LaMotta purposely tried to disfigure opponent because wife said he was handsome

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Jake LaMotta vs. Tony Janiro

1947-06-06 : Jake LaMotta 154½ lbs beat Tony Janiro 149¼ lbs by UD in round 10 of 10

• Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, USA
• Referee: Ruby Goldstein 8-1
• Judge: Frank Forbes 7-3
• Judge: George LeCron 8-2

"Jake LaMotta of the Bronx pared himself down to the lowest weight limit of his career - 154 1/2 pounds - and came on to win the unanimous 10 round decision over Tony Janiro of Youngstown, Ohio, at MSG. Young Janiro, 149 1/4, was on his back at the count of four when the final bell sounded ending the 10th round. It was the second time Janiro had been on the floor during the Garden scrap. In the very first round, a whistling left hook caught Janiro under the chin and dumped him to the canvas for a no count. Janiro gave veteran LaMotta a great fight. Although it was Tony's first venture into the middleweight division, Tony's terrific bombardment to the head threatened to knock out LaMotta in the 5th and 6th rounds. But the fact that Tony's punch lacked authority, contributed to his undoing." -United Press

• LaMotta agreed to come in under 155 pounds for this bout or to sacrifice a forfeit of $15,000.

Post fight comment

• "The kid ain't human!" -Jake LaMotta, regarding the beating Janiro absorbed.