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Kid Gavilan Boxing Autograph
A Vintage cut Signature from boxing legend
Kid Gavilan. Comes with a photo of the Cuban Hawk. One of
my favorite boxers.
Kid Gavilan
£35.00
Gavilan started as a professional boxer on
the evening of June 5, 1943, when he beat Antonio Diaz by
a decision in four rounds in Havana. His first ten bouts
were in Havana, and then he had one in Cienfuegos, but soon
he returned to Havana for three more wins. After 14 bouts,
he left Cuba for his first fight abroad, and he beat Julio
César Jimenez by a decision in 10 rounds in his first
of three consecutive fights in Mexico City. It was there
that he suffered his first defeat, at the hands of Carlos
Macalara by a decision. They had an immediate rematch, this
time in Havana, and Gavilan avenged that loss, winning by
decision too.
In 1951, after beating Tommy Ciarlo twice,
once in Caracas, Venezuela, and Hairston once again, he finally
became a world champion when he beat Johnny Bratton for the
world Welterweight title by a decision in 15 on May 18. He
defended that title for the first time against Graham, winning
by a decision, and promptly made four non title bouts before
the end of the year, including another win over Janiro and
a draw in ten with Bratton.
In 1952, he defended the title with success against Bobby
Dykes, Gil Turner, and with Graham in a third encounter
between the two. All those fights were won by decision in
15. He also had five non title bouts, including three that
were a part of an Argentinian tour. His third fight with
Graham was his first world title defense in Havana and his
fight with Dykes marked the first time that a black man
and a white man had a boxing fight in then-segregated Miami,
Florida.
In 1953, Gavilan retained the title by a knockout in ten
against Chuck Davey, by a decision in 15 against Carmen
Basilio and by a decision in 15 against Bratton. He had
seven non title bouts, losing to Danny Womber, but beating
Ralph Tiger Jones.
In 1954, Gavilan went up in weight. After two more points
wins, he challenged world Middleweight champion Bobo Olson
for the world title, but lost a decision in 15. Then, he
went down in weight, and lost his world Welterweight championship,
by a decision in 15 to Johnny Saxton. That same year, he
appeared on a Telemundo Puerto Rico poster that promoted
that country's first television transmission.
Kid Gavilan was one of the few boxers ever not to be knocked
out in their professional careers. In 1966, he was inducted
into the original boxing Hall of Fame, as well as the International
Boxing Hall Of Fame in Canastota, New York.
