Jake LaMotta, the boxing legend whose life story became the basis of Martin Scorsese’s classic film “Raging Bull,” died Tuesday in Miami. He was 95.
LaMotta’s wife, Denise Baker, told ABC News her husband died in a nursing home from complications linked to pneumonia. The family is currently planning a memorial and funeral, but nothing official has been announced.
Robert De Niro, who won an Oscar playing LaMotta in “Raging Bull,” released this statement: “Rest in Peace, Champ.”
During a professional career that lasted 13 years from 1941 to 1954, LaMotta racked up a record of 83 wins, 19 losses and four draws, with 30 knockouts. A member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, LaMotta was known for absorbing great punishment from his opponents. He was knocked down just once in his career, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
LaMotta told Esquire in 2012 he had convinced his body that no one could hurt him.
“I might’ve gotten cut, stitches over my eyes. Broken nose. Broken hands. But I never really got hurt,” he said.
His boxing career is most celebrated for his six-fight rivalry with Sugar Ray Robinson; LaMotta won just once. In 1949, he earned the world middleweight title when he defeated Marcel Cerdan, but later testified that he’d earned that title partly by taking a dive in a 1947 bout with Billy Fox, which paid $20,000, per THR.
After he retired, LaMotta worked as a comedian, a bar manager and an actor, nabbing over a dozen roles that included a bartender in the 1961 Paul Newman film, “The Hustler.”
In 1980, Martin Scorsese turned LaMotta’s 1970 memoir, Raging Bull: My Story, into a feature film that was nominated for Best Picture and won De Niro his second Oscar.
LaMotta was married seven times; he wed Baker in 2013.
Miami Heat president Pat Riley rebuked comments Jimmy Butler made about the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, while also implying that his star needs to play more.
Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman discuss the Padres-Marlins trade that sent Luis Arraez to San Diego, as well as recap all the action from this weekend in baseball and send birthday wishes to hall-of-famer Willie Mays.
Netflix's "The Roast of Tom Brady, AKA The Greatest Roast of All Time" featured the legendary NFL quarterback taking jokes about his divorce and good looks, along with teammates like Rob Gronkowski.
The news many fantasy baseball managers and MLB fans have been waiting for is here: The No. 1 prospect in baseball is coming to The Show. Scott Pianowski gives his take.
The NBA MVP race doesn't always go hand-in-hand with the fantasy basketball one. Dan Titus makes the case for three underrated winners who made it happen this season.
We are just one week away from all the projections, rumors and lies from being put to rest. The Draft is almost there. We put a bow on our 'Draft Deep Dive' series with Yahoo's draft guru Charles McDonald by looking at the top TE and OL prospects in this year's draft.