Introduction:
The year 1963 will always be important
for me as that was the year I became involved
in boxing when I joined the newly formed club
in Nanaimo by George Nepper which
was called the Newcastle Boxing Club.
But, beyond the local amateur world, the
professional boxing scene was
an exciting sport to follow and watch.
(photo: brian zelley in my early days of a boxing journey)
1963: UPSETS, MAGIC SCALES and TRAGEDY
== Joey Giardello ==
about 15 years and had one previous
title fight, but when he stepped into the
ring with middleweight champion
DICK TIGER, Joey was the underdog.
But, someone forgot to tell Giardello.
Joey used all his experience to box
Tiger and not get into a banging war.
At, the end of the bout, Joey reminded
us of Rocky Graziano when Rocky
was an underdog against the
"Man of Steel" Tony Zale. In 1963,
Joey would become the middleweight champion of the world.
== Willie Pastrano ==
Harold Johnson had worked hard to
get universal recognition after the
great Archie Moore was ending his
last years as an active fighter.
That recognition for Harold came in
1962, but before the glory had
evaporated to a regular role, it
all was lost by a split-decision
when the classy boxer
Willie Pastrano edged the skilled
and experienced Johnson with the perfect combination of
speed and foot movement for one of the big upsets of 1963.
Another round of tragedy strikes in the featherweight division.
Sadly, champion Davey "the Springfield Rifle" Moore would
lose his title and his life in his bout with Sugar Ramos. Unlike
the Paret tragedy of 1962, the cause of the loss of Davey
appeared to be one of those accidents that just happen.
Davey was knocked down but hit the base of his skull on a
tight ring rope that caused the fatal blow.
== Flash Elorde's magic scales at weigh-in ==
Johnny Bizzarro from the USA had his shot for
'the junior lightweight title held by the slick
Flash Elorde. In that contest, the strangest
event was the weigh-in where the Flash did not make
the weight, then faster than a flash when he jumped
on and off the scales for a second shot, there was
some sort of magic in the room when the watcher
called out the right weight to allow the fight. Johnny
lost the fight, but to some it wasn't only Elorde's
fists that won the day, it was those magic scales.
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