BoxRec

Boxing fan is looking for audio tapes on the fights of LEW JENKINS, lightweight champ from 1940-1941, especially when he fought LEW AMBERS, HENRY ARMSTRONG, and FRITZIE ZIVIC. Also looking for any other information, memorabilia on Lew Jenkins....

Lew Jenkins, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard during WWII,
reenlisted in the U.S. Army after he retired from the ring in 1950.
He was an infantry sergeant during the Korean Conflict, saw considerable combat and was awarded one of his country's highest awards for valor: Either the Bronze or Silver Star. I
believe he retired from the army after 20-years active duty.

Lew Jenkins was a wild man when he was a fighter. Admitted he came into the ring sometimes with a hangover or even a little swacked. Skinny with rope like arms but a terrific puncher..when he landed. Apparently he realized the military service gave him the structure he needed and he served well and with distinction.

If you read Budd Schullberg's novel THE HARDER THEY FALL, based on the career of Primo Carnera, you'll find a fighter in there inspired partially by Jenkins. Good book, very popular in its day, probably can be found by searching used book stores or even in a good library.

just read a great essay about lew jenkins by WC Heinz - what a campaigner!!
what do you think or know about jenkins?

burnt out too quickly, due to his alcoholism and numerous injuries inside and outside the ring. probably the hardest hitting man the division ever known, and also one of its toughest.

Great right hand and a ton of guts. A great champion who was managed by his wife, fought a title fight with a splintered collar bone and rode his motorcycle on the streets of Manhattan.

After he retired from the ring he was a career US Military, veteran of WWII and Korea.

One of my favorites.
What a wildman he was.He wound up a war hero.
When he got sick, I even sent him a get well card as his address was in Ring Magazine when he became ill.
His Wife sent me back a Mass /funeral card. He had already passed away.
I used to carry it around in my wallet
The wallet got stolen years later.I was more mad about losing that then any money that was in there.

Does anyone know of any footage of Jenkins anywhere?

He's usually portrayed as someone without much skill/defense, but with a helluva punch (perhaps like a lightweight Mayorga??). He obviously had some genuine potential, as he twice stopped Lou Ambers (no one else ever did), beat Bob Montgomery, held the larger Fritzie Zivic to a draw, and scored a few wins over other notable contenders in his very brief run at the top, all the while he was really just a blown up featherweight.

almost never mentioned as a great yet the above suggests he was just that.
in the piece i read he sometimes went into a bout as drunk as a skunk.

ridiculously brave in the ring and as a GI. i salute you lew

Sorry for the late reply but I just found this site.

Harrygreb -

W.C. Heinz was a terrific writer and a lifelong friend of my dad Lew Jenkins. He died last year.
I spoke to him several times on the telephone just prior to his death. He asked me to get a
copy of the article you probably read "GI Lew" , into the hands of Clint Eastwood. He thought
it would be the basis of a fantastic movie and that Eastwood was the person to do it.

I am not sure where you read it other than the original Argosy Magazine or possibly in the
W.C. Heinz book "Once they heard the Cheers" . It is also in a book called the "Best Sports Stories" 1952.
It has always been my favorite piece about my dad.

My Dad and Heinz were aboard a ship off the coast of Normandy just after D-Day and seemed to have
established a very interesting bond. They spoke all the time and Heinz visited us when we lived in
California . Actually their relationship would make an interesting movie ...

Expug -

Sorry to hear about that. I think I have those cards around somewhere if you send me your address
I will send you a replacement if you are still active on this board.

... Lew Jenkins

My2Sense wrote:Does anyone know of any footage of Jenkins anywhere?

.

There were newsreel movies of several of my fathers fights. He had a small collection of them. During WWII the US Army asked to borrow
them to make films for the troops. The reels were never returned to him and we have spent 50 years trying to find them. I'm sure they
are in a box in someones attic and will probably show up on EBay someday

... Lew

I have the audio files of his Zivic, Armstrong and Lello fights if you want to contact me.


...Lew Jenkins

If I remember correctly, Jenkins had a motorcyle accident in which he had a hairline fracture on a clavicle, yet refused to cancel the fight with Bob Montgomery and won.

Lew had a right hand that could knock out a horse and a heart that lion would envy.

He was a wild man but the military straightened him out.

WC Heinz was a terrific boxing writer and the co creator of MASH.

With a career record that reads, 76-42-6 (52 KO), Jenkins was one of those fighters whose record does not justify how good he really was when he was in top shape and took a fight completely serious and trained properly! Man could he hit. His two stoppages of Lou Ambers speak volumes as hard punchers like Henry Armstrong, Fritzie Zivic, Jimmy McLarnin, Pedro Montanez and Al Davis were not able to score a stoppage of Ambers, but Lew Jenkins did…twice!

your dad was a true little warrior and a giant of a man.



(i wish i could find some info on Al Tribuani)

lewjenkins wrote:

My2Sense wrote:Does anyone know of any footage of Jenkins anywhere?

.

There were newsreel movies of several of my fathers fights. He had a small collection of them. During WWII the US Army asked to borrow
them to make films for the troops. The reels were never returned to him and we have spent 50 years trying to find them. I'm sure they
are in a box in someones attic and will probably show up on EBay someday

... Lew

The US archives keeps a number of newsreels.