Johnny Reagan imut f'St. Louis

Johnny Reagan kien ġellied importanti fis-St. Louis boxing xena matul l-ewwel deċennju tas-Seklu 20. Oriġinarjament minn Brooklyn, Reagan mar jgħix St. Louis biex jitħarreġ taħt Jack McKenna. McKenna bbaża l-operat tiegħu minn St. Louis, fejn il-ġellieda tiegħu ġġieled primarjament f’St. Louis’ West End Club. Reagan was a rising bantamweight at the time of his move to St. Louis.

One of McKenna’s other top fighters was future World Featherweight Boxing Champion Abe Attell. Reagan and Attell started out as friends and training partners. A heated dispute in the training room one day resulted in a ferocious brawl. McKenna heard the ruckus and ran in to find both men beaten and exhausted.

Reagan left the group but stayed in St. Louis. Reagan would fight several professional bouts with Abe Attell in St. Louis. Reagan also fought Abe’s younger brother, Monte, a more natural bantamweight in St. Louis.

While most of the fighters left St. Louis for California by 1910, Reagan remained in the city. Still fighting in 1911 fuq 31 sena, Reagan was on the downside of his career. Fil-ħin tal-mewt tiegħu, he was looking for local business opportunities to move into after his retirement from the ring.

Fuq Diċembru 14, 1911, Reagan went to Alexian Brothers Hospital on St. Louis’ South Side. A major hospital at the time, Reagan reported difficulty breathing. Doctors discovered Reagan had pneumonia in his right lung.

Reagan continued to decline over the following month. He passed away on January 11, 1912 around 1:10 p.m. at Alexian Brothers. He was only 31 years-old. Il- St. Louis Post-Dispaċċ said Reagan’s body would be sent back to Brooklyn, where his wife still lived.

Illum, Reagan would probably have recovered but medical science was not as advanced as it is today. Pneumonia was a life-threatening illness no matter your age or condition.

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Sources: St. Louis Post-Dispaċċ, Jannar 11, 1912 edition, p. 17 and January 12, 1912 edition, p. 16

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