A native Italian borderline atg middle against an American-Italian borderline atg middle. I think Giardello at his best beats Benvenuti at his best but every other version of Giardello would get beaten by Nino. What's your opinion on this matchup?
Agreed. And this time, Nino wouldn't have been able to pull it out with a massive hook either. But Joey indeed has to be at his best here against the more consistent Italian.
Giardello for me, at their very best i think he could beat his man in a good fight by boxing how he did best, feinting with the left and the feints. Hardly a one sided fight though,
Teeto, I tend to agree with you..this isn't a good style for Nino..Giardello is on par, if not more so with Luis Rodriguez in terms of wiliness and hard won careerwise boxing wizardry...there wasn't hardly a trick in the books that Joey didn't know..and at his best, he probably would have taken a close, hard fought but well deserved decision. Again, this happens with Joey only at his best and nothing less.
Interesting sidenote to Joey Giardello....In 1950 I saw a young and highly touted Joey Giardello, then 20 years old...His opponent was a local favorite of mine, Harold Green...It was a cclose fight , until the 6th round Green caught young Giardello with a left hook, and knocked Giardello out cold...Perfect punch...Who ever thought at that fight. years later Giardello would be middleweight champion...And a good one,I might add....
Nothing came easy for giardello...he had no amateur fights, and learned truly from the proverbial "school of hard knocks"...the significant thing about Joey Giardello is that he learned through experience more than anyone teaching him to be a true boxing wizard...truly conversant in the "black arts" of clever, scientific boxing..he was a wily, grizzled, accomplished master by the time his opportunity came vs Dick Tiger in '63, and contrary to that movie about Hurricane Carter, he outtricked and outfoxed Carter to earn a well deserved decision.
red cobra, I agree with you regarding Giardello's ability to learn...He later in 1953 beat Harold Green, who kod Joey in 1950...Yes I agree that in 1964 ,the 34 year old Giardello ,outfoxed Hurricane Carter, unlike the politically correct movie,depicts Carter was "robbed", in the fight .Wrong...I would have liked to see my favorite crowd pleaser young Rocky Graziano, against prime Giardello...Tough for me to pick the winner...Pre Zale Graziano sure could punch....