Boxing Obituaries 2018 PART ONE: (A-G)

Published

5 years ago

December 28, 2018

An otherwise up year for boxing was unfortunately mottled by many somber notes as the “10 count” was tolled for an inordinately high number of notable boxing personalities. This year, our annual obits compilation is running in two parts with the decedents listed alphabetically.

Ramon Pina Acevedo – A prominent lawyer and political figure in the Dominican Republic, Pina was the first President of the World Boxing Organization (WBO). On Feb. 7 in Santo Domingo at age 96.

Steve Acunto – Honored by the BWAA in 1998 for “long and meritorious service,” Acunto dedicated his life to the betterment of boxing. A man who wore many hats – e.g. judge, commissioner, YMCA boxing coach – he campaigned successfully to get his friend Rocky Marciano on a U.S. postage stamp. On Feb. 1 at age 101 in Mount Vernon, NY, his home for 86 years.

Phil Alessi – The founding owner of a bakery/deli that is a local institution in Tampa, Alessi promoted or co-promoted more than 300 boxing shows, many of which aired on the USA Cable network. On May 6 at age 74 from complications of diabetes.

Dave Anderson – One of only three sportswriters to win the Pulitzer Prize (Red Smith and Jim Murray are the others), Anderson, a 2008 IBHOF inductee, spent more than three decades at the New York Times. He collaborated with Sugar Ray Robinson on his memoir and authored “In This Corner” (subtitled “Great Boxing Trainers Talk About Their Art”). In Cresskill, New Jersey, on Oct. 4 at age 89.

Vic Andreetti – A stablemate of Henry Cooper, Andreetti was 51-13-3 in a career that began in 1961. Late in his career he won the British 130-pound title from three-time rival Des Rea. In retirement he ran a pub in London’s East End and for a time was the trainer of Nigel Benn. In London on March 16 at age 76 of cancer.

Marijan Benes – He represented Yugoslavia in the 1976 Olympics and as a pro fought for the WBA 154-pound title, losing a 15-round decision to Ayub Kalule in Denmark. He was 32-6-1 when he had to quit boxing because of an eye injury. He was suffering from Alzheimer’s and wheelchair-bound when he died in Banja Luka, Bosnia, on Sept 4 at age 67.

Markus Beyer – A two-time Olympian and three-time WBC super middleweight world title holder, Beyer compiled a 35-3-1 record while defeating such notables as Richie Woodhall, Eric Lucas, and Danny Green (twice). In retirement he worked as a TV boxing analyst in his native Germany. In Berlin on Dec. 3 at age 47 of an undisclosed illness.

Bert Blewett – A man synonymous with boxing in his native South Africa, Blewett quit his job as an accountant in 1978 to focus exclusively on the sweet science which he served as a journalist, referee, judge, and magazine publisher. On Jan. 23 in Durban, S.A. at age 84.

Aureliano Bolognesi – Reportedly 140-1 as an amateur, Bolognesi won the gold medal as a lightweight at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. As a professional he was 17-2-2. In Genoa, Italy, on March 30 at age 87.

Monroe Brooks – Brooks (50-8-3, 34 KOs) fought extensively at the Olympic Auditorium where he made his pro debut and in Sacramento where he developed a loyal following. He fought Saensak Muangsurin in Thailand for the WBC 130-pound title and fought Roberto Duran in Madison Square Garden, but in LA is best remembered for his 1978 war with Bruce Curry at the Olympic. At age 65 in Los Angeles.

Charlie “White Lightning” Brown – Brown was barely 19 years old when he knocked Alfredo Escalera into retirement, outpointing the former long-reigning 130-pound champion at Madison Square Garden. With his boyish good looks the world was his oyster, but after opening his career 24-0 he faded fast. Brown lost the use of his legs two years ago when he was hit by a car. He was 53 years old and suffering from dementia when he died at age 53 on August 13 in an East Moline, Illinois nursing home.

Enzo Calzaghe – An Italian-born Welsh boxing trainer, Enzo steered his Hall of Fame son Joe Calzaghe into a world champion in two weight divisions. He also tutored future world title holders Enzo Maccarinelli, Gavin Rees, and Nathan Cleverly. On Sept. 17 at age 69 in Newcastle, Wales. No cause of death was listed.

Leopoldo Cantancio – He represented the Philippines as a lightweight in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. Cantancio never turned pro but stayed involved in the sport including a stint as the head coach of the Philippines national team. On April 20 at age 54 in a motorcycle crash while returning from a boxing tournament.

