RUEVEN
"RUBY" GOLDSTEIN
("THE JEWEL OF THE GHETTO")
Sport: Boxing Inducted: 1995 Country: United States Born: October 7, 1907 in New York, New
York Died: April 23, 1984
Ruby Goldstein
spent more than 35 years in the boxing ring, first as a prizefighter
and later as the referee of Charley Goldman matches featuring
some of the greatest boxers
of all time. Although he enjoyed an outstanding career as
a lightweight and middleweight contender, he
is remembered mostly by contemporary boxing observers as
the third man in the ring for 39 world championship fights.
During his 21 years as a boxing official, from 1943 to
1964, Goldstein refereed such historical battles as the
brutal 1946 Zony Zale vs. Rocky Graziano classic, the 1952
Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Joey Maxim opus, the 1957 Ingemar
Johannson vs. Floyd Patterson clash, and Joe Louis’ title
fights against Jersey
Joe Walcott and Rocky Marciano (Louis’ last).
Only Arthur Donovan refereed more heavyweight championship
fights, and no one worked more title bouts in all divisions
than Goldstein.
Putting on the gloves for his first professional fight
at the age of 17 and appearing on the cover of The Ring
magazine just one year later, Goldstein went on to win
his first 23 bouts, developing into a remarkable lightweight
and middleweight contender. His extended boxing career—he
retired periodically—ranged from 1925 until
1937. Billed as the “Jewel of the Ghetto,” he
won 50 of 55 professional fights—34 by knockout.
All five of his losses were by early knockouts in the fourth
round or before. In 30 of his own knockouts, his opponent
failed to make it past the fourth round, and a dozen fell
in round one!
Goldstein is ranked by The Ring magazine and author Ken
Blady, in his book The Jewish Boxers’ Hall of Fame,
as one of the top 10 Jewish-American boxers of all
time. Fred Graham’s book The Third Man in The Ring
celebrates Goldstein’s career as a referee.
