Background
Savold was born in Canby, Minnesota (his birth was recorded in the nearby town of Marshall). His parents were farmers and ranchers of Norwegian ancestry. As a youngster, he broke horses and herded cattle on his family ranch.
He fought his first fight at the age of 15 against Wallace Burns, in which he won $25. He later joined a carnival and fought "all comers" at or near his 150 lb weight. His first professional fight was on August 2, 1934. He fought in St Paul against Johnny Marcus, where he won a six-round decision.
He went by the name "Savoldi" early in his career, and generally fought at 190 lbs, though in between fights he reached up to 250 lbs.
At one time or another he was a bouncer, bartender, road laborer, and stockyard worker. In 1943 he joined the merchant marine and took part in several convoys to Murmansk. After retiring from boxing, he worked for Local 825 of the Operating Engineers Union.
Read more about this topic: Lee Savold
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