1963 BOXING HISTORY: upsets, tragedy and magic scales win the day

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS:  By Brian Zelley

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  ==

*Joey Giardello had been fighting for
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 ==

In light-heavyweight division, champion
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.  

Boxing Moments in April

APRIL HAPPENINGS in BOXING:  by Brian Zelley


As we flashback through the fistic past, there were many 
interesting moments and title fights in April beyond the
April Fool's time slot.


The Sizzling Sixties in the Ring:


It was April 1960 when Gene Fullmer faced Joey Giardello in the
middleweight division, but in the flyweight division some may 
remember th PONE KINGPETCCH vs PASCUAL PEREZ bout
that went the distant in April of '60.


1961:
*There would be  variety of action in April of 1961:
In the light-heavyweight division, HAROLD JOHNSON 
would stop Von Clay in two rounds to retain the title. And ,
in middleweight action PAUL PENDER would retain a 
piece of the crown with a victory over CARMEN BASILIO
in a bout at Boston.  Lightweight champion JOE BROWN
would travel to London to win a 15 round decision over
DAVE CHARNLEY.  In featherweight action in LA,
champuon Dave "the Springfield Rifle" Moore would
quicjly end the bout against Danny Valdez.


Over the decades before and after there would be many
other great and not so great moment in boxing in the
month of April.


THE FANTASTIC FIFTIES:
*It was Islington's own TERRY ALLAN who won the
vacant flyweight title in April 1950 to start a decade of
April moments in the Fantastic Fistic Fifties.


*Then there was SANDY SADDLER, the featherweight
champion who stopped Lauro Salas in a junor lghtweight 
bout while champion Willie Pep was rockng as the feeatherweight king.


*It would be in April 1952 when the geeat SUGAR RAY ROBINSON
would win another middleweight title fight against ex-champion 
ROCKY GRAZIANO, best known for his three wars with
the :Man of Steel" TONY ZALE.


The Super Seventies and spring time in April


*When one touches on the Seventies, one bout in the
month of April 1976 will stand out for controversy and
serve to measure or diminish the greatness of the
self-proclaimed greatest MUHAMMAD ALI/CASSIUS CLAY.


It was April 30th. 1976 and took place in Landover, Maryland.
Some say it was the day boxer JIMMY YOUNG was robbed of the
heavyweight title in his challenge for the title against Ali.  The
various news reports touched-on some of the issues such as the
following headline:
"ALI AT HIS WORST AGAINST YOUNG PRETENDER".
This headline was repeated in the Nineties when "The RING"
magazine published the book about boxing titled
"Chronicle of Boxing" by publisher Stanley Weston and
editor-in-chief Steven Farhood in 1993. Also, Jimmy Young had
much to say such as the following:
"I've had 25 fights up until tonight, and this was one of my easiest".


How the three judges scored it a unanimous decision for ALI
has many possibilities, but in one if his worst performances
supported by the post-fight comments by ANGELO DUNDEE
it would be reasonable to believe the fight was held on 
April 1st. (April Fool's Day) instead of April 30th.


There would be other April moments in the Seventes
such as the 1978 victory by Carlos Zarate over
Andre Fernandez in a bantamweight bout that took
place in San Juan on April 22, 1978.  In the closing
year of the Seventies, lightweight champion JIM WATTS
would close out the Seventies April moments with a 
victory over Alfredo Pitalua to win the vacant WBC
lightweight title but in 1981 he would lose to one of 
the all=time greats ALEX ARGUELLO by a 15-round
decision in London, England.  But, not to be fogotten
in the Seventies was the April 3rd., 1971 bout where
Bantamweight champion Reuben Olivares won a 
15-round decision over Chucho Castillo in California.


For those in the Pacific Northwest, it was April 1935
when BARNEY ROSS faced HARRY WOODS in 
Seattle for the Jr. welterweight title.


Fast forward from 1935 to 1946 and another 
Jr. welterweight title fight was the one that
had TIPPY LARKIN vs WILLIE JOYCE.

It Happened in March, Boxing moments

MARCH MOMENTS IN BOXING: by Brian Zelley


Headlines:  "Gus Gets Stronger As He Ages" (The RING)
1948:  The year was 1948 and there were many great fights including
two in March when light-heavyweight champion Gus Lesnevich 
stopped Billy Fox in one round in a New York fight.  Across the wild
Atlantic flyweight RINTY MONAGHAN stopped Jackie Patterson in 7.


But 1948 was not the only month to produce some excellent title fights.
In 1953 Bantamweight Jimmy Carruthers stopped Vic Toweel in a title
bout in Johannesburg and in 1954 lightweight Paddy DeMarco  won a
decision over Jimmy Carter.  Then there was 1956 and the welterweight
title fight that had Johnny Saxton win a 15 round decision over the
great Carmen Basilio.   In the close of the Fifties, it would be the boxer
known as the "Springfield Rifle" Davey Moore who would win the
featherweight title from Hogan "Kid" Bassey.


MARCH MOMENTS IN THE SIXTIES:


It All Begins With the Filipino Flash
1960: The Filipino Flash arrives in great form when Flash Elorde
won the junior lightweight title from Harold Gomes. Referee
was former champion Barney Ross who stopped the fight in
round seven.


