The Life Story of Abe the Newsboy, Hero of a Thousand Fights by Abe Hollandersky

I have no idea what I will write first on the fresh pages of my new journal. The top of his tombstone says “Abe the Newsboy,” the same thing inscribed in my book. I swear it is autographed by Abe himself on a photograph beside the title page.

With my vintage book journal, I hold the remnants of a 1960 edition. He had a newsstand and gift shop in Long Beach, California, and he reprinted his book at least 24 times. His book, which he first published in 1930, says he fought - and lost to - a kangaroo in Australia and once knocked a muzzled bear out of the ring in another exhibition match.Ībe served as a boxing trainer for the Navy in World War I, and he received an Award of Merit from the Navy in World War II for his recruiting efforts and sale of war bonds.Ībout 1926, Abe moved to Los Angeles, where he appeared as an extra in about 20 movies, usually with other boxers. He also fought an exhibition match with welterweight champion Barbados Joe Walcott in 1918. The bulk of his boxing career spanned from 1905 to 1918, and his most significant victory came in 1913 when he defeated Jack Ortega for the heavyweight title of Panama and South America, winning in the 19th round of a scheduled 45-rounder. The Ring Record Book gave Abe credit for fighting 1,309 bouts, not counting 387 wrestling matches. His fights included benefits, training matches and sparring contests. The majority of his fights were on Navy ships or at naval stations. It was there he started hawking newspapers inside the Navy yard.Īs he grew older, his friends in the Navy trained him to fight, and he became a prolific boxer. The family settled in New London, Connecticut, which had a naval base. His family left for England when he was young, then immigrated to the United States when Abe was 7.

The forgiving Roosevelt instructed one of his admirals to create a position for Hollandersky as “Newsboy of the Navy,” giving him access and free transportation aboard all Navy vessels so he could sell his newspapers to the “gobs” - slang for sailors.Ībe was born in Russia in 1887. presidents and famously punched Teddy Roosevelt in the ribs on Teddy’s presidential yacht. He was never a member of the Navy, but Hollandersky sailed around the world three times on battleships. I left the store with that vintage book journal and ever since have become fascinated with the saga of Abe Hollandersky, who started selling newspapers to Navy sailors at age 9 and made it his career for more than 50 years.Īlong the way, he also became a record-setting boxer, which explains why his mug looked as though it had been walloped 10,000 times. I also had a Bobbsey Twins journal in my hands, before Barry brought over one whose gold-stamped cover said, “The Life Story of Abe the Newsboy, Hero of a Thousand Fights.” Seuss had been transformed into a journal. I looked closely at how an old “Green Eggs and Ham” book by Dr.

The Life Story of Abe the Newsboy, Hero of a Thousand Fights by Abe Hollandersky