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Stanley Ketchel: A Life Of Triumph And Prophecy
Stanley Ketchel was an early 20th century Middleweight Champion from 1908-1910. This book tells the story of a young boy who left home to find his place in the world, and hopefully find the means by which to assist his family economically. His parents, and three sibling brothers, at the time, would not see him again for nine years. When they, finally, saw him, again, he was a newly-named pugilistic challenger whose boxing fame was building higher with each bout. This book is an excursion into the, researched, truth of both Stanley Ketchel's life, and his boxing career.
232 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 18, 2019
Stanislaus Steven Kiecal was born in 1886 into incredible poverty to Polish immigrant parents in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When he was 14 he took off to the west to help his parents by eliminating a
mouth to feed and because the life of a cowboy seemed ideal. He learned to fight as a matter of survival pretty soon.
Like another kid Jack Dempsey who learned to fight in those brutal hobo jungles, young Kiecal learned
to punch harder than most whoever have walked on planet earth. At least that's the opinion of Nat
Fleischer, boxing's great historian and founder of the authoritative Ring magazine. He wrote an
early biography of the man who anglicized his name to Stanley Ketchel.
Becoming a pugilist rather than a cowboy, Ketchel started fighting at the age of 16 in the western
tank towns and his reputation grew eastward. He grew in size as he started competing as a lightweight but filled out into a middleweight. Ketchel became middleweight champion in 1908.
In the next two years Ketchel defended it looked like once a month or so. He had no
problem taking on fighters in the higher divisions as well as defending the middle weight crown.
He did lose the championship briefly to one Billy Paepke when Paepke according to legend sucker
punched him in the adam's apple before the bell. He won 3 other bouts with Paepke.
He fought and beat light heavyweight champ Philadelphia Jack O'Brien twice in non-title bouts. He
lost to heavyweight Sam Langford and was one of the 'white hopes' who fought Jack Johnson for
the heavyweight crown. He had Johnson down once, but Johnson outlasted Ketchel and knocked
him out.
In his own division Ketchel had licked everyone worth a bout and was training for another crack at
Jack Johnson in his camp in the Springfield, Missouri area. He hired a woman named Goldie Smith
as a camp cook. Ketchel had a well known reputation as a womanizer and her boyfriend Walter
Dipley shot and killed Ketchel because he allegedly raped Smith.
Both Dipley and Smith were tried and convicted for Ketchel's murder. Smith's conviction was overturned and she was retried and acquitted. Ketchel was only 24 when he died. Who knows what
he might have accomplished in the ring, the man who was nicknamed the Michigan Assassin.
Author Manuel Mora has written a brief, but most authoritative work on a man who lived a brief
life, but an authoritative one in his chosen profession. He does the Ketchel legend proud.
mouth to feed and because the life of a cowboy seemed ideal. He learned to fight as a matter of survival pretty soon.
Like another kid Jack Dempsey who learned to fight in those brutal hobo jungles, young Kiecal learned
to punch harder than most whoever have walked on planet earth. At least that's the opinion of Nat
Fleischer, boxing's great historian and founder of the authoritative Ring magazine. He wrote an
early biography of the man who anglicized his name to Stanley Ketchel.
Becoming a pugilist rather than a cowboy, Ketchel started fighting at the age of 16 in the western
tank towns and his reputation grew eastward. He grew in size as he started competing as a lightweight but filled out into a middleweight. Ketchel became middleweight champion in 1908.
In the next two years Ketchel defended it looked like once a month or so. He had no
problem taking on fighters in the higher divisions as well as defending the middle weight crown.
He did lose the championship briefly to one Billy Paepke when Paepke according to legend sucker
punched him in the adam's apple before the bell. He won 3 other bouts with Paepke.
He fought and beat light heavyweight champ Philadelphia Jack O'Brien twice in non-title bouts. He
lost to heavyweight Sam Langford and was one of the 'white hopes' who fought Jack Johnson for
the heavyweight crown. He had Johnson down once, but Johnson outlasted Ketchel and knocked
him out.
In his own division Ketchel had licked everyone worth a bout and was training for another crack at
Jack Johnson in his camp in the Springfield, Missouri area. He hired a woman named Goldie Smith
as a camp cook. Ketchel had a well known reputation as a womanizer and her boyfriend Walter
Dipley shot and killed Ketchel because he allegedly raped Smith.
Both Dipley and Smith were tried and convicted for Ketchel's murder. Smith's conviction was overturned and she was retried and acquitted. Ketchel was only 24 when he died. Who knows what
he might have accomplished in the ring, the man who was nicknamed the Michigan Assassin.
Author Manuel Mora has written a brief, but most authoritative work on a man who lived a brief
life, but an authoritative one in his chosen profession. He does the Ketchel legend proud.
March 30, 2026
I do not understand the bad reviews for this book, I thought it was absolutely brilliant. I didn't know anything about Stanley until I picked up this book now I want to read more.
Well written, loved the fight descriptions it was like having a ringside seat. I hope Manuel A Mora has wrote more Boxing biographies, I will certainly have a search.
I'm now off to watch any Ketchel documentaries I can find on You Tube.
Well written, loved the fight descriptions it was like having a ringside seat. I hope Manuel A Mora has wrote more Boxing biographies, I will certainly have a search.
I'm now off to watch any Ketchel documentaries I can find on You Tube.
July 22, 2019
I was very disappointed with this book. There is so much to use in the short life of Ketchel, but this book fails to produce.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews