This man's life is simply one of the greatest stories god ever told. His last battle on the ring was fought in New York against Jim Smith in June 10, 1910 where he won by KO in 5 rounds. Welcome to r/boxing, the official home of pro boxing on Reddit! It is said that two of four of Ketchel´s teeth were encrusted in the winner´s gloves. and one of the greatest defensive fighters of all time, After a couple fights when ketchel was hoping for a rematch, he moved to the farm of a friend. His last battle on the ring was fought in New York against Jim Smith in June 10, 1910 where he won by KO in 5 rounds. Proper outlier RIP. Didn't realize how bad I needed this reply in my life until I read it. The 205 1/2-pound Johnson knocked out the 170 1/4-pound Ketchel in the 12th round with a devastating right to the jaw, one of the hardest blows ever delivered. On February 8, 1908, Ketchel met the man who was generally recognized as the World Welterweight Champion and one of the leading middleweights of the era, Mike "Twin" Sullivan, knocking him out in the first round and winning general recognition as World Middleweight Champion. He performed professionally between 1903 or 1904 and 1910. Amazing. (in reality there were half a dozen: Thompson (2), Kid Lee, Billy Papke, Jack Johnson and Sam Langford). so whats the story? Stanley looked like he didn’t like banana pancakes. BrooklynBomber The Champ is Here. He moved from one place to another, with Montana as his first stop and as a stowaway in trains until he was 16-17 years old. Stanislaus Kiecal was born 14 September 1886 and died 15 October 1910. Hailed as "one of the greatest chroniclers of the mythical American outlaw life" (Entertainment Weekly), James Carlos Blake turns to the blazing story of Stanley Ketchel, the legendary ragtime-era middleweight boxing champion and daring rakehell, whose brief and meteoric life burned with violence and tragedy in and out of the ring. Copyright © 1998 - 2021 The World Boxing Association, Rojas and Diaz are in their peak condition for the WBA title fight. Up to a point that it could very well serve as a model for a non-fiction genre novel. Years before, in 1954, the reporter and encyclopaedist Nathaniel (Nat) Fleischer elevated him to the Hall of Fame created by him, which later disappeared or was replaced by the one in Canastota. Only a middleweight, Ketchel was also known for taking on Heavyweights who sometimes outweighed him by more than 30 pounds (14 kg). set the record straight? Ketchel (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 14/09/1886- Springfield, Missouri, 15/10/1910) was considered during the first five decades of the 20th century as the greatest Middle Weight of all time. Stanley Ketchel, the psychotic Midwestern savant who presaged Floyd Mayweather as Grand Rapids’ greatest fighting export, boxed with an unquenchable bloodlust. Please read the rules before posting/commenting. I believe if I'm not mistaken the men had behind the scenes agreed to take it easy and put on an exhibition meaning no intent on hurting one another. This is a place for friendly and civil debate about the greatest sport on earth. He beat him in 3 out of 4 encounters, one of them via KO). Stanley Ketchel, Boxer, the "Assassin" G. R. Herald Article Below. The Victim. In his first defense he beat the twin of that Jack “Twin” Sullivan in 20 rounds, on September 7 of that same year in an epic battle, to later lose the crown in September of 1908 against Papke, his first defeat in 4 years. It was noted that Johnson's cornerman upon removing his gloves indicated two teeth embedded in … Stanley Ketchel : biography September 14, 1886 – October 15, 1910 Ketchel fought Sam Langford on April 27, 1910. Johnson arose and dispatched Ketchel with a single punch that was said to have left Ketchel’s teeth embedded in Johnson’s glove. holyy I didn’t notice thx for pointing it out. Johnson arose and dispatched Ketchel with a single punch that was said to have left Ketchel’s teeth embedded in Johnson’s glove. It is said that two of four of Ketchel´s teeth were encrusted in the winner´s gloves. After a defeat against Maurice Thompson in six rounds, he added 34 KO´s, 3 draws and one more defeat, again against Thompson. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Langford defeated Ketchel by a decision then called “newspaper decision”. If you don't know this man's life story, you are missing out. Johnson put Ketchel to sleep with a volley of punches so fierce that the skin of Johnson's gloves was torn through contact with the middleweight champion's teeth." Old times told how Johnson stood leaning on the ropes and picked the teeth out of his glove as Ketchel was counted out. Pictures of that fight show Johnson picking Stanley’s teeth … Ended tragically too. In search for more money and glory, Ketchel dared challenge the world heavyweight champion Jack Johnson (his drinking and partying buddy), the first black fighter to be recognized as the king of the heavyweights. He, Kid Lee and Billy Papke would be the only middleweights who could beat him. www.boxing360.com/stanley-ketchel-is-shot-to-death-by-walter-a-dipley Ketchel surprised everybody when he knocked down the “Galveston Giant” with a right puch to his chin on the 12th round. ketchel "strayed from the *****" knocked down johnson, then johnson got up and seconds later knocked ketchel's teeth out. As Ketchel was counted out, Johnson brushed off a pair of Ketchel’s teeth that had embedded in his glove. However, Ketchel saw an opening in the 12th round and went for the knockout, flooring Johnson with a right. 4 months ago. In boxing he was better known as Stanley Ketchel, American middleweight boxer who became champion. Ketchels last word were apperantly "I'm so tired. No knock downs were scored and both had plenty of … We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. Known as "The Michigan Assassin," his two-handed, brawling style of fighting had delighted his … I remember reading that this was the case. Johnson dropped in stunned surprise. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Two of his teeth impaled his lip, and a couple more, knocked off at the gum, were caught in Johnson’s glove. But when he knocked out the popular middleweight champion, Stanley Ketchel, in 1909, it was the last straw. It was the swan song: Johnson got up more enraged than stunned and crushed the daring challenger with a right and a left to the head and mouth. He confronted him in September 15, 1909 in Colma, California, a challenge to which Ketchel attended weighing 180 lbs. Whether Ketchel became world champion when he defeated Thomas or Mike Sullivan has always been up to debate, but the fact remains that Mik… The murdered man was Stanley Ketchel, the middleweight boxing champion of the world. It looked a bit off to me. He was nicknamed Michigan Mauler or Michigan Assassin. The worker fled and ketchels friend put a 5000 dollar bounty on him. Johnson had a pair of Ketchel’s teeth that were embedded in his glove. Some reporters say it was in September 2, 1907 when, after a draw, two months prior, he knocked out Joe Thomas on the 17th round of a 32 round fight. Heck yeah, I can't believe i never heard of this guy until a saw a short documentary by rainy day boxing... Man was a legend. Not an everyday thing, but Ask Wayne Bethea when Liston knocked out 7 of them at one time. Take me home to mother. Johnson got up and smashed Ketchel with two monstrous rights that knocked him out cold (for a reported 10 minutes) and also ripped out a number of the middleweight’s teeth. The crowd, which had exploded when Johnson went down, were now in total silence, seemingly in shock. After the fight, a sports reporter asked Jack Johnson how he had felt when Ketchel had dropped him to the canvas, Johnson replied, “Better than … It was an hour before Ketchel recovered his senses. Johnson rose, not amused, and with one powerful punch knocked Ketchel unconscious. Press J to jump to the feed. Ketchel recuperated from the Johnson fight at Hot Springs, Arkansas. he did it in 1907, that is, at 21 and some months or in 1908. In the 12th round Ketchel apparently tired of the game and flattened Johnson with a hard right, though the big man was to get up and knock Ketchel out with a single punch that left teeth embedded in his glove. (He knocked out the third one on November 26, 1908 at a rematch in 12 rounds, in what became a historic rivalry. Big time. Besides Johnson, he also exchanged punches in March 1910 with another legendary heavyweight, Sam Langford, whom white mastodons avoided for racial reasons and who ranks among the best heavyweights