Franco Cavicchi – A small heavyweight by today’s standards, Cavicchi compiled a 71-14-4 record with 45 knockouts in an 11-year career that began in 1952. In 1956, he defeated Heinz Neuhaus to win the European heavyweight title but lost it in his first defense to Ingemar Johansson. In Bologna on Aug. 23 at age 90.

Al Certo – A tailor by trade who had 10 pro fights (winning nine) under his birth name Al Certisimo, Certo was a larger-than-life character who at various times was a manager, promoter, matchmaker, trainer, and booking agent. Under his management, 2019 IBHOF inductee James “Buddy” McGirt won world titles in two weight classes. On Dec. 26 in Secaucus, NJ, at age 90.

Don Chargin – A licensed boxing promoter in California for an incredible 69 years, Chargin is best remembered as the matchmaker at LA’s fabled Olympic Auditorium, a post he held for 21 years beginning in 1964. A great ambassador for boxing, he was inducted into the IBHOF in 2001 and lived to see his late wife Lorraine inducted this year. On Sept. 28 in San Luis Obispo, CA at age 90.

Chartchoi Chionoi – Active from 1959 to 1975, Thailand’s Chionoi, dubbed “Little Marciano,” was a two-time world flyweight champion. Parkinson’s disease hastened his death on Jan. 21 at age 75 in Bangkok.

Billy Collins – Active from 1958 to 1965, Collins quit the sport with a 38-17-1 record after losing a 12-round decision to future welterweight champion Curtis Cokes. On Jan. 9 at age 81 in his hometown of Memphis.

Christian Daghio – Born in Italy, Daghio operated a gym in Thailand devoted to Muay Thai and other combat sports. On Oct. 26, he was knocked out cold in the 12^th round of a WBC sanctioned match in Rangsit, Thailand, and never regained consciousness. It was his 11^th documented fight as a conventional boxer. He was 49 years old.

David Defiagbon – A native Nigerian who moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Defiagbon was Canada’s heavyweight representative in the 1996 Olympics, winning a silver medal. 21-2 as a pro, he died in Las Vegas on Nov. 24 at age 48 of heart complications.

Piero Del Papa – Active from 1960 to 1972, Del Papa compiled a 45-11-4 record and had two reigns as the European light heavyweight champion. In 1971 he challenged Vicente Rondon for the WBA 175-pound world title and was stopped in the opening round. On Oct. 27 in Pisa, Tuscany, his birthplace, at age 80.

Marty Denkin – He refereed hundreds and judged thousands of fights during his 40-plus years on the Southern California boxing scene. For a time he ran the LA office for the State Athletic Commission. Denkin played himself in several movies and owns the distinction of being the only man to count out Rocky Balboa. On Nov. 29 at his home in West Covina, California at age 84.

Leo DiFiore – Coming up the ladder, DiFiore, a junior lightweight, developed an avid following in his hometown of Portland, Maine, which in the 1960s and 1970s was one of America’s busiest boxing towns. He devolved into a journeyman, finishing with a record of 69-33-2. At age 69 in Portland after a decade-long battle with dementia.

Chris Edwards – He lost six of his first seven fights but went on to become a three-time British flyweight champion. A great spoiler, he won a Lonsdale belt outright before retiring in 2012. At age 41 in his hometown of Stoke-on-Trent of an apparent heart attack.

Royce Feour – A retired sportswriter, he spent 37 years at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, covering the boxing beat for 25 of those years. In 1996, the BWAA honored Feour with the Nat Fleischer Award for excellence in boxing journalism. He died on or about Dec. 23 in Las Vegas at age 79 after a lingering illness.

Jorge Fernandez – A welterweight, Fernandez was 117-10-3 with 84 knockouts in a career that began in 1953 and spanned three decades. He was stopped in the ninth round by three-time rival Emile Griffith in one of the first title fights held in Las Vegas and subsequently lost a narrow 12-round decision to Carlos Monzon in a bout billed for the Argentina middleweight title. In Buenos Aires at age 82.

Dean Francis – A Bristol man who last fought in 2014 and finished his career with a record of 34-5-1, Francis won European and British titles at 168 and then returned from a career-threatening shoulder injury to win domestic titles as a light heavyweight and cruiserweight. On May 25 at age 44 from cancer.

Joey Giambra – The “Buffalo Adonis,” Giambra, a middleweight, compiled a 65-10-2 record and was never stopped in a career that began in 1949. He won two of three against future Hall of Famer Joey Giardello and participated in the first recognized title fight in the 154-pound division, losing a 15-round decision to Denny Moyer in Portland, Oregon, Moyer’s hometown. On March 2 in Las Vegas at age 86.

