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Two Ton: One Night, One Fight -Tony Galento v. Joe Louis
An “exceptional” account of underdog boxer Tony Galento’s surprising 1939 victory against renowned heavyweight champion Joe Louis ( The Boston Globe )
Beetle-browed, nearly bald, a head that rode his collarbones like a bowling ball returning on rails, his waist size more than half his five-foot-eight height, Two Ton Tony Galento resembled “a taxi driving away with its top down.” By all measures he stood no chance when he stepped into the ring against the Brown Bomber, Joe Louis, the finest heavyweight of his generation. But in Yankee Stadium on a June night in 1939, he entered the record books as one of the few men to put the great Louis down. For two splendid seconds he stood on the mat as the Joe Louis lay before him, champ of the world, the toughest man alive—the mythical hero of a nation little more than a year away from war. “I’ll moida da bum,” he had predicted. And though Louis was no bum, Galento was almost as good as his word.
Joe Monninger’s spellbinding portrait of a man, a moment, and an era reminds us that sometimes it is through effort—and not the end result—that people most enduringly define themselves.
Beetle-browed, nearly bald, a head that rode his collarbones like a bowling ball returning on rails, his waist size more than half his five-foot-eight height, Two Ton Tony Galento resembled “a taxi driving away with its top down.” By all measures he stood no chance when he stepped into the ring against the Brown Bomber, Joe Louis, the finest heavyweight of his generation. But in Yankee Stadium on a June night in 1939, he entered the record books as one of the few men to put the great Louis down. For two splendid seconds he stood on the mat as the Joe Louis lay before him, champ of the world, the toughest man alive—the mythical hero of a nation little more than a year away from war. “I’ll moida da bum,” he had predicted. And though Louis was no bum, Galento was almost as good as his word.
Joe Monninger’s spellbinding portrait of a man, a moment, and an era reminds us that sometimes it is through effort—and not the end result—that people most enduringly define themselves.
- GenresSports
208 pages, Paperback
First published November 6, 2006
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67 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Monninger
40 books224 followersJoseph Monninger was an American writer and Professor of English at Plymouth State University. He lived in Warren, New Hampshire.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 10, 2018
Joe Louis's fight against Tony Galento would have been routine, save for two details. Those being: Tony Galento had an outsized, colorful personality to go with his beer belly, and Tony, the galoot from Orange, New Jersey, actually managed to put the champion of the world on his rear, if only in a flash knockdown affair.
Joseph Monninger's "Two Ton," likewise should be a slight, less-than-memorable affair, but his gifts as a writer are such that he makes great and compelling drama of a fight that would be treated as a footnote by someone with less imagination or skill.
"Two-Ton" intersperses top-flight round-by-round action of the bout in question with general facts about the physics of boxing, and the milieu in which Tony Galento and Joe Louis developed as boxers before their paths crossed. Monninger's ability to describe everything from working-class Italian neighborhoods to the "Brown Bomber's" Harlem nights is one of the most evocative pictures of the past I've come across in awhile. It's all flashbulbs and cigar-smoke, rendered like a journalistic cross between Elmore Leonard and vintage Marty Scorsese. It makes me think Monninger is a man born in the wrong time, and that he could have slung ink with the best of the Golden Age scribes, like Runyon, Heinz, et. al. The only other boxing writer who has commensurate chops is Springs Toledo, though he has Monninger beat by little more than a nose. There is at least one stunning insight or turn-of-phrase per page, or at least it felt that way (I wasn't counting). In any event, this book exceeded any initial expectations I had for it and was much better than it had any right to be. Photos included range from the familiar publicity stills to some truly rare gems. Highest recommendation, for history fans, boxing buffs, and those who have a yen for great writing.
Joseph Monninger's "Two Ton," likewise should be a slight, less-than-memorable affair, but his gifts as a writer are such that he makes great and compelling drama of a fight that would be treated as a footnote by someone with less imagination or skill.
"Two-Ton" intersperses top-flight round-by-round action of the bout in question with general facts about the physics of boxing, and the milieu in which Tony Galento and Joe Louis developed as boxers before their paths crossed. Monninger's ability to describe everything from working-class Italian neighborhoods to the "Brown Bomber's" Harlem nights is one of the most evocative pictures of the past I've come across in awhile. It's all flashbulbs and cigar-smoke, rendered like a journalistic cross between Elmore Leonard and vintage Marty Scorsese. It makes me think Monninger is a man born in the wrong time, and that he could have slung ink with the best of the Golden Age scribes, like Runyon, Heinz, et. al. The only other boxing writer who has commensurate chops is Springs Toledo, though he has Monninger beat by little more than a nose. There is at least one stunning insight or turn-of-phrase per page, or at least it felt that way (I wasn't counting). In any event, this book exceeded any initial expectations I had for it and was much better than it had any right to be. Photos included range from the familiar publicity stills to some truly rare gems. Highest recommendation, for history fans, boxing buffs, and those who have a yen for great writing.
May 21, 2013
Excellent non-fiction book capturing the country, the emotion, the politics, the ethics, the pulse of a nation surrounding a great fight and two great fighters. Monninger captures the spirit of American boxing.
June 5, 2024
Boxing is a sport in which an “everyman” type of boxer can go from being unknown to becoming famous because of one match. This is true in both the movies (think “Rocky”) and in real life (Chuck Wepner, whose story was the inspiration for “Rocky”). These examples show that the underdog doesn’t even have to win in order to become a household name. This book by Joseph Monniger and narrated by Kiff VandenHeuvel is about another one of those underdogs, Tony “Two Ton” Galento.
