Champ!First Jewish Boxing Champ since ’78
Dmitriy Salita is the NABA junior welterweight champ after knocking out Shawn Gallegos in the ninth round of a scheduled 10-round fight at the Hammerstein Ballroomin New York last Thursday. The Jerusalem Post reports that Salita is the first Jewish champion since Mike Rossman took the light heavyweight crown in 1978.

In a ringside interview after the fight Salita stated:

I am feeling good now, it’s very good when hard work pays off. I really had a hard training camp and feel that this closes a certain chapter in my life. Now I will take a little time off, enjoy the summer and get the energy to start working hard again.

Salita, who is also a practicing Orthodox Jew, was accompanied on stage by proud new father Matisyahu, the Hasidic Reggae Sensation. Mazal Tov to everybody!

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ck

Founder and Publisher of Jewlicious, David Abitbol lives in Jerusalem with his wife, newborn daughter and toddler son. Blogging as "ck" he's been blocked on twitter by the right and the left, so he's doing something right.

4 Comments

  • orthodoxy, raggae, and boxing… oh my.

    so, can we now proudly proclaim that the “welterweight” (whatever that means) champion of the WORLD is Jewish?

  • Reminds me of a joke I heard Gilbert Gottfreid tell:

    “Just once, I want to be on an elevator and when the door opens to let people on, I want to hear the big black guy who is waiting say “I don’t want to get on that elevator, there’s a Jew in there!”

  • Big deal. He fought only loosers so far. He is no champion and will collapse when he meets any of todays great fighters. Jews dont make a big deal of your selves…