Carmel Basilo by Rob Snell

[Mofo2]

Name: Carmen Basilio

Career Record: click

Alias: Upstate Onion Farmer

Nationality: US American

Hometown: Canastota, NY, USA

Born: 1927-04-02

Stance: Orthodox

Height: 5′ 6½″

Trainers: Angelo Dundee, Al Silvani

Managers: Johnny DeJohn & Joe Netro

http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/video/2008/wallace/basilio_carmen_t.html

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xtxgi_carmen-basilio_news

Syracuse Herald

11 June 1955

Basilio Batters Way To Welter Title

De Marco Stopped In Twelfth

At long last Syracuse has a world boxing champion who should rule for years to come! Carmen Basilio, Canastota native climbed to the highest peak in the 147-pound division with a 12th round technical knockout of a game but outclassed champion Tony DeMarco of Boston in the War Memorial setting last night. A throng of 9,070 of had paid tariff from a $5 general admission to a $20 ringside, let forth a mighty roar which shook the rafters as Referee Harry Kessler stepped between the bleeding, battered warriors at one minute, 52 seconds of the 12th round. The third man in the ring waved hands aloft to indicate it was over as he cast a pitying glance at the weaving champion.

It was finis for the night of June 10 at least for a well hammered New Englander who had been on the floor twice in the 10th round, once for the count of six and the second time for eight.

Took Bad Beating .

In the 11 th heat the fading titleholder showed stout-hearted courage as he caught terrific lefts and rights to the head and body. There were some protests from the fans over the unevenness of the milling, and cries of "stop it" echoed through the house. But champions are not supposed to be taken out of conflict unless they are too badly beaten to defend themselves, Kessler, abiding by the unwritten code of the ring, let the scrap go on.

Gov. and Mrs. Averell Harriman and Mayor John Hynes of Boston with State Athletic Commissioner Helfand and many other distinguished guests were in the audience, but Kessler is a highly competent workman who keeps a close check on the condition of the fighters assigned to his charge and few questioned his judgement.

Basilio, the ex Marine, son of Italian parents, who had quit the ring sport in disgust back in September 1951, had inflicted cruel punishment to the champions body through the early rounds. It was that relentless hammering which finally took toll, until a whistling right tossed with a sodden mitten crashed against the DeMarco jawbone and dumped him on the canvas within a few feet of the Empire State governor.

Falls Against Ropes

Tony climbed to his feet at the six and stumbled back into action in that hectic 10th. Bag,bang, bang, first the crushing left hook, then a right and a left and the titlehoder was back in the resin this time for eight. He fell heavily into the ropes and as he slumped to the canvas, the second trip, ringsiders wondered where he would find the strength to regain his footing. But he made it somehow.

Carmen strove desperately to inflict the third fall for automatic Disqualification but the bell came to DeMarco's rescue.In the 11 th Tony, riding the trolley "on Queer Street" to the end of the line, tried to fight off the relentless Basilio, who kept plastering his head and pain racked body. He stayed aloft, but old-timers could sense the end was in sight.

Then came the 12th and final round. Tony emerged slowly from the stool in his corner almost pushed into the center of the ring by Trainer Sammy Fuller, former fighter. Carmen appeared almost as fresh as when the bout began. His blows packed power and it was easy to find deadly spots with a champion who was hardly able to keep arms in defensive position.

The rights and lefts started pouring in until Kessler could "take it" no longer. He had given a titleholder every possible chance to come back from defeat, and when there appeared no chance for a rally he sensibly called a halt,

A Joyous Scene

Almost instantly the ring was filled with Basilio handlers, and seconds later photographers took over. Carmen, rushed to the DeMarco corner to shake his battered foe's hand, and Tony proved a good loser. After he had cleared the cobwebs from a befuddled brain and blood from a nose which had dripped claret throughout and from a cut over his left eye, DeMarco came out of his corner and posed for pictures with the new champion.

Mrs. Joseph Basilio, the fighters mother, was finally persuaded to climb through the ropes, as was Carmen's wife, and made up family groups for the cameras. DeMarco's one strong bid for victory came in the 'third when Tony caught Basilio flush- on the button with a left hook and the challenger's knees buckled. Carmen may have been badly hurt but he fought back savagely to stave off the rushing New Englander who seemingly believed he had Carmen set up for the kill.

In the sixth another DeMarco left opened a gash over Basilio's right eye, but handlers did a good job 'between rounds in sealing the break. In the seventh it was reopened but the Chittenango resident who had vowed he would win by a knockout, was not bothered by the trickle of blood.

Threw Wild Rights

Tony , five years younger than his conqueror, certainly proved he was a reformed southpaw. His left hook was pretty much his chief stock in trade, the effort to connect with the right mostly resulting in wild throws from right field.

DeMarco had won the crown but 70 days ago from Johnny Saxton, and most experts decreed he was making a sad mistake in tackling such a rough customer as Basilio before his six months of grace to hold the welterweight title was up.

However. Basilio and his manager, John DeJohn. had stepped aside to let the Saxton-DeMarco fight go on in Boston providing the winner would defend in Syracuse, and Tony's handlers kept their word.

Supposedly there is some sort of agreement the new king of the 147 pounders will give Saxton a chance to regain his lost laurels , and if the New York Negro lad wants the assignment Basilio is likely to prove accommodating.

Carmen is just about the toughest 147 pounds of fistic machinery to be found on the open market at present, and should he keep an earlier pledge of fighting often an retiring as soon as he figures he has amassed ample funds the top notchers in the division will get their chance.

…………………..

Highlighting Sports

By Jack Slattery

The new welterweight champion of the world is all champion even down to his speech. The first words he said when he entered the dressing room, after a battle to get there that fell little short of the one he had in the ring, were to Jim Norris, president of the International Boxing Club. He clasped the big man's hands and said: "Thanks for giving me my chanceâ€

And still a champion, he said of his beaten adversary, "Everyone underestimated him, including myself. He’s a great fighter and a very brave fellow."

Basilio believed the early round barrages to the belly were the weapons that eventually destroyed the champion. He laid them In there consistently while DeMarco waged inside warfare infrequently and ineffectually. The fight carried on and on with Carmen bombing eight to 10 at a turn. They were powerful blows and when the end came for DeMarco there wasn't A a single telling blow struck.

In the ninth round Tony threw six or eight wild punches that went over the head of Basilio. Then all of a sudden, without even being hit, he collapsed. The strength drained from his legs. He became a sitting duck. Basilio was too .eager and couldn't put across the telling blow.

A Man of Great courage

In the 10th the little fellow from Boston snowed courage and determination that makes him the biggest man in all New England. If ever fans should be proud of a loser it should be the DeMarco fans. He was down twice. What brought him to his feet and out for the ll th round only DeMarco will know. It was both thrilling and terrifying to sec him fight from pure instinct. At the end of the ninth and ll th rounds the game lad walked blindly into the television lights directly opposite his corner.

Dan Florio, who patched the cuts which Basilio started to inflict as early as the second round, said in the dressing room, “I wish the kid never landed that left hand in the third round. It buckled Basilio's knees and from that time on DeMarco was left hook, one-punch kayo crazy. We couldn't get him to stop after that.

"What caused him to collapse in the ninth? We don't know. .Tony doesn't know. All of a sudden everything went out of his body but willingness to fightâ€

DeMarco was asked if he had any complaints because the fight was stopped. He soft spoken youngster just replied “That’s all part of the gameâ€. There is no doubt that under any other circumstances the fight would have been stopped much earlier. But because of the twin truths – a title fight, and the bitter complaints of the Boston press that DeMarco was coming here to be robbed – the champion was given every opportunity short of risking his life to retain the championship.

Carmen Hurt Just Once