Tony Galento -vs- Lou Nova 9/15/39

Tony “Two-Ton” Galento -vs- Lou Nova

Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

September 15, 1939

Restored NBC Radio Broadcast

1 Hour 10 Minutes

Two years into Joe Louis reign as heavyweight Champion in 1939, there were a series of title elimination fights among the top contenders including Max Baer, Tony Galento and Lou Nova.  The Baer-Nova and Baer-Galento fights survive on film, but Tony Galento’s upset against Lou Nova has not been shown in public since the 1940s.  Nova was the rising star of the division, and having defeated Baer several months earlier, Nova was expected to beat Galento for a title shot at Louis.

The Fight

Recently described in an excellent article by Clarence George on boxing.com, The Galento-Nova fight quickly became a streetfight, with fouling, wrestling and the two fighters tumbling together to the canvas several times during the fight.  Galento thumbed Nova early in the fight and in addition to suffering an eye cut, Nova never gained the upper hand.  Ring Magazine described the fight as “discraceful”, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t exciting.

The Broadcast

A representative at ESPN told me that a film clip of the fight survives, but the footage remains elusive.   However, several years ago I purchased a number of old radio broadcast tapes, and when I looked through them recently I discovered this recording of the Galento-Nova fight.  The NBC live broadcast is hosted by Bill Stern, and runs over an hour, including prefight ring intros, trash talk during the refs instructions, and the 14 round blow by blow fight call by Ben Taub. An elated Galento and disappointed Nova are briefly interviewed in the postfight.  The controversy over the fight apparently came in the newspaper reports later.  The radio call made by Stern and Taub is exciting to hear, but they raise no questions about the action itself.

The Restoration

The tape cuts in several spots, but no more than a minute appears to be missing.  The broadcast is otherwise complete.  The audio suffered from generation loss, hiss and lack of low end.  I transferred the analog tape to a digital file.  With several editing tools I was able to bring some clarity back to the sound and reduce the noise level.  It was a pleasure bringing this fight brought back to life.

I have added period images and several photos of the fight for the video portion.  Otherwise, grab a beer, turn the lights down and enjoy the fight!

Joe Louis vs Tony “Two Ton” Galento 1939

Joe Louis vs Tony “Two Ton” Galento

World Heavyweight Championship

Yankee Stadium, New York, June 28, 1939

16mm Sound, Theatrical Release

The Fight

The more I learn about Tony Galento, the more I like him, though I still wouldn’t have rooted for him.  He was one of the roughest, meanest boxers ever, who made the most of his tools, which included a tank-like physique, an iron chin, a clubbing left hook and general contempt for his opponents.  He was one of the most colorful boxers of any era, who understood that humor mixed with attitude sells tickets.  Galento’s boxing record is mixed, but after a string of knockouts, Tony was signed to fight champion Joe Louis in 1939.  Few gave the New Jersey bar owner a “f’n” chance.  But Galento roared into Louis in the first round, and took it to the champ for the following three.  In the third round, Galento caught Louis with a left hook, and partly off balance, Louis went down for a one count.  By the Fourth round Louis had learned to punch inside Galento’s left hook, and at point blank range, the Brown Bomber cut Tony to pieces.

The Film

The film of this fight has been circulated and shown on TV for years, but most often as a 10 minute highlight.  This edition of the film is the complete theatrical version that was shown movie theatres in 1939, which includes all four rounds, as well as pre and post fight, plus interviews.  Before acquiring this 16mm print, I had never seen the prefight instructions, which includes Tony’s complaints about Louis’s hair not being wiped down.  Showing no respect, Galento runs his glove across Louis’s head.  Louis’s trainer, Joe Blackburn responds by reaching over to wipe Galento’s head in retaliation.  If Louis was intimidated, he didn’t show it.

The Restoration

Most prints of this fight film are poor, stark and overexposed.  The 16mm print I have is above average in quality. Sections appear well photographed, while others are bright or very dark.  This is not the entire film, but I have included the rarely seen portions.