Charley Goldman – The Tale of Marciano’s Trainer

A look back at Charley Goldman, a trainer whose unconventional methods and strict rules for his fighters led him to build five world champions from scratch. His most famous pupil, Rocky Marciano, went on to become one of the greatest heavyweight champions in history.

reporter Herman Helms described him as a little shrimp of a man with a sad and somewhat apologetic look on his face no hair to speak of on his head and a voice as faint as a whisper despite his unassuming appearance he had a secret formula for producing World boxing champions most notably heavyweight Legend Rocky Marciano it was said that Marciano had two things going for him determination [Music] and [Music] [Applause] [Music] Charlie Goldman was born Israel Goldman on December 22nd 1887 in Warsaw Poland his parents moved to the United States when he was 2 years old and he grew up in the Red Hook section of Brook his education went as far as the fourth grade when one day the teacher hit him and Charlie hit back he ran out of the classroom and never returned the sport of boxing then became his Refuge he learned how to fight because he wasn’t a very fast runner and he also wanted to defend his brother Sam featherweight Champion Terry McGovern grew up on the same street as Goldman and the young man idolized the fighter he was my hero Goldman said Terry parted his hair in the middle so I parted mine that way too Goldman also copied McGovern style of dressing wherever McGovern wore a derby hat Goldman would do the same mcgoverin also taught Goldman how to box and soon every kid who joined the gym had to spar with Goldman as an initiation into the sport Goldman then started fighting in smokers clubs where he had to apply for membership before being allowed to fight this practice took advantage of a loophole in New York law that prohibited prize fighting but permitted fights among club members in private venues these events lacked medical examinations doctors and official commissions Knockouts weren’t recognized the victim was revived and sent back out again Goldman received $5 per fight and if he fought early enough on the card he’d go to another smoker to fight again and receive another $5 Goldman then barnstormed around Canada and officially turned professional at the age of 16 standing at 5 ft tall and weighing only 105 lb fans joked that he could be mistaken for one of Snow White’s dwarves in his debut he fought 42 rounds with young Garder the fight was held in a room adjoining the rear of a saloon and without the usual subterfuge of two club members fighting as an exhibition after the fight was declared a draw police broke in and everyone rushed toward the exits but Goldman was never paid the money he was owed by the promoter who left before the cops arrived I think he was the one who tipped them off Goldman later said Goldman later had an unprecedented rivalry with George kitson but it is unknown how many times times the duo actually fought Goldman claimed to have fought kitson twice on the same day and 12 times in 12 days the belief is that the two fought at least 60 times and fans never grew tired of watching their technical contests in November of 1912 Goldman received his one and only title shot going up against Bantam white Champion Johnny cologne he earned his biggest purse to date $900 but in those days there were no decisions unless a man was knocked out the fight went the distance with some newspapers calling cologne the winner While others called it a draw in 1914 he started training Fighters but didn’t retire from his own boxing career until 1918 as he complained that his hands hurt him more than his opponents one reporter described Goldman’s hands as being broken so often that they resemble Twisted tree roots with the MS Goldman stated that he had over 500 prize fights when asked why his face didn’t look battered Goldman replied because I was hardened already by those kid fights that’s one reason why boxers are a lot softer now we grew up differently in my day everything was tougher the first fighter Goldman trained was Al McCoy a southpaw Who challenged George chip for the middleweight title in 1914 I feared that McCoy would take a terrible beating from Chip Goldman said so I told him to go out and swing his first punch with all his might whether he hit chip or not I reason that by so doing he might throw a little Caution into the champion that would take chip a round or two to get over that and since McCoy was a southpaw it might take chip another round or two to solve the style so I thought he would be saved the beating for all those rounds instead he walked out punched chip in the body with a right hand swept up a left from the floor hit the champion on the chin and knocked him out Goldman also had a number of sayings that he often repeated to his Fighters axioms like always finish with a left hook because that leaves you set to start another series of punches another was don’t be a hero if you get knocked down take a count other quotes related to doings outside the ring like don’t buy nothing on the street especially diamonds and don’t say you’d like to be back in the good old days what you want is your youth if you went back you’d be nauseated Goldman was referring to the old days when they used