75 years ago

Date: 16th June 1949

Venue: Briggs Stadium, Detroit, Michigan

Title: NBA World Middleweight Title

Promoter: International Boxing Club

Marcel Cerdan
( 111 - 3 - 0 )
Weight: 159½ lbs

Jake LaMotta
( 72 - 13 - 3 )
Weight: 158¼ lbs

On June 16, 1949, Marcel Cerdan and Jake LaMotta faced each other for the World Middleweight Championship at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan. The fight, promoted by the International Boxing Club (IBC), was postponed for one day due to rain.

A crowd of 22,183 attended the event, generating a gross gate of $150,762 and a net gate of $127,810. Cerdan, the 2-to-1 favourite, received $51,124, while LaMotta earned $19,171.50.

In the first round, LaMotta threw Cerdan to the canvas, injuring his left shoulder. Despite the injury and a severe beating in the opening round, Cerdan won the second round decisively and the third and fifth rounds by smaller margins. However, the shoulder injury severely hampered Cerdan's ability to defend himself and execute his usual tactics.

LaMotta also suffered an injury during the fight, sustaining a sizeable swelling on his left hand, possibly a fracture, around the third or fourth round. Nevertheless, he managed to land 104 punches in the ninth round, while Cerdan could barely throw a punch.

After the ninth round, Cerdan's corner ultimately stopped the fight, resulting in a technical knockout victory for LaMotta, who became the new World Middleweight Champion.

A rematch was scheduled for September 28, 1949, but was postponed to December 2 due to a shoulder injury suffered by LaMotta. Tragically, Cerdan died in a plane crash in the Azores on October 27, 1949, while en route to the United States to train for the rematch.

Years later, in 1960, LaMotta testified before a Senate subcommittee that he had agreed to throw a 1947 fight against Billy Fox and pay the mob $20,000 to secure a shot at the middleweight title. In a 1970 interview, LaMotta disputed the claim that Cerdan quit due to a shoulder injury, stating that "something's bound to happen" in a tough fight, and a champion must persevere.