Sammy Frager

Sammy Frager was a Romanian-born boxer and boxing glove manufacturer.

Early life Sammy Frager was born in Constanța, Constanța County, Romania, near the end of the 19th century.

Career Sammy Frager debuted as an amateur boxer at 14 and posted a 60-0-1 record over five years in the Navy. After his Navy service, he started a business selling athletic trophies. Frager became the sparring partner of Memphis Pal Moore and notably fought Sammy Mandell twice between 1921 and 1922.

Establishing his craft during the 1930s, Frager set up shop on W. Randolf St. and sold boxing equipment out of his headquarters at Trafton's Gym. He also made punching bags, shoes, bathrobes, trunks, and other athletic equipment. He rejected numerous buyout offers from major manufacturers. The first title bout to feature Frager gloves was Joe Louis vs. James J. Braddock. Frager made little profit from glove work, but making gloves for title fights helped promote Frager's gym-wear line. He started at $50 per pair and later charged $100, though he felt the time invested merited $250 to $500. His brand was at the center of controversy during Liston's 1963 bout against Floyd Patterson. Liston wanted gloves tailored to fit his 14-inch fists manufactured by Frager, and Patterson's camp pushed to use Everlast gloves instead. At the request of Liston's advisor, Jack Nilon, Sammy created multiple sets of gloves in his small shop.

For Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay in February 1964, Frager produced custom 8-oz sheepskin gloves. Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, wore the pair of gloves made by Frager and stopped Liston after seven rounds in Miami Beach. In the fall of 1964, Frager made custom 8-oz gloves for the rematch at a cost of $154, which were kept in a safe until fight night. Both fighters wore Frager gloves in their second appearance together in Lewiston, Maine, on May 25, 1965. Neil Leifer's famous photo of Ali standing over Liston features the gloves made by Frager.

At nearly 70, his last glove order—$200 for two pairs—was for the proposed March 29 Ali–Terrell fight. On February 8, 1966, the day contracts were approved, he began by tracing the fighters' hands and cutting high-quality sheepskin. The leather, tanned and dyed red, was stretched and padded using his "own brainstorm." He finished the gloves on a sewing machine, adding laces and the Frager label. The fight was postponed to the next year, but Sammy Frager died before it took place.

The former boxer spent more than three decades manufacturing boxing gloves. Over the years, Frager made gloves for fighters like Joe Louis, James J. Braddock, Tony Zale, Henry Armstrong, Max Baer, Barney Ross, Archie Moore, Tony Canzoneri, Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Carmen Basilio.

Death Sammy Frager died on April 19, 1966, at Hines Veterans Hospital in Hines, Illinois, United States.