Boxing legend Jake LaMotta dies at 95

Boxing legend Jake LaMotta, the fighter who inspired the movie Raging Bull, has died at the age of 95, Skysports reports.

LaMotta passed away on Tuesday in a Miami-area nursing home after suffering complications from a bout of pneumonia, according to his fiancee Denise.



The New York-born fighter had 106 professional bouts and earned his ‘Bronx Bull’ nickname for the rough-house style which took him to the world middleweight title.

LaMotta compiled an 83-19-4 record with 30 knockouts in 13 years, but is best known for a six-fight series against the great Sugar Ray Robinson.

Although Robinson won that series 5-1, LaMotta was able to inflict a first career defeat on him in February 1943 before losing to the same man a matter of three weeks later.

Robinson also took the world middleweight title from him in 1950 – in a fight known as the St Valentine’s Day Massacre – after he had defended the belt in incredible fashion when knocking out Laurent Dauthuille 13 seconds from the end of a 15-round bout in which LaMotta had taken almost constant punishment.

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