Chuck Giampa – A Las Vegas insurance broker, Giampa judged more than 2,500 fights from 1985 to 2008. He was also a boxing consultant for Showtime and wrote a column for The Ring magazine. At age 75 in Las Vegas after a lengthy illness.

George “Bunny” Grant – From Kingston, Jamaica, Grant was 52-15-5 in a career that consumed 681 rounds. In his fourth year as a pro in 1962, he outpointed Dave Charnley to win the British Empire lightweight title and went on to fight Eddie Perkins for the WBA/WBC lightweight title, losing a 15-round decision. In Kingston on Nov. 1 at age 78 after a series of strokes.

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Arne K. Lang

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Ramon Cardenas Channels Micky Ward and KOs Eduardo Ramirez on ProBox

Published

8 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Ramon-Cardenas-Channels-Micky-Ward-and-KOs-Eduardo-Ramirez-on-ProBox

The Wednesday night bi-monthly series of fights on the ProBox TV platform is the best deal in boxing; the livestream is free with no strings attached! Tonight’s episode was headlined by a super bantamweight match between San Antonio’s Ramon Cardenas and Eduardo Ramirez who brought a caravan of rooters from his hometown in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico.

Cardenas, coached by Joel Diaz, entered the contest ranked #4 by the WBA. He was expected to handle Ramirez with little difficulty, but this was a close, tactical fight through eight frames when lightning struck in the form of a left hook to liver the from Cardenas. Ramirez went down on one knee and wasn’t able to beat the count. It was as if Cardenas summoned the ghost of Micky Ward who had a penchant for terminating fights with the same punch that arrived out of the blue.

The official time was 1:37 of round time. Cardenas improved to 25-1 with his14th win inside the distance. Ramirez, who was stopped in the opening round by Nick “Wrecking” Ball in London in his lone previous fight outside Mexico, falls to 23-3-3.

Co-Feature

In an upset, Tijuana super welterweight Damian Sosa won a split decision over previously undefeated Marques Valle, a local area fighter who was stepping up in class in his first 10-round go. Sosa was the aggressor, repeatedly backing his taller opponent into the ropes where Valle was unable to get good leverage behind his punches.

The 25-year-old Valle, managed by the influential David McWater, was the house fighter. This was his 10^th appearance in this building. He brought a 10-0 (7) record and was hoping to emulate the success of his younger brother Dominic Valle who scored a second-round stoppage of his opponent in this ring two weeks ago, improving to 9-0. But Sosa, who brought a 24-2 record, proved to be a bridge too high.

The judges had it 97-93 and 96-94 for the Tijuana invader and a disgraceful 98-92 for the house fighter.

Also

In a fight whose abrupt ending would be echoed by the main event, 34-year-old SoCal featherweight Ronny Rios, now training in Las Vegas, returned to the ring after a 22-month hiatus and scored a fifth-round stoppage over Nicolas Polanco of the Dominican Republic.

A three-punch combo climaxed by a left hook to the liver took the breath out of Polanco who slumped to his knees and was counted out. A two-time world title challenger, Rios advanced to 34-4 (17 KOs). Polanco, 34, declined to 21-6-1. The official time was 0:54 of round five.

—

The next ProBox show (Wednesday, May 8) will have an international cast with fighters from Kazakhstan, Japan, Mongolia, and the United Kingdom. In the main event, Liverpool’s Robbie Davies Jr will make his U.S. debut against the California-based Kazakh Sergey Lipinets.

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Haney-Garcia Redux with the Focus on Harvey Dock

Published

2 days ago

April 22, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Haney-Garcia-Redux-with-the-Focus-on-Harvey-Dock

Saturday’s skirmish between Ryan Garcia and WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney was a messy affair, and yet a hugely entertaining fight fused with great drama. In the aftermath, Garcia and Haney were celebrated – the former for fooling all the experts and the latter for his gallant performance in a losing effort – but there were only brickbats for the third man in the ring, referee Harvey Dock.

Devin Haney was plainly ahead heading into the seventh frame when there was a sudden turnabout when Garcia put him on the canvas with his vaunted left hook. Moments later, Dock deducted a point from Garcia for a late punch coming out of a break. The deduction forced a temporary cease-fire that gave Haney a few precious seconds to regain his faculties. Before the round was over, Haney was on the deck twice more but these were ruled slips.

The deduction, which effectively negated the knockdown, struck many as too heavy-handed as Dock hadn’t previously issued a warning for this infraction. Moreover, many thought he could have taken a point away from Haney for excessive clinching. As for Haney’s second and third trips to the canvas in round seven, they struck this reporter – watching at home – as borderline, sufficient to give referee Dock the benefit of the doubt.

