Quentin Breese
Encyclopedia
Quentin Terrance "Baby" Breese was born July 8, 1918 in Leonardville, Kansas
and died in San Diego, California
on August 21, 1962. He was a professional boxer
.
of Irish and English extraction. He began boxing when he was a young boy in school and had his first professional fight in 1937 when he knocked out Al Freida in Kansas City
in four rounds. He battled Lew Jenkins twice in 1939 and squared off against Sammyangott
the following year. Both Jenkins and Angott later wore the lightweight crown. Breese went on to become a local celebrity
and earned the nickname "Baby" because he looked more like a kid than a fighter. Standing at only 5'6" tall and weighing in at 137 pounds, he was ranked as one of the first ten lightweight
s in the world.
His fame brought him to Hollywood where he worked alongside James Cagney
in City for Conquest (1940) and Robert Ryan
in Golden Gloves
(1940) teaching them boxing moves
and by being a stand-in
for the fight scenes. He continued to work on film in Hollywood until World War II
started. Many ring-wise veterans share the opinion that Breese might have battled his way to the top of the welterweight
class had not the war interrupted his career.
He joined the United States Marine Corps
on May 13, 1943 and was assigned to the USS Wilkes-Barre. He was present during the fire on the USS Bunker Hill
in 1945 and when the Japanese surrendered on September 2, 1945.
boxer. Immediately after the bout he announced that he would head east and if he couldn't regain his old zip he would hang up his gloves. Four fights later he met Juste Fontaine in Milwaukee and lost. Quentin kept his promise and retired, returning to San Diego to establish the Breese Paint Company on Fifth Avenue.
The San Diego Journal article dated, February 4, 1950 said, "From that time until he retired in 1947, Breese gained a reputation as a competitor. He plied his trade in 19 different United States cities and Mexico City
, swapping blows with the best in the business during 125 bouts. During his fistic career he compiled 91 victories, 27 defeats and seven draws. The Baby's right was a lethal weapon and one half of those men whom he defeated ended up getting rocked to sleep by his punching prowess. His record might have been more impressive had he not insisted on meeting any and all comers. He often went in other rings as many as four times in one month."
and have a house built. He also bought a white Thunderbird
for his wife, Ila, and a beauty shop named Juniper's Beauty Shop on Juniper Avenue. Still considered a celebrity, Quentin and Ila, hosted many parties at their custom built house and attended many parties at the Mississippi Room at the Imig Manor later known as the Layfeyette Hotel
where Hollywood's most glamorous stars came to dine and dance.
Quentin's health became worse over the next ten years. Doctors speculated that his boxing had caused him permanent injuries, and during a party he was hosting at his house in August, 1962, he became ill. The ambulance took him to Mercy Hospital
where he died ten days later.
San Diego remembered him by putting flags up and down the sidewalks of Fifth Avenue and inducting him into the San Diego Hall of Champions
in Balboa Park.
Ila sold the paint store and went back to work at her beauty shop. She drove herself there every day for thirty-five years in the same white Thunderbird that Quentin had bought for her in the 1960s. She never remarried and she and Quentin never had children. She died in November 2001.
Leonardville, Kansas
Leonardville is a city in Riley County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 449. It is part of the Manhattan, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Leonardville is located at...
and died in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
on August 21, 1962. He was a professional boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
.
Early life
Quentin Breese was born in 1918 in Leonardville, KansasLeonardville, Kansas
Leonardville is a city in Riley County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 449. It is part of the Manhattan, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Leonardville is located at...
of Irish and English extraction. He began boxing when he was a young boy in school and had his first professional fight in 1937 when he knocked out Al Freida in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
in four rounds. He battled Lew Jenkins twice in 1939 and squared off against Sammyangott
Sammy Angott
Sammy Angott was born Samuel Engotti in Pennsylvania. He was known as a clever boxer who liked to follow up a clean punch by grabbing his opponent, causing him to be known as "The Clutch."...
the following year. Both Jenkins and Angott later wore the lightweight crown. Breese went on to become a local celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
and earned the nickname "Baby" because he looked more like a kid than a fighter. Standing at only 5'6" tall and weighing in at 137 pounds, he was ranked as one of the first ten lightweight
Lightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
s in the world.
