Carmen Basilio facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Carmen Basilio
Basilio after defending the world title in 1955
Statistics
Nickname(s)	The Upstate Onion Farmer
Rated at	Welterweight Middleweight
Height	5 ft 6+1/2 in
Born	(1927-04-02)April 2, 1927 Canastota, New York, U.S.
Died	November 7, 2012(2012-11-07) (aged 85) Rochester, New York, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	79
Wins	56
Wins by KO	27
Losses	16
Draws	7

Carmen Basilio (born Carmine Basilio, April 2, 1927 – November 7, 2012) was an American professional boxer. He was a world champion in two different weight classes: welterweight and middleweight. He famously beat the legendary boxer Sugar Ray Robinson to win the middleweight title.

Basilio was known for his tough chin and amazing stamina. He was a fighter who kept coming forward, wearing down his opponents with strong punches to their head and body.

The Ring magazine, a famous boxing publication, named Basilio their "Fighter of the Year" in 1957. The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) also gave him this award in 1955 and 1957. He holds a special record for being in The Ring magazine's "Fight of the Year" five times in a row (1955-1959). In 2002, The Ring magazine ranked him as the 40th greatest fighter of the last 80 years. Carmen Basilio was honored in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, as part of its very first group of inductees.

Carmen Basilio's Boxing Journey
Life After Boxing
Awards and Achievements
Professional Boxing Record
Images for kids
See also

Carmen Basilio's Boxing Journey

Starting Out as a Boxer

Carmen Basilio started his professional boxing career on November 24, 1948. His first fight was in Binghamton, New York, where he knocked out Jimmy Evans in the third round. Just five days later, he won another fight in only one round. By the end of 1948, he had already fought four times.

In 1949, he had two fights that ended in a draw (a tie). For his first 24 fights, Basilio mostly fought in New York. During this time, his record was 19 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws. His first loss was in May 1949. He fought Johnny Cunningham four times in his early career, winning two of those fights by knockout or decision.

In 1950, Basilio fought former world champion Lew Jenkins and won by decision. After 24 fights, Basilio decided to try fighting outside of New York. He went to New Orleans for his next six fights. There, he had a draw with Gaby Farland, but later beat him by knockout in a rematch. He also won two fights against Guillermo Giminez.

After returning home, Basilio had a tougher time, winning 3, losing 3, and drawing 1 of his next seven fights. But he did get revenge on Eddie Giosa, who had beaten him earlier.

In 1952, Basilio's record was 6 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw. He beat Jimmy Cousins but lost to Chuck Davey and Billy Graham. He also had a draw with Davey.

Climbing the Ranks

In 1953, Carmen Basilio started winning important fights. This helped him move up in the welterweight division rankings. He soon earned his first chance to fight for a world title against Kid Gavilán from Cuba.

Before fighting Gavilan, Basilio beat former world lightweight champion Ike Williams. He also fought Billy Graham two more times, winning one and drawing the other. Basilio lost his 15-round title fight against Gavilan. He then fought Johnny Cunningham for the fourth time, winning by knockout. He also started a new rivalry with French boxer Pierre Langois, with their first fight ending in a draw.

In 1954, Basilio had a great year, going undefeated in eight fights. He won seven of them, including a rematch against Langois, and had one draw.

Becoming a World Champion

Carmen Basilio started 1955 with a win against Peter Müller. This made him the top challenger for the world welterweight title. On June 10, 1955, he got his second chance at a world title against champion Tony DeMarco. Basilio became the world champion by knocking out DeMarco in the 12th round.

After two non-title fights, Basilio and DeMarco had a rematch. Basilio, now the champion, won again by knockout in the 12th round.

In 1956, Basilio lost his welterweight title to Johnny Saxton in Chicago. Basilio felt the decision was unfair. In an immediate rematch in Syracuse, Basilio won back his title with a nine-round knockout. Then, in their third fight, Basilio kept the belt with a knockout in the second round.

