Over the course of their fisticuff history, Robinson landed on the canvas several times, but he never succeeded in flooring LaMotta.įour months after their first fight, they met for a rematch in Detroit, Michigan. LaMotta knocked down his opponent in the first round, but Robinson managed to get up and finish the job in the 10th. The two rivals went up against each other for the first time in Madison Square Garden on October 2nd, 1942. In contrast, Robinson, his toned frame 3 inches taller and his reach 5 inches longer, was the graceful fighter who employed speed and precision from a distance. With his shoulders hunched and his instincts on high alert, the 5’8” LaMotta would stalk his opponent and look for an opening to unleash his merciless punches. Inside the ropes, their fighting tactics resembled a bull and a matador engaged in a savage battle for life and death. And like many New York fighters who picked up their trade in the city's rough neighborhoods, one came up in the Bronx and the other in Harlem. Born just 1 year apart in 19, the Italian-American kid and his African-American foe turned pro around the same time. While their lives and fighting styles could not have been any different, there was an aura between these rough-hewn pugilists. Meanwhile, the character of Sugar Ray, played by the unknown Johnny Barnes, was left to just a few blood-spattered violent scenes.
Brilliantly portrayed by Robert DeNiro, the role was totally immersive and DeNiro came away with an Oscar for Best Actor. Scorsese does a masterful job in bringing out a self-destructive LaMotta, whose uncontrolled rage and jealous tirades lead to his undoing. They were all close and while LaMotta handed Robinson his first career loss, the latter outboxed him in 5 of their 6 slugfests. The two champs fought 6 times between 19, including two bouts that were just 3 weeks apart. In an era when boxing was one of the most followed sports in America, LaMotta and Robinson dominated the middleweight/welterweight divisions. In 1980, Martin Scorsese released “ Raging Bull”, a Hollywood screen production that was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and was later inducted into the National Film Registry for historic preservation.ĭramatizing the tumultuous life of middleweight boxer Jake LaMotta, the movie scored big on the theme of rage, but it left some sports history fans wanting for more on LaMotta’s fighting relationship with his biggest rival, Sugar Ray Robinson.
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