Joey Giardello

Titles: middleweight champion 1963-1965

Record: 100-25-7 with 1 no decision

Born: July 16, 1930 in Brooklyn, New York (USA)

Years active: 1948-1967

Nickname: None

Giardello was not a quitter, it can be noted by the fact that when he was 
finally given a title shot he was 30 years old and had already won 123 
fights! Yes Joey waited a long time for a title shot and then he lost it. 
Giardello was a top contender for years, but as it often happens, he was
passed over time and time again. When he got his chance, he drew with Gene 
Fullmer in a fight many thought Giardello won. Joey was a strong fighter 
who truly loved to fight and used his stamina instead of brute force to 
break down his opponents. His style was unorthodox and his punches would
come from all angles and he did not mind if they strayed low. Giardello 
turned pro at the age of 18 without any amateur experience taking and 
fought for 4 years in every small club in Philadelphia before making a 
name for himself when he won 2 of 3 fights from contender champion Billy
Graham. Over the next couple of years he fought the best at his weight 
class including Gil Turner, Tiger Jones, Charli Cotton and Dick Tiger. 
Finally a title shot was granted against Gene Fullmer and in a pitched 
battle Fullmer retained the title with a draw. Both accused each other of
foul tactics but a return match never materialized. For 3 more years Joey 
fought on as usual taking on whoever would give him a fight. A win over 
the great but aging Sugar Ray Robinson in a 10 round fight forced the 
reigning champions hand as the public demanded the fight. Dick Tiger gave 
him the title shot in 1963 and this time Giardello would not loose. In the 
fight Giardello did not lead with punches but waited for Tiger to commit 
and beautifully countered him at every chance. For 2 years Giardello would 
hold on to his title and revel in victory beating Hurricane Carter, Rocky
Rivero and Gil Diaz. Believing he could defeat Tiger again he faced the 
still dangerous ex-champion and lost a 15 round decision. This was the end 
of Giardello as a viable contender the many fights had now caught up with 
him. He would fight 4 more times over the next 2 years. In retirement 
Giardello sold insurance and worked in a chemical plant. When Giardello 
was once accused of being a mob fighter because of Italian heritage his 
reply was "Why did it take me so long to get a title shot then!". Very 
good point Joey.

Joey Giardello

Career record: 100 W, 25 L, 7 D, 1 NC (32 KO)


     1948

     Oct 1   Johnny Noel             Trenton, NJ             KO 2
     Oct 10  Jimmy Larkin            Atlantic City           KO 1
     Nov 7   Bobby Clark             Wilkes-Barre, PA        W 4
     Nov 20  Johnny Brown            Reading, PA             KO 4
     Dec 16  Johnny Madison          Atlantic City           KO 1
     Dec 30  Willie Wigfall          Philadelphia            KO 1

     1949

     Feb 24  Clyde Diggs             Philadelphia            D 6
     Mar 15  Don Ennis               Reading, PA             KO 4
     Apr 7   Bill Montgomery         Philadelphia            KO 1
     Apr 25  Ray Morris              Wilkes-Barre, PA        W 4
     Apr 28  Joe Aurillo             Philadelphia            W 6
     May 2   Emerson Charles         Philadelphia            W 4
     Jun 6   Henry Vonsavage         Philadelphia            KO 2
     Jun 20  Ray Haas                Philadelphia            KO 3
     Jul 13  Leroy Fleming           Washington DC           KO 1
     Nov 14  Mitchell Allen          Philadelphia            W 6
     Dec 5   Jim Dockery             Philadelphia            KO 2

     1950

     Jan 5   Johnny Fry              Philadelphia            W 6
     Jan 16  Joe DiMartino           New Haven, CT           L 8
     Jan 26  Johnny Bernardo         Philadelphia            W 8
     Feb 9   Johnny Bernardo         Philadelphia            W 8
     Mar 23  Armando Amanini         Brooklyn                W 8
     Mar 27  Steve Sabatino          Philadelphia            KO 1
     Mar 29  Johnny Brown            Allentown, PA           W 6
     Apr 20  Tommy Varsos            Brooklyn                KO 1
     May 4   Hurley Sanders          Brooklyn                W 8
     May 17  Carey Mace              New York                KO by 8
     Aug 25  Al Berry                Scranton, PA            KO 1
     Sep 26  Ted DiGiammo            Wilkes-Barre, PA        KO 1
     Oct 16  Bruce Ubaldo            Wilkes-Barre, PA        W 8
     Oct 26  Harold Green            Brooklyn                KO by 6
     Nov 27  Gene Roberts            Philadelphia            D 8
     Dec 18  Leroy Allen             Philadelphia            KO 5

     1951

     Jan 6   Freddie Lott            Brooklyn                W 8
     Feb 10  Jan Henry               Philadelphia            W 8
     Feb 22  Hal Sampson             Brooklyn                W 8
     Feb 24  Tony Wolfe              Philadelphia            KO 3
     Mar 15  Roy Wouters             Philadelphia            L 8
     Mar 29  Primo Cutler            Philadelphia            W 8
     Apr 12  Roy Wouters             Philadelphia            W 8
     Apr 30  Ernie Durando           Scranton, PA            W 10
     May 25  Gus Rubicini            New York                L 8
     Aug 13  Otis Graham             Philadelphia            W 8
     Aug 27  Johnny Noel             Philadelphia            W 8
     Sep 14  Tommy Bazzano           New York                W 6
     Oct 8   Tony Amato              New York                KO 7
     Nov 13  Rocky Castellani        Scranton, PA            L 10
     Dec 12  Bobby Dykes             Miami Beach             L 10

