Barney Ross was an American professional boxer. Ross became a world champion in three weight divisions and was a decorated veteran of World War II.
Background
Dov-Ber (or Beryl) Rosofsky was born in New York City to Isidore "Itchik" Rosofsky and Sarah Epstein Rosofsky. His father was a Talmudic scholar who had emigrated to America from his native Brest-Litovsk after barely surviving a pogrom. The family then moved from New York to Chicago. Isidore became a rabbi and owner of a small vegetable shop in Chicago's Maxwell Street neighborhood, a vibrant Jewish ghetto akin to the New York's Lower East Side of the 1920s and '30s. Dov-Ber was being raised to follow in his footsteps.
Education
The young Rasofsky grew up on Chicago's mean streets, ultimately ignoring his father's desire for him to become a rabbi and his admonition that Jews do not resort to violence. "'Let the goyim be the fighters,'" Ross later recalled being told by his father. "'The trumbeniks, the murderers – we are the scholars.'" Ross's ambition in life was to become a Jewish teacher and a Talmudic scholar, but his life was changed forever when his father was shot dead resisting a robbery at his small grocery. Prostrate from grief, his mother Sarah suffered a nervous breakdown and his younger siblings—Ida, Sam and George-were placed in an orphanage or farmed out to other members of the extended family. Dov was left to his own devices at the age of 14.
As recounted in Barney Ross: The Life of A Jewish Fighter, by Ross biographer Douglas Century, in the wake of the tragedy, Dov became vindictive towards everything and turned his back on the orthodox religion of his father. He began running around with local toughs (including another wayward Jewish ghetto kid, the future Jack Ruby), developing into a street brawler, thief and money runner; he was even employed by Al Capone. Dov's goal was to earn enough money to buy a home so that he could reunite his family. He saw boxing as that vehicle and began training with his friend Ruby.
Career
After winning amateur bouts, Dov would pawn the awards—like watches—and set the money aside for his family. There is speculation that Capone bought up tickets to his early fights, knowing some of that money would be funneled to Dov. Plagued by his father's death and feeling an obligation not to sully his name, Dov Rosofsky took the new name "Barney Ross." The name change was also part of a larger trend by Jews to assimilate in the U.S. by taking American-sounding names. Strong, fast and possessed of a powerful will, Ross was soon an Intercity Golden Gloves and Chicago Golden Gloves champion in 1929 at the age of 19 and went on to dominate the lighter divisions as a pro.
At a time—the late 1920s and '30s—when rising Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was using propaganda to spread his virulently anti-Jewish philosophy, Ross was seen by American Jews as one of their greatest advocates. He represented the concept of Jews finally fighting back. Idolized and respected by all Americans, Ross showed that Jews could thrive in their new country. He made his stand against Hitler and Nazi Germany a public one. He knew that by winning boxing matches, he was displaying a new kind of strength for Jews. He also understood that Americans loved their sports heroes and if Jews wanted to be embraced in the U.S. they would have to assume such places in society. Though Ross had lost faith in religion, he openly embraced his role as a leader of his people.
Ross is unique in boxing as one of its few triple division champions—lightweight, light welterweight and welterweight. He was never knocked out in 81 fights and held his title against some of the best competition in the history of the sport. Ross defeated great Hall-of-Fame champions like Jimmy McLarnin and Tony Canzoneri in epic battles that drew crowds of more than 50,000.
His first paid fight was on September 1, 1929, when he beat Ramon Lugo by a decision in six rounds. After ten wins in a row, he lost for the first time, to Carlos García, on a decision in ten.
Over the next 35 bouts, his record was 32–1–2, including a win over former world champion Battling Battalino and one over Babe Ruth (not the baseball player). Another bout included former world champion Cameron Welter. On March 26, 1933, Ross had his first world title bout when he faced world lightweight and light welterweight champion and fellow three-division world champion Tony Canzoneri in Chicago. In one night, Ross became a two-division world champion when he beat Canzoneri by decision in ten rounds. Ross also campaigned heavily in the city of Chicago prior to the fight. After two more wins, including a knockout in six rounds over Johnny Farr, Ross and Canzoneri boxed again, with Ross winning again by decision, but this time in 15.
In his last fight, Ross defended his title on May 31, 1938 against fellow three-division world champion Henry Armstrong, who beat him by a decision in 15. Although Armstrong pounded Ross inexorably and his trainers begged him to let them stop the fight, Ross refused to stop or go down. Barney Ross had never been knocked out in his career and was determined to leave the ring on his feet. Some boxing experts view Ross's performance against Armstrong as one of the most courageous in history. Some believe that Ross's will to survive every tough fight on his feet had to do with his understanding of his symbolic importance to Jews. That is, Jews would not only fight back, but they would not go down.
Ross retired with a record of 72 wins, four losses, three draws and two no decisions (Newspaper Decisions: 2-0-0), with 22 wins by knockout. He was ranked #21 on Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years.
After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Ross enlisted in the U.S. Marines and became a much-decorated veteran. He was 32-years-old and had to obtain a special waiver on the usual requirement that Marines be 30 or under.
Although he was assigned to work as a boxing instructor, he requested that he be sent into combat. He was sent to Guadalcanal Island, where one of the most brutal U.S. military engagements ever took place against the Japanese.
On November 19, 1942, Ross and three comrades were out on patrol and were attacked by Japanese troops. His three fellow Marines were wounded and Ross shepherded them into a crater hole where he protected them throughout the night. He fired over 200 rounds of ammunition and was credited with having killed seven Japanese snipers and about 10 probables. By the morning, two of his colleagues had died and he was able to carry the sole survivor to safety. For these exploits, Ross received the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and a Presidential Citation.
While Ross was in a military hospital recovering from the wounds he received on Guadalcanal Island, as well as a bad case of malaria, he was treated with morphine and became addicted. At the height of his addiction, the habit was costing him up to $500 per day. In September 1946, he voluntarily appeared in the U.S. Marshal's office in New York and asked to be admitted into a federal drug treatment facility. Ross was admitted to the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital near Lexington, Kentucky. He was discharged by Dr. Victor M. Vogel in January 1947. Some doctors predicted that it would take Ross a year to get clean, but he kicked the habit in four months.
Views
Quotations:
Barney Ross said: "All the years since Pa’s death I had fed on bitterness and hatred, and now although I had accomplished all I had set out to do, I still found no peace. Despite Ma’s assertion that Pa was looking down on me with pride, I couldn’t believe it. I wouldn’t admit it, even to myself, but deep down I knew the reason for this feeling. I didn’t feel right — I never had felt right — since I’d throw n over the religion Pa had given me."
Describing his style Ross said, “I couldn’t hit hard, but I could hit them more than they hit me. I made them fight my fight."
Personality
Physical Characteristics:
Barney Ross stayed at 170cm height and weighed 63,5kg during his prime.
Quotes from others about the person
His friend, Frederic P. Gehring, the Roman Catholic chaplain on Guadalcanal, said of him "For all of his fighting heart, Barney was a gentle and devoutly religious man. His Orthodox Jewish faith was the rock that sustained him and enabled him to overcome calamities that would have crushed other men.”