Beyond The Flash
After the flash, during the Sixties there were other title fights
that took place in the month of March.  The year 1967 would
result in an important point in time for the one known as
"The Greatest" or the "Louisville Lip", it was Muhammad
Ali/Cassius Clay's last title fight before he was sent into some
sort of exile from boxing.  It was March 22, 1967 that Ali
would defend the heavyweight title against the old veteran
Zora Folley.  There was no expectation that Folley would win.
Zora Bell Folley was well past his prime, but the title shot
was well deserved for Folley's years of effort.


Back in 1965, it was another slice against Ali when 
on March 5 th.  Ernie Terrell would earn the WBA
heavyweight title with a victory over Eddie Machen
by a 15 round decision in Chicago.  In March 1966,
Muhammad Ali would defend his share of the title
against the Canuck Clouter George Chuvalo which
also went the distance.  


In 1963, one Luis Rodriguez  would win the 
welterweight tutle with a decision over Emile Griffith.
But,  Emile would bounce back and regain the title
on June 8 th. in New York.


March 1968 - Nino Benvenuti defeats Emile Griffith
in a middleweight title fight.  In the heavyweight arena 
Joe Frazier defeats Buster Mathis for  the New York
version of the heavyweight title left vacant by the
removal of Ali for his draft evasion issues.  And in
the featherweight division, Raul Rojas wins a piece
of the title with a victory over Enrique Higgins in
California on March 28, 1968.


March 1969:  Fred Little wins Jr. Middleweight title
with a victory over Stanley Haywood.  In bantamweight
action, Australia's Lionel Rose faced England's 
Alan Rudkin.  The bout went distance in Melbourne
with Rose winning the decision.


THE MARCH MOMENTS IN THE SEVENTIES


ISMAEL LAGUNA would kick-off the Seventies with
his March 3, 1970 lightweight title bout with a stoppage
of then champion 21-year old MANDO RAMOS with
a gifted left jab that sliced and diced Mando until 
referee LEE GROSSMAN  to stop the fight and
save the young ex-champion for future action.  


`BOB FOSTER would continue the parade of 
March moments on March 2, 1971 when he 
stopped HAL CARROLL in 4-rounds in
Scranton.


CAROLS MONZON, JOSE NAPOLES, ALFONSO FRAZER,
RAFAEL HERRERA and MASAO OHBA would make March
a merry month tor title fights in 1972.  For Pacific Northwest 
they would here that former Jr. middleweight champion DENNY MOYER
would knock middleweight champion Carlos Monzon out of the ring
in Rome, Italy, but Carlos would charge back to stop Denny.  and the
smooth as butter Jose Napoles would defeat RALPH CHARLES at
Wembley on March 28, 1972


ANTONIO CERVANTES would win a 15-round decision in a 
Junior Welterweight bout in San Juan on March 17. 1973.


GEORGE FOREMAN and ROBERTO DURAN score K0's 
in March 1974 title fights.  Foreman over KEN NORTON and
Duran over ESTEBAN DEJESUS.  Also, Cervantes defended
his title, and BEN VILAFLOR earned a piece of the Juniior
lightweight title.  


MARCH 1975 was a busy month for champions including 
newly crowned heavyweight champion MUHAMMAD ALI
takes on the old trial horse CHUCK WEPNER who knocked
Ali down in the ninth round.  Ali pulled off a win when the
referee Tony Perez stopped the bout with seconds to go.
Why Perez stopped the fight when Ali was not fighting
like a newly crowned champions is not known. 


1976 to 1979: There would be more title fights with the 
likes of John Conteh, Eddie Gazo, Pipino Cuevas,
Larry Holmes, Maurice Hope Danny Lopes and
Carlos Zarate.  It would be the March 23 rd. bout
where heavyweight champion LARRY HOLMES
would stop OSVALDO OCASIO at Las Vegas in 7-rds.

from FLOYD PATTERSON to DAVEY MOORE and HOWARD WINSTONE

CHAMPIONS:  SOME UNSUNG HEROES:  By Brian Zelley

INTRODUCTION

As we look at the many lists of great champions, or top ten lists,

or the best boxers some of the following names never appear.

But put aside the lists and remember the following 12 boxers:

Ezzard Charles, Floyd Patterson, Harold Johnson,

Bob Foster, Freddie Steele, Alan Minter, 

Curtis Cokes, Emile Griffith,  Joe Brown,

Ken Buchanan Howard Winstone, Davey Moore 


HEAVYWEIGHTS:
The two heavyweight champions in this list are
EZZARD CHARLES and FLOYD PATTERSON.


LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHTS:
The two light-heavyweight champions are:
HAROLD JOHNSON and BOB FOSTER.


WELTERWEIGHTS  and MIDDLEWEIGHTS:
The middleweights and welterweights are
FREDDIE STEELE, ALAN MINTER,
CURTIS COKES  and EMILE GRIFFITH.

                                  Emile Griffith and Manuel Gonzalez


LIGHTWEIGHTS and FEATHERWEIGHTS:
The lighter weight champions are:
JOE BROWN, KEN BUCHANAN, 
HOWARD WINSTONE and DAVEY MOORE.