Professional Boxer. Nicknamed “The Cleveland Rubber Man” for his reputation for taking blows and keeping up the fight, he was born in Slovakia when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His family emigrated to Cleveland, Ohio when he was a boy, and he worked in his family’s bakery before showing an aptitude for boxing. After he turned professional in 1924 he quickly became known for taking a lot of punishment in a fight, yet rarely show the effects of the punishment. Through his career he won 80 bouts, lost 53 and had 8 draws. He lost a celebrated and famed bout in Cleveland against heavyweight champion Gene Tunney on November 18, 1925, fighting Tunney punch for punch through the end, and just barely losing to him (Tunney would later state that Johnny Risko was the toughest opponent he ever faced). He also fought two famous fights with champion Jack Sharkey, first in a losing bout on September 17, 1925 in Boston, Massachusetts, and second winning against Sharkey on March 12, 1928 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In 1929 he fought and lost on a TKO to German boxer Max Schmeling in what was dubbed by “The Ring Magazine” as the “Fight of the Year”. He fought less in his later years, but still found success, with a bout in Cleveland against Mickey Walker being a sell-out, and was witnessed by 14,000 people. He last fought in 1940. After his retirement he worked in his family’s bakery, and died at age fifty of a heart attack in 1953. In 2017 a biography of him was published by author Jerry Fitch titled "Johnny Risko: The Cleveland Rubber Man".
Professional Boxer. Nicknamed “The Cleveland Rubber Man” for his reputation for taking blows and keeping up the fight, he was born in Slovakia when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His family emigrated to Cleveland, Ohio when he was a boy, and he worked in his family’s bakery before showing an aptitude for boxing. After he turned professional in 1924 he quickly became known for taking a lot of punishment in a fight, yet rarely show the effects of the punishment. Through his career he won 80 bouts, lost 53 and had 8 draws. He lost a celebrated and famed bout in Cleveland against heavyweight champion Gene Tunney on November 18, 1925, fighting Tunney punch for punch through the end, and just barely losing to him (Tunney would later state that Johnny Risko was the toughest opponent he ever faced). He also fought two famous fights with champion Jack Sharkey, first in a losing bout on September 17, 1925 in Boston, Massachusetts, and second winning against Sharkey on March 12, 1928 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In 1929 he fought and lost on a TKO to German boxer Max Schmeling in what was dubbed by “The Ring Magazine” as the “Fight of the Year”. He fought less in his later years, but still found success, with a bout in Cleveland against Mickey Walker being a sell-out, and was witnessed by 14,000 people. He last fought in 1940. After his retirement he worked in his family’s bakery, and died at age fifty of a heart attack in 1953. In 2017 a biography of him was published by author Jerry Fitch titled "Johnny Risko: The Cleveland Rubber Man".
Bio by: RPD2
Inscription
Husband
Family Members
Advertisement
