Boxing Obituaries 2018 PART ONE: (A-G)

Published

6 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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Thomas Hauser’s Literary Notes: Johnny Greaves Tells a Sad Tale

Published

1 day ago

May 11, 2025

Thomas Hauser

Johnny Greaves was a professional loser. He had one hundred professional fights between 2007 and 2013, lost 96 of them, scored one knockout, and was stopped short of the distance twelve times. There was no subtlety in how his role was explained to him: “Look, Johnny; professional boxing works two ways. You’re either a ticket-seller and make money for the promoter, in which case you get to win fights. If you don’t sell tickets but can look after yourself a bit, you become an opponent and you fight to lose.”

By losing, he could make upwards of one thousand pounds for a night‘s work.

Greaves grew up with an alcoholic father who beat his children and wife. Johnny learned how to survive the beatings, which is what his career as a fighter would become. He was a scared, angry, often violent child who was expelled from school and found solace in alcohol and drugs.

The fighters Greaves lost to in the pros ran the gamut from inept local favorites to future champions Liam Walsh, Anthony Crolla, Lee Selby, Gavin Rees, and Jack Catterall. Alcohol and drugs remained constants in his life. He fought after drinking, smoking weed, and snorting cocaine on the night before – and sometimes on the day of – a fight. On multiple occasions, he came close to committing suicide. His goal in boxing ultimately became to have one hundred professional fights.

On rare occasions, two professional losers – “journeymen,” they’re called in The UK – are matched against each other. That was how Greaves got three of the four wins on his ledger. On September 29, 2013, he fought the one hundredth and final fight of his career against Dan Carr in London’s famed York Hall. Carr had a 2-42-2 ring record and would finish his career with three wins in ninety outings. Greaves-Carr was a fight that Johnny could win. He emerged triumphant on a four-round decision.

The Johnny Greaves Story, told by Greaves with the help of Adam Darke (Pitch Publishing) tells the whole sordid tale. Some of Greaves’s thoughts follow:

* “We all knew why we were there, and it wasn’t to win. The home fighters were the guys who had sold all the tickets and were deemed to have some talent. We were the scum. We knew our role. Give some young prospect a bit of a workout, keep out of the way of any big shots, lose on points but take home a wedge of cash, and fight again next week.”

* “If you fought too hard and won, then you wouldn’t get booked for any more shows. If you swung for the trees and got cut or knocked out, then you couldn’t fight for another 28 days. So what were you supposed to do? The answer was to LOOK like you were trying to win but be clever in the process. Slip and move, feint, throw little shots that were rangefinders, hold on, waste time. There was an art to this game, and I was quickly learning what a cynical business it was.”

* “The unknown for the journeyman was always how good your opponent might be. He could be a future world champion. Or he might be some hyped-up nightclub bouncer with a big following who was making lots of money for the promoter.”

* “No matter how well I fought, I wasn’t going to be getting any decisions. These fights weren’t scored fairly. The referees and judges understood who the paymasters were and they played the game. What was the point of having a go and being the best version of you if nobody was going to recognize or reward it?”

* “When I first stepped into the professional arena, I believed I was tough. believed that nobody could stop me. But fight by fight, those ideas were being challenged and broken down. Once you know that you can be hurt, dropped and knocked out, you’re never quite the same fighter.”

* “I had started off with a dream, an idea of what boxing was and what it would do for me. It was going to be a place where I could prove my toughness. A place that I could escape to and be someone else for a while. For a while, boxing was that place. But it wore me down to the point that I stopped caring. I’d grown sick and tired of it all. I wished that I could feel pride at what I’d achieved. But most of the time, I just felt like a loser.”

* “The fights were getting much more difficult, the damage to my body and my psyche taking longer and longer to repair after each defeat. I was putting myself in more and more danger with each passing fight. I was getting hurt more often and stopped more regularly. Even with the 28-day [suspensions], I didn’t have time to heal. I was staggering from one fight to the next and picking up more injuries along the way.”

* “I was losing my toughness and resilience. When that’s all you’ve ever had, it’s a hard thing to accept. Drink and drugs had always been present in my life. But now they became a regular part of my pre-fight preparation. It helped to shut out the fear and quieted the thoughts and worries that I shouldn’t be doing this anymore.”

* “My body was broken. My hands were constantly sore with blisters and cuts. I had early arthritis in my hip and my teeth were a mess. I looked an absolute state and inside I felt worse. But I couldn’t stop fighting yet. Not before the 100.”

* “I had abused myself time after time and stood in front of better men, taking a beating when I could have been sensible and covered up. At the start, I was rarely dropped or stopped. Now it was becoming a regular part of the game. Most of the guys I was facing were a lot better than me. This was mainly about survival.”

