LaMotta, Jake (1921-2017), an American boxer, held the world middleweight championship from 1949 to 1951. LaMotta won the world title with a technical knockout over defending champion Marcel Cerdan of Algeria in 1949. LaMotta lost the title to Sugar Ray Robinson of the United States in 1951.
LaMotta’s rivalry with Robinson was a highlight of his career. The two fought six times, with Robinson winning five of the bouts. LaMotta’s fame spread after his retirement with the filming of Raging Bull (1980), a brutally realistic biography of the fighter’s career. The American actor Robert De Niro won an Academy Award as best actor for his performance as LaMotta.
Giacobbe LaMotta was born on July 10, 1921, in the Bronx borough of New York City. He had a troubled youth and served time in reform school. LaMotta began boxing as an amateur at the age of 16 and turned professional when he was 18. The biggest victory of LaMotta’s early career came in 1943, when he defeated Robinson. It was Robinson’s first loss. LaMotta retired in 1954 with a career record of 83 victories, 19 losses, and 4 draws. He became a part-time motion-picture and television actor after his retirement. LaMotta died on Sept. 19, 2017.
See also Raging Bull .
