Rubin Carter

Up and coming Middle Weight in the early 60s. Strong with an aggresive stalker style. KOd Emile Griffith in a non title bout. Fought and lost Middle Weight title fight with Giardello. Went down hill after that.

 

Said Dick Tiger gave him his worst beating.

The Hurricane was a pretty tough guy.

 

Carter was NOT the number one contender at the time of his arrest.. indeed, he was struggling to keep .500! Carter was never aquitted - he was tried twice and convicted twice. He was never tried by an all white jury and was found to be in posession of the exact same types of ammunition as was used in the murders when he was pulled over.

Rubin Carter is not the man Denzel Washington would have you believe.

 

The Giardello fight the movie claimed to be a 'robbery' was not a robbery by any means, it was a fair loss by all accounts,

 

The movie was full of ****, on many accounts apparently.

 

Hollywood - "poetic license" - dramatisation with a huge sense of injustice makes for a more emotive film. Who cares about historical inaccuracies when the film is entertaining?

 

Ex

Exactly.

 

Interesting enough, I've read both 'The 16th Round' and 'Lazarus and the Hurricane' in the past month, and I don't believe I've ever read a book(s) with so much skepticism going on inside of me, and that's probably not only limiting it to boxing books.

I felt I was being lied to on just about every second page of each book, so with the movie supposedly being based on those two books, as well as it being "Hollywooded" up for the viewers, I could guarantee that that's a couple of hours that I never bother spending any time or money on.

 

I think the film was ok showing a section of the crowd booing the Giardello decision, because that's what likely would have happened with Carter forcing the fight, which was 'fairly' close although Joey deserved the nod, rather than the outright robbery claims.

 

The movie was a joke.

The 16th round a great book that was most likely filled with fiction as well.

Carter was past his prime when he was finally incarcerated, not the number 1 contender.

I have heard mixed things about the Joey G. fight including by many who watched it recently (time film was released) that Carter actually did deserve the decision but that it was close.

His biggest wins were his KO of Griffith, Fernandez, Mimms and his decision over George Benton.

Dick Tiger really busted him up but Rubin showed huge hart by hanging in there and actually rocked Tiger late in the fight.

Carter became an alcholic and that effected his ring career.

Who knows if he did it or not. He did not get out because they found him innocent but on a technicality. To his credit in all the years he has been out he never got in any more trouble.

Carter was never a natural middleweight. He would fight today at 154, a weight that was ideal for him. At that weight, focused and well trained, he would be a hell of a force.

 

Found this write-up on the fight, if it's any help.

Scartissue

1964-12-14 : Joey Giardello beat Rubin Carter by UD in round 15 of 15
Location: Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Referee: Bob Polis 72-66
Judge: Jim Mina 71-66
Judge: Dave Beloff 70-67

WBC Middleweight Title
WBA Middleweight Title
Weights: Carter 158½, Giardello 160



"Middleweight champion Joey Giardello called on every trick he learned in 16 years of pro battling to beat strong Rubin (Hurricane) Carter in his first title defense Monday night. A rousing finish in the last five rounds of the 15 rounder earned the crafty, 34 year old champion the unanimous decision over the second ranked contender from Paterson, N.J., at Convention Hall. Giardello was cut over the left eye and shaken by a jolting left hook in the 4th round. Carter had his big chance in that round but he blew it. The ring-scarred champion kept on the move constantly against his stalking, straight-moving opponent. With blood trickling from the cut most of the way, Giardello fought the classic fight - sticking with his left jab to the head, hooking to the body and head and making Carter miss. Joey had the challenger slicing the air with dozens of punches in most rounds with a slip of the head or a slight move backwards or to the side. Carter landed his share of punches but Giardello scored with more." -Associated Press

Unofficial AP scorecard - 69-68 Giardello
Unofficial poll of ringside scribes - 14 for Giardello, 3 for Carter (also reported as 15-5 for Giardello)

Post fight comments

"I had him on the hook but let him get off. He's cagey and takes a helluva punch. I think I won it clear - at least 9-6." -Rubin Carter
"He fought my fight and didn't press as I expected him to press. He didn't fight inside and made it easy for me. That had alot to do with it." -Joey Giardello

 

The fight could have gone either way.

Giardello was clearly past his best and did not look that good.