Not interested in Boxrec or YouTube bouts, just Boston or 5th St. Gym recollections. Kid hadda wrecking-ball left hook.
Yep jg,sure do remember Larry Boardman in the 1950s.He was from Conn, a good looking kid managed by his father. He became known when he beat Sandy Saddler,Frankie Ryff [Barney Ross protege],Paddy DeMarco, Jimmy Carter. He was a TV favorite,I recall, but never reached the top. Lost to Orlando Zuleta, Johnny Busso,Ray Portilla, etc. Retired soon after.
I know that he after retiring the second time, worked for Sears Roebuck for 25 years,and upon nretirement moved to Florida. Boardman was a sensation,as a puncher.Would have made a fortune today. He reminds me of Carlos Maidana, in looks and punching power,with the same limitations.:good
I remember his KO of Frankie Ryff. When asked about some of most dramatic KO's I've ever seen, I always mention this one as right up there near the top. He caught Ryff with a left hook and Ryff corkscrewed to the canvas. It was devastating. Frankie Ryff was a great boxer. His greatest weakness was that he was a bleeder. I was at the fight and to be honest, I thought for a moment, that Ryff was killed by the punch. Thank god, he was ok but in later years, Ryff had an accident in an elevator shaft at a construction sight and wound up very physically ruined by the fall.
Yes frank,i remember the terrible accident Frankie Ryff had. He was a tough kid who I saw in the Golden Gloves in NY. After the accident I believe, Barney Ross befriended Frankie...
Burt 'n Frankwornack, since you guys were familiar with the N.Y. boxing scene -- amateur 'n pro -- in the '50s, did you think Vince Shomo was gonna be a welterweight Joe Louis when he turned pro?
Ah,Vince Shomo,a name from the past.I saw Vinc Shomo at Sunnyside Arena Golden Gloves,and he was a shorter and earlier edition of Mark Breland.He won the GG title several times. He could hit! But as a pro he never lived up to expectation like Mark Breland whose height gave Mark an advantage Vince Shomo didn't have. It happens quite often jg. I recall as a youngster my dad and I would see and rave about a sensational Golden Gloves heavyweight champion named Jimmy