Boxer Archives - www.oldtimestrongman.com

Henry Cooper’s Bridge

Posted on Thursday, March 28th, 2019 by John Wood

British Heavyweight Boxer Bert Cooper is shown here doing neck bridges during a workout in December of 1960. Less than a week later, Cooper defeated Alex Miteff on points after 10 rounds at Wembley Arena. You’ll find other boxers similarly training their necks here and here.

Tom Owen

Posted on Thursday, August 16th, 2018 by John Wood

Tom Owen “The Fighting Oilman,” claimed the world bare-knuckle boxing championship with a victory (in 50 rounds!) over William “Bully” Hooper on November 14, 1796. Owen was a pub owner, oilman, and is widely credited with inventing the dumbbell.

Billie Miske

Posted on Wednesday, August 26th, 2015 by John Wood

Here’s a classic shot of boxer Billie Miskie training with a medicine ball, circa 1920. Miskie was deep in training to face the great Jack Dempsey for the World’s Heavyweight title in Benton Harbor, Michigan on September, 6th of that year (a fight Miskle lost by Knockout in the 3rd round, the only time he got knocked out in his entire career.) For you trivia buffs, this was the very first heavyweight title match that was ever broadcast on radio. Medicine ball training was always very popular with the oldtime boxers, and for very good reason.

Primo Carnera and His Globe Barbell

Posted on Wednesday, November 19th, 2014 by John Wood

You may know that “The Preem” Primo Carnera was the Heavyweight boxing Champion of the world from 1933-1934 but you probably didn’t know that he was also a performing strongman as well. He achieved a one-hand snatch of 220 pounds and could clean and jerk over 300 ~ pretty good for someone who was 6’6″.

Paul Anderson The Boxer

Posted on Monday, October 20th, 2014 by John Wood

After retiring from weightlifting, the great Paul Anderson took up professional boxing. The above shot was from his April, 1960 debut bout against Italian boxer Atillio Tondo. Anderson was able to floor his opponent three times but didn’t have the wind to go the distance and the fight was stopped in the third round. Anderson’s boxing career only lasted a few more fights, and his with overall record ending up 2 wins (both by KO) and 2 losses.

Primo Carnera

Posted on Friday, February 21st, 2014 by John Wood

Heavyweight champ Primo Carnera was a “strong man” as well as a strongman. Here’s “The Preem” doing a ‘Muscle Out’ of a pretty good size kid. I’d say that’s a hundred pounds at least. Strong shoulders obviously come in pretty handy in the ring.

‘The Great’ Joe Rollino

Posted on Tuesday, August 30th, 2011 by John Wood

Joe Rollino

Joe Rollino learned the strongman trade as an assistant to Warren Lincoln Travis at the famed Coney Island. In the 1920’s, Rollino branched out into his own strongman act.

Joe stood 5’5″ and weighed just under 150 pounds but possessed the strength of someone twice his size. He easily performed all the traditional feats of strength such as back lifting, finger lifting, nail bending, phonebook and playing card tearing and, shown here, bending a spike in his teeth. He once lifted 635 pounds with one finger.

Rollino was also a boxer under the name “Kid Dundee” and, like many strongmen of the day, was a very good hand balancer. Joe was a lifelong vegetarian and lived to 105 years old. He passed away a few years ago, not from sickness or disease but from getting hit by a van while crossing the street to pick up his morning paper.