In a post-fight interview, Ryan Garcia faulted the referee for denying him the satisfaction of a TKO. “At the end of the day, Harvey Dock, I think he was tripping,” said Garcia. “He could have stopped that fight.”

Those that played the rounds proposition, placing their coin on the “under,” undoubtedly felt the same way.

The internet lit up with comments assailing Dock’s competence and/or his character. Some of the ponderings were whimsical, but they were swamped by the scurrilous screeching of dolts who find a conspiracy under every rock.

Stephen A. Smith, reputedly America’s highest-paid TV sports personality, was among those that felt a need to weigh-in: “This referee is absolutely terrible….Unreal! Horrible officiating,” tweeted Stephen A whose primary area of expertise is basketball.

Harvey Dock

Dock fought as an amateur and had one professional fight, winning a four-round decision over a fellow novice on a show at a non-gaming resort in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. He says that as an amateur he was merely average, but he was better than that, a New Jersey and regional amateur champion in 1993 and 1994 while a student New Jersey’s Essex County Community College where he majored in journalism.

A passionate fan of Sugar Ray Leonard, he started officiating amateur fights in 1998 and six years later, at age 32, had his first documented action at the professional level, working low-level cards in New Jersey. The top boxing referees, to a far greater extent than the top judges, had long apprenticeships, having worked their way up from the boonies and Dock is no exception.

Per boxrec, Haney vs Garcia was Harvey Dock’s 364^th assignment in the pros and his forty-second world title fight. Some of those title fights were title in name only, they weren’t even main events, but, bit by bit, more lucrative offerings started coming his way.

On May 13, 2023, Dock worked his first fights in Nevada, a 4-rounder and then a 12-rounder on a card at the Cosmopolitan topped by the 140-pound title fight between Rolly Romero and Ismael Barroso. It was the first time that this reporter got to watch Dock in the flesh.

Ironically (in hindsight), the card would be remembered for the actions of a referee, in this case Tony Weeks who handled the main event. Barroso was winning the fight on all three cards when Weeks stepped in and waived it off in the ninth round after Romero cornered Barroso against the ropes and let loose a barrage of punches, none of which landed cleanly. Few “premature stoppages” were ever as garishly, nay ghoulishly, premature.

With all the brickbats raining down on Weeks, I felt a need to tamp down the noise by diverting attention away from Tony Weeks and toward Harvey Dock and took to the TSS Forum to share my thoughts. Referencing the 12-rounder, a robust junior welterweight affair between Batyr Akhmedov and Kenneth Sims Jr, I noted that Dock’s Las Vegas debut went smoothly. He glided effortlessly around the ring, making him inconspicuous, the mark of a good referee. (This post ran on May 15, two days after the fight.)

Folks at the Nevada State Athletic Commission were also paying attention. Dock was back in Las Vegas the following week to referee the lightweight title fight between Devin Haney and Vasyl Lomachenko and before the year was out, he would be tabbed to referee the biggest non-heavyweight fight of the year, the July 29 match in Las Vegas between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr.

The Haney-Garcia fight wasn’t Harvey Dock’s best hour, I’ll concede that, but a closer look at his full body of work informs us that he is an outstanding referee.

—

While the Haney-Garcia bout was in progress, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman threw everyone a curve ball, tweeting on “X” that Devin Haney would keep his title if he lost the fight. Everyone, including the TV commentators, was under the impression that the title would become vacant in the event that Haney lost.

Sulaiman cited the precedent of Corrales-Castillo II.

FYI: The Corrales-Castillo rematch, originally scheduled for June 3, 2005 and aborted on the day prior when Castillo failed to make weight, finally came off on Oct. 8 of that year, notwithstanding the fact that Castillo failed to make weight once again, scaling three-and-a-half pounds above the lightweight limit. He knocked out Corrales in the fourth round with a left hook that Las Vegas Review-Journal boxing writer Kevin Iole, alluding to the movie “Blazing Saddles,” described as Mongo-esque (translation: the punch would have knocked out a horse). After initially insisting on a rubber match, which had scant chance of happening, WBC president Jose Sulaiman, Mauricio’s late father, ruled that Corrales could keep his title.

Whether or not you agree with Mauricio Sulaiman’s rationale, the timing of his announcement was certainly awkward.

Haney’s mandatory is Spanish southpaw Sandor Martin (42-3, 15 KOs), a cutie best known for his 2021 upset of Mikey Garcia. A bout between Haney and Martin has the earmarks of a dull fight.

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In a Shocker, Ryan Garcia Confounds the Experts and Upsets Devin Haney

Published

4 days ago

April 21, 2024

David A. Avila

In-a-Shocker-Ryan-Garcia-Confounds-the-Experts-and-Upsets-Devin-Haney

Its good to be crazy. Like a fox.

