Another legend
left the boxing world grieving this year.
Carmen Basilio
(born April 02, 1927 in Canastota, New York) passed away Wednesday morning due
to pneumonia complications at Rochester Memorial Hospital.
He was one
of the most ferocious welterweight and middleweight boxer in 1950's and highly
regarded because of his crouching style in the ring. His straight uppercuts,
vicious hooks, and body blows made him one of the most exciting boxers of his
generation. He rarely steps backward from his opponents and can withstand
punishment.
His win with Tony
Demarco in June 10, 1955 earned him his first championship belt in welterweight
division. He was also the first champion under Angelo Dundee's tutelage, a Hall
of Fame trainer.
The most
impressive win, and perhaps the fight that defined his career, was his middleweight
championship fight against one of the most elite boxers in the world, Sugar Ray
Robinson. In September 23, 1957 at Yankee Stadium, he lifted his second
belt by defeating Robinson in a highly contested matchup of 15 rounds.
In the rematch
in March 25, 1958, he would lose the belt in Chicago. The fight was
equally brutal and exciting as the first. This cemented Basilio's legacy as a
true warrior in the boxing world. He would later retire as a professional boxer
with 56 wins, 27 knockouts and 16 defeats in a 13-year career.
In 1990's, he was
inducted as a member to the first class of boxing hall of fame together with
other greats that included Muhammad Ali, Jake LaMotta, Joe
Louis, Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson.
