King Levinsky

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King Levinsky (also Kingfish Levinsky or Fishking Levinsky ; born September 10, 1910 in New York , † September 30, 1991 in Chicago ) was an American- Jewish heavyweight boxer of the 1930s. He was born as Hershel or Harris Kraków and came from the Kraków family of fish sellers who had their business on Maxwell Street in the Jewish quarter of Chicago. Even though he never won a title, he fought (and sometimes won) against the top boxers of his time (including Jack Sharkey , Tommy Loughran , Primo Carnera , Max Baer ).

His boxing qualities were clearly surpassed by his skills as an entertainer and businessman, who got the most out of the fights financially. Thus the "writes Time Magazine " in May of 1932:

"If you defined the efficiency of a prize-fighter by his ability in the ring, ('Kingfish Levinsky') would not rate better than tenth among US heavyweights. Last year he had 15 fights, won only eight. If you defined efficiency as a fighter's ability to earn money at his trade, Kingfish Levinsky might rank as best fighter in the US In the last 15 months, gates at his fights with Slattery, Griffiths, Camera, Paulino and an exhibition bout against Jack Dempsey have to $ 254,124.68. He may this year earn more than Schmeling, Sharkey, Dempsey, Camera or Schaaf. Kingfish Levinsky's earning power is due partly to an engaging slapstick manner in the ring, an engaging entourage ... It is due partly to the fact that most of Levinsky's fights have been in Chicago, where everyone knows that he grew up on the West Side and entered the fish-peddling business with a pushcart on Maxwell Street. "

For a while Levinsky was managed by his sister Lena Kraków, known as "Leapin Lena" as a dazzling figure who could swear like a sailor and cheer her brother on during his battles.

After his active days Levinsky could then be seen on the streets of Miami Beach , where he was forced to sell ties and wristwatches as an ex-prize boxer, a "punch drunk" ( Dementia pugilistica ). Before Cassius Clay's first fight against Sonny Liston in 1964, he told Cassius Clay that he had no chance against Liston, but that didn't matter, they could then sell ties together after the fight; that was just before Clay astonished the world, beat Liston and became world heavyweight champion.

Levinsky was married to the striptease dancer Roxane Sand for around five weeks in 1934.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d King Levinsky. In: boxrec.com. January 23, 1932, accessed May 20, 2017 .
  2. ↑ a b c Sport: Levinsky v. Walker. In: content.time.com. May 9, 1932, accessed May 20, 2017 .
personal data
SURNAME Levinsky, King
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Levinsky, Kingfish; Kraków, Harris; Krakow, Hershel; Levinsky, Fishking
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American heavyweight boxer
DATE OF BIRTH September 10, 1910
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City , United States
DATE OF DEATH September 30, 1991
Place of death Chicago , United States