I met Joe O’Donnell in the kitchen of the Field Burger & Tap. Joe competed in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, West Germany.
Joe told me of his childhood, getting into trouble at the age of 13 when he slugged an officer in court while defending his mother who, when reaching for her keys, officers thought was pulling a gun. Joe was jailed for 8 months. It was there, from another inmate, that he learned to box.
Joe told me of the time that he met Muhammad Ali, who gave Joe his Rolex. He showed me a photo of one encounter (below).
He’s still delivering the punches, now in the kitchen. Joe now sells meat for Wells Meats in Philadelphia. As for Wells Meat, it was some of the best steak Muhammad Ali has ever tasted, Ali told him.
Joe taught me few moves, too. “Keep your hand close to your face,” Joe said, “to swat the punches, then throw the jab.”
Braden Social 