lived as though he was the Champ.
Funny reading this post about Danza, I remember going to the gym and Tony was taping up, saying how'd he'd just come back from an audition for a TV show. We figured it was some low-budget nothing...Little did we know.
I don't have to mention George Foreman and his grill. Larry Holmes is making millions off of real estate and his buisness empire. Along with his various endorcements and gambling (he goes to Atlantic city a lot and its not uncommon for him to earn $25,000-$100,000 a shot). Leonard is doing fairly well with the contender. Hagler is doing pretty good making his movies. Cobb acctually has his money left (not so sure about the cartledge in his nose though). Arguello is doing well. Norton is middle class I think. Cooney is making decent money. Jose Torres is doing very well too, with his books, and participation in boxing organizations.
Schmelling set up part of a franchise associated with being the major selling agent in Germany for Coca Cola. Larry Holmes is doing just great in Easton, I say he and George were the shrewdest outside of the game. James Bonecrusher Smith Used his business degree after boxing and now succesfully sells dietary products and carribean cruises as a legitimate travel agent.. Jeff Franklyn you may remember as a name from the 1980s is now a major Tv producer and director for some major prime time tv shows in the United States. Leland Hardy the former MSG heavyweight is now a multi millionaire rap music mogul and interpretter to some high profile stars abroad (in the orient) He speaks japanese and some other languages.. He became Muhammad Alis interprettor when Ali had a large international tour of Japan..
