Carmen Basilio grew up in Canastota, New York, working hard labor on his family's onion farm. This tough work built his physical strength and stamina. He became interested in boxing when his father gave him his first pair of boxing gloves at age eight. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in Buffalo, New York, on March 21, 1945—just a couple of weeks shy of his 18th birthday. He served during the tail end of World War II, which is also where he notably began his competitive boxing career by fighting in inter-service bouts. After leaving the military, he chose to skip the family farm business and officially debuted as a professional fighter in 1948. Growing up, he dreamed of becoming a world boxing champion, he would realize that dream on the night of June 10, 1955. Carmen Basilio vs Tony DeMarco is the next thing I want to mention, they fought twice in 1955 and both fights were wars of attrition, action-packed thrillers that left you on the edge of your seat. Tony DeMarco was from Boston, Massachusetts, and was nicknamed "The Boston Bomber" because of his fierce, aggressive fighting style and heavy punching power. On June 10th, 1955, Carmen Basilio defeated Tony DeMarco to win the world welterweight championship at the Onondaga County War Memorial in front of a crowd of over 9,000 spectators. Basilio earned a TKO at 1:52 in the 12th round and his dream became a reality.
"When I was growing up, I told everyone in town I wanted to be the champion of the world. They told me I was nuts. They said, 'Do you know what it takes to be the champ?' And I said, 'Yeah, me.'"
- Carmen Basilio
Credit: New York Times Archives
Basilio Knocks Out DeMarco in 12th to Capture World Welterweight Title; DEFENDER DAZED AS BOUT IS HALTED Basilio's Counter-Punching Decisive -- DeMarco Floored Twice in 10th Round
By Joseph C. Nichols
June 11, 1955
Carmen Basilio became the welterweight champion of the world tonight. The sturdy "onion farmer" from nearby Canastota knocked out Tony DeMarco of Boston in 1:52 of the twelfth round of a scheduled fifteen-round clash.
The clash was a savage one in which the favored Basilio wore his rival down by a succession of sharp counter-punches. He knocked Tony down twice in the tenth round, but the defending champion surprised by making a stand in the eleventh. In the twelfth, though, Tony had little left and was a standing target for Basilio's blows. It was apparent to all that DeMarco had no chance of victory, and Referee Harry Kessler stepped in to call a halt. The referee's action met with the approval of the crowd, most of whom were fanatically in favor of Basilio.
Local Boxer Favored
Until DeMarco went down in the tenth, he had made a strong stand against the local boxer, who was the betting favorite at 5 to 2. Tony fought in the true manner of the champion, carrying the action to his rival and eagerly endeavoring to trade with the more experienced Basilio. For a good part of the fight Tony had Carmen puzzled as he grazed the chin with long rights and reached the target solidly with long lefts. This method had its effect on Carmen's face, for the Canastota fighter was cut across the nose and over his left eye before he took command in the tenth. DeMarco's left hand was more accurate than Basilio's, but neither showed anything that resembled a left jab. It was their plan to step in and swing away after each tried to get the other to lead. Their willingness to trade blows rather than box made a big hit with the crowd, and the fighters' actions were accompanied by an almost continuous round of cheers. In the opening session DeMarco had a slight margin because of his lefts to the head. Basilio took charge in the second and opened a cut over Tony's right eye in a close exchange.
Left Hook Jars Carmen
The defending champion ripped a left hook to the head in the third and shook Basilio, who seemed about to fall. Tony's over-eagerness was the only thing that prevented him from dropping Carmen, the New Englander missing any number of wild swings for the head. Carmen made Tony miss considerably in the next two rounds, and he took advantage of these mistakes to send heavy left hand punches to the head and body. These wallops did not seem to have much effect on DeMarco at that stage, for he came back strong and in the next three rounds appeared to be building an advantage. In the ninth round Tony threw his left hand wildly and Basilio was able to pick his spot, so to speak. He shot a long right to the head and the punch made Tony stop coming in. Sensing the reaction, Carmen sprang inside and punched the body with both hands, and also ripped short uppercuts to the face. In the tenth DeMarco tried to rush his rival, but Carmen was strong and wrestled Tony into position for short lefts and rights to the head, a solid right sending DeMarco to the canvas. He got up at seven and had little to offer Carmen, who dropped him again with a two-handed attack to the head. Tony arose just as the referee said eight, and there was no time left in the session for Carmen to register another knockdown.
One of the more dramatic things about the fray was the manner in which Tony faced Basilio in the eleventh. The tired champion punched steadily, even though his efforts lacked steam. Carmen knew that he had his man, though, and did not go wild. Manages to Keep Feet In the twelfth, though, Basilio fired away without let-up. Tony sagged and buckled and threatened to fall, but managed to keep to his feet. He was so helpless, however, that Kessler prudently halted matters.
Images from the fist fight between Carmen Basilio and Tony DeMarco. Savage images of Tony DeMarco landing some brutal power shots, Tony DeMarco could bang, he was one of the hardest punchers of that era, they didn't call him "The Boston Bomber" for nothing. A very dangerous puncher.
The end of the first fight, as the referee leads Carmen Basilio away after stopping the fight at 1:52 in the 12th round and declaring Basilio the winner by TKO. Both men are bone-dead exhausted look like they've just been through pure hell.
Carmen Basilio raises his hands in triumph after beating Tony DeMarco by TKO in 1:52 of round 12 and realizing his childhood dream of becoming a world boxing champion.
The rematch between Carmen Basilio and Tony DeMarco took place on November 30, 1955 at the Boston Garden. It was a savage encounter that ended in almost identical fashion, with Basilio winning by TKO in the 12th.
Credit: Associated Press
"Welterweight champion Carmen Basilio looked forward to a defense against Johnny Saxton today while nursing a sore left hand in his destruction of rugged Tony DeMarco. Basilio, of Canastota, N.Y., rallied from DeMarco's stinging punches last night to repeat his June TKO of the Boston challenger at 1:54 of the 12th round in Boston Garden. DeMarco, calling on his long-range power, took charge in the early rounds and had Basilio wobbling into his corner in the 7th round. It took a near super-human effort by the ex-Marine to keep from going down. After he survived the left hook, Basilio grew stronger as he unleashed a body battering on a weary DeMarco. After he knocked down DeMarco for an eight-count with a smashing right to the jaw in the 12th, Basilio flattened him for good with withering combinations."
The rematch between Carmen Basilio and Tony DeMarco featured some of the greatest boxing photos ever taken. Photographer Hy Peskin, who was working on assignment for Sports Illustrated, captured some spectacular images from the fight.
Love this image of Carmen Basilio putting his jab on the chin of Tony DeMarco to keep him at bay. Carmen had a sneaky jab that could open an opponent up like a can of soup.
Tony DeMarco catches Carmen Basilio with another bomb of a right hand. Carmen Basilio had a chin made of iron, he ate some serious power shots from DeMarco in both fights.
Carmen Basilio returns fire and lands a brutal right hand in the 12th round that puts Tony DeMarco on dream street. This was the beginning of the end for DeMarco.
Tony Demarco slumps to the canvas after taking a series of crashing lefts and rights from Carmen Basilio in the 12th. Moments later Referee Mel Manning stopped the fight as Demarco showed no signs of being able to defend himself any longer. Basilio was awarded the fight by a TKO at 1:54 of the stanza.
This photograph by Hy Peskin captures Carmen Basilio celebrating his knockout victory over Tony DeMarco after the bout as DeMarco lies unconscious on the canvas, it's one of the most iconic sports images ever captured and has appeared in many magazines over the years.
Tony DeMarco lies unconscious on the canvas after the bout. DeMarco was a gladiator to the fullest, he took Carmen Basilio to the edge of the abyss and left it all in the ring.
Another iconic image. Carmen Basilio, bearing the scars of battle and wearing a crown on his head, speaks to the press in his dressing room after the bout.
This photo says it all, brutal fight, as Carmen Basilio has an ice pack applied to his left cheek and jaw to reduce the swelling and bruising from the heavy punches landed by Tony DeMarco.
Looking at those photos of Carmen Basilio and Tony DeMarco, man, boxing is a brutal, brutal sport, the toughest sport there is. Boxing carries a constant, direct risk of acute head trauma, and cumulative brain injury because the explicit goal is to strike the opponent's head and body. Think about that, a sport based solely on blows to the head and body. The damage accumulates over time. It's why you hear a lot of boxers with slurred speech later on in their lives, "punch drunk" they call it. If they survive to have a life after boxing. Although there is no definitive figures, it is believed that nearly 2,000 boxers have died as a direct result of injuries sustained in a fight since 1884. The truth is, every time you step into a boxing ring, the threat of death is there. These are photos of Carmen Basilio after his fights with Sugar Ray Robinson, the swelling is present around his eyes after the first fight, and his eye is swollen and black after the second one. The effects of blunt force trauma, and for many fighters, these effects stay with them for the rest of their lives.
And I have to say, I've never seen a sport as scary as boxing, guys being knocked out cold, totally unconscious, not moving at all, guys falling over like a chopped down tree after being hit. Some of them begin going into seizures after being knocked out. Some of them go into shock, their bodies go stiff. Vince Pettway vs Simon Brown in 1995 comes to mind. After Vincent Pettway knocked him out in the sixth round on April 29, 1995, Simon Brown lay flat on his back unconscious and continued throwing wild, phantom punches into the air as if he were still fighting. A frightening sight. You just don't see things like that in any other sport.
The Manny Pacquiao knockout on December 8, 2012. I watched this one on TV as it happened and I legitimately thought Pacquiao was dead after the knockout blow. I remember it seemed like he laid there forever before finally moving.
Phenomenal post about Carmen Basilio that I ran across by Golpes de Poder on Facebook.
"The two wars against Tony DeMarco proved why Carmen Basilio became one of the toughest men of his generation.
In 1955, Carmen Basilio and Tony DeMarco fought twice for the welterweight world championship.
In both fights, they fought 24 rounds and both ended exactly the same way: Basilio stopping DeMarco in the 12th.
The first was on June 10 in Syracuse. DeMarco was the champion and Basilio managed to take the belt away after a battle so good that The Ring named it Fight of the Year.
But five months later the rematch came in Boston, this time practically on DeMarco's turf, and something even more impressive happened.
Tony started better. He punished Basilio, closed one eye, and for a good part of the fight, it seemed like he was on track to regain his championship. The problem was that making Carmen back off didn't mean breaking him. Basilio continued to pressure, working short, and forcing DeMarco to expend energy until the fight started to change.
In round 12, the outcome came again. Basilio found the right, attacked, and ended up forcing the arrest.
The rematch was also chosen as Fight of the Year by The Ring.
Think about it: two men faced each other twice during the same year and produced the TWO best fights of 1955 according to the magazine.
That explains Carmen Basilio better than any record. He didn't build his reputation by avoiding wars.
He built a career by getting into them and discovering who could endure more."
Let's look at a few of my favorite photos of Carmen Basilio from his legendary career. This is a photo of Carmen Basilio knocking down the iron-chinned Kid Gavilan in 1953. Gavilan was only knocked down twice in his 143-fight career, once by the murderous punching lightweight Ike Williams and by Carmen Basilio. We don't have have a photo of the Ike Williams knockdown but we do this one. Extremely rare sight, you just didn't see Gavilan get knocked down, he had a legendary chin.
I'm not sure when this photo was captured, but it is a powerful image of Carmen Basilio overcome with emotion after a brutal fight. It meant a lot to him, the preparation, the training, the grueling process of making weight, everything that goes into being a success in this sport.
This is an epic image of Carmen Basilio and Sugar Ray Robinson walking back to their corners in 1958. You can see the sheer exhaustion on the face of Robinson.
Carmen Basilio catches Hall of Famer Billy Graham with a right hand. They fought three times in the 1950s. Graham was one hell of a fighter, a great pure boxer with an unbreakable chin, he was never knocked down in his entire 126-fight career.
Here's a post by Boxing History on Facebook about the June 1953 bout between Carmen Basilio and Billy Graham.
"Carmen Basilio avenged a defeat by winning a 12 round unanimous decision over Billy Graham for the New York State welterweight title at Memorial Stadium, Syracuse, New York on June 6th in 1953.
Many already knew Basilio for his relentless style as he'd fought about 50 times going into this rematch with Graham, who beat him by decision a year earlier, accounting for one of 10 losses. Basilio swelled up and bled easily, but he was very entertaining and never quit.
Similarly, Graham was a tough customer who ended up never being stopped in his pro career and claiming to have never touched the canvas. He didn't have much punching power, but when you fought him, you knew you were in for the distance.
Basilio, a 2-to-1 underdog, set a torrid pace from the opening bell and took control of the action.
A ringside report said:
"Carmen won because he made his veteran foe fight his style. Most of the battling was at close range, and Carmen outgamed, outpunched and outfoxed the wily Graham. Though Basilio was bleeding from the nose for 10 rounds, he was unmarked otherwise while Billy's right side was a mass of red welts, his nose too was bleeding and his right eye almost closed."
Graham won a few middle rounds by picking up his pace when it seemed Basilio was getting a rest. But then Basilio closed strong and handed Graham a beating in the final round, bringing the crowd of about 9.200 to their feet.
With the decision, Basilio was awarded the New York State welterweight title, also known as the Ray Arcel Belt."
Comments
Carmen Basilio grew up in Canastota, New York, working hard labor on his family's onion farm. This tough work built his physical strength and stamina. He became interested in boxing when his father gave him his first pair of boxing gloves at age eight. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in Buffalo, New York, on March 21, 1945—just a couple of weeks shy of his 18th birthday. He served during the tail end of World War II, which is also where he notably began his competitive boxing career by fighting in inter-service bouts. After leaving the military, he chose to skip the family farm business and officially debuted as a professional fighter in 1948. Growing up, he dreamed of becoming a world boxing champion, he would realize that dream on the night of June 10, 1955. Carmen Basilio vs Tony DeMarco is the next thing I want to mention, they fought twice in 1955 and both fights were wars of attrition, action-packed thrillers that left you on the edge of your seat. Tony DeMarco was from Boston, Massachusetts, and was nicknamed "The Boston Bomber" because of his fierce, aggressive fighting style and heavy punching power. On June 10th, 1955, Carmen Basilio defeated Tony DeMarco to win the world welterweight championship at the Onondaga County War Memorial in front of a crowd of over 9,000 spectators. Basilio earned a TKO at 1:52 in the 12th round and his dream became a reality.
"When I was growing up, I told everyone in town I wanted to be the champion of the world. They told me I was nuts. They said, 'Do you know what it takes to be the champ?' And I said, 'Yeah, me.'"
Credit: New York Times Archives
Basilio Knocks Out DeMarco in 12th to Capture World Welterweight Title; DEFENDER DAZED AS BOUT IS HALTED Basilio's Counter-Punching Decisive -- DeMarco Floored Twice in 10th Round
By Joseph C. Nichols
June 11, 1955
Carmen Basilio became the welterweight champion of the world tonight. The sturdy "onion farmer" from nearby Canastota knocked out Tony DeMarco of Boston in 1:52 of the twelfth round of a scheduled fifteen-round clash.
The clash was a savage one in which the favored Basilio wore his rival down by a succession of sharp counter-punches. He knocked Tony down twice in the tenth round, but the defending champion surprised by making a stand in the eleventh. In the twelfth, though, Tony had little left and was a standing target for Basilio's blows. It was apparent to all that DeMarco had no chance of victory, and Referee Harry Kessler stepped in to call a halt. The referee's action met with the approval of the crowd, most of whom were fanatically in favor of Basilio.
Local Boxer Favored
Until DeMarco went down in the tenth, he had made a strong stand against the local boxer, who was the betting favorite at 5 to 2. Tony fought in the true manner of the champion, carrying the action to his rival and eagerly endeavoring to trade with the more experienced Basilio. For a good part of the fight Tony had Carmen puzzled as he grazed the chin with long rights and reached the target solidly with long lefts. This method had its effect on Carmen's face, for the Canastota fighter was cut across the nose and over his left eye before he took command in the tenth. DeMarco's left hand was more accurate than Basilio's, but neither showed anything that resembled a left jab. It was their plan to step in and swing away after each tried to get the other to lead. Their willingness to trade blows rather than box made a big hit with the crowd, and the fighters' actions were accompanied by an almost continuous round of cheers. In the opening session DeMarco had a slight margin because of his lefts to the head. Basilio took charge in the second and opened a cut over Tony's right eye in a close exchange.
Left Hook Jars Carmen
The defending champion ripped a left hook to the head in the third and shook Basilio, who seemed about to fall. Tony's over-eagerness was the only thing that prevented him from dropping Carmen, the New Englander missing any number of wild swings for the head. Carmen made Tony miss considerably in the next two rounds, and he took advantage of these mistakes to send heavy left hand punches to the head and body. These wallops did not seem to have much effect on DeMarco at that stage, for he came back strong and in the next three rounds appeared to be building an advantage. In the ninth round Tony threw his left hand wildly and Basilio was able to pick his spot, so to speak. He shot a long right to the head and the punch made Tony stop coming in. Sensing the reaction, Carmen sprang inside and punched the body with both hands, and also ripped short uppercuts to the face. In the tenth DeMarco tried to rush his rival, but Carmen was strong and wrestled Tony into position for short lefts and rights to the head, a solid right sending DeMarco to the canvas. He got up at seven and had little to offer Carmen, who dropped him again with a two-handed attack to the head. Tony arose just as the referee said eight, and there was no time left in the session for Carmen to register another knockdown.
One of the more dramatic things about the fray was the manner in which Tony faced Basilio in the eleventh. The tired champion punched steadily, even though his efforts lacked steam. Carmen knew that he had his man, though, and did not go wild. Manages to Keep Feet In the twelfth, though, Basilio fired away without let-up. Tony sagged and buckled and threatened to fall, but managed to keep to his feet. He was so helpless, however, that Kessler prudently halted matters.
Images from the fist fight between Carmen Basilio and Tony DeMarco. Savage images of Tony DeMarco landing some brutal power shots, Tony DeMarco could bang, he was one of the hardest punchers of that era, they didn't call him "The Boston Bomber" for nothing. A very dangerous puncher.
Awesome image of Carmen Basilio delivering a brutal body shot to Tony DeMarco, Basilio was famous for being a vicious body puncher.
The end of the first fight, as the referee leads Carmen Basilio away after stopping the fight at 1:52 in the 12th round and declaring Basilio the winner by TKO. Both men are bone-dead exhausted look like they've just been through pure hell.
Carmen Basilio raises his hands in triumph after beating Tony DeMarco by TKO in 1:52 of round 12 and realizing his childhood dream of becoming a world boxing champion.
The first fight between Carmen Basilio and Tony DeMarco won "Fight of the Year" honors for 1955, and the sequel was right around the corner.
The headline in The Post-Standard, an upstate New York newspaper.
The rematch between Carmen Basilio and Tony DeMarco took place on November 30, 1955 at the Boston Garden. It was a savage encounter that ended in almost identical fashion, with Basilio winning by TKO in the 12th.
Credit: Associated Press
"Welterweight champion Carmen Basilio looked forward to a defense against Johnny Saxton today while nursing a sore left hand in his destruction of rugged Tony DeMarco. Basilio, of Canastota, N.Y., rallied from DeMarco's stinging punches last night to repeat his June TKO of the Boston challenger at 1:54 of the 12th round in Boston Garden. DeMarco, calling on his long-range power, took charge in the early rounds and had Basilio wobbling into his corner in the 7th round. It took a near super-human effort by the ex-Marine to keep from going down. After he survived the left hook, Basilio grew stronger as he unleashed a body battering on a weary DeMarco. After he knocked down DeMarco for an eight-count with a smashing right to the jaw in the 12th, Basilio flattened him for good with withering combinations."
The rematch between Carmen Basilio and Tony DeMarco featured some of the greatest boxing photos ever taken. Photographer Hy Peskin, who was working on assignment for Sports Illustrated, captured some spectacular images from the fight.
Love this image of Carmen Basilio putting his jab on the chin of Tony DeMarco to keep him at bay. Carmen had a sneaky jab that could open an opponent up like a can of soup.
Tony DeMarco slips a jab and gets in a shot to the body of Carmen Basilio.
A brutal right hand from Tony DeMarco finds it's mark.
Tony DeMarco lands a brutal power shot that buckles Carmen Basilio's knees.
Tony DeMarco catches Carmen Basilio with another bomb of a right hand. Carmen Basilio had a chin made of iron, he ate some serious power shots from DeMarco in both fights.
Carmen Basilio returns fire and lands a brutal right hand in the 12th round that puts Tony DeMarco on dream street. This was the beginning of the end for DeMarco.
Tony Demarco slumps to the canvas after taking a series of crashing lefts and rights from Carmen Basilio in the 12th. Moments later Referee Mel Manning stopped the fight as Demarco showed no signs of being able to defend himself any longer. Basilio was awarded the fight by a TKO at 1:54 of the stanza.
Referee Mel Manning holds Carmen Basilio back and stops the slaughter in the 12th.
This photograph by Hy Peskin captures Carmen Basilio celebrating his knockout victory over Tony DeMarco after the bout as DeMarco lies unconscious on the canvas, it's one of the most iconic sports images ever captured and has appeared in many magazines over the years.
Tony DeMarco lies unconscious on the canvas after the bout. DeMarco was a gladiator to the fullest, he took Carmen Basilio to the edge of the abyss and left it all in the ring.
Another iconic image. Carmen Basilio, bearing the scars of battle and wearing a crown on his head, speaks to the press in his dressing room after the bout.
This photo says it all, brutal fight, as Carmen Basilio has an ice pack applied to his left cheek and jaw to reduce the swelling and bruising from the heavy punches landed by Tony DeMarco.
Looking at those photos of Carmen Basilio and Tony DeMarco, man, boxing is a brutal, brutal sport, the toughest sport there is. Boxing carries a constant, direct risk of acute head trauma, and cumulative brain injury because the explicit goal is to strike the opponent's head and body. Think about that, a sport based solely on blows to the head and body. The damage accumulates over time. It's why you hear a lot of boxers with slurred speech later on in their lives, "punch drunk" they call it. If they survive to have a life after boxing. Although there is no definitive figures, it is believed that nearly 2,000 boxers have died as a direct result of injuries sustained in a fight since 1884. The truth is, every time you step into a boxing ring, the threat of death is there. These are photos of Carmen Basilio after his fights with Sugar Ray Robinson, the swelling is present around his eyes after the first fight, and his eye is swollen and black after the second one. The effects of blunt force trauma, and for many fighters, these effects stay with them for the rest of their lives.
And I have to say, I've never seen a sport as scary as boxing, guys being knocked out cold, totally unconscious, not moving at all, guys falling over like a chopped down tree after being hit. Some of them begin going into seizures after being knocked out. Some of them go into shock, their bodies go stiff. Vince Pettway vs Simon Brown in 1995 comes to mind. After Vincent Pettway knocked him out in the sixth round on April 29, 1995, Simon Brown lay flat on his back unconscious and continued throwing wild, phantom punches into the air as if he were still fighting. A frightening sight. You just don't see things like that in any other sport.
The Manny Pacquiao knockout on December 8, 2012. I watched this one on TV as it happened and I legitimately thought Pacquiao was dead after the knockout blow. I remember it seemed like he laid there forever before finally moving.
Anyway, boxers are a fascinating breed, the closest thing we have to ancient Roman gladiators.
And now, another word from The J. Geils Band.
Phenomenal post about Carmen Basilio that I ran across by Golpes de Poder on Facebook.
"The two wars against Tony DeMarco proved why Carmen Basilio became one of the toughest men of his generation.
In 1955, Carmen Basilio and Tony DeMarco fought twice for the welterweight world championship.
In both fights, they fought 24 rounds and both ended exactly the same way: Basilio stopping DeMarco in the 12th.
The first was on June 10 in Syracuse. DeMarco was the champion and Basilio managed to take the belt away after a battle so good that The Ring named it Fight of the Year.
But five months later the rematch came in Boston, this time practically on DeMarco's turf, and something even more impressive happened.
Tony started better. He punished Basilio, closed one eye, and for a good part of the fight, it seemed like he was on track to regain his championship. The problem was that making Carmen back off didn't mean breaking him. Basilio continued to pressure, working short, and forcing DeMarco to expend energy until the fight started to change.
In round 12, the outcome came again. Basilio found the right, attacked, and ended up forcing the arrest.
The rematch was also chosen as Fight of the Year by The Ring.
Think about it: two men faced each other twice during the same year and produced the TWO best fights of 1955 according to the magazine.
That explains Carmen Basilio better than any record. He didn't build his reputation by avoiding wars.
He built a career by getting into them and discovering who could endure more."
Let's look at a few of my favorite photos of Carmen Basilio from his legendary career. This is a photo of Carmen Basilio knocking down the iron-chinned Kid Gavilan in 1953. Gavilan was only knocked down twice in his 143-fight career, once by the murderous punching lightweight Ike Williams and by Carmen Basilio. We don't have have a photo of the Ike Williams knockdown but we do this one. Extremely rare sight, you just didn't see Gavilan get knocked down, he had a legendary chin.
Awesome image of Carmen Basilio hitting a speed bag fixed to a tree.
This photo was taken a few days before his rematch with Tony DeMarco and shows Carmen Basilio demonstrating the bayonet thrust to some soldiers.
Savage image of Carmen Basilio with the black eye and a towel around his head.
Carmen with some serious baseball star power, Willie Mays, Ted Williams, and Mickey Mantle.
I'm not sure when this photo was captured, but it is a powerful image of Carmen Basilio overcome with emotion after a brutal fight. It meant a lot to him, the preparation, the training, the grueling process of making weight, everything that goes into being a success in this sport.
Savage images of Carmen Basilio with the swollen black eye going toe-to-toe with Sugar Ray Robinson in 1958.
This is an epic image of Carmen Basilio and Sugar Ray Robinson walking back to their corners in 1958. You can see the sheer exhaustion on the face of Robinson.
The Ring magazine title belt awarded to Carmen Basilio after knocking out Tony DeMarco on June 10, 1955 to become welterweight champion of the world.
Carmen Basilio catches Hall of Famer Billy Graham with a right hand. They fought three times in the 1950s. Graham was one hell of a fighter, a great pure boxer with an unbreakable chin, he was never knocked down in his entire 126-fight career.
Here's a post by Boxing History on Facebook about the June 1953 bout between Carmen Basilio and Billy Graham.
"Carmen Basilio avenged a defeat by winning a 12 round unanimous decision over Billy Graham for the New York State welterweight title at Memorial Stadium, Syracuse, New York on June 6th in 1953.
Many already knew Basilio for his relentless style as he'd fought about 50 times going into this rematch with Graham, who beat him by decision a year earlier, accounting for one of 10 losses. Basilio swelled up and bled easily, but he was very entertaining and never quit.
Similarly, Graham was a tough customer who ended up never being stopped in his pro career and claiming to have never touched the canvas. He didn't have much punching power, but when you fought him, you knew you were in for the distance.
Basilio, a 2-to-1 underdog, set a torrid pace from the opening bell and took control of the action.
A ringside report said:
"Carmen won because he made his veteran foe fight his style. Most of the battling was at close range, and Carmen outgamed, outpunched and outfoxed the wily Graham. Though Basilio was bleeding from the nose for 10 rounds, he was unmarked otherwise while Billy's right side was a mass of red welts, his nose too was bleeding and his right eye almost closed."
Graham won a few middle rounds by picking up his pace when it seemed Basilio was getting a rest. But then Basilio closed strong and handed Graham a beating in the final round, bringing the crowd of about 9.200 to their feet.
With the decision, Basilio was awarded the New York State welterweight title, also known as the Ray Arcel Belt."
Carmen Basilio training in Miami with the mask head gear.
Wicked image of Carmen Basilio with the sky in the background.
This is a type 1 original photo that I own, an image of Carmen Basilio in a really cool fight pose.
Carmen Basilio in another really cool fight pose.
Carmen Basilio in his later years with "The Coal Miner's Daughter" Christy Martin. Two all-time great, savage fighters.
Carmen Basilio in his later years holding a photo of himself with the black eye.
A few images of Carmen Basilio putting in the work.
Carmen Basilio wearing his welterweight title belt.
Tell me this isn't a cool image of Carmen Basilio.