Sammy Luftspring
Encyclopedia
Sammy Luftspring was a Jewish Canadian boxer
. A former Canadian Welterweight Champion and highly ranked in the Welterweight class during his career, Luftspring was forced to retire from the sport due to an eye injury. He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
in 1985.
Tournaments in various weight classes ranging from bantamweight
to welterweight
.
By 1933, he was the Ontario
amateur lightweight
champion and regarded as one of the best amateur boxing talents.
In 1933, Luftspring was involved in the infamous Toronto Christie Pits Riots. A riot occurred at Christie Pits
Park following tensions that occurred during a series of amateur softball games. Fighting broke out between a group of young Jewish and Italian men and the local Swastika
Club, a group of Canadian Nazi sympathizers.
See Christie Pits
article and the reference for more information on the incident.
. He made his views on the subject public in a letter to the Toronto Globe. In the letter, he protested that "the German government was treating its Jewish brothers and sisters worse than dogs". He even went as far as to say that "the German government would exterminate Jews if they had the opportunity".
Luftspring and another boxer, Norman "Baby" Yack, attempted to participate in an alternate event being hosted that summer, the People's Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. The Spanish Civil War
broke out prior to the Games' opening ceremonies. The event caused the cancellation of the People's Olympics. By the time Luftspring found out about the cancellation, he had already reached Dieppe, France.
Luftspring, disappointed at not having a chance to compete, returned to Toronto.
In 1938, Luftspring knocked out Frank Genovese in the 13th round to win the Canadian welterweight championship. This was Ontario's first-ever scheduled 15-round fight. Luftspring held the Canadian title for two years. That title fight was one of four times Luftspring defeated Genovese in his career. Their rivalry was extremely competitive and one of the dominant storylines of Toronto boxing in the late 1930s.
That same year, he was ranked the number three welterweight boxer in the world. He was subsequently offered a chance to fight world champion Henry Armstrong
in 1940.
In a fight in New York against Steve Belloise, Luftspring was injured. He was thumbed in the eye. The medical diagnosis was a detached retina resulting in significant loss of vision in the eye. The fight was supposed to be a tune up for the championship bout against Armstrong. Luftspring was forced to quit boxing.
Details of his career record are unclear. Different reports have him winning 50 of either 55 or 56 pro bouts. More detailed records list him as 32–8 with 14 knockouts.
Eight years later, however, he became an accomplished referee based out of Toronto. Some of the prominent and memorable fights he refereed include:
Luftspring was also a nightclub
owner in Toronto. He, along with three partners Harry Eckler of the baseball hall of fame, Joe Krol of the football hall of fame and their friend Lou, opened the Mercury Club on Dundas Street, near Bay Street
, in Toronto. It was a successful club, which saw acts such as Henny Youngman
, Vic Damone
and Tony Bennett
.
After a lengthy illness, Luftspring died on September 27, 2000.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. A former Canadian Welterweight Champion and highly ranked in the Welterweight class during his career, Luftspring was forced to retire from the sport due to an eye injury. He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
in 1985.
Early career
Luftspring was born and raised in a low class residential area of Toronto. It was home to many Eastern European (primarily Jewish) and Italian immigrants. He began his boxing career in 1932 out of Brunswick Talmud Torah, a local Toronto Jewish community and recreational centre. Throughout his career, he wore a Magen David on his trunks. Over the next four years, he fought 105 times (attaining a record of 100–5) and captured Golden GlovesGolden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
Tournaments in various weight classes ranging from bantamweight
Bantamweight
Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
to welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
.
By 1933, he was the Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
amateur lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
champion and regarded as one of the best amateur boxing talents.
In 1933, Luftspring was involved in the infamous Toronto Christie Pits Riots. A riot occurred at Christie Pits
Christie Pits
Christie Pits Park, originally Willowvale Park, is a Toronto public recreational area located at 750 Bloor Street West at Christie Street, just west from the TTC Christie subway station...
Park following tensions that occurred during a series of amateur softball games. Fighting broke out between a group of young Jewish and Italian men and the local Swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
Club, a group of Canadian Nazi sympathizers.
See Christie Pits
Christie Pits
Christie Pits Park, originally Willowvale Park, is a Toronto public recreational area located at 750 Bloor Street West at Christie Street, just west from the TTC Christie subway station...
article and the reference for more information on the incident.
1936 Berlin Olympics Boycott
Luftspring was named to Canada's Olympic team for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. At the encouragement of his parents, he refused to attend the Games in protest over the poor treatment Jews were receiving in Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. He made his views on the subject public in a letter to the Toronto Globe. In the letter, he protested that "the German government was treating its Jewish brothers and sisters worse than dogs". He even went as far as to say that "the German government would exterminate Jews if they had the opportunity".
Luftspring and another boxer, Norman "Baby" Yack, attempted to participate in an alternate event being hosted that summer, the People's Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. The Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
broke out prior to the Games' opening ceremonies. The event caused the cancellation of the People's Olympics. By the time Luftspring found out about the cancellation, he had already reached Dieppe, France.
