Tommy Rawson Jr.
Name: Tommy Rawson
Birth Name: Tommy Rawson Jr
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Birthplace: East Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Died: 2003-09-16 (Age:94)
Judge: Record
Referee: Record
Pro Boxer: Record
Amateur Boxer: Record
Tommy Rawson, Jr was the son of prominent MA lightweight Tommy Rawson Sr. (1907-1922).
Thomas R. Rawson, Jr. passed away on September 16, 2003 at an age of 94. He fought 220 amateur bouts and 89 professional matches. In 1929, he won the national amateur junior lightweight championship. In 1936 he was professional lightweight champion of New England. Was a member of the Massachussetts State Boxing Commission for more than 20 years until he stepped down in 1993. He once estimated that he refereed more than 9,000 boxing matches.
(Source: Tom Long, The Boston Globe, Obituaries 03/09/19)
By Rich DiBona
Tommy Rawson was a successful amateur in the 1920s and a top professional in the lightweight division in the '30s. He later became a boxing coach at Harvard and worked for the Massachusetts boxing commission. He also refereed over the course of four decades. Rawson died at Wakefield-Melrose Hospital at the age of 94. Buried in Arlington, Massachusetts.
Rawson was a third generation boxer who won over 300 fights in his career. He went 222-5 as an amateur winning the junior national championship in 1929. He turned pro and won the AAU New England lightweight championship in 1935. He finished his 12-year pro career in 1941 with an 89-6 record when his wife convinced him to hang up his gloves. Rawson was also a good friend of world heavyweight champion Jack Johnson.
Rawson could never completely leave the sport. He coached the Harvard Boxing Club for over 60 years. He was a referee for over 30 years. He was a member of the boxing commission for over 20 years.
"He was a credit to boxing," said former boxer and state auditor Joseph DeNucci. "He protected fighters and he didn't cater to the promoters. He made sure everything was on the level and legitimate."