Ryan “KingRy” Garcia knocked down WBC super lightweight titlist Devin Haney three times to remind everyone of his fighting abilities in winning by majority decision on Saturday.

“I just knew what I could do,” Garcia said.

Fans will not forget the lanky kid from Victorville, California now.

Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) fooled everyone in playing crazy weeks before the fight, then showed shocking power to hand Haney (30-1, 15 KOs) his first loss as a professional at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Haney’s WBC super lightweight title was not at stake for Garcia because he weighed three pounds over the limit.

After Garcia seemingly acting out of control on social media, Haney’s guard must have slipped in the first round during the first few seconds as Garcia connected with that hellish left hook and Haney, with a look of shock in his eyes, almost went down. He barely survived the first round.

“He caught me with it,” said Haney.

During the next few rounds, Haney proceeded to advance toward Garcia seemingly fully aware of the lethal left hook. He used feints and rights to score with a busier approach as Garcia seemed cocked and ready to counter with a left hook.

In the fourth round it seemed Haney was confident he had regained control of the fight, but every time he opened up with more than a two-punch combination Garcia reminded him whose hands were faster and more dangerous.

Though Garcia seldom jabbed he seemed bent on looking for the right moment to unleash his deadly left hook. And every time the Southern California fighter opened up with a combination he scored and Haney dare not exchange.

A few times Haney smiled as if signifying he escaped.

In the seventh round Haney looked to punish Garcia’s body and instead was met with a three-punch combination included a left hook to the chin and down went Haney slumped on the ground. He managed to beat the count and as soon as Garcia came within reach Haney wrapped his arms around him with a python grip. Despite the warnings by referee Harvey Dock, the fallen fighter would not release and Garcia impatiently fired a weak punch during the break. The referee deducted a point from Garcia though he could have deducted a point from Haney for not obeying his instructions to release his hold. Haney actually went down three times in the round but only one was counted by the referee.

From that point on Haney was very cautious but still looking to win by decision.

Though Garcia kept using a shoulder-roll defense that left his body exposed, he would retaliate with three and four punch combinations that usually Haney could defend against other fighters.. But Garcia’s blazing combinations were too fast to defend.

In the 10^th round Haney looked to attack and was countered by Garcia’s right and a blinding left hook to the chin and another two blows that sent the former undisputed lightweight champion to the floor again.

It didn’t look good for Haney to survive.

Garcia walked into the 11^th round still composed and never out-of-control He dared Haney to exchange and when within striking distance Garcia unleashed another lightning combination and down went Haney again with a defeated look.

Both fighters had fought each other as amateurs six times so there were no surprises between them. But Garcia’s power and speed were superior and that was the difference in a professional fight.

In the final round both were cautious with Garcia’s combination punching proving too dangerous for Haney to open up. Garcia celebrated early as the round ended confident of victory.

After 12 rounds Garcia was seen the victor by majority decision 112-112, 114-110, 115-109.

“You really thought I was crazy,” Garcia told the interviewer and the crowd. “You guys hated on me.”

Other Bouts

Arnold Barboza (30-0) won a curious split decision victory over United Kingdom’s Sean McComb (18-2) in a 10-round super lightweight fight. McComb’s long reach and busy southpaw style gave Barboza trouble. But he managed to win the fight though the crowd was not pleased.

Bektemir Melikuziev (14-1, 10 KOs) defeated France’s Pierre Dibombe (22-1-1) by technical decision after eight rounds due to a cut on his eye from an accidental head butt. It was a very competitive super middleweight fight.

Costa Rica’s David Jimenez (16-1, 11 KOs) outworked John “Scrappy Ramirez (13-1, 9 KOs) in a 12-round scrap to upset the Los Angeles based fighter. After a few close rounds Jimenez simply bullied his way inside and forced Ramirez against the ropes and unloaded his guns.

After 12 rounds two judges saw it 117-111 and 116-114 all for Jimenez.

“I’m a hard-working man from Cartago I come from nothing,” said Jimenez. “My corner told me I had to work inside.”

Charles Conwell (19-0, 14 KOs) stepped on the gas early with vicious body shots and uppercuts and blasted through the resilient Nathaniel Gallimore (22-8-1, 17 KOs) for several rounds. After a brutal fifth and sixth round the referee halted the one-side beating in favor of Conwell who was fighting for the first time under the Golden Boy banner.

Another winner was Sergiy Derevyanchenko (15-5) by decision over Vaughn Alexander (18-11-1) in a super middleweight match.

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