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Bummy Davis vs. Murder Inc.
by Ron Ross
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A few weeks back I was trolling through a Barnes and Noble looking for a copy of, ‘The Sweet Science' by A.J. Liebling (*See Below for Link). In the past I’ve found that they keep a relatively good stock of boxing books on hand so I was pretty sure I would find what I was looking for. To my pleasant surprise, along with, 'The Sweet Science' they also had a few copies of Ron Ross’s, 'Bummy Davis vs. Murder Inc.', a fairly recent release that I was told was very well written. Having just finished reading the novel, I‘m glad I found enough justification to spend an extra $15 that day because reads this good are too far and few between.
Ross’s portrayal of Albert 'Bummy' Davidoff is an anecdotal account of the Jewish boxer’s life and his inherit entwinement with a city and culture that he couldn’t part with. The author tells the tale based upon childhood accounts he’s recalled, along with those of others who had their lives touched by Al Davidoff.
The tale takes place during the depression era years of the 30’s and 40’s and mostly in the section of New York called Brownsville. It was a town of landed immigrants who tried to find a better life for their family, but unfortunately were the victims of the subculture that prevailed instead. One of the offshoots of this subculture was a heinous band of cutthroat killers and extortionists known famously as 'Murder Inc.'
It was this life that Al Davidoff grew up in, and it was this life that he fought desperately not to fall victim to.
Ross navigates the reader deftly through the course of Al Davis’s life from the time he was a young pushcart peddler, to his headlining at Madison Square Garden, to his tragic and seemingly inevitable end. Along the way we’re introduced to a cast of intriguing, comical, and absorbing characters that help to define as much of the novel as Davis himself. Ross uses the cast to not only support the life of Al Davis, but also to describe the historical timeframe and the cultures that existed.
'Bummy', as the media dubbed him, had to battle the street life, the stereotyping of the media and the victimization of this character. Once he turned from prospect to contender, he fought these perils as much as he did his in ring opponents, and amazingly he came out the better more often then not. Although, he never did win a championship belt in the ring, he became a champion to, most importantly, those that knew him.
In the end, we’re reminded that before a young Mike Tyson, Shannon Briggs, Zab Judah and Riddick Bowe emerged from the poverty and crime stricken areas of Brooklyn and Brownsville in New York there was a feisty young fighter that paved their way with his ferocious fighting prowess and his golden and street hardened heart. Ross’s enthralling account of the life of Al 'Bummy' Davis is a great read and helps to paint a picture of this much maligned and tragic hero. In the final diagnosis, Ross shows us that Al Davis was far from a ‘Bum’.
Also See Recent Book Review by Peter Chhim: Review: The Sweet Science, by A.J. Liebling. |
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2005
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Review by Peter Chhim (January 26, 2005) 
