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Kid Gavilan vs Carmen
Basilio Autographs
A Framed 8x10 signed by both of these welterweight
Legends!
Gavilan vs Basilio
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KID GAVILAN
After turning professional in Cuba in 1943
and winning most of his fights there, Gavilan came to the
United States late in 1946. He was matched against Sugar
Ray Robinson for the world welterweight championship on
July 11, 1949, but lost a 15-round decision.
The colorful Gavilan, known for his "bolo punch"
(actually just a right uppercut), fought for the title again,
this time against Johnny Bratton, who had won the National
Boxing Association championship after Robinson became a
middleweight. Gavilan decisioned Bratton in 15 rounds on
May 18, 1951.
Charlie Humez was recognized as the welterweight champion
in Europe, but he moved up to the middleweight class later
in 1951 and Gavilan won world-wide recognition by beating
Billy Graham in a 15-round decision on August 29.
He lost a bid for the middleweight title on April 2, 1954,
when Carl "Bobo" Olson took a 15-round decision.
In Gavilan's next fight, on October 20, he lost the welterweight
championship to Johnny Saxton in another 15-round decision.
Gavilan fought for four more years, but he lost four of
six fights in 1957 and he retired after losing two out of
three in 1958. He had 143 professional bouts and won 107
of them, 27 by knockout. He lost 30 decisions, but was never
knocked out. He also fought 6 draws and 1 no-contest.
CARMEN BASILIO
Carmen Basilio was a TWO-division champion was one of the
most popular fighters or his era. His tough, gritty style
not only won him world titles, but it was the heart and
desire he displayed in the ring that won him a place in
the hearts of 1950s boxing fans, as well as two "Fighter
of the Year" honors (1955 and 1957) from the Boxing
Writers Association of America. So it's not surprising that
his enduring legacy prompted his fellow townsmen of Canastota,
New York, to honor him with a statue -- more than two decades
after he retired -- which gave them the impetus to found
the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
After his Honorable Discharge from the Marine Corps, this
son of an onion farmer turned pro in 1948. For the first
four years, most of his fights were in central or western
New York. A series of three consecutive tough contests,
a draw and a loss to Chuck Davey and a loss to Billy Graham,
catapulted him to prominence, where he stayed for the remainder
of his career.
In 1953, he decisioned former lightweight king Ike Williams
and later beat Graham for the New York State welterweight
title. He then defended the title with draw, again against
Graham. Basilio's fist world title bout, against Kid Gavilan
was a grueling contest. He dropped Gavilan in the second
round. The Kid barely beat the count and recovered to win
a 15-round decision.
Undeterred, Basilio continued his quest for a world championship.
He went 9-0-2 in his next 11 bouts. In that string, he won
rematches with the two opponents he drew with. His dream
of winning a world title was realized on June 10, 1955.
Before a hometown crowd in nearby Syracuse he went toe-to-toe
in a bloody affair with welterweight champ Tony DeMarco.
The champ had the best in the early going but Basilio came
on strong, dropped DeMarco twice in the 10th round pressed
the issue until the referee stepped in and halted the bout
in the 12th.
Basilio beat DeMarco in his first defense, but lost a 15-round
decision to Johnny Saxton in his next fight. But he regained
the title from Saxton in a rematch (KO 9) and stopped him
in two rounds in the first defense of his second reign.
As 1957 moved on, Basilio set his sights on the middleweight
crown and its owner, Sugar Ray Robinson. That bout took
place Sept. 23, at Yankee Stadium. Giving away advantages
in height and reach, he sustained heavy punishment and a
badly cut left eye, and won the title in one of the most
action-packed bouts of the decade.
But in the rematch on March 25, the following year, Robinson
regained the title in an equally taxing bout. He peppered
Basilio's face, which this time succumbed to Robinson's
repeated jabs and right crosses. Basilio fought most of
the bout with his left eye totally shut. With this dogged
pursuit of victory under such conditions he garnered even
more respect.
After two wins, he twice unsuccessfully challenged champion
Gene Fullmer, who had dethroned Robinson. He was stopped
via 14th-round kayo Aug. 28, 1959 and via 12th-round kayo
June 29, 1960. He won two more decisions before losing a
15-round decision to middleweight champion Paul Pender on
April 22, 1961. Although he left the ring vanquished, it's
only fitting that Basilio's last fight was for a world title.
