Lew Jenkins: An Improbable Story of Redemption

Published

4 years ago

January 10, 2019

In the early 2000’s Nicaraguan brawler Ricardo Mayorga took the welterweight and middleweight divisions by storm with his circus like nature out of the ring, his in-ring antics, and devastating power punching. Some of these crazy antics included showing up to press conferences drinking beer and smoking cigarettes, arriving at weigh-ins eating all types of junk food, and shouting every derogatory term under the sun at his opponent. His persona took the boxing world by storm and Mayorga had his moment in the sun. Despite not having pure boxing talent or a high in-ring I.Q., he was able to ride the wave of both his steel chin and power punch to multimillion dollar paydays against some of the best fighters of his generation.

While Mayorga seemed to be a fighter from out of this world, an aberration from the sport’s elite athletes, what he turned out to be was a fighter that harkened back to a time when those types of antics were not just viewed as something done to help give fights a promotional boost. No, they were the type of carefree antics that a certain lightweight champion of the world, who himself was an anomaly, found solace in during his reign at the top. Enter Lew Jenkins who took New York City and the lightweight division by storm in the late 30’s and early 40’s while becoming one of the sport’s most popular champions.

Lew Jenkins life story is full of anecdotes that not even the best Hollywood screenwriters could come up with. During the height of his popularity, he was the toast of the town as he hobnobbed with some of the biggest names in entertainment, like becoming one of Humphrey Bogart’s drinking buddies. However, unlike the aforementioned Mayorga, it would be what Jenkins did after his career in the ring that would define him not only as a man, but as a true American Hero.

Author Gene Pantalone delves into the life of Lew Jenkins in his latest book: From Boxing Ring to Battlefield: The Life of War Hero Lew Jenkins. In just two-hundred pages Pantalone tells the incredible story of Jenkins’ life. “I was doing research for my first book (Madame Bey’s: Home to Boxing Legends),” said Pantalone, when his name kept coming up, since Lew was one of the fighters that trained at that legendary training camp. After finishing the first book I started gathering more and more information about Jenkins. He just seemed to be a fascinating character, his dirt-poor upbringing, how he couldn’t hold on to his riches, and how he eventually found meaning in his life in the most unlikely of places.”

Lew Jenkins was born and raised in Texas during the Great Depression and quickly found himself traveling around the state fighting in carnivals for cash prizes. Utilizing boxcar trains to travel free of cost, it was during his countless fights in the traveling circus and barrooms where Jenkins both gained fighting experience and developed his deadly right hand. “It wasn’t long before he found his way to New York City. Boxers can train all they want, and this is an opinion that’s shared by many, but you have to be born with that kind of punch, the type that Lew had. When I interviewed Lew’s son he told me that his father mentioned to him that when he was fighting his opponents appeared to be moving in slow motion. That actually helped him find the openings to throw the punch.”

What Pantalone is describing is the fact that Lew Jenkins would come to be recognized as one of the strongest punchers in the history of boxing. In fact, Jenkins was listed at number sixty-two on the list of the top one hundred hardest punchers in boxing history by The Ring magazine. It would indeed be his punching power, especially with the right hand, that would take Jenkins to the top of the lightweight division when he blew away Lou Ambers to capture the title.

“When I was collecting my research on Jenkins, I focused on information not just about Jenkins, but also about his fights,” said Pantalone. That’s where I got a lot of quality stuff, especially from the work of W.C. Heinz. It was as if his fascination with Jenkins became mine.” Through all the research conducted by Pantalone and all the crazy stories regarding Jenkins’ antics during his rise through the ranks in New York City, it was what Jenkins did after his boxing career was over that truly captured Pantalone’s imagination.

“I read an article on Boxing.com written by Clarence George and Lew Jenkins grandson made a comment in the section below the article. So, I obtained his e-mail and was able to speak with the son through the grandson.” At first the Jenkins family was reluctant to participate in the project since their father and grandfather had been portrayed as the “playboy champion that fought drunk,” or the champion that squandered his ring earnings on the nightclub scene in New York. “I turned over pages of notes and the first draft, about a hundred pages, to the son and since I also focused on what Jenkins did during his life away from the ring, they agreed to participate with the telling of his story,” states Pantalone.

After Lew Jenkins finished his career in the ring he was still in what today would be considered a fighter’s physical prime, even though burning the proverbial candle at both ends had taken its toll on his natural abilities. Jenkins was able to refocus his life and dedicated it to serving his country when he joined the Armed Forces to serve in War World II. It would be his experiences as a soldier, in World War II and then in Korea, that would reshape Lew Jenkins at his core. “He completely stopped drinking and after his horrific and subsequent heroic efforts in the Korean War he stopped smoking cigarettes,” notes Pantalone.

Anything that he did inside of the ring came naturally to Jenkins. However, it was the amount of hard work and dedication as a soldier that unlike boxing didn’t come naturally to him. As a result, all his accomplishments and the courage he displayed during his military career, (which included being awarded the Silver Star) is what truly defined the man that was Lew Jenkins.