to stop a cut with monsel’s powder it had a cement base Goldman said it all had to be scraped out with a knife before the cut could be stitched by the 1920s Goldman teamed up with Al wild to manage a pinball arcade in Coney Island when while went into managing Fighters he’d send Goldman his latest prospects the trainer soon had a stable of world champions that included Joey archal Lou ambers and Marty Servo but it was in the winter of 1947 that Goldman met the fighter who had changed his fortunes forever the boxer hitched a ride on a vegetable truck to save money as he traveled from Brockton Massachusetts to a New York street corner where he met Goldman you look worse than the cabbages were the first words Goldman said to Rocky Marciano the criticisms didn’t stop there he’s 24 Goldman told Al while that’s kind of old I like them young so they can learn my way Goldman put Marciano in with one of his Fighters and wasn’t impressed he just stood there with his hands by his sides and let the other guy pound on him Goldman said I called wild and told him to save his money the kid was no good luckily Goldman gave Marciano another chance and saw Improvement after just a few lessons he had what I always called The Equalizer Goldman said he could punch and he could hurt you even when he missed he’d land punches to the arms or the shoulders and they’d punish a man like another fighter hitting to the belly or jaw Goldman believed that a trainer should not interfere with a Fighter’s natural style but rather refine and improve it accordingly he did not try to turn him into a slick jabbing boxer he sought to turn Marciano’s shortcomings into advantages his adage was quote if you got a tall fighter make him taller if you got a short fighter make him shorter to control Rocky’s stance Goldman tied a rope around each of Marciano’s ankles so that he can only move his feet 20 in he taught to fight from a Crouch rolling his shoulders to get inside opponents who had a longer reach while utilizing his own leverage Goldman placed a towel around Marciano’s neck and made Rocky hold an end of the towel in each fist now your arms are in the proper position to punch Goldman said the closer your elbows are to your body the more power you can put into a punch it’s called Leverage The Duo trained for hours on end and the teachings worked Goldman even got Marciano an eye exercising device having Rocky lie down with his head motionless as he followed a pendulum with his eyes the theory was that it would help him have stronger eyeballs than his opponent under Goldman’s guidance Marciano won 41 straight fights before taking on Harry kid Matthews and a world heavyweight title Eliminator the matchup worried Goldman as Marciano had become overly reliant on his right hand which he nicknamed Suzie Q this guy you’re going to fight next kid Matthews he’s a cutie Goldman said you’re going to need your left hand Goldman worked on developing Marciano’s left hook sweating through session after session for two months rehearsing attack sequences to use against [Applause] Matthews [Music] Matthew’s strategy is to box Mariano keep him at a distance and Rocky comes in hold him and tie him [Applause] up [Applause] [Music] C [Applause] [Applause] Matthews is down two Lightning Fast left hooks he’s badly hurt he can’t make it see Mariano’s terrific punching power in slow motion in just a moment Goldman danced in the corner after The Knockout one reporter described it as the night when the pupil finally discovered what the teacher was talking about Goldman had rigid rules for his Fighters they weren’t allowed to smoke or drink they had to work at being Fighters all the time also women were as taboo as cigarettes and booze protect your honor at all times Goldman warned Goldman himself didn’t exactly practice what he preached he enjoyed an occasional cigar he claimed to be a bachelor happy to go through life quote alicart but was often seen in the company with women significantly younger than himself with a wink and a nod he introduced them as His nieces and cousins but Goldman recommended bachelorhood for everyone connected with the fight game Rocky Marciano did only one thing of which Charlie disapproved and that is when he got married I was grateful to Rocky because he never undid outside the gym what we built inside Goldman said he kept in shape between fights I’ll always remember when he came out for the 15th round in the first ezard Charles fight it was like the first round Rocky was Unstoppable Goldman’s work in Marciano’s Corner didn’t end with his instruction he was also a noted cutman mending and patching up his Fighters faster than a doctor he had invented his own coagulant to stop bleeding a concoction of egg whites vinegar and turpentine he kept this ointment in a pouch pinned to the front of his sweater Goldman used this mixture to save Marciano several times but the tus assign was keeping Marciano going in his second bout with Ezra Charles Marciano’s nose was split open and the fight was in danger of being [Music] stopped in the corner Freddy Brown told me it’s only a little nose bleed don’t worry about it but then they put enough GS around my nose to bandage an army look at this I look like [Applause] Pinocchio whatever I got Charles loves it he’s shooting straight