* “Was my brain f***ed from taking too many punches? I knew it was, to be honest. I could feel my speech changing and memory going. I was mentally unwell and shouldn’t have been fighting but the promoters didn’t care. Johnny Greaves was still a good booking. Maybe an even better one now that he might get knocked out.”

* “Nobody gave a f*** about me and whether I lived or died. I didn’t care about that much either. But the thought of being humiliated, knocked out in front of all those people; that was worse than the thought of dying. The idea of being exposed for what I was – a nobody.”

* “I was a miserable bastard in real life. A depressive downbeat mouthy little f***er. Everything I’ve done has been to mask the feeling that I’m worthless. That I have no value. The drinks and the drugs just helped me to forget that for a while. I still frighten myself a lot. My thoughts scare me. Do I really want to be here for the next thirty or forty years? I don’t know. If suicide wasn’t so impactful on people around you, I would have taken that leap. I don’t enjoy life and never have.”

So . . . Any questions?

****

Steve Albert was Showtime’s blow-by-blow commentator for two decades. But his reach extended far beyond boxing.

Albert’s sojourn through professional sports began in high school when he was a ball boy for the New York Knicks. Over the years, he was behind the microphone for more than a dozen teams in eleven leagues including four NBA franchises.

Putting the length of that trajectory in perspective . . . As a ballboy, Steve handed bottles of water and towels to a Knicks back-up forward named Phil Jackson. Later, they worked together as commentators for the New Jersey Nets. Then Steve provided the soundtrack for some of Jackson’s triumphs when he won eleven NBA championships as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.

It’s also a matter of record that Steve’s oldest brother, Marv, was arguably the greatest play-by-play announcer in NBA history. And brother Al enjoyed a successful career behind the microphone after playing professional hockey.

Now Steve has written a memoir titled A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Broadcast Booth. Those who know him know that Steve doesn’t like to say bad things about people. And he doesn’t here. Nor does he delve into the inner workings of sports media or the sports dream machine. The book is largely a collection of lighthearted personal recollections, although there are times when the gravity of boxing forces reflection.

“Fighters were unlike any other professional athletes I had ever encountered,” Albert writes. “Many were products of incomprehensible backgrounds, fiercely tough neighborhoods, ghettos and, in some cases, jungles. Some got into the sport because they were bullied as children. For others, boxing was a means of survival. In many cases, it was an escape from a way of life that most people couldn’t even fathom.”

At one point, Steve recounts a ringside ritual that he followed when he was behind the microphone for Showtime Boxing: “I would precisely line up my trio of beverages – coffee, water, soda – on the far edge of the table closest to the ring apron. Perhaps the best advice I ever received from Ferdie [broadcast partner Ferdie Pacheco] was early on in my blow-by-blow career – ‘Always cover your coffee at ringside with an index card unless you like your coffee with cream, sugar, and blood.’”

Writing about the prelude to the infamous Holyfield-Tyson “bite fight,” Albert recalls, “I remember thinking that Tyson was going to do something unusual that night. I had this sinking feeling in my gut that he was going to pull something exceedingly out of the ordinary. His grousing about Holyfield’s head butts in the first fight added to my concern. [But] nobody could have foreseen what actually happened. Had I opened that broadcast with, ‘Folks, tonight I predict that Mike Tyson will bite off a chunk of Evander Holyfield’s ear,’ some fellas in white coats might have approached me and said, ‘Uh, Steve, could you come with us.'”

And then there’s my favorite line in the book: “I once asked a fighter if he was happily married,” Albert recounts. “He said, ‘Yes, but my wife’s not.'”

“All I ever wanted was to be a sportscaster,” Albert says in closing. “I didn’t always get it right, but I tried to do my job with honesty and integrity. For forty-five years, calling games was my life. I think it all worked out.”

Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His next book – The Most Honest Sport: Two More Years Inside Boxing – will be published this month and is available for preorder at:

https://www.amazon.com/Most-Honest-Sport-Inside-Boxing/dp/1955836329

In 2019, Hauser was selected for boxing’s highest honor – induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

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Argentina’s Fernando Martinez Wins His Rematch with Kazuto Ioka

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Argentina's-Fernando-Martinez-Wins-His-Rematch-with-Kazuto-Ioka

In an excellent fight climaxed by a furious 12^th round, Argentina’s Fernando Daniel Martinez came off the deck to win his rematch with Kazuto Ioka and retain his piece of the world 115-pound title. The match was staged at Ioka’s familiar stomping grounds, the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.

In their first meeting on July 7 of last year in Tokyo, Martinez was returned the winner on scores of 117-111, 116-112, and a bizarre 120-108. The rematch was slated for late December, but Martinez took ill a few hours before the weigh-in and the bout was postponed.