Luftspring, disappointed at not having a chance to compete, returned to Toronto.
Professional career
Luftspring began to box professionally in the fall of 1936. A year later, he fought Gordon Wallace for the Canadian welterweight championship. He lost to Wallace in a 10-round decision.In 1938, Luftspring knocked out Frank Genovese in the 13th round to win the Canadian welterweight championship. This was Ontario's first-ever scheduled 15-round fight. Luftspring held the Canadian title for two years. That title fight was one of four times Luftspring defeated Genovese in his career. Their rivalry was extremely competitive and one of the dominant storylines of Toronto boxing in the late 1930s.
That same year, he was ranked the number three welterweight boxer in the world. He was subsequently offered a chance to fight world champion Henry Armstrong
Henry Armstrong
Henry Jackson Jr. was a world boxing champion who fought under the name Henry Armstrong. He is universally regarded as one of the greatest fighters of all time by many boxing critics and fellow professionals.Henry Jr...
in 1940.
In a fight in New York against Steve Belloise, Luftspring was injured. He was thumbed in the eye. The medical diagnosis was a detached retina resulting in significant loss of vision in the eye. The fight was supposed to be a tune up for the championship bout against Armstrong. Luftspring was forced to quit boxing.
Details of his career record are unclear. Different reports have him winning 50 of either 55 or 56 pro bouts. More detailed records list him as 32–8 with 14 knockouts.
Post-boxing activities
Luftspring struggled to establish himself immediately after boxing. He became a taxicab driver and then a representative for a liquor company.Eight years later, however, he became an accomplished referee based out of Toronto. Some of the prominent and memorable fights he refereed include:
- September 15, 1958 – The Canadian heavyweight title match between George ChuvaloGeorge ChuvaloGeorge Louis Chuvalo, CM is a retired Canadian heavyweight boxer who was never knocked down in ninety-three professional fights between 1956 and 1979. He is often considered to have had the greatest chin in the history of boxing and to be one of its most durable fighters...
and James J. Parker at Maple Leaf GardensMaple Leaf GardensMaple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
. - October 1, 1965 – The WBAWorld Boxing AssociationThe World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
heavyweightHeavyweightHeavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
title match between George Chuvalo and Ernie TerrellErnie TerrellErnie Terrell is an American singer, record producer, and former World Boxing Association heavyweight boxing champion. At , he was very tall, by the standards of the day....
at Maple Leaf Gardens. - January 27, 1970 – A bout between Humberto Trottman and Clyde Gray at Royal York HotelFairmont Royal YorkThe Fairmont Royal York Hotel, formerly the Royal York Hotel and still often so called, is a large and historic hotel in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at 100 Front Street West. Opened on June 11, 1929, the Royal York was designed by Ross and Macdonald and built by the Canadian Pacific Railway...
in which an upset Trottman, thinking Luftspring was interfering with his style, took a swing at him. Luftspring responded with a bare-knuckleBare-knuckle boxingBare-knuckle boxing is the original form of boxing, closely related to ancient combat sports...
left hookHook (boxing)A hook is a punch in boxing. It is performed by turning the core muscles and back, thereby swinging the arm, which is bent at an angle near or at 90 degrees, in a horizontal arc into the opponent...
off the side of Trottman's head, forcing Trottman's manager to race into the ring and intervene.
Luftspring was also a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
owner in Toronto. He, along with three partners Harry Eckler of the baseball hall of fame, Joe Krol of the football hall of fame and their friend Lou, opened the Mercury Club on Dundas Street, near Bay Street
Bay Street
Bay Street, originally known as Bear Street, is a major thoroughfare in Downtown Toronto. It is the centre of Toronto's Financial District and is often used by metonymy to refer to Canada's financial industry since succeeding Montreal's St. James Street in that role in the 1970s...
, in Toronto. It was a successful club, which saw acts such as Henny Youngman
Henny Youngman
Henry "Henny" Youngman was a British-born American comedian and violinist famous for "one-liners", short, simple jokes usually delivered rapid-fire...
, Vic Damone
Vic Damone
Vic Damone is an American singer and entertainer.- Early life :Damone was born Vito Rocco Farinola in Brooklyn, New York to French-Italian immigrants based in Bari, Italy—Rocco and Mamie Farinola. His father was an electrician; and his mother taught piano. His cousin was the actress and singer...
and Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
.
After a lengthy illness, Luftspring died on September 27, 2000.
Career highlights
- 1933 – Ontario Amateur Lightweight Boxing Champion
- 1936 – Named to the Canadian Olympic Boxing Team (ELECTED NOT TO COMPETE)
- 1938 – Canadian Welterweight Boxing Champion
- 1985 – Inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of FameCanada's Sports Hall of FameCanada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
Autobiography
- Call Me Sammy – Sammy Luftspring with Brian Swarbrick, Prentice-Hall Canada Ltd., 1975—ISBN 0131126490