"Tiger" Ted Lowry, man who fought Marciano, Moore, and Louis, his interview

[Abe Attell]

Good interview...pay attention to the interview at
7:30 (time)

http://www.thesweetscience.com/rmcli...ry-20060608.rm

[Kid Achilles]

That guy is the most coherent and clear speaking fighter post career fighter I've ever heard in my life. 87 years old? He moves and sounds like a healthy man in his 60's or early 70's.

Just got to the part about the German POW's and how they were allowed to sit at the front while he, a solider in the US military, was forced to be back. Wow, absolutely sickening.

[Abe Attell]

My thoughts exactly...he sounds very well rounded...They should really find as many former fighters and get interviews before they go under. So many stories to be told.

[realheavyhands]

archie moore is the most underrated great fighter ever...

[Kid Achilles]

Abe I agree with you so much. There are so many amazing stories these older guys can tell us. I try to bring up boxing whenever appropriate with almost every older person I come across.

[phallus]

the coach at the amateur boxing club in my town is very old, well over 70, it's hard to tell from looking at him though, anyway, talking to that guy is awesome, when i was training for the amateurs he once said to me
" once u start boxing it gets in your blood "

that old man is ****ing cool

[Yogi]

For my buddy, Butterfly, if he sees it;


"MARCIANO GETS DECISION OVER LOWRY

ROCKY'S SHOWING IS WEAK AGAINST VETERAN BOXER

Brockton Boy Just Weathers Early Storm, The Foe's Attacks Slackens

There were strange developments and questions left unanswered as Rocky Marciano, undefeated young Brockton heavyweight, was awarded a unanimous decision over Tiger Ted Lowry of New Haven in their 10-rounder at the Auditorium last night. Marciano, in the first place, did not win the fight, as this observer saw it. This reporter gave it to Lowry, 6 rounds to 4, but this wasn't the dilemma - hardly. There were some questions as to whether Lowry, who came close to knocking out Marciano in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rounds, deliberately had bogged in his attack after the 4th stanza. Many in the crowd felt he had. As it was, the referee, Ben Maculan, warned Lowry three times to open up. In the 5th, he bellowed, "Open up, or I'll toss you out" and twice similiarly threatened him in the 7th. If Lowry had not punched with the vigor he did in the first four stanzas, this observer unhesitantly would say that Lowry intentionally slowed up. But Lowry punched as though bent on making a kill in the early stages. The wonder of it was that Marciano withstood the punishment he took. Lowry stung him with two terrific rights in the 1st. He rocked him with two vicious uppercuts in the 2nd, either of which would have finished a less durable boxer. And in the 4th, Lowry had Marciano in such a bad way that it appeared it would be only a matter of time before he would complete his kill.

Lowry stopped using his uppercut after the 4th, however. He went into a shell and only occasionally landed power shots. He seemed to be carrying Marciano. The crowd booed and Maculan, not liking what he saw, stormed at Lowry, who responded with a passive look. It may have been that Lowry, nine year ring veteran, tired. It may have been that he weakened from Marciano's unending body attack, but whatever the reason, there was an appreciable decline in his offensive operations in the 2nd half of the fight and it didn't look good to the crowd, nor to this observer.

The bout ended on an exciting note, with Marciano tossing a punch after the bell and Lowry, seemingly aroused, wanting to continue. The referee stepped in and stopped the overtime hostilities. Lowry came close to flattening Rocky just before the finish with a right hook. Marciano rocked, but regained his balance. Lowry all but shattered the aura of invincibility that has been built around Marciano by the manner in which he pelted him in the early stanzas. The bout, though it probably will do Marciano much good, showed that he isn't ready for major opoosition. Marciano, who had won 19 of his previous 20 fights on knockouts, did not have his punch last night. Lowry took the steam out of him with his early blitz. There were times when Rocky merely pawed at his opponent and he carried a worried look after the 2nd round. He was much busier of the two however, particularily after the 4th. He landed three punches to Lowry's one from the 5th round on, concentrating wholly on the body. His aggressiveness and constant punching probably was what caught the eye of the three officials, but his thrusts lacked sting to be effective. Many should have been discounted altogether."

- The Providence Journal, Oct 11th, 1949


I had to add a little something, because I wasn't able to hear the interview with me not having RealPlayer installed.

[Kid Achilles]

Lowry refers to Marciano taking him out of his style by not coming directly at him in the later rounds. According to Lowry himself, Marciano fighting in his crouch played right into his hands by being at the perfect level for his uppercuts early, but then he changed up half way through (Lowry says he began moving to the sides more, and not coming straight forward in the interview) and took Lowry out of his counter punching element. I think Lowry was afraid of throwing later on because he was afraid of eating a big Marciano left or right hand. Lowry says in that interview that Marciano didn't land a headshot in the entire fight, but that one punch that hit him in the arm almost made it completely numb.

Seems to me it was a simple case of Lowry winning the early rounds and then Marciano switching up his strategy a little and Lowry not wanting to press the issue and risk losing a fight he figured he was ahead on points in.

I wish there was film of this fight. This and the first LaStarza fight were the two that Marciano came the closest to losing in, if I recall correctly.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

I have actually known Tiger Ted since 1983...in my first official amateur fight I fought and defeated one of his boxers. I ended up fighting several more of his guys over the years and there was definitely a time back then when he had one of the strongest amateur teams in the whole area.....a ton of tough kids came out of that gym. Ted is also one of the nicest people i have ever met in boxing.

[Kid Achilles]

John did he ever talk to you about trading leather with Moore, Marciano, and Louis? I'd love to hear more about the Louis (I know it was only an exhibition but he was still in there with Joe) and Marciano fights.