of any era. Imagine Hagler v Foreman, or Monzon v Ali ... insane. Others say he was recognized as the best middleweight of the world in February 2, 1908, a date in which he disposed of Mike “Twin” Sullivan in one round. His final unofficial record was 46 KO´s, 3 wins by points, 4 draws, 2 defeats by decision, 3 by KO´s and 4 without decision, according to the Nat Fleischer book. He was around 12 years of age when he left his paternal home. Be respectful and come chat with us. Other publications give him 52 victories (49 by KO), 4 draws and 4 defeats. Worn down by his excesses with alcohol, an alleged abuse of opium and constant partying, the famous fighter traveled in search of his rehabilitation to the Conway Ranch in Missouri, owned by a family friend, Col. HP Dickerson. He saw his rival as guilty participants in those offenses, It was also speculated that his homicidal rage was caused by the not credible “assassination” of his mother, Julia Keical. There, in October 15, 1910, in a confusing argument which involved jealousy, theft and a quarrel, Walter Dipley, the partner of a kitchen lady named Goldie Smith, cowardly ended Stanley Ketchel life, which was forever extinguished with a shot from 22 caliber shotgun that penetrated through his back and tore his right lung. r/boxing does not tolerate racism or intolerance of any kind. Pretty sure they still went out drinking and gambling together despite this. Stanley Ketchel: KO 12 (20) 16 Oct 1909 Mission Street Arena, Colma, California, U.S. In his burial, a fan among thousands shout to the top of his lungs “Give him the count!, He will get up at 8 seconds…… Give him the count!”. The hazardous, tempestuous and tragic life of Stanley Ketchel, ended with his assassination from a gunshot at 23 years of age. Native of the city that later saw Floyd Mayweather come to life, he turned to boxing because of the hardships endured in his childhood (allegedly caused by the murder of his parents, a version never proved and apparently told by the fighter himself). Most of the response to this will understandably go to the more historic career/life of Johnson's, but Ketchel had a pretty wild life as well. Stanley Ketchel was only 24 when shot in the back by a ranch hand on the 860-acre Webster County ranch of Rollin P. Dickerson. What is in fact proved is that he was involved in minor offenses and in hundreds of street fights. This spasmodic effort to rise while unconscious is enough to make the Ketchel legend real, without trimmings. Stanley Ketchel wearing his championship belt. We assume that today´s fans know very little or nothing about who Stanley Ketchel was, that at 21 or 22 years, despite all the imprecisions and unconfirmed rumors about his life and sports trajectory, he became the youngest gladiator in history to ever become a middle weight world champion. Muhammad Ali and Buster Mathis fought each other in a twelve-round boxing match at the Astrodome in Houston on November 17, 1971 Ali dominated the fight throughout and won easily on points. In addition, after the knockout, the film of the fight clearly shows Johnson walking over to the ropes while scraping some of Ketchel’s teeth out of his gloves. Retained world heavyweight title: 66 Win 35–5–6 (20) Al Kaufman: NWS 10 9 Sep 1909 Coffroth's Arena, San Francisco, California, U.S. Ketchel was to have his last few matches in the northeast and was to enter the ring for what turned out to be the last time on June 10, 1910 when he knocked out Jim Smith in New York; his final total was 54 … Was Ketchel not shot by the jealous boyfriend or husband of the woman who cooked him breakfast on the day of his death? Ketchel did not wake up for many minutes and some of his teeth were knocked out by the blow, some embedded in Johnson's glove. The aggressiveness he displayed in the ring, his relentless offensive and his lack of mercy for his opponents made him gain the nickname of The Michigan Assassin. Actually, it was the way Johnson knocked Ketchel out that most angered whites. Not just in American history, in human history, period. This is one of the coolest things I have seen in a while. Joined: He was also classified as one of the 5 most prestigious fighters and he is still considered today one of the best 20 in any division in the annals of the discipline. News Sports Life