for the nose and he looks stronger than he has in a couple of rounds the gauze is gone and I’m bleeding again but they told me it was just a nose bleed so I got to take their word forget the blood let’s get this [Applause] guy what’s bur looking at me for there that right shook him [Applause] good now I know Brown told me the truth I can’t stop the blood the Cut’s bad and if he says he can’t do anything then it must be murder you got to get this guy right now Columbo says they may have to stop the fight it’s that bad your nose is split in half not worried about my nose I’m worried about losing the title come on knock this guy Dead with a shot he’s tying me up get off me Charles get out of [Applause] here good right hand throw more come on get him with that r [Applause] now more of [Applause] them ooh cut me on the nose it’s murder don’t let him do that keep firing at him so he can’t get set to [Applause] punch great go get him don’t let him hold push him off shove the guy there that should do it AL Wild is screaming at me from the Conor what’s he going to tell me now to knock the guy out leave me alone will you it’s over in slow motion let’s see how I finally got Charles out of there believe me it took some doing this guy came with a steel chin there’s the big right terrific left right just missed the left right on the top of his head the left and he goes I knew he wouldn’t be able to get up he surprised me by trying the way he did I thought I’d really put the guy away right here there’s Freddy Brown holding me and trying to work on my nose it was so bad a great Corner man like Freddy couldn’t do much with it they certainly would have had to stop the fight if I didn’t get e it right away like they told me to I got off lucky tonight after Marciano’s retirement Goldman struggled to find a new Champion he had trained numerous contenders over the years like wal Cartier Chico varar and Caesar Bon but his main focus soon became Herman Rory Calhoun an undefeated middleweight with the upper body of a heavyweight Goldman hoped to score an impossible double in leading Calhoun to the middleweight crown and like better a decision over his aders the resolve to make a battle of a has other plans left took right to the jaw board stagles the southsider canvas for a quick knock out but B rebounds with to survive is fighting survival the has been very successful by St at n unexpected on hands manager as of punch becomes the aggressor this final round aist of on exchange the [Music] fin the turns Pro to be’s all by 1957 Goldman felt Calhoun was ready for a title shot all he needs is a shade gave in a haircut and he’s ready the trainer said he lamented the fact that Champions Sugar Ray Robinson and Carmen basilio were allowed to tie up both the middleweight and welterweight divisions Calhoun would knock out basilio Goldman said and I have more news for you Calhoun were tear Robinson apart but by March of 1959 Goldman gave up on Calhoun leaving him to train Detroit welterweight Mickey Crawford the way I had to coach Calhoun Goldman said I had to make him think that all the ideas I gave him were his not mine Calhoun had begun to score so many impressive Knockouts that he figured he didn’t have to heed Goldman’s advice when they don’t listen you can’t help them Goldman said he won’t last too much longer Goldman’s words were prophetic as Calhoun quickly began losing more than he’d win drifting out of the sport less than three years after the split with the old trainer Goldman then became a Hired Hand to salvage the careers of former hopefuls and Reclamation projects Fighters like hurricane Jackson Tony elanji Ivon derell Tom McNeely toxy Hall and Oscar bonavena all came under his guidance but fell short I take these big awkward guys and I give them hell Goldman said just because we took Rocky and made him a champ everybody expects Miracles everybody expects me to take wood and turn it into paper his last project was the 300lb Buster mathys but Goldman’s age and failing Health forced him to step away from the sport like many old trainers he criticized the current state of boxing when asked for his thoughts on the Floyd Patterson ingamar Johansson series Goldman stated that Marciano could knock them both out on the same night nobody trained as hard or worked to become a success as Marciano Goldman said some boys just wouldn’t go through what Rocky did I never tried to change him too much he had his own way of fighting and great courage I concentrated on getting him to develop a left hook and Rocky did the rest I never knew a boy to train more Faithfully Goldman was also puzzled by the lack of Fighters who had Cali cflower ears cauliflower ears have gone out of boxing Goldman said in my day we never trained with head protectors we went into fights with bruised ears and after a few good punches our ears would Sprout out nowadays if your ear is swollen they stop the fight ah well everything changes everything goes sooner or later and everybody goes too Goldman passed away on November 11th 1968 due to a heart attack his death received only a small paragraph in the back of the sport section 3 days after his passing C B wrote quote Charlie Goldman deserved a better Sund off he was such a sweet and decent little man in the toughest Sports braacket ever invented