A CRAZY STANLEY KETCHEL STORY: THE EARLY YEARS

Before the future middleweight champion ever put on a boxing glove, he was "riding the rails" and sleeping in boxcars, and at age 13, he almost died during his perilous journeys.
Watch to get details.

[@mrmoon1482]

Brilliant, thanks for this story,

[@carlcarlson1369]

Great video sir keep it up❤

[@frankramos3640]

A Great Story!!!!! Thank You!

[@BruceAChristie]

Outstanding story and pictures. I had no idea how short a life he lived, measured by time. He certainly made the most of his sojourn here.

[@ET-RAMBLINGS]

Thanks, Bruce. Journalist Ring Gardner wrote this: “Stanley Ketchel was 24 years old when he was fatally shot in the back by the common-law husband of the lady who was cooking his breakfast.”

[@carlcarlson1369]

3 Doors Down on 54th between 2nd and 3rd Bay Ridge Brooklyn Maddie Matthews what's the welterweight champ of the world?😅❤😊

[@pugil1st]

Hi ET, this is Chris LaForce. Thanks for sharing this emotional tale from Ketchel's early years. I read about it long ago in Fleischer's book, but your version nearly had me in tears. I want to add that one story Nat (and Mr. Mora) told about Stanley is evidently NOT true. This was the supposed exhibition between Ketchel (then called "Kid" Ketchell) and Tommy Ryan in Butte, Montana in 1906. Ryan was also briefly in Montana in 1903. While working on my upcoming biography of Tommy Ryan, I pored through every page of every Butte and nearby paper from that time, and found no account of a Ryan-Ketchel match. It was actually scheduled at one time in early 1906, however. I love your channel, keep it going!

[@ET-RAMBLINGS]

Thanks, Chris! And, thanks for the info regarding "Kid" Ketchell and Tommy Ryan. Your own book, the Choynski Chronicles, covers the turn of the 20th century boxing scene, and employ a very rare combination of encyclopedic level information wrapped up in understandable (and exciting) prose. Please let me and viewers of this channel know when that Ryan book appears!!

[@Boxhistorian]

what a brilliant story

[@Americaone1]

Ketchel made a deal with Heavyweight champ Jack Johnson to just fight an exhibition but Ketchel tried to knock Johnson out knocked Johnson down Johnson got up and hit Ketchel so hard it knocked Ketchel out cold and Ketchels front teeth stuck in Johnsons glove...Ketchel killed by a jealous husband 😮

[@ET-RAMBLINGS]

The fight was legitimate in that the title was on the line, but Johnson & Ketchel did have an "understanding" that it wouldn't get too rough. Ketchel was friends with Johnson, but his impulsive behavior (in and out of the ring) got the best of him, and Johnson (as you point out) made him pay dearly for it.

[@Bruins-vq5ey]

Teeth in glove is a myth