Opinion Entertainment Obituaries E … it says here in this short doucmentary that both promised the promoters that they would not try to win. It was a hard pressed fight by both men, each displaying terrific hitting power for all six rounds of the short bout. Almost a year later, on October 15, 1910, Ketchel was set up and murdered by a couple who were working for him in his Conway, Missouri training camp. Ketchel must have had big balls to take on Johnson. Some say that his fury in the ring came from the accumulated hatred he felt for the humiliations suffered by his mother. I have a picture of this guy over my desk. Ketchel apparently had other ideas and took a chance at a flash knock out when Johnson wasnt prepared. Nobody has escalated earlier than Ketchel to the throne of those who weigh more than 69,853 kg (154 lbs) and less than 72,562 kg (160 lbs). That would explain how he was caught by a punch thrown from half the ring away. In the 12th round of that fight Ketchel surprised Johnson by landing a hard right to the Champion’s jaw dropping him to the canvas for a short count. It was the swan song: Johnson got up more enraged than stunned and crushed the daring challenger with a right and a left to the head and mouth. he was killed by a man working there in a robbery/murder. ", The murderer served 23 years and his complice (a woman who was a cook on the farm) served 17 months I think. The first damaging punch of the fight was in Round Two when Johnson hit Ketchel with a powerful right cross and dropped him for an eight count. Stanley swung a wicked right just below Jack's ear. Some said that Ketchel… He died hours later at the hospital in Springfield, Missouri. jack johnson/stanley ketchel was an exhibition not a real fight that went awry when ketchel decked jack and jack ko'ed him and supossedly a few teeth included or was jack fading in an exhibtion match and was almost ko'ed himself? This without adding 250 bar and street fights when he was a teen and acted as a “gorilla” (bar guardians who rudely quieted down unruly clients) and fights against adversaries who doubled him in age. Jack Johnson man, absolute G. Lived in a time of deadly terrifying racism and marched with an unmatched IDGAF mentality through it. I'll always be in awe of what he was able to accomplish, and with the gusto he did it with. Jack Johnson vs Stanley Ketchel Highlights In Color - YouTube When Johnson got up, Ketchel moved in for the kill and was knocked out by a massive right from the champion. My hero, the GOAT. (81kgs), while the champion topped the scale at 30 lbs more, about 15 kgs. Ask Stanley Ketchel, when his front teeth became … The Major Players. FIGHT FAN, Aug 25, 2007 #1. Having seen the actual film of Ketchel's fight with Johnson I was surprised the author didn't address how clearly you could see on film Jack Johnson actually brushing the teeth of Ketchel from his glove. Fun to watch again and see the little guy last all of 2 secs after his cheap shot now that i know the backstory, thanks. Just from a complete sports perspective I’ve been telling people for years that he is the most important African American athlete of all time and no one knew who he was. The son of Polish immigrants who arrived in the United States by the end of the 19th century, his real name was Stanislaw Keical. 23. Sullivan often fought above the welterweight limit, making him a light middleweight. https://www.mlive.com/boxing/2010/10/profile_boxing_great_stanley_k.html Johnson proceeded to get up and immediately finish him. It even inspired the great American writer and Nobel prize laureate in Literature in 1954, Ernest Hemingway, as the main character in one of his stories. In 1990 he entered the Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, as part of the “Old-Timer” lot along with a Jack Johnson, James J. Jeffries, Sam Langford, Jack Dempsey, Eligio Sardiñas (Kid Chocolate), Gene Tunney, Panamá Al Brown, Bob Fitzsimmons and his archenemy Billy Papke, among others. It is one of the most passionate and fascinating one can conceive of in the world of sports and anywhere else. He made his debut against Kid Tracy on May 2 of ´03 or ´04, (there is no consensus among historians about his debut date) he demolished his rival in the first round. 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