After this, Basilio moved up to a heavier weight class to challenge the older middleweight champion, Sugar Ray Robinson. This fight, on September 23, 1957, became one of Basilio's most famous. He won the middleweight championship by a close decision after 15 rounds. The next day, he had to give up his welterweight belt because of boxing rules at the time. In 1957, Basilio also won the Hickok Belt, which is given to the top professional athlete of the year.

Later Career

Basilio fighting against Sugar Ray Robinson in 1958

In 1958, Basilio and Robinson had a rematch. Robinson won back the title in a very close and debated 15-round decision. Basilio's left eye was completely swollen shut from the sixth round on, but many people watching thought Basilio still won the fight.

After this, Basilio fought less often until he retired in 1961. Three of his last fights were attempts to win back the world middleweight title. He lost twice to Gene Fullmer and once to Paul Pender.

During this time, he did beat Art Aragon by knockout and former world welterweight champion Don Jordan by decision. His fight with Pender for the title was his last professional boxing match.

Carmen Basilio retired with a record of 56 wins, 16 losses, and 7 draws. He won 27 of his fights by knockout.

Life After Boxing

After retiring from boxing, Carmen Basilio worked at the Genesee Brewery in Rochester, New York, for a while. Even though he didn't finish high school, he later taught physical education at Le Moyne College in Syracuse. Basilio had also served in the United States Marine Corps. He also worked as a salesman for a sausage company.

In the 1970s, Basilio's nephew, Billy Backus, became a world welterweight champion. Basilio said that day that Billy winning the title felt even better than when he won his own titles.

In 1990, the International Boxing Hall of Fame was built in Canastota, New York, Basilio's hometown. It was created to honor the two world champions from there: Basilio and his nephew. Basilio is a member of the Hall of Fame, along with many of the boxers he fought.

In the late 1990s, Basilio became very ill and needed heart surgery, but doctors were able to help him recover.

Basilio was interviewed for a TV show about Sugar Ray Robinson. He said that while he respected Robinson's boxing skills, he didn't like him as a person.

Carmen Basilio passed away in 2012 at the age of 85. He was survived by his wife, Josephine Basilio.

Awards and Achievements

Cauliflower Alley Club
- Boxing Honoree (1994)

Professional Boxing Record

Professional record summary
79 fights	56 wins	16 losses
By knockout	27	2
By decision	29	14
Draws	7

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
79	Loss	56–16–7	Paul Pender	UD	15	Apr 22, 1961	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.	For NYSAC and The Ring middleweight titles
78	Win	56–15–7	Don Jordan	UD	10	Mar 11, 1961	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
77	Win	55–15–7	Gaspar Ortega	UD	10	Jan 7, 1961	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
76	Loss	54–15–7	Gene Fullmer	TKO	12 (15)	Jun 29, 1960	Derks Field, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.	For NBA middleweight title
75	Loss	54–14–7	Gene Fullmer	TKO	14 (15)	Aug 28, 1959	Cow Palace, Daly City, California, U.S.	For vacant NBA middleweight title
74	Win	54–13–7	Arley Seifer	TKO	3 (10)	Apr 1, 1959	Bell Auditorium, Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
73	Win	53–13–7	Art Aragon	TKO	8 (10)	Sep 5, 1958	Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
72	Loss	52–13–7	Sugar Ray Robinson	SD	15	Mar 25, 1958	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.	Lost NBA, NYSAC, and The Ring middleweight titles
71	Win	52–12–7	Sugar Ray Robinson	SD	15	Sep 23, 1957	Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S.	Won NBA, NYSAC, and The Ring middleweight titles
70	Win	51–12–7	Harold Jones	TKO	4 (10)	May 16, 1957	Auditorium, Portland, Oregon, U.S.
69	Win	50–12–7	Johnny Saxton	TKO	2 (15)	Feb 22, 1957	Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.	Retained NBA, NYSAC, and The Ring welterweight titles
68	Win	49–12–7	Johnny Saxton	TKO	9 (15)	Sep 12, 1956	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.	Won NBA, NYSAC, and The Ring welterweight titles
67	Loss	48–12–7	Johnny Saxton	UD	15	Mar 14, 1956	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.	Lost NBA, NYSAC, and The Ring welterweight titles
66	Win	48–11–7	Tony DeMarco	TKO	12 (15)	Nov 30, 1955	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.	Retained NBA, NYSAC, and The Ring welterweight titles
65	Win	47–11–7	Gil Turner	MD	10	Sep 7, 1955	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
64	Win	46–11–7	Italo Scortichini	UD	10	Aug 10, 1955	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
63	Win	45–11–7	Tony DeMarco	TKO	12 (15)	Jun 10, 1955	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.	Won NBA, NYSAC, and The Ring welterweight titles
62	Win	44–11–7	Peter Müller	UD	10	Jan 21, 1955	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
61	Win	43–11–7	Ronnie Harper	RTD	3 (10)	Dec 16, 1954	Armory, Akron, Ohio, U.S.
60	Win	42–11–7	Allie Gronik	UD	10	Oct 15, 1954	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
59	Win	41–11–7	Carmine Fiore	UD	10	Sep 10, 1954	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
58	Win	40–11–7	Ronnie Harper	TKO	2 (10)	Aug 17, 1954	Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.
57	Win	39–11–7	Al Andrews	UD	10	Jun 26, 1954	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
56	Win	38–11–7	Italo Scortichini	UD	10	May 15, 1954	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
55	Win	37–11–7	Pierre Langlois	UD	10	Apr 17, 1954	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
54	Draw	36–11–7	Italo Scortichini	PTS	10	Jan 16, 1954	Dinner Key Auditorium, Coconut Grove, Florida, U.S.
53	Draw	36–11–6	Pierre Langlois	PTS	10	Dec 19, 1953	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
52	Win	36–11–5	Johnny Cunningham	KO	4 (10)	Nov 28, 1953	Civic Auditorium, Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
51	Loss	35–11–5	Kid Gavilan	SD	15	Sep 18, 1953	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.	For NBA, NYSAC, and The Ring welterweight titles
50	Draw	35–10–5	Billy Graham	PTS	12	Jul 25, 1953	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.	Retained USA New York State welterweight title
49	Win	35–10–4	Billy Graham	UD	12	Jun 6, 1953	Memorial Stadium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.	Won inaugural USA New York State welterweight title
48	Win	34–10–4	Carmine Fiore	TKO	9 (10)	Apr 11, 1953	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
47	Win	33–10–4	Vic Cardell	UD	10	Feb 28, 1953	Sports Arena, Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
46	Win	32–10–4	Ike Williams	UD	10	Jan 12, 1953	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
45	Win	31–10–4	Chuck Foster	TKO	5 (10)	Nov 18, 1952	Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
44	Win	30–10–4	Sammy Giuliani	KO	3 (10)	Oct 20, 1952	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
43	Win	29–10–4	Baby Williams	UD	10	Sep 22, 1952	Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
42	Loss	28–10–4	Billy Graham	UD	10	Aug 20, 1952	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
41	Loss	28–9–4	Chuck Davey	UD	10	Jul 16, 1952	Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
40	Draw	28–8–4	Chuck Davey	PTS	10	May 29, 1952	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
39	Win	28–8–3	Jackie O'Brien	MD	10	Mar 31, 1952	South Main Street Armory, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S.
38	Win	27–8–3	Jimmy Cousins	UD	8	Feb 28, 1952	Armory, Akron, Ohio, U.S.
37	Win	26–8–3	Emmett Norris	UD	10	Feb 4, 1952	South Main Street Armory, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S.
36	Loss	25–8–3	Ross Virgo	UD	10	Sep 26, 1951	Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
35	Win	25–7–3	Shamus McCray	PTS	8	Sep 17, 1951	War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
34	Loss	24–7–3	Johnny Cesario	UD	10	Jun 18, 1951	McConnell Field, Utica, New York, U.S.
33	Loss	24–6–3	Lester Felton	UD	10	May 29, 1951	State Fair Coliseum, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
32	Win	24–5–3	Eddie Giosa	UD	10	Apr 12, 1951	State Fair Coliseum, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
31	Win	23–5–3	Floro Hita	PTS	8	Mar 9, 1951	State Fair Coliseum, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
30	Loss	22–5–3	Vic Cardell	SD	10	Dec 15, 1950	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
29	Loss	22–4–3	Eddie Giosa	PTS	10	Aug 28, 1950	Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
28	Win	22–3–3	Guillermo Gimenez	RTD	8 (10)	Jul 31, 1950	Coliseum Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
27	Win	21–3–3	Guillermo Gimenez	RTD	7 (10)	Jun 21, 1950	Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
26	Win	20–3–3	Gaby Ferland	KO	1 (10)	May 5, 1950	Coliseum Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
25	Draw	19–3–3	Gaby Ferland	PTS	10	Apr 12, 1950	Coliseum Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
24	Loss	19–3–2	Mike Koballa	UD	8	Mar 27, 1950	Eastern Parkway Arena, New York City, New York, U.S.
23	Win	19–2–2	Lew Jenkins	MD	10	Mar 6, 1950	State Fair Coliseum, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
22	Win	18–2–2	Adrien Mourguiart	TKO	7 (10)	Feb 7, 1950	Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
21	Win	17–2–2	Cassell Tate	MD	8	Jan 24, 1950	Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
20	Win	16–2–2	Sonny Jim Hampton	UD	8	Jan 10, 1950	Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
19	Win	15–2–2	Johnny Parker	RTD	2 (8)	Sep 30, 1949	State Fair Coliseum, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
18	Win	14–2–2	Tony DiPelino	UD	8	Sep 7, 1949	Red Wing Stadium, Rochester, New York, U.S.
17	Win	13–2–2	Johnny Cunningham	PTS	8	Aug 17, 1949	MacArthur Stadium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
16	Loss	12–2–2	Johnny Cunningham	SD	8	Aug 2, 1949	Bennett's Field, Utica, New York, U.S.
15	Win	12–1–2	Sammy Daniels	UD	8	Jul 21, 1949	Bennett's Field, Utica, New York, U.S.
14	Win	11–1–2	Jesse Bradshaw	TKO	2 (6)	Jul 12, 1949	MacArthur Stadium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
13	Win	10–1–2	Johnny Cunningham	KO	2 (6)	Jun 7, 1949	MacArthur Stadium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
12	Win	9–1–2	Johnny Clemons	KO	3 (6)	May 18, 1949	State Fair Coliseum, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
11	Loss	8–1–2	Connie Thies	PTS	6	May 2, 1949	Sports Arena, Rochester, New York, U.S.
10	Win	8–0–2	Elliot Throop	KO	1 (6)	Apr 20, 1949	State Fair Coliseum, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
9	Win	7–0–2	Jerry Drain	TKO	3 (6)	Mar 18, 1949	State Fair Coliseum, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
8	Win	6–0–2	Luke Jordan	PTS	6	Feb 17, 1949	Sports Arena, Rochester, New York, U.S.
7	Win	5–0–2	Ernie Hall	KO	2 (6)	Jan 25, 1949	State Fair Coliseum, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
6	Draw	4–0–2	Jimmy Parlin	PTS	6	Jan 19, 1949	Kalurah Temple, Binghamton, New York, U.S.
5	Draw	4–0–1	Johnny Cunningham	PTS	6	Jan 5, 1949	Kalurah Temple, Binghamton, New York, U.S.
4	Win	4–0	Rolly Johns	SD	6	Dec 15, 1948	State Fair Coliseum, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
3	Win	3–0	Eddie Thomas	KO	2 (6)	Dec 8, 1948	Kalurah Temple, Binghamton, New York, U.S.
2	Win	2–0	Bruce Walters	KO	1 (4)	Nov 29, 1948	State Fair Coliseum, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
1	Win	1–0	Jimmy Evans	KO	3 (4)	Nov 24, 1948	Kalurah Temple, Binghamton, New York, U.S.

Images for kids

Basilio testifying to the U.S. Senate in 1960