JOEY GIARDELLO
THE TOUGH, gritty Giardello slowly but steadilty fought his way up the ranks until he won
the world middleweight title -- at the end of his 16th year as a pro. But Giardello, whose
real name was Carmine Tilelli, was a "Rocky" story.
He turned pro in 1948 at age 18. He fought primarily in Philadelphia, and built his record,
and reputation in the "City of Brotherly Love" and other East Coast towns. In 1951 he entered
the world rankings with a 10-round decision win over contender Ernie Durando in Scranton, Pa.
With the exception of one year, 1955, Giardello would fight and beat at least one ranked
contender every year until 1966.
In 1952-53 he waged a thrilling three-fight series with future Hall-of-Famer Billy Graham.
Every fight was decided by the judges, with Giardello taking the first two. In the second
fight, a spilt-decision win, two New York State athletic commissioners changed one judges
scorecard and the verdict went to Graham. But Giardello sued and the decision was
eventually reversed.
Giardello remained a top middleweight but couldn't secure a title shot. In 1959, he spilt
a pair of 10-round decisions with future champ and future Hall-of-Famer, Dick Tiger.
He received his first title fight against Gene Fullmer in April 1960. But after 15 rounds
in Bozeman, Montana, the fight was declared a draw. He didn't get another opportunity until
December 7, 1963, when he defeated Tiger over 15 rounds in Atlantic City.
He had one successful defense, a unanimous decision over Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in 1964,
then lost the title to Tiger via points in Oct. 1965.
Giardello had four more fights before retiring in 1967. He was a top middleweight for 15 years
and had an admirable 5-3-1 record against fellow World Boxing Hall-of-Famers.
Born: Carmen Orlando Telleli, July 16, 1930 Brooklyn, NY
Pro Record: 100-25-7 (32 Kayos), 1 NC
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 Coleman 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
(Vaughn was the announced winer; the Missouri Commission
ordered a no decision because one judge used the wrong points system)
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
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