Respected boxing veteran undergoes liver transplant
This “Chatter Box” column of mine serves many purposes: to report, to inform, and at times to (hopefully) entertain. Now I am using it to spread the message about one of the most respected individuals in the sport of boxing.
“Say a prayer for Jack Obermayer (“KO JO”) who’s in the hospital getting a liver transplant. He’s a great person who really needs our help!” was the emotional message I received from my friend Harold Lederman. The HBO “unofficial” ringside scorer continued, “I wish that boxing comes up strong for Jack in his time of need, just the way Jack came up for boxing for half a century. If you never spoke to God, please do it now for Jack!” Harold mentions that Obermayer, a veteran writer, had been ill on and off for the past year due to liver problems. He is now recuperating from the surgery that took place in Philadelphia.
I have personally known Harold for over a decade; it was never a question that I wouldn’t help the two out in any way I could. Say what you will about boxing, but it is one of the strongest fraternities out there, a true bond of brotherhood. And many times, boxing stands in as a substitute family (yeah, maybe a bit dysfunctional!) that you eventually realize you’re a loyal part of. Once you’re a member of this unique boxing community, you often wonder how life would be without the sweet science that we all are passionate for. People who don’t like boxing would never understand our love and obsession for it–and the camaraderie it creates.
But all small things come to a quick standstill when one of boxing’s own falters.
I must admit that I have never had the honor of meeting Mr. Obermayer. He is an East Coast fixture and I’m headquartered on the West Coast. But I have heard his name reverberating through the world of boxing during these past few years.
A former amateur fighter, Jack, in his 60s, has dedicated almost five decades to his love of pugilism. The South Jersey resident was a writer for Boxing Illustrated and Boxing Digest. As a journalist, he has logged thousands of hours at countless amateur fights and endless pro fights. And he is a Lifetime Member of the prestigious Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).
His close friend Lederman has known and worked alongside New Jersey’s Obermayer for so many years now. They have shared many BWAA dinners where Harold was a past recipient of both the “Good Guy” Award and the Sam Taub Award.
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Not exaggerating, I have known Jack Obermayer for 40 years since I started going to the fights down in Philadelphia, which is near where he lives,” Harold tells me. “And Jack’s great loves were ‘diners.’ He kept track of every fight he ever attended, how many new states and cities, how many venues, and how many diners he ate in along the way, mostly with his buddy Jeff Jowett.
“We love him for his good nature, for his expert writing, for his love of the game, and mostly, for his warm personality always willing to bring in a new boxing fans or rekindle friendships with old ones. His record keeping was impeccable and he was a stickler for detail. No fight was ever too far away for Jack to drive to and cover for Boxing Digest magazine. No club show on the East Coast could go on without Obermayer and/or Jowett at ringside! They were known and loved by every promoter on the East Coast because Jack never wrote a bad word about anyone.”
The years may have flown by at lightning speed. But for these men, their vivid memories are as clear as can be, so much that time cannot alter a lifetime of fond recollections.
Harold remembers, “My fondest memories in boxing were going to the fights at a Peltz show and sitting all night with Obermayer, Jowett, Lew Eskin and Nigel Collins–and arguing about the merits of a fight or fighter!”
Lederman then thanks everyone for all of their support. “He is a friend, mentor and close companion, and my heart will remain heavy until he is well again and back on his feet!” he adds at the end of our conversation. “He is a wonderful boxing writer, a dear friend for forty years–and it don’t get deeper than that. To say I love the guy would be a gross understatement. Please pray for one of boxing’s finest people.”
Their history together is cemented so strongly that Harold’s emotional plea is certainly understandable. “He means so much to me,” the New York resident says. “I’m so distraught that I’m besides myself; I only wish I could do more!”
What we all can do is to please keep Jack in your thoughts. His friends and family are rallying around him; his boxing associates remain in his corner. Maybe you can just take a second to reach out to someone in need too, even if it’s someone you’ve never even met. Whatever your beliefs are, please send good thoughts and well wishes his way.
Please note that I have confirmed with the hospital that Mr. Obermayer can accept cards and flowers. See below if you’d like to keep Jack in your thoughts.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Attn.: John “Jack” Obermayer
*Room 4152-Gibbon Building*
111 South 11th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Image courtesy of Harold Lederman/BWAA