Despite not having the chiseled body or any other typical features of a fighter, Galento did have a moderately successful career but was on the downside when he had the chance to face the world heavyweight champion, Joe Louis. This was in 1939 and the book does a very good job of describing both the state of the country and the state of boxing.
The text alternates between the description of the fight and important points in the careers of both Louis and Galento. The narration of VandenHeuvel is very good for the fight action, especially in the moment when Galento became a household name with a knockdown of the champion in the third round. Even though he eventually lost when Louis knocked him out in the next round, Galento was hailed for his accomplishment despite his weaknesses in the sport that allowed Louis to quickly recover.
The format of the book, plus the information was very good, even if at times it felt incomplete and out of place. Nonetheless, this was one of the better books on an individual boxing match in a short but enjoyable listen
Despite not having the chiseled body or any other typical features of a fighter, Galento did have a moderately successful career but was on the downside when he had the chance to face the world heavyweight champion, Joe Louis. This was in 1939 and the book does a very good job of describing both the state of the country and the state of boxing.
The text alternates between the description of the fight and important points in the careers of both Louis and Galento. The narration of VandenHeuvel is very good for the fight action, especially in the moment when Galento became a household name with a knockdown of the champion in the third round. Even though he eventually lost when Louis knocked him out in the next round, Galento was hailed for his accomplishment despite his weaknesses in the sport that allowed Louis to quickly recover.
The format of the book, plus the information was very good, even if at times it felt incomplete and out of place. Nonetheless, this was one of the better books on an individual boxing match in a short but enjoyable listen
September 20, 2025
the intro review is wrong, and should be retracted by Goodreads galento didn't beat Louis he knocked him down, which is the theme of the book, the two seconds of glory and what ifs.
anyway galento was before my time, so he was sort of a footnote to me. the name two ton galento makes you picture was he was, a thick set brawler who trained in a bar, had a big punch, tough, but not much technique, a pre-cursor to Chuck Wepner, who ironically is known as the Bayonne Bleeder, like Galento from New Jersey.
boxing books are really history books a bout like galento vs Louis a fulcrum, of the collective conscious, you get a feel for the state of mind of the nation. what is was like to be an Italian American in the thirties, a black man, who the working class pinned their hopes on, how they felt while watching the match, the Italians living vicariously thru two ton and blacks thru lewis. boxing prose is often poetic against the juxtaposition of the brutality of fighting. I'm glad I now about the foot note two-ton Tony galento
anyway galento was before my time, so he was sort of a footnote to me. the name two ton galento makes you picture was he was, a thick set brawler who trained in a bar, had a big punch, tough, but not much technique, a pre-cursor to Chuck Wepner, who ironically is known as the Bayonne Bleeder, like Galento from New Jersey.
boxing books are really history books a bout like galento vs Louis a fulcrum, of the collective conscious, you get a feel for the state of mind of the nation. what is was like to be an Italian American in the thirties, a black man, who the working class pinned their hopes on, how they felt while watching the match, the Italians living vicariously thru two ton and blacks thru lewis. boxing prose is often poetic against the juxtaposition of the brutality of fighting. I'm glad I now about the foot note two-ton Tony galento
September 27, 2022
An enjoyable book about a tough fight. Two Ton Tony, a bartender and boxer from Orange, NJ, fights then heavyweight champion Joe Louis. Tony, on the downslope of his career meets Louis just coming into his own as the dominate boxer of his generation. Tony trains by smoking cigars and drinking beer. But he knocks Louis down with a powerful left.
Making the book even more enjoyable is Monninger’s description of the nation in the late 1930s. Boxing is an amazingly popular sport and everyone listens to the radio. Maybe a world long gone by but still mesmerizing to read about it.
When Tony is asked about Shakespeare, he responds: Shakespeare, one a’ dem European boxers? I’ll moider da bum!
Making the book even more enjoyable is Monninger’s description of the nation in the late 1930s. Boxing is an amazingly popular sport and everyone listens to the radio. Maybe a world long gone by but still mesmerizing to read about it.
When Tony is asked about Shakespeare, he responds: Shakespeare, one a’ dem European boxers? I’ll moider da bum!
November 21, 2017
A fun biography of the pride of Orange, New Jersey, "Two Ton" Tony Galento, centered on his heavyweight title fight with the legendary Joe Louis. Tony, progenitor of the phrase, "I'll moida the bum", trained by drinking beer and once KO'd an opponent after eating 50 hotdogs on a bet. No one gave him any chance of surviving even one round with the fit and serious Louis, but with one wild left hook in the 3rd round, he achieved immortality.
The florid prose seems a bit overdone at times, but this was still an enjoyable read.
The florid prose seems a bit overdone at times, but this was still an enjoyable read.
April 1, 2008
I picked this book up in the Staff Favorite's section in my local bookstore in Brookline, MA. Its about the 1939 heavyweight championship bout between Two Ton Tony Galento and Joe "The Brown Bomber" Louis. Although the outcome wasn't what I expected, I thought it was a good read. Tony Galento is an everyman who almost does the impossible. Its sad and uplifting all at once. The kind of story that shows you can't always get what you want, but you get you need.
There's a lot of "Then Vs. Now" in this book, ie, the cost of building Yankee Stadium compared to what it would cost now-a-days. I enjoy that stuff. I like to be taken back to a time where MLB stadiums can be built for the price of an eight bedroom home in an affluent suburb and retired boxers fight kangaroos, bears and octopuses to pay the rent.
There's a lot of "Then Vs. Now" in this book, ie, the cost of building Yankee Stadium compared to what it would cost now-a-days. I enjoy that stuff. I like to be taken back to a time where MLB stadiums can be built for the price of an eight bedroom home in an affluent suburb and retired boxers fight kangaroos, bears and octopuses to pay the rent.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews