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.
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