Overview

"The One Is Jack Hurley is an epic, 3-volume, bio-history of boxing's Golden Age, beginning with Jack Dempsey in the 1910s and ending with George Foreman in 1970, as filtered through the life of Jack Hurley. Hurley began in Fargo just before World War I, worked in New York & Chicago from the mid-1920s through the '40s, and settled in Seattle in 1950. Hurley's life, more than any other, personifies boxing's journey out of the backrooms and bars of the 1900s, to the arenas and stadiums of the 1920s, '30s, & '40s, and into the parlors and family TV rooms of the 1950s & '60s. It is a history not only of one man's life but of the sport itself, a tale long neglected only because his career was so long and multifaceted. Volume 1, Son of Fargo, catalogs Hurley's years as a small-town promoter in the 1920s and his rise to prominence as manager of Billy Petrolle, the ""Fargo Express,"" whose slashing style made him a huge drawing card. Together, they stormed New York and captivated fans like few sports figures of the era. Early on, the story introduces Mike Gibbons, the Midwest's most famous sports idol, who recognized the similarites between boxing and bayonet fighting and designed a course incorporating boxing into the army's World War I combat regimen. Boxing's contributions to the war effort led New York to legalize the sport in 1920. The story traces the roles played by promoter Tex Rickard, heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey, and manager Doc Kearns in popularizing the sport. Discussed at length is the importance of Madison Square Garden as a mecca of boxing, and how glowing accounts of Rickard's weekly shows there, as reported in papers across the country, led fans to demand boxing be made legal elsewhere. Also cataloged is New York's practice requiring out-of-town managers to accept an ""Eastern representative"" before being granted fights in the city's major clubs. Presented here is the practice's evolution from its innocuous beginning in the 1920s as an informal self-help alliance of local managers to its emergence in the 1950s as a ruthlessly disciplined network organized to enrich the mob. When Petrolle took a break in 1929, Hurley moved to Chicago. Setting up a booking firm to represent 65 boxers, he packed enough action into an 8-month stay to last a lifetime, preparing White Sox first baseman Art Shires for a boxing career, furnishing foes for future heavyweight champion Primo Carnera, and guiding welterweight challenger Young Jack Thompson to a world title. Hurley's stopover in Chicago ended when Petrolle launched a comeback. Beginning with an upset over Jimmy McLarnin in November 1930, Billy ran up a string of wins in New York which made him the city's most popular fighter. Capping his run with three straight kayos, Petrolle earned a lightweight title bout in 1932 with Tony Canzoneri. Although hampered by weight difficulties and a sore elbow, Billy waged a fierce battle before dropping a 15-round verdict. Afterward, he retired in 1934 following a 10-round decision loss to Barney Ross. The narrative also traces the progression of heavyweight titleholders and describes the in-fighting between various promotional factions for control of boxing at Madison Square Garden. Receiving special treatment is Hurley's role in leading a manager's revolt against Garden boxing director James J. Johnston. Jack's obstinate stand opened the door for Mike Jacobs to unseat Johnston and establish the most powerful promotional dynasty in boxing history. Volume 1 covers Hurley's first 36 years as well as Petrolle's entire boxing career. It ends on a poignant note as Billy retires, with Jack wondering what the future holds after losing his meal ticket."

Full Product Details

9781532306365

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Reviews

"John Ochs set out to tell us the story of a fascinating life spent in boxing. He has succeeded, and in admirable fashion. But the finished product is far, far more than just the long-overdue biography of a legendary boxing manager and promoter. It is a veritable encyclopedia of the sport's halcyon era, as measured by the span of years between America's participation in World War I - Jack Hurley was among the millions of doughboys shipped to France - and Vietnam. These were Hurley's adult years. It was a time when boxing was always a major sport, when the media attention it received was always on a par, and often exceeded, that devoted to baseball and football. ... All the twists and turns of a whirlwind life spent barnstorming the rails and flight paths of America are meticulously detailed here. John Ochs, with a fervor seldom displayed by biographers, has chronicled, absorbingly and charmingly, the life of this singular and intriguing man who wound up being called ""The Deacon."" Damon Runyon said he had only ever known two honest fight managers: ""One is Jack Hurley, and I forget the name of the other one."" Here, in these action-packed pages describing the glory years of boxing and one of its most colorful disciples, you'll discover what Runyon had in mind. -- J Michael Kenyon, Excerpt from his Foreword. The author's attention to detail is top-notch, and he craftily lays the groundwork of the foundation and underlying influences that would later manifest themselves in Jack's life when the public came to know him as a savvy manager and promoter. (The coverage of Hurley's) childhood influences of outlandish publicity stunts of preacher Billy Sunday, as well as his awe of Fargo's first boxing star, Leo Kossick, help to show the reader what events triggered and inspired Hurley on his boxing path, as does the inclusion of such figures as Tex Rickard, Jack Kearns and Billy McCarney. The author also does a great job of educating the reader on the current events of the time period, which enhances the reading experience and provides proper perspective of events. ... Absolutely fantastic pictures throughout; some very rare, like those of Johnny Nichols, Russie LeRoy, Dago Joe Gans, and Earl Blue. Boxing historian Jake Wegner."

Author Information

JOHN OCHS, a Seattle native, worked as an attorney and in business until retiring in 2005 to write the Hurley tome. In addition to pursuing boxing history, he is a lifelong collector of vintage jazz and blues recordings, classical piano rolls, 16 mm films, and music and sports memorabilia with an emphasis on boxing. Most photos used in the project come from his collection. OCHS is a member of the International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) and currently serves on the Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee at Seattle University, a Jesuit institution classified athletically as an NCAA Division One school. A charter member and past secretary of the Puget Sound Traditional Jazz Society, he also has produced a handful of jazz recordings under the RhythmMaster record label.

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