Abraham Simon (May 30, 1913 â€" October 24, 1969) was an American
professional heavyweight boxer. He fought Joe Louis for the world
heavyweight title twice. He was managed for most of his career by
Jimmy Johnston, and trained by Freddie Brown. In 1940, he was rated
the sixth best heavyweight in the world, and would rise higher in the
next two years. After retiring, he became an actor and had roles in
two of America's best known boxing movies, Academy Award winner On the
Waterfront, and Requiem for a Heavyweight.Simon was born to Jewish
parents Max and Rose in Richmond Hill, Queens, New York on May 30,
1913, and attended John Adams High School. He was a star lineman on
his high school football team and was an interscholastic shot-put
champion before taking up boxing. During a High School football game,
several boxing promoters in the crowd noticed his strength and told
him if he pursued boxing, he could have a lucrative career and they
could arrange for him to be trained by the legendary trainer and cut
man Freddie Brown. Brown trained many of boxing's greatest including
Italian champions Rocky Marciano, and Graziano, and later Larry Holmes
and Robert Duran. While pursuing his boxing career in his 20s he
worked as a police patrolman in Long Beach, New York.Making a stir in
his professional debut in March, 1935, at the age of 21, he knocked
out Jim Dowling at the Jamaica Arena in Queens, New York. According to
most sources, in an impressive display, he won his next thirteen
fights, and nearly all by knockout. His two most notable early career
losses against well known adversaries came against Lou Nova in 1936 in
a six-round points decision and the six-foot-six Buddy Baer, brother
of Max, who knocked him out in three rounds in 1937.In a rare loss on
January 22, 1940, he dropped a decision to Willie Reddish in a
well-attended match in Philadelphia. Simon was down twice in the
match, and Reddish was given eight of the ten rounds. Reddish peppered
Simon's body and jaw with left hooks and right swings, and won an easy
decision. In the prior month on December 6, 1939, Simon had defeated
Reddish in a fourth-round TKO in Philadelphia. As was not uncommon in
Simon's matches, he had a sizable weight advantage over his opponent,
in this instance a remarkable fifty-six pounds. The match took a turn
for the worse in the fourth when the two boxers' heads clashed, and
Reddish received a bad gash on his forehead, leading to the referee
ending the fight from a technical knockout in the fourth.
professional heavyweight boxer. He fought Joe Louis for the world
heavyweight title twice. He was managed for most of his career by
Jimmy Johnston, and trained by Freddie Brown. In 1940, he was rated
the sixth best heavyweight in the world, and would rise higher in the
next two years. After retiring, he became an actor and had roles in
two of America's best known boxing movies, Academy Award winner On the
Waterfront, and Requiem for a Heavyweight.Simon was born to Jewish
parents Max and Rose in Richmond Hill, Queens, New York on May 30,
1913, and attended John Adams High School. He was a star lineman on
his high school football team and was an interscholastic shot-put
champion before taking up boxing. During a High School football game,
several boxing promoters in the crowd noticed his strength and told
him if he pursued boxing, he could have a lucrative career and they
could arrange for him to be trained by the legendary trainer and cut
man Freddie Brown. Brown trained many of boxing's greatest including
Italian champions Rocky Marciano, and Graziano, and later Larry Holmes
and Robert Duran. While pursuing his boxing career in his 20s he
worked as a police patrolman in Long Beach, New York.Making a stir in
his professional debut in March, 1935, at the age of 21, he knocked
out Jim Dowling at the Jamaica Arena in Queens, New York. According to
most sources, in an impressive display, he won his next thirteen
fights, and nearly all by knockout. His two most notable early career
losses against well known adversaries came against Lou Nova in 1936 in
a six-round points decision and the six-foot-six Buddy Baer, brother
of Max, who knocked him out in three rounds in 1937.In a rare loss on
January 22, 1940, he dropped a decision to Willie Reddish in a
well-attended match in Philadelphia. Simon was down twice in the
match, and Reddish was given eight of the ten rounds. Reddish peppered
Simon's body and jaw with left hooks and right swings, and won an easy
decision. In the prior month on December 6, 1939, Simon had defeated
Reddish in a fourth-round TKO in Philadelphia. As was not uncommon in
Simon's matches, he had a sizable weight advantage over his opponent,
in this instance a remarkable fifty-six pounds. The match took a turn
for the worse in the fourth when the two boxers' heads clashed, and
Reddish received a bad gash on his forehead, leading to the referee
ending the fight from a technical knockout in the fourth.
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