From Boxing Ring to Battlefield is a must-read for all boxing fans. Throughout the two-hundred pages, Gene Pantalone does a terrific job at engaging the reader and making him become invested in the development of Jenkins as if it was a life story being played out in real time. Pantalone also does a great job telling the stories of the people that played different roles in Jenkins life. He covers his two complex marriages (including his first marriage to Katie Taylor, one of boxing’s first female managers, who is a fascinating person in her own right), as well as the intriguing relationships with managers, fellow fighters, celebrities, and the military men with whom he served and would eventually help to rescue from a hell on earth.

“There aren’t many pictures of Jenkins. The funny thing is he said he felt more relaxed during war time. If you look at the pictures of him during his military career he is smiling, while the pictures you see of him during his boxing days he tends to have a stoic expression,” says Pantalone. Historians of both boxing and the military are treated to a tale of one man’s spectacular life journey to redemption.

If not for Pantalone this is the type of story that may have been lost in the annals of time. Lew Jenkins may have been viewed as just another lightweight champion from years past. Instead readers are now able to connect with an intriguing character who finds purpose in the most unlikely of places during a period of time that is becoming more and more distant.

Luis A. Cortes writes from Philadelphia. He can be reached at Luisacortes83@gmail.com His twitter handle is @LC3Boxing

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Mercito Gesta Victorious Over Jojo Diaz at the Long Beach Pyramid

Published

3 days ago

March 19, 2023

David A. Avila

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LONG BEACH, CA.-Those in the know knew Mercito Gesta and Jojo Diaz would be a fight to watch and they delivered.

Gesta emerged the winner in a super lightweight clash between southpaws that saw the judges favor his busier style over Diaz’s body attack and bigger shots and win by split decision on Saturday.

Despite losing the main event because the star was overweight, Gesta (34-3-3, 17 KOs) used an outside method of tactic to edge past former world champion Diaz (32-4-1, 15 KOs) in front of more than 5,000 fans at the Pyramid.

The speedy Gesta opened up the fight with combination punching up and down against the peek-a-boo style of Diaz. For the first two rounds the San Diego fighter overwhelmed Diaz though none of the blows were impactful.

In the third round Diaz finally began unloading his own combinations and displaying the fast hands that helped him win world titles in two divisions. Gesta seemed stunned by the blows, but his chin held up. The counter right hook was Diaz’s best weapon and snapped Gesta’s head back several times.

Gesta regained control in the fifth round after absorbing big blows from Diaz. He seemed to get angry that he was hurt and opened up with even more blows to send Diaz backpedaling.

Diaz targeted his attack to Gesta’s body and that seemed to slow down Gesta. But only for a round.

From the seventh until the 10^th each fighter tried to impose their style with Gesta opening up with fast flurries and Diaz using right hooks to connect with solid shots. They continued their method of attack until the final bell. All that mattered was what the judges preferred.

After 10 rounds one judge saw Diaz the winner 97-93 but two others saw Gesta the winner 99-91, 98-92. It was a close and interesting fight.

“I was expecting nothing. I was the victor in this fight and we gave a good fight,” said Gesta. “It’s not an easy fight and Jojo gave his best.”

Diaz was surprised by the outcome but accepted the verdict.

Everything was going good. I thought I was landing good body shots,” said Diaz. “I was pretty comfortable.”

Other Bouts

Mexico’s Oscar Duarte (25-1-1, 20 KOs) knocked out Chicago’s Alex Martin (18-5, 6 KOs) with a counter right hand after dropping him earlier in the fourth round. The super lightweight fight was stopped at 1:14 of the round.

A battle between undefeated super welterweights saw Florida’s Eric Tudor (8-0, 6 KOs) emerge the winner by unanimous decision after eight rounds versus Oakland’s Damoni Cato-Cain.

The taller Tudor showed polished skill and was not bothered by a large cut on his forehead caused by an accidental clash of heads. He used his jab and lead rights to defuse the attacks of the quick-fisted southpaw Cato-Cain. The judges scored the fight 80-72 and 78-74 twice for Tudor.

San Diego’s Jorge Chavez (5-0, 4 KOs) needed less than one round to figure out Nicaragua’s Bryan Perez (12-17-1, 11 KOs) and send him into dreamland with a three-punch combination. No need to count as referee Ray Corona waved the fight over. Perez shot a vicious right followed by another right and then a see-you-later left hook at 3.00 of the first round of the super featherweight match.

Photo credit: Al Applerose

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Jojo Diaz’s Slump Continues; Mercito Gesta Prevails on a Split Decision

Published

3 days ago

March 18, 2023

Arne K. Lang

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At age 30, Jojo Diaz’s career is on the skids. The 2012 U.S. Olympian, a former world title holder at 126 and 130 pounds and an interim title holder at 135, Diaz suffered his third straight loss tonight, upset by Mercito Gesta who won a split decision at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, CA.. The scoring was strange with Gesta winning nine of the 10 rounds on one of the cards and only three rounds on another. The tie-breaker, as it were, was a 98-92 tally for Gesta and even that didn’t capture the flavor of what was a closely-contested fight.