The 33-year-old Martinez, who came in sporting a 17-0 (9) record, was a 7-2 favorite to win the sequel, but there were plenty of reasons to favor Ioka, 36, aside from his home field advantage. The first Japanese male fighter to win world titles in four weight classes, Ioka was 3-0 in rematches and his long-time trainer Ismael Salas was on a nice roll. Salas was 2-0 last weekend in Times Square, having handled upset-maker Rolly Romero and Reito Tsutsumi who was making his pro debut.

But the fourth time was not a charm for Ioka (31-4-1) who seemingly pulled the fight out of the fire in round 10 when he pitched the Argentine to the canvas with a pair of left hooks, but then wasn’t able to capitalize on the momentum swing.

Martinez set a fast pace and had Ioka fighting off his back foot for much of the fight. Beginning in round seven, Martinez looked fatigued, but the Argentine was conserving his energy for the championship rounds. In the end, he won the bout on all three cards: 114-113, 116-112, 117-110.

Up next for Fernando Martinez may be a date with fellow unbeaten Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, the lineal champion at 115. San Antonio’s Rodriguez is a huge favorite to keep his title when he defends against South Africa’s obscure Phumelela Cafu on July 19 in Frisco, Texas.

As for Ioka, had he won today’s rematch, that may have gotten him over the hump in so far as making it into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. True, winning titles in four weight classes is no great shakes when the bookends are only 10 pounds apart, but Ioka is still a worthy candidate.

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Emanuel Navarrete Survives a Bloody Battle with Charly Suarez in San Diego

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2025

David A. Avila

Emanuel-Navarrete-Survives-a-Bloody-Battle-with-Charly-Suarez-in-San-Diego

In a torrid battle Mexico’s Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and his staccato attack staved off the herky-jerky non-stop assaults of Philippine’s Charly Suarez to win by technical decision and retain the WBO super feather world title on Saturday.

What do they feed these guys?

Navarrete (40-2-1, 32 KOs) and his elongated arms managed to connect enough to compensate against the surprising Suarez (18-1, 10 KOs) who wowed the crowd at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

An accidental clash of heads opened a cut on the side of Navarrete’s left eye and forced a stoppage midway through the fight.

From the opening round Navarrete used his windmill style of attack with punches from different angles that caught Suarez multiple times early. It did not matter. Suarez fired back with impunity and was just as hungry to punch it out with the Mexican fighter.

It was savage.

Every time Navarrete connected solidly, he seemed to pause and check out the damage. Bad idea. Suarez would immediately counter with bombs of his own and surprise the champion with his resilience and tenacity.

Wherever they found Suarez they should look for more, because the Filipino fighter from Manila was ferocious and never out of his depth.

Around the sixth round the Mexican fighter seemed a little drained and puzzled at the tireless attacks coming from Suarez. During an exchange of blows a cut opened up on Navarrete and it was ruled an accidental clash of heads by the referee. Blood streamed down the side of Navarrete’s face and it was cleared by the ringside physician.

But at the opening of the eighth round, the fight was stopped and the ringside physician ruled the cut was too bad to continue. The California State Athletic Commission looked at tape of the round when the cut opened to decipher if it was an accidental butt or a punch that caused the cut. It was unclear so the referee’s call of accidental clash of heads stood as the final ruling.

Score cards from the judges saw Navarrete the winner by scores of 78-75, 77-76 twice. He retains the WBO title.

Interim IBF Lightweight Title

The sharp-shooting Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) maneuvered past Russia’s Zaur Abdullaev (20-2, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision to win the interim IBF lightweight title after 12 rounds.

Both fighters were strategic in their approach with Muratalla switching from orthodox to southpaw at various times of the fight. Neither fighter was ever able to dominant any round.

Defense proved the difference between the two lightweights. Muratalla was able to slip more blows than Abdullaev and that proved the difference. The fighter from Fontana, California was able to pierce Abdullaev’s guard more often than not, especially with counter punches.

Abdullaev was never out of the fight. The Russian fighter was able to change tactics and counter the counters midway through the fight. It proved effective especially to the body. But it was not enough to offset Muratalla’s accuracy.

There were no knockdowns and after 12 rounds the judges scored it 118-110, 119-109 twice for Muratalla who now becomes the mandatory for the IBF lightweight title should Vasyl Lomachenko return to defend it.

Muratalla was brief.

“He was a tough fighter,” said Muratalla. “My defense is something I work on a lot.”

Perla Wins

Super flyweight Perla Bazaldua (2-0) eased past Mona Ward (0-2) with a polished display of fighting at length and inside.

Combination punching and defense allowed Bazaldua to punch in-between Ward’s attacks and force the St. Louis fighter to clinch repeatedly. But Ward hung in there despite taking a lot of blows. After four rounds the Los Angeles-based Bazaldua was scored the winner 40-36 on all three cards. Bazaldua signed a long term contract with Top Rank in March.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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