     1952

     Jan 9   Sal DiMartino           Miami Beach             D 10
     Mar 28  Sammy Giuliani          New York                D 8
     May 5   Joe Miceli              Scranton, PA            D 10
     Jun 5   Roy Wouters             Philadelphia            W 6
     Jun 23  Pierre Langlois         Brooklyn                W 10
     Aug 4   Billy Graham            Brooklyn                W 10
     Sep 15  Georgie Small           Brooklyn                W 10
     Oct 13  Joey Giambra            Brooklyn                W 10
     Nov 11  Joey Giambra            Buffalo                 L 10
     Dec 15  Billy Graham            New York                W 10

     1953

     Feb 2   Harold Green            Brooklyn                W 10
     Mar 6   Billy Graham            New York                L 12
     Apr 7   Gil Turner              Philadelphia            W 10
     May 30  Hurley Sanders          Newark, NJ              W 10
     Jun 26  Ernie Durando           New York                W 10
     Sep 29  Johnny Saxton           Philadelphia            L 10
     Oct 26  Walter Cartier          Brooklyn                W 10
     Nov 23  Tuzo Portuguez          Brooklyn                W 10

     1954

     Jan 8   Garth Panter            New York                KO 5
     Feb 5   Walter Cartier          New York                KO 1
     Mar 19  Willie Troy             New York                KO 7
     May 21  Pierre Langlois         New York                L 10
     Jun 11  Bobby Jones             New York                W 10
     Jul 7   Billy Kilgore           Philadelphia            W 10
     Sep 24  Ralph "Tiger" Jones     Philadelphia            W 10

     1955

     Jan 25  Al Andrews              Norfolk, VA             W 10
     Feb 15  Andy Mayfield           Miami Beach             KO 8
     Mar 1   Peter Mueller           Milwaukee               KO 2

     1956

     Feb 11  Tim Jones               Trenton, NJ             KO 10
     Mar 10  Hurley Sanders          Paterson, NJ            W 10
     Mar 27  Joe Shaw                Philadelphia            W 10
     May 7   Charlie Cotton          New York                L 10
     May 28  Charlie Cotton          New York                L 10
     Jul 2   Tony Baldoni            New York                KO 1
     Jul 26  Franz Szuzina           Milwaukee               W 10
     Aug 28  James "Kid" Bussey      Miami Beach             KO 9
     Sep 28  Bobby Boyd              Cleveland               KO 5
     Nov 15  Charlie Cotton          Milwaukee               W 10
     Dec 14  Charlie Cotton          Cleveland               W 10

     1957

     Feb 6   Randy Sandy             Chicago                 W 10
     Mar 27  Willie Vaughn           Kansas City             NC 10
     May 17  Rory Calhoun            Cleveland               W 10
     Jul 2   Joe Gray                Detroit                 KO 6
     Jul 17  Chico Vejar             Louisville, KY          W 10
     Sep 27  Bobby Lane              Cleveland               KO 7
     Nov 5   Wilfred Greaves         Denver                  W 10
     Dec 27  Ralph "Tiger" Jones     Miami Beach             W 10

     1958

     Feb 12  Franz Szuzina           Philadelphia            W 10
     May 5   Rory Calhoun            San Francisco           W 10
     Jun 11  Franz Szuzina           Washington DC           W 10
     Jun 30  Joey Giambra            San Francisco           L 10
     Nov 19  Spider Webb             San Francisco           KO by 7

     1959

     Jan 28  Ralph "Tiger" Jones     Louisville, KY          L 10
     May 6   Holly Mims              Washington DC           W 10
     Jun 16  Del Flanagan            St. Paul, MN            KO 1
     Aug 11  Chico Vejar             St. Paul, MN            W 10
     Sep 30  Dick Tiger              Chicago                 L 10
     Nov 4   Dick Tiger              Cleveland               W 10

     1960

     Apr 20  Gene Fullmer            Bozeman, MT             D 15
             (For NBA Middleweight Title)
     Sep 27  Clarence Hinnant        Billings, MT            KO 3
     Oct 11  Terry Downes            London                  L 10
     Dec 1   Peter Mueller           Cologne, Germany        L 10

     1961

     Mar 6   Ralph Dupas             New Orleans             L 10
     May 15  Wilfred Greaves         Philadelphia            KO 9
     Jul 10  Henry Hank              Detroit                 L 10
     Sep 12  Jesse Smith             Philadelphia            W 10
     Nov 6   Jesse Smith             Chicago                 W 10
     Dec 12  Joe DeNucci             Boston                  D 10

     1962

     Jan 30  Henry Hank              Philadelphia            W 10
     Jul 9   Jimmy Beecham           St. Paul, MN            W 10
     Aug 6   George Benton           Philadelphia            L 10
     Nov 12  Johnny Morris           Baltimore               W 10

     1963

     Feb 25  Wilfred Greaves         Jacksonville, FL        W 10
     Mar 25  Ernie Burford           Philadelphia            W 10
     Jun 24  Ray Robinson            Philadelphia            W 10
     Dec 7   Dick Tiger              Atlantic City           W 15
             (Wins World Middleweight Title)

     1964

     Apr 17  Rocky Rivero            Cleveland               W 10
     May 22  Rocky Rivero            Cleveland               W 10
     Dec 14  Rubin Carter            Philadelphia            W 15
             (Retains World Middleweight Title)

     1965

     Apr 23  Gil Diaz                Cherry Hills, NY        W 10
     Oct 21  Dick Tiger              New York                L 15
             (Loses World Middleweight Title)

     1966

     Sep 22  Cash White              Reading, PA             W 10
     Dec 5   Nate Collins            San Francisco           KO by 8

     1967

     May 22  Jack Rodgers            Pittsburgh              L 10
     Nov 6   Jack Rodgers            Philadelphia            W 10