His fame brought him to Hollywood where he worked alongside James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
in City for Conquest (1940) and Robert Ryan
Robert Ryan
Robert Bushnell Ryan was an American actor who often played hardened cops and ruthless villains.-Early life and career:...
in Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
(1940) teaching them boxing moves
Boxing styles and technique
- Boxing styles :There are three generally accepted boxing styles that are used to define fighters. They are the in-fighter, the out-fighter and the brawler.-Inside-fighter:...
and by being a stand-in
Stand-in
A stand-in for film and television is a person who substitutes for the actor before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting.Stand-ins are helpful in the initial processes of production. Lighting setup can be a slow and tedious process; during this time the actor will often be somewhere else...
for the fight scenes. He continued to work on film in Hollywood until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
started. Many ring-wise veterans share the opinion that Breese might have battled his way to the top of the welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
class had not the war interrupted his career.
He joined the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
on May 13, 1943 and was assigned to the USS Wilkes-Barre. He was present during the fire on the USS Bunker Hill
USS Bunker Hill (CV-17)
USS Bunker Hill was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship, the second US Navy ship to bear the name, was named for the Battle of Bunker Hill. Bunker Hill was commissioned in May 1943, and served in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning...
in 1945 and when the Japanese surrendered on September 2, 1945.
Boxing career
On January 1, 1946 he was discharged from the Marine Corps and returned to boxing. A year later, in 1947, Breese realized that the war years had taken their toll on his legs. Fighting Eddie Hudson, a courageous campaigner but definitely not in Breese's class during the prime of the ex-Marine, Baby lost a 10-round decision, his second to the Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
boxer. Immediately after the bout he announced that he would head east and if he couldn't regain his old zip he would hang up his gloves. Four fights later he met Juste Fontaine in Milwaukee and lost. Quentin kept his promise and retired, returning to San Diego to establish the Breese Paint Company on Fifth Avenue.
The San Diego Journal article dated, February 4, 1950 said, "From that time until he retired in 1947, Breese gained a reputation as a competitor. He plied his trade in 19 different United States cities and Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, swapping blows with the best in the business during 125 bouts. During his fistic career he compiled 91 victories, 27 defeats and seven draws. The Baby's right was a lethal weapon and one half of those men whom he defeated ended up getting rocked to sleep by his punching prowess. His record might have been more impressive had he not insisted on meeting any and all comers. He often went in other rings as many as four times in one month."
Later life
Breese's business was doing well and he decided to buy land in the University Heights area of San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
and have a house built. He also bought a white Thunderbird
Thunderbird
-Creatures:* Thunderbird , a legendary creature in Native American culture* Dromornithidae, an extinct Australian family of birds* Thunderbird , a term used in cryptozoology to describe large, bird-like creatures-Computing:...
for his wife, Ila, and a beauty shop named Juniper's Beauty Shop on Juniper Avenue. Still considered a celebrity, Quentin and Ila, hosted many parties at their custom built house and attended many parties at the Mississippi Room at the Imig Manor later known as the Layfeyette Hotel
Lafayette Hotel & Suites in San Diego
The Lafayette Hotel and Suites is a hotel in San Diego, California. It was opened on July 1, 1946.The Lafayette's original name was Imig Manor, owned by local entrepreneur Larry Imig. The LaFayette was originally built at a cost of $2 million on El Cajon Boulevard. When Imig Manor opened in 1946,...
where Hollywood's most glamorous stars came to dine and dance.
Quentin's health became worse over the next ten years. Doctors speculated that his boxing had caused him permanent injuries, and during a party he was hosting at his house in August, 1962, he became ill. The ambulance took him to Mercy Hospital
Mercy Hospital
-Australia:* Werribee Mercy Hospital - Werribee, Victoria* Mercy Hospital for Women, Melbourne - Heidelberg, Victoria* Mercy Hospital, Western Australia - Mount Lawley, Western Australia-New Zealand:* Mercy Hospital - Auckland...
where he died ten days later.
San Diego remembered him by putting flags up and down the sidewalks of Fifth Avenue and inducting him into the San Diego Hall of Champions
San Diego Hall of Champions
The San Diego Hall of Champions is an American multi-sport museum in San Diego, California. Located in the Federal Building in Balboa Park, the facility recognizes outstanding athletic accomplishments and traditions involving more than forty-two sports...
in Balboa Park.
Ila sold the paint store and went back to work at her beauty shop. She drove herself there every day for thirty-five years in the same white Thunderbird that Quentin had bought for her in the 1960s. She never remarried and she and Quentin never had children. She died in November 2001.
Sources
- What They are Doing Now, San Diego Evening Tribune, Feb. 20 1950
- Career Cut Short, San Diego Journal, page 5. Academic PressAcademic PressAcademic Press is an academic book publisher. Originally independent, it was acquired by Harcourt, Brace & World in 1969. Reed Elsevier bought Harcourt in 2000, and Academic Press is now an imprint of Elsevier....
, 1950