Originally listed as a 12-rounder, the match was reduced to 10 and that, it turned out, did Diaz no favors. However, it’s hard to feel sorry for the former Olympian as he came in overweight once again, having lost his 130-pound title on the scales in February of 2021.

Diaz also has issues outside the ropes. Best elucidated by prominent boxing writer Jake Donovan, they include a cluster of legal problems stemming from an arrest for drunk driving on Feb. 27 in the LA suburb of Claremont.

With the defeat, Diaz’s ledger declined to 32-4-1. His prior losses came at the hands of Gary Russell Jr, Devin Haney, and William Zepeda, boxers who are collectively 83-2. Mercito Gesta, a 35-year-old San Diego-based Filipino, improved to 34-3-3.

Co-Feature

Chihuahua, Mexico super lightweight Oscar Duarte has now won nine straight inside the distance after stopping 33-year-old Chicago southpaw Alex Martin in the eighth frame. Duarte, the busier fighter, had Martin on the deck twice in round eight before the fight was waived off.

Duarte improved to 25-1-1 (20). Martin, who reportedly won six national titles as an amateur and was once looked upon as a promising prospect, declined to 18-5.

Other Bouts of Note

New Golden Boy signee Eric Tudor, a 21-year-old super welterweight from Fort Lauderdale, overcame a bad laceration over his right eye, the result of an accidental clash of heads in round four, to stay unbeaten, advancing to 8-0 (6) with a hard-fought unanimous 8-round decision over Oakland’s Damoni Cato-Cain. The judges had it 80-72 and 78-74 twice. It was the first pro loss for Cato-Cain (7-1-1) who had his first five fights in Tijuana.

In the DAZN opener, lanky Hawaian lightweight Dalis Kaleiopu went the distance for the first time in his young career, improving to 4-0 (3) with a unanimous decision over 36-year-old Colombian trial horse Jonathan Perez (40-35). The scores were 60-52 across the board. There were no knockdowns, but Perez, who gave up almost six inches in height, had a point deducted for a rabbit punch and another point for deducted for holding.

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‘Big Baby’ Wins the Battle of Behemoths; TKOs ‘Big Daddy’ in 6

Published

3 days ago

March 18, 2023

Arne K. Lang

Big-Baby-Wins-the-Battle-of-Behemoths-TKOs-Big-Daddy-in-6

Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne weighed in at a career-high 277 pounds for today’s battle in Dubai with Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, but he was the lighter man by 56 pounds. It figured that one or both would gas out if the bout lasted more than a few stanzas.

It was a war of attrition with both men looking exhausted at times, and when the end came it was Miller, at age 34 the younger man by nine years, who had his hand raised.

Browne was the busier man, but Miller, whose physique invites comparison with a rhinoceros, hardly blinked as he was tattooed with an assortment of punches. He hurt ‘Bid Daddy’ in round four, but the Aussie held his own in the next frame, perhaps even forging ahead on the cards, but only postponing the inevitable.

In round six, a succession of right hands knocked Browne on the seat of his pants. He beat the count, but another barrage from Miller impelled the referee to intervene. The official time was 2:33. It was the 21^st straight win for Miller (26-0-1, 22 KOs). Browne declined to 31-4 and, for his own sake, ought not fight again. All four of his losses have come inside the distance, some brutally.

The consensus of those that caught the livestream was that Floyd Mayweather Jr’s commentary was an annoying distraction that marred what was otherwise an entertaining show.

As for what’s next for “Big Baby” Miller, that’s hard to decipher as he has burned his bridges with the sport’s most powerful promoters. One possibility is Mahmoud Charr who, like Miller, has a big gap in his boxing timeline. Now 38 years old, Charr – who has a tenuous claim on a WBA world title (don’t we all?) — has reportedly taken up residence in Dubai.

Other Bouts of Note

In a 10-round cruiserweight affair, Suslan Asbarov, a 30-year-old Russian, advanced to 4-0 (1) with a hard-fought majority decision over Brandon Glanton. The judges had it 98-92, 97-93, and a more reasonable 95-95.

Asbarov was 12-9 in documented amateur fights and 1-0 in a sanctioned bare-knuckle fight, all in Moscow, entering this match. He bears watching, however, as Glanton (18-2) would be a tough out for almost anyone in his weight class. In his previous fight, at Plant City, Florida, Glanton lost a controversial decision to David Light, an undefeated Australian who challenges WBO world title-holder Lawrence Okolie at Manchester, England next week.

A 10-round super featherweight match between former world title challengers Jono Carroll and Miguel Marriaga preceded the semi-windup. Carroll, a 30-year-old Dublin southpaw, overcame a cut over his left eye suffered in the second round to win a wide unanimous decision in a fairly entertaining fight.

It was the sixth straight win for Carroll (24-2-1, 7 KOs) who elevated his game after serving as a sparring partner for Devin Haney. Marriaga, a 36-year-old Colombian, lost for the fourth time in his last five outings, declining to 30-7.

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