Lamotta Rematches

[tagjohnson]

I was just looking over Jake Lamotta's record and he fought a lot of rematches for some reason and I'm not talking about Sugar ray Robinson either. Does anybody have any idea why?

[gilgamesh]

Rematches weren't uncommon for fighters in that era. Several fighters fought several opponents, several times.

Ezzard Charles for instance fought Joey Maxim at least 4 times. Maybe 5....beat him every time. In the modern era they wouldn't match guys up that many times once it had become clear that one of them was definitely the better fighter, but back in those days when guys fought so regularly it wasn't always easy to find suitable opponents so they often had to fight the same tough S.O.B's multiple times.

[tagjohnson]

Understandable but five fights with Lorenzo Strickland?

[klompton]

Because a war was on, most young men of fighting age were in the armed services or industry fueling the war effort. Fighters had to eat and fans still wanted entertainment so you fought who you could. Sometimes that meant recycling opponents.

[Ambling Alp II]

What gilgamesh and klompton said makes ense.
But as tag said "Understandable but five fights with Lorenzo Strickland?"
That does seem pretty silly.

He fought Zivic several times but that makes some sense.

[HomicideHenry]

Insane as that sounds, I know of a more extensive "rivalry" in boxing where two Australian boxers fought over a dozen times.

[klompton]

What gilgamesh and klompton said makes ense.
But as tag said "Understandable but five fights with Lorenzo Strickland?"
That does seem pretty silly.

He fought Zivic several times but that makes some sense.

Its up to promoters to make matches. If thats the match they wanted, particularly on an undercard, then thats the match you take. In that era if you turned down what was offered you you starved. Thats actually why LaMotta bought his own arena and promoted his and other fights.