Who is eugene hairston

Eugene began going to a fighting club in NY but was never taken seriously because he was deaf. But, eventually two club trainers decided to let him train with the other boxers. The trainers were so impressed by his boxing ability they decided to become his mangers. Before going pro a local promoter gave him the name Eugene "The Silent" Hairston because of the fact he could not hear or nor speak. Soon, in , Eugene started as a professional boxer, winning 45 fights and defeated 2 world champions.

In , when Eugene was 22, he had to stop boxing because doctors told him if he was hit in the head anymore he could end up blind. His legacy still lives on, even though Eugene died in November of when he was 85, people will remember him at boxing matches by the flashing lights in the corners of the ring and many deaf people who are aspiring to be a boxer and who have been inspired by him.

Sign In. Edit Eugene Hairston. Showing all 4 items. He became deaf at the early age of one due to spinal meningitis, a condition that causes inflammation and swelling in the lining of the brain and spinal cord.

As a child Hairston attended a public deaf school where he showed natural aptitude in arts, but Eugene had a rather different interest. He wanted to become a boxer, much like Joe Louis whom he profoundly admired.

At the age of 15 Hairston quit school and juggled through several odd jobs before deciding to start boxing as a living to help support his family. Hairston took this opportunity and fought so well that the owners decided to work with him as their manager and trainer. The Mele brothers trained Hairston using gestures and body language showing each and every move. In Hairston eventually climbed his way up through the amateur boxing ranks into the pro ring by winning two distinguished titles.

Hairston conventional fighting style included hard hits to the body with his favorite one two combination of hooks and uppercuts.

He was known as a hard hitter with both hands. Hairston professional career only lasted for a short period of time from but yet he achieved many accomplishments. He won his first 16 professional fights with four knockouts and also he appeared on television a total of 13 times gaining him national fame and honor.

He also ought against the leading middleweight contenders of his time including Jake LaMotta who beat him only after ten grueling rounds. Throughout his career he was regarded as the second best in the world and also he was seen as the only one who could have beaten Sugar Ray Robinson. But due to an eye injury at a young age of 22 Hairston never fought against Sugar Ray and also he had to end his boxing career. Despite Hairston early departure from boxing he still left many legacy behind.

It is because of Eugene Hairston that boxing arenas today continue to have flashing lights to their ring posts to signal the end of a round. Furthermore Hairston legacy can also be seen through boxer such as Joey Archer who defeated Sugar Ray Robinson in Bibliography: Cassidy, Robert.

YouTube, 11 Nov. This essay was written by a fellow student.