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Jack Robby · 02-08-2004, 03:28 PM

THE SCENARIO--Eager to solidify his claim for a title shot, Jake LaMotta traveled to Sunny California for the first time to take on the former California middleweight champion Eddie Booker. Despite Booker's loss of the state title to Jack Chase, boxing promoteres were thought to be not-so-secretly rooting for LaMotta to make a good showing so that he could be touted as the "white hope" challenger to Moore's title. The two men met in Wrigley Field in Los Angeles on December 10, 1943, just four weeks after LaMotta's latest victory over former world welterweight champion Fritzie Zivic in Neew York (a historical bout).

THE FIGHT--Booker looks a little soft around the middle, as if he hadn't trained particularly well for this fight. LaMotta dominates the first round, landing hard blows to the body at close range. In the second, Booker did better but reeled back at one point from what appeared to be a head butt. If the referee saw it, he didn't say anything. LaMotta continued his roughhouse tactics in the third, drawing a warning from the referee to keep his punches up. Booker hurs LaMotta with a hard right midway through the round, but LaMotta kept pounding away inside.

Booker picked up the pace in round four, stunning LaMotta with a good combination then hurting him a short while later with a hard right. LaMotta concentrated on his body attack inside, however, and seemed to be wearing Booker down. LaMotta fought a little more at long range in the fifth, but Booker held his own. Booker boxes defensively in round sixth and the referee finally penalized LaMotta for his fouls, this time for hitting Booker with a backhand against the ropes. LaMotta came out throwing haymakers in the seventh but Williams did a good job protecting himself. About mid-round, the referee warned Booker for what he called an intentional head butt, which shocked the fighter and most of those at ringside. Later in the round, he warned Booker again for holding and hitting. The referee didn't indicate he was deducting any points, however.

LaMotta really stepped up the pact in round eight, apparently wanting a knockout to seal his shot at the title. Booker defended well, but spent most of his time against the ropes. The two men kept fighting after the bell, forcing the referee to step between them to send them to their corners. LaMotta slowed down a bit in the ninth and Booker landed more effective counter punches than at any time previously. He was helped furthere when the referee again took a point away from Jake, this time for holding and hitting.

LaMotta seemed content to fight at long range in the tenth and final round, apparently concerned that after losing two points to fouls he couldn't risk another deduction or even disqualification when he apparently believed he was winning on points. Booker appeared by far the more exhausted and LaMotta still pressed the action throughout the round.

The decisions was a shock to most of those at ringside. While one judge gave it to LaMotta, 46-43, the otherjudge and the referee had it a draw, 45-45 and 44-44, respectively. Jake's corner was incredulous and the fans booed their dissatisfaction.

THE AFTERMATH--LaMotta's supporters claimed their man was the victim of a hometown decision and many of the reporters covering the fight agreed. They all pointed to the two points deducted from LaMotta for fouls, and while they couldn't really complain that Jake didn't file Booker, they contrasted that to the fact that in the seventh round Booker was warned twice with no deductions.

Although Jake didn't lose, the fact that he simply secured a draw against the man dethroned as California middleweight champion by Jack Chase presented Archie Moore with the champion's traditional dilemma: Should he pass over the colorless number one contender, Jack Chase, who would draw peanuts at the gate, and give the title shot to the seemingly less qualified Jake LaMotta in a far more lucrative battle in Madison Square Garden?

02-08-2004, 03:28 PM	#17 (permalink)
Jack Robby Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 20 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	THE SCENARIO--Eager to solidify his claim for a title shot, Jake LaMotta traveled to Sunny California for the first time to take on the former California middleweight champion Eddie Booker. Despite Booker's loss of the state title to Jack Chase, boxing promoteres were thought to be not-so-secretly rooting for LaMotta to make a good showing so that he could be touted as the "white hope" challenger to Moore's title. The two men met in Wrigley Field in Los Angeles on December 10, 1943, just four weeks after LaMotta's latest victory over former world welterweight champion Fritzie Zivic in Neew York (a historical bout). THE FIGHT--Booker looks a little soft around the middle, as if he hadn't trained particularly well for this fight. LaMotta dominates the first round, landing hard blows to the body at close range. In the second, Booker did better but reeled back at one point from what appeared to be a head butt. If the referee saw it, he didn't say anything. LaMotta continued his roughhouse tactics in the third, drawing a warning from the referee to keep his punches up. Booker hurs LaMotta with a hard right midway through the round, but LaMotta kept pounding away inside. Booker picked up the pace in round four, stunning LaMotta with a good combination then hurting him a short while later with a hard right. LaMotta concentrated on his body attack inside, however, and seemed to be wearing Booker down. LaMotta fought a little more at long range in the fifth, but Booker held his own. Booker boxes defensively in round sixth and the referee finally penalized LaMotta for his fouls, this time for hitting Booker with a backhand against the ropes. LaMotta came out throwing haymakers in the seventh but Williams did a good job protecting himself. About mid-round, the referee warned Booker for what he called an intentional head butt, which shocked the fighter and most of those at ringside. Later in the round, he warned Booker again for holding and hitting. The referee didn't indicate he was deducting any points, however. LaMotta really stepped up the pact in round eight, apparently wanting a knockout to seal his shot at the title. Booker defended well, but spent most of his time against the ropes. The two men kept fighting after the bell, forcing the referee to step between them to send them to their corners. LaMotta slowed down a bit in the ninth and Booker landed more effective counter punches than at any time previously. He was helped furthere when the referee again took a point away from Jake, this time for holding and hitting. LaMotta seemed content to fight at long range in the tenth and final round, apparently concerned that after losing two points to fouls he couldn't risk another deduction or even disqualification when he apparently believed he was winning on points. Booker appeared by far the more exhausted and LaMotta still pressed the action throughout the round. The decisions was a shock to most of those at ringside. While one judge gave it to LaMotta, 46-43, the otherjudge and the referee had it a draw, 45-45 and 44-44, respectively. Jake's corner was incredulous and the fans booed their dissatisfaction. THE AFTERMATH--LaMotta's supporters claimed their man was the victim of a hometown decision and many of the reporters covering the fight agreed. They all pointed to the two points deducted from LaMotta for fouls, and while they couldn't really complain that Jake didn't file Booker, they contrasted that to the fact that in the seventh round Booker was warned twice with no deductions. Although Jake didn't lose, the fact that he simply secured a draw against the man dethroned as California middleweight champion by Jack Chase presented Archie Moore with the champion's traditional dilemma: Should he pass over the colorless number one contender, Jack Chase, who would draw peanuts at the gate, and give the title shot to the seemingly less qualified Jake LaMotta in a far more lucrative battle in Madison Square Garden?