Boxing in the 1960s

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During the 1960s, boxing, like mostly everything else around the world, went through changing times. Boxers from the old guard of boxing gave way to a new movement filled with youth, controversy and enthusiasm.

The decade of the 1960s is best remembered by the insurgence of a young boxer named Cassius Clay, who would, in his own words shock the world, declare himself against war, and change his name to Muhammad Ali. Many sociologists, observers and critics now view Ali as a reflection of the changing society of that decade. In another case, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was a case to remember. Reflecting on his "crime to frame" or "using me to bail out Paterson". This was because he was accused of killing three white citizens. If he really killed those citizens, he would have probably got killed by a mob knowing the racism level back in the late 50s toward early 70s. But Carter was more so remembered as a mentor to youth teaching them to stand up for their selves; he was the symbol of boxing itself.

In the lower weights, there was much action too and world champions were active fighting each other. The Middleweights in particular had some famous fights, with Emile Griffith, Nino Benvenuti and Dick Tiger, among others, engaging in world championship fights. The Lightweights were also busy, with champions like Joe Brown, Carlos Ortiz and Ismael Laguna. The first world champions from Venezuela and Thailand, among other countries, were crowned during the 1960s, and the WBA and WBC started competing against each other, after the WBA changed its name from the National Boxing Association in 1962 and a group of people split from the WBA in 1963 to form the WBC.

A new division was created in the Jr. Middleweights, where a high school teacher, Freddie Little, was crowned world champion. Fights were seen on color television for the first time, and one of the most famous tragedies, Benny Kid Paret's, was also shown live on TV.

Contents

[edit] 1960

  • January 22- In the first world title fight of the decade, Paul Pender defeats Sugar Ray Robinson by a fifteen round split decision, taking the New York and Massachusetts version of the world Middleweight title, in Boston.
  • April 16- Pone Kingpetch becomes Thailand's first world champion, beating Pascual Pérez by a fifteen round split decision for the world's Flyweight title in Bangkok, Thailand.
  • April 20- Gene Fullmer draws in fifteen rounds with Joey Giardello to retain the more widely recognized, National Boxing Association world Middleweight title, Bozeman.
  • June 20- Floyd Patterson becomes the first Heavyweight in history to win the world Heavyweight title twice, knocking out his former conqueror, Ingemar Johansson in five rounds at New York City.
  • June 29- Gene Fullmer retains the NBA world Middleweight title with a twelfth round knockout of Carmen Basilio, at Salt Lake City.
  • September 22- In a rematch for the world Flyweight title, Pone Kingpetch retains the crown by beating Pascual Perez by a knockout in round eight, Los Angeles.
  • November 18- Eder Jofre becomes world champion for the first time, knocking out Eloy Sanchez in six rounds to claim the world Bantamweight title in Los Angeles.
  • December 3- Gene Fullmer and Sugar Ray Robinson fight for the third time, and Fullmer retains the NBA's world Middleweight title with a fifteen round draw, Los Angeles.

[edit] 1961

  • March 4- Sugar Ray Robinson's last world title attempt, as he and Gene Fullmer close their rivalry with Fullmer retaining the National Boxing Association's world Middleweight title with a fifteen round unanimous decision at Las Vegas.
  • March 13- Floyd Patterson and Ingemar Johansson finish their trilogy of fights, with Patterson retaining the world Heavyweight title with a sixth round knockout in Miami Beach.
  • April 1- Emile Griffith becomes world champion for the first time, and begins his trilogy of fights with Benny Kid Paret, defeating the Cuban boxer by a thirteenth round knockout to win the world's Welterweight title, Miami.
  • September 30- In their second of three bouts, Benny Paret regains the world Welterweight title with a fifteen round split decision win over Emile Griffith, Madison Square Garden, New York.
  • October 21- Duilio Loi retains his world Jr. Welterweight title with a fifteen round draw against Eddie Perkins. Referee Nello Barrovecchio decides to entertain the fight goers by bending down, picking some coins that had been thrown by the fight fans into the ring, and then bowing to the fans during round eight of the bout, in Milan, Italy.
  • December 9- NBA world Middleweight champion Gene Fullmer retains the crown with a tenth round knockout of world Welterweight champion Benny Paret in Las Vegas.

[edit] 1962

  • February 10- Young Cassius Clay, fighting in his tenth professional bout, recovers from his first knockdown, a first round fall, to beat Sonny Banks by knockout in round four, Madison Square Garden, New York.
  • March 24- One of boxing's most famous tragedies happens when Emile Griffith knocks out Benny Kid Paret in round twelve, to claim the world's Welterweight title. Paret is taken to the hospital, where he subsequently dies.
  • April 3- Benny Paret dies.
  • April 21- Carlos Ortiz becomes world Lightweight champion with a fifteen round unanimous decision win over Joe Brown in Las Vegas.
  • July 13- In his first fight since the Benny Paret tragedy, Emile Griffith retains the world Welterweight title with a fifteen round unanimous decision of future world Jr. Middleweight champion Ralph Dupas in Las Vegas.
  • September 25- Sonny Liston becomes world Heavyweight champion, knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round, at Chicago.
  • October 10- Fighting Harada becomes world Flyweight champion, knocking out Pone Kingpetch in eleven rounds, Tokyo, Japan.
  • October 23- Dick Tiger becomes world Middleweight champion, defeating Gene Fullmer by a fifteen round unanimous decision in San Francisco.
  • November 15- Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) knocks out former world Light Heavyweight champion Archie Moore in five rounds at Los Angeles.
  • December 20- Denny Moyer becomes the first world champion in history in the brand new Jr. Middleweight division, defeating Joey Giambra by a fifteen round decision for the vacant title, Portland.

[edit] 1963

  • February 23- Dick Tiger retains his world Middleweight title with a fifteen round draw (tie) against former world champion Gene Fullmer in their Las Vegas rematch.
  • March 13- Cassius Clay defeats Doug Jones by a close (scores of 96-95, 96-95 and 99-92) but unanimous decision, Madison Square Garden, New York.
  • March 21- A world title double header in Los Angeles: Luis Rodriguez wins the world Welterweight title by defeating Emile Griffith with a fifteen round decision. Then, the double header turns tragic when Sugar Ramos takes the world Featherweight title away from Davey Moore, who would later die of the injuries suffered in the bout.
  • March 25- Davey Moore dies in Los Angeles. His death led to Pope John XXIII's describing of boxing as barbaric, and to Bob Dylan's song Who Killed Davey Moore?.
  • June 1- Willie Pastrano wins the world Light-Heavyweight title with a fifteen round decision over Harold Johnson, Las Vegas.
  • June 8- Emile Griffith recovers the world Welterweight title by defeating Luis Rodriguez with a fifteen round decision in New York.
  • June 18- Cassius Clay suffers a knockdown at the end of round four at the hands of Henry Cooper, and then, he rips off his glove in the corner before round five, making trainer Angelo Dundee go to the locker room to get a new glove, and giving him time to recover. Cooper succumed to his tendency to cut and with blood streaming down his face, the referee was forced to stop the fight in round five, London.
  • July 22- Sonny Liston again defeats Floyd Patterson by a knockout in the first round, this time retaining the world Heavyweight title, Las Vegas.
  • August 10- Gene Fullmer's last fight, as he gets knocked out in eight rounds by world Middleweight champion Dick Tiger in Ibadan, Nigeria. To Fullmer's surprise, about 1,000 of Tiger's fans greet him outside the stadium after the fight, to applaud him and express admiration.
  • December 7- Joey Giardello becomes world Middleweight champion with a fifteen round decision win over Dick Tiger, Atlantic City.
  • December 20- Rubin Carter produces one of Emile Griffith's two knockout defeats, scoring a technical knockout over the world Welterweight champion in round one of a non-title bout, Pittsburgh.

[edit] 1964

[edit] 1965

[edit] 1966

  • March 1- Horacio Accavallo beats Katsuyoshi Takayama by a fifteen round decision in Tokyo, Japan, to win the WBA world Flyweight title, making Salvatore Burruni (the champion who was stripped of the title by the WBA) be, as of 2004, boxing's last undisputed world champion in the Flyweight division.
  • March 29- Muhammad Ali retains his WBC world Heavyweight title with a fifteen round unanimous decision of George Chuvalo, Toronto, Canada.
  • April 25- Emile Griffith retains his world Middleweight title with a fifteen round decision against Dick Tiger, New York.
  • May 21- Muhammad Ali retains his world Heavyweight title with a sixth round knockout win over a bloodied Henry Cooper, London.
  • June 1- Fighting Harada repeats his earlier victory over Eder Jofre, retaining the world's Bantamweight title by a fifteen round decision in Tokyo. Jofre subsequently announces his retirement; he would return in 1970.
  • June 14- Salvatore Burruni's championship run at the Flyweights comes to a complete end when he loses his WBC world belt by a decision in fifteen to Walter McGowan, Wembley, England.
  • July 13- Emile Griffith defeats Joey Archer (the last man to beat Sugar Ray Robinson), by a fifteen round decision to retain his world Middleweight title, New York.
  • October 22- Carlos Ortiz beats Sugar Ramos by a knockout in five rounds to retain his world Lightweight title in Mexico City, Mexico, and a riot ensues. Many are hurt, including Ortiz's manager.
  • November 14- In what many consider to be his best career performance, Muhammad Ali defeats Cleveland Williams by a knockout in three at the Astrodome, Houston, to retain his WBC world Heavyweight title.
  • November 22- In a much anticipated rematch, Carlos Ortiz defeats world Jr. Lightweight champion Flash Elorde, once again, by knockout in round fourteen, to retain his world Lightweight title, Madison Square Garden, New York.
  • December 16- Dick Tiger conquers the world Light-Heavyweight title, beating Jose Torres by a fifteen round unanimous decision at the Madison Square Garden, New York.

[edit] 1967

  • January 23- In a rematch of their 1966 title fight, Emile Griffith again retains the world's Middleweight title with a fifteen round decision over Joey Archer, New York City.
  • February 5- In another rematch of a 1966 world title fight, Dick Tiger retains his world Light-Heavyweight title with a fifteen round split decision over former world champion Jose Torres. Most of the public at the fight is dissatisfied with the decision and a large scale riot forms after the verdict is announced: chairs, bottles and other objects were thrown into the ring, at New York.
  • February 6- Muhammad Ali unifies his WBC world Heavyweight title with the WBA one, defeating the WBA's world champion Ernie Terrell by a fifteen round unanimous decision in Houston's Astrodome. Ali kept asking Terrell What's my name? throughout the contest (Terrell insisted on calling him Cassius Clay before the bout).
  • March 22- Muhammad Ali retains his world Heavyweight title with a seventh round knockout of Zora Folley in what would be his last fight in three years, at New York.
  • April 17- Nino Benvenuti wins the world Middleweight title, defeating Emile Griffith by a fifteen round unanimous decision, at New York.
  • April 30- Asian-American former Marine Paul Fujii wins the world Jr. Welterweight title, knocking out Sandro Lopopolo in the second round, Tokyo, Japan.
  • July 1- In a rematch of their scandalous Mexico City, Mexico fight, Carlos Ortiz once again knocks out Sugar Ramos, this time in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in round five, to retain the world Lightweight title.
  • August 18- Carlos Ortiz retains his world Lightweight title in his rubber match with former world champion Ismael Laguna, by a fifteen round unanimous decision, Shea Stadium, New York.
  • September 29- Emile Griffith recovers the world Middleweight title, with a fifteen round majority decision over Nino Benvenuti in their New York rematch.
  • December 14- In the first world title fight in history between two Japanese fighters, Hiroshi Kobayashi, with only 11 knockout wins in fifty seven previous bouts, drops defending world Jr. Lightweight champion Yoshiaki Numata four times before knocking him out in twelve rounds to win the world title, Tokyo.

[edit] 1968

[edit] 1969

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