I just watched The Joe Louis Story (1953) for the first time. Louis’s first trainer Shorty Linton appears briefly as himself. Most of his training would later be done by Jack Blackburn, who died in 1942, then Manny Seamon (1983).
Most of the peripheral people in major boxers’ lives are pretty well documented, but info on Shorty is thin. I mean thiiiiiiiiiiin.
[Presumably he would be dead now, as he would have been Louis’s trainer in the early 1930s, and Louis himself would be over 100 now.]
Sugar Ray Johnson would attend the Central Community Centre, Detroit now the Brewster-Wheeler building, where he would watch Joe Louis Barrow training.
here’s a reference. to say the trainer was “Alter Ellis” aka Kid Ellis.
This makes sense. as descriptions of the Centre include Alter Ellis as being in charge of boxing.
BTW In a 1953 newspaper article, Sugar Ray says that “Shorty Linton” introduced Sugar to the girl who would then become his 2nd wife, perhaps the names mixed up.
Seems that Kid Ellis was just a guy who did amateur boxing at Central Community Centre, , and thus isn’t recorded in history very often. Its his manager Roxborough and betting adviser Julian Black turned Louis professional and introduced Joe Louis to his new trainer.
There’s more on Alter Kid Ellis, he himself was a prize fighter before then
Found a similar reference to Sugar Ray Robinson but lost the link. Might be easier if we knew his real name (unless it is Shorty). I’m guessing he wasn’t that influential in Joe’s career or it would be easier to get some info. It was Roxborough and Blackburn that made his pro career, if Shorty was was a big help it would have been in his amateur days where he was quite unpolished.
I found him still alive in 1972, working for Madison Square Garden. He is referred to in many newspaper articles as "Al (shorty) Linton, “Al Linton,” “Panama Al Linton,” and “Arthur Linton.”
Born in the Canal Zone around 1918. Married to Irene, six kids by 1949. Living in St. Albans Queens NY in 1953. Diabetic.
Still can’t pin down when he died, but give me time.
Thank you. At least that’s something!
BTW: Trivia note: The chap who plays Joe Louis, Coley Wallace, was the only man ever to defeat Rocky Marciano, when they were both amateurs.
Found a few images of articles referencing him by looking for Al “Shorty” Linton.I can’t read this one, but it is purported to say he was a semi-pro bantamweight and featherweight fighter. Sounds like he was one of boxing’s colorful denizens over the years.
Yeah, the New York Age was big on boxing news. I got much of my info from articles in there.
Moved to the Game Room.
Colibri
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My name is Dionne Linton, my twin sister and I were adopted by Arthur and Irene Linton in February if 1966. I saw in one post that he was a diabetic. Yes he was, he took insulin daily. He died in September of 1990. His funeral was at Gilmore Funeral Home on Linden Blvd in St. Albans NY. He was 74 when he passed away from Pneumonia in Queens Hospital Center. He was married to mom for 55 years. He was very close to who I called my uncle Coley Wallace and Edna Mae Robinson. He did work at the garden for Allied maintenance and retired from there. Fun fact, he at one time was Joe Louis valet. If you want any more information about him feel free to contact me under the name Katt Linton or my twin Dawn Deans on Facebook messenger.
I just posted information about my father Shorty Linton