Adventures in the Fight Racket #39

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New York -- Their Middleweight title fight just two days away, Dick Tiger and Joey Giardello limbered up. Tiger apparently won a psychological battle when champion Giardello showed up without a swivel for his speed bag. When requested to loan Giardello his swivel, the normally pleasant and cooperative Nigerian refused. "He's my enemy now," he said. Giardello used an ill-fitting swivel and didn't like it. "It wasn't nice of him to do that," the champion said. They will settle their differences at Madison Square Garden on October 21st. (1965)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #38

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A More Happy Fella Than Yesterday.

New York -- Brawny Gene Fullmer and his wife Dolores stand in front of Broadway's Imperial Theater where 'The Most Happy Fella' is playing; an appropriate spot for Fullmer the morning after his victory over Charles Humez in a bloody ten-round fight at Madison Square Garden. The Fullmers are heading for their West Jordan, Utah, home. The 24-year-old mining welder stood out as the number one challenger for the Middleweight crown of Sugar Ray Robinson after his victory over France's Humez. Fullmer said a millionaire friend would underwrite a $1,000,000 guarantee to Robinson if necessary to entice the champion into the ring. (1956)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #37

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New York -- Trinidad middleweight Yolande Pompee and his compatriot, Hector Constance, a welterweight seeking a U.S. match, feed the pigeons on New York's Duffy Square. (1954)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #36

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Floyd just can't believe it.

-- The scale says 195 pounds, but Floyd Patterson can't believe it at weigh-in last night. Both the ex-champ and Jerry Quarry, far right, claim they're lighter after concluding drills for heavy weight elimination fight. Quarry weighed-in at 195 1/2 pounds. Looking on are Athletic Commission secretary Clayton Frye, left, and announcer Jimmy Lennon.

Adventures in the Fight Racket #35

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Rocky Won't Put That Crown on the Shelf.

New York -- Rocky Marciano, sporting a left eye shiner as a memento of his victorious ring encounter last night with Archie Moore, is shown with his manager Al Weill during a press conference today. Marciano said he has "no thought in my mind to retire right now," although his family and a few personal friends want him to. Weill said Rocky will not defend his title again before next June, and mentioned as possible opponents Hurricane Jackson, Bob Baker, Nino Valdes and Floyd Patterson. (1955)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #34

Today's Adventure

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Sugar Ray Robinson winds up the left hook that will knock out Carl "Bobo" Olsen in the fourth round of their middleweight championship fight at Wrigley Field

Adventures in the Fight Racket #33

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Robinson to Get Maxim-um Sugar

New York -- Middleweight champion Sugar Ray Robinson (right) playfully lifts light heavyweight champion Joey Maxim's crown at meeting, which resulted in the scheduling of a light heavyweight title bout in Yankee Stadium, June 23. Sugar Ray is asking that should he win Maxim's title, he be allowed to retain his middleweight crown. Reliable sources in the International Boxing Club have revealed that Robinson will get 35 percent, although the title at stake is held by Maxim. (1952)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #32

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New York -- Members of New York State's joint legislative committee on professional Boxing meet to draw up a proposed bill to abolish the sport in the state of New York. They are (left to right): William Conklin; State Senator Hunter Meighan; Assemblyman Moses Weinstein; State Senator Frank J. Pino; Assemblyman Alexander Chananau; and Assemblyman Haywood J. Plumadore, who is a chairman of the committee. (1963)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #31

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From Ring Lights to Footlights

New York -- Mickey Walker, former world's middleweight champion, known in fistic circles as the 'Toy Bulldog' is shown dancing with show girls as he made his debut as a Song and Dance Man at a local club. Mickey, of late years, has been a successful tavern owner. (1937)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #30

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In This Corner...

Hollywood -- If the fellow at left seems to be familiar, it's only because it's former heavyweight champion-turned-actor Archie Moore. With the ex-boxer in this scene from an NBC-TV dramatic program is actor Harry Guardino. They appear in a TV version of 'It's Mental Work,' a John O'Hara story, on the December 20th segment of the 'Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theater' series. (1963)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #29

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New York -- Dr. John E. Crisp, one of the three chief surgical residents of New York's Roosevelt Hospital, points to a skull x-ray of welterweight boxing champion Benny 'Kid' Paret, who underwent brain surgery as a result of injuries sustained during his title bout with Emile Griffith on March 24 (1962)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #28

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New York -- Welterweight Champion Kid Gavilan and Light Heavyweight Champion Joey Maxim signed contracts today at the State Boxing Commission Office, to defend their titles. Gavilan will meet Billy Graham in his title bout and Maxim will meet Bob Murphy. Shown at the signing are Kid Gavilan; Boxing Commissioner Eddie Eagan and Joey Maxim. In the rear are challengers Billy Graham and Bob Murphy. (1951)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #27

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Chicago -- Musician Lucky Thompson holds sheet music as Archie Moore strums out the tune of "Too Young" on a ukulele in his hotel room here, November 28th. Moore, in training for his scheduled heavyweight title bout, November 30th, against Floyd Patterson, apparently shows no concern over the fact that he has been sued for $750,000 on breach of promise and assault charges. Three suits, filed in Federal court, were on behalf of Mrs. Dolree Mapp of Ohio, and her daughter, Barbara Bivins, 12. Barbara is the daughter of former heavyweight Jimmy Bivins, and was adopted by Mrs. Mapp. (1956)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #26

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He Tried.

New York -- Battered, and bruised, his moon face swollen, Tony Galento is pictured in his dressing room after waging an unsuccessful fight for Joe Louis' heavyweight title. Tony was in such bad shape in the fourth round of the scheduled 15 round go that referee Arthur Donovan stepped in and stopped the slaughter. But, and Tony's grandchildren will hear the tale, not before he had the brown bomber, the super champion, the amber assassin, etc., down on the deck. Galento's Special, that long looping left of his, floored the champion for the count of two in the third round. (1939)

Friends and Family #44Adventures in the Fight Racket #25

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Philadelphia -- Manager Frank 'Blinky' Palermo puts the Welterweight Championship belt around Johnny Saxton after he won the title from Kid Gavilan with a unanimous decision at Convention Hall in Philadelphia, October 20th. Gavilan, champ since 1951, sobbed afterwards that the fight was "fixed." (1954)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #24

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Chicago -- Heavyweight champion Cassius Clay (aka Muhammad Ali) casts a wondered look at a marquee that reads "WOULD YOU BELIEVE NAZIS IN OUR CITY" at the entrance to a South Side motel. Clay is in Chicago attending a Black Muslim convention at the International Amphitheater. The Champ, who takes off for Germany on August 29, drew a standing ovation when he addressed a huge crowd at the convention. (1966)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #23

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New York -- Mickey Walker, former World's Middleweight Champion, looks like an honest-to-goodness newspaperman as he assumes his new duties as sports editor of the Police Gazette. Walker, who retired from the ring in 1937, will write a regular column, "The Bulldog Speaks," and will soon take off on a tour of the country searching for boxing talent that the Gazette can train and sponsor. (1948)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #22

Today's Adventure: Welterweight champion Kid Gavilan trains for a title defense against Johnny Saxton by sucking eggs (1954)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #21

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Titleless But not Undecorated.

New York -- Arturo Godoy, the Chilean challenger, walks to his dressing room after a futile fight to lift Joe Louis' heavyweight title. Arturo weathered almost seven rounds at Yankee Stadium without much damage; using the same crouch and cling tactics which carried him through 15 rounds of his first fight with the Brown Bomber. But Joe caught him right as the seventh round was ending. Arturo dropped. From then on it was a question of time, and not much time either. Arturo was dropped twice in the next round and referee Billy Cavanaugh stopped the bout to award Joe Louis technical knockout victory in one minute 24 seconds of the eighth round. Arturo may not have a title-but he is not entirely undecorated-notice his battered face. (1940)

Adventures in the Fight Racket #20

Today's Adventure: Former Heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey relives a moment of humiliation on the canvas (1965)