1. Louis Duva was an American boxing trainer, manager and boxing promoter who handled nineteen world champions.
21 Facts About Lou Duva
1. 2.
The Duva family promoted boxing events in over twenty countries on six continents.
3.
Lou Duva was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, and The Meadowlands Sports Hall of Fame.
4.
Lou Duva was born in New York City to Italian immigrants, the sixth of seven children.
5.
Lou Duva's childhood was an impoverished one and he had to do many jobs to try to help his family.
6.
In 1938 Lou Duva tried to join the Civilian Conservation Corps.
7.
Lou Duva went to the US Army after World War II broke out.
8.
Lou Duva went to Jackson, Mississippi, to train, but was dismissed from the base after many fistfights with fellow soldiers.
9.
Lou Duva went back home in 1944 to help run a restaurant and to begin a career as a professional boxer, compiling a record of 6 wins, 10 losses and one draw.
10.
Lou Duva spent a good portion of the early 1950s at Stillman's Boxing Gym, which attracted a large number of celebrities from Hollywood and the boxing world.
11.
Lou Duva's trucking business was doing well, so he opened his own gym, named Garden Gym.
12.
Lou Duva was one of the last persons that Marciano spoke to before Marciano's plane crashed in 1969.
13.
Lou Duva still exists today, and is managed by Dan's widow Kathy Duva.
14.
Lou Duva had Bumphus, Lockridge, Bramble and Mike McCallum crowned as world champions, and he signed future world champions Mark Breland, Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker and Meldrick Taylor right after their participation in the Olympics in Los Angeles.
15.
Lou Duva acted as wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper's trainer at the World Wrestling Federation's WrestleMania 2 pay-per-view in 1986; coincidentally, Duva was a distant cousin to WWF manager "Captain" Lou Albano, who had instigated the story line involving Piper.
16.
Lou Duva has worked with such other former or future world champions as Michael Moorer and Arturo Gatti among others.
17.
Lou Duva was found out to be ok after testing was done to his heart later that night.
18.
Lou Duva was inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in 1998 and lived in Wayne, New Jersey, just a few miles from where his family once lived in Paterson, New Jersey.
19.
Lou Duva remained active as an advisor and manager for a few select fighters and was involved in his son Dino's company, Lou Duva Boxing.
20.
Lou Duva was an outspoken advocate of fighter's rights and of helping inner city kids get "off the streets and into the ring".
21.
Lou Duva died of natural causes on March 8,2017, after a period of declining health.