Salamo Arouch
Posted: 07 Mar 2013, 17:17
After watching the brilliantly clever and sad film "Life Is Beautiful" I thought of another WW2 film, and the man who went through a living hell while in Auschwitz. Salamo Arouch was the subject of a motion picture entitled 'Triumph of The Spirit' where he was portrayed by Willem Dafoe. According to Salamo, he had 208 fights while in Auschwitz where he often times fought men who out weighed him by as much as 100 pounds. These contests were always 'to the finish' and the losers were most always put to death. If one doesn't pay close attention, they will miss a young Teddy Atlas as one of Dafoe's opponents in the film, as Atlas also acted as the boxing coordinator on the film.
According to Salamo, though he was 135 pounds and 5'6", when he was 17 years of age he became the 'light middleweight' champion of the Balkans. I wasn't aware such a division existed in those times, but regardless it seems he had a well documented and successful amateur record. Apparently by 1939 he was 24-0-0 (24) and was supposedly a member of the Greek Olympic boxing team. Combine this with his record at Auschwitz he had 232-0-2 (232) overall. He continued to box as an amateur until the 1950's, turning pro in 1955 losing by knockout at the advanced age of 32.
It's simply the most amazing story in boxing that I know of. A man who had to fight to the death (essentially) to get extra food rations, his entire family is murdered by the Nazis, and also had to work as a slave in such horrible, strenuous conditions. It is nothing short of a miracle the man was able to keep any sort of strength to him at all, and keep winning the way he did. One has to wonder, though, had he lived a normal life how far could he of made it as a pro. People want to talk about boxers having been robbed of their prime years due to exile or the military, etc. they have NOTHING to complain about as far as this man is concerned.
According to Salamo, though he was 135 pounds and 5'6", when he was 17 years of age he became the 'light middleweight' champion of the Balkans. I wasn't aware such a division existed in those times, but regardless it seems he had a well documented and successful amateur record. Apparently by 1939 he was 24-0-0 (24) and was supposedly a member of the Greek Olympic boxing team. Combine this with his record at Auschwitz he had 232-0-2 (232) overall. He continued to box as an amateur until the 1950's, turning pro in 1955 losing by knockout at the advanced age of 32.
It's simply the most amazing story in boxing that I know of. A man who had to fight to the death (essentially) to get extra food rations, his entire family is murdered by the Nazis, and also had to work as a slave in such horrible, strenuous conditions. It is nothing short of a miracle the man was able to keep any sort of strength to him at all, and keep winning the way he did. One has to wonder, though, had he lived a normal life how far could he of made it as a pro. People want to talk about boxers having been robbed of their prime years due to exile or the military, etc. they have NOTHING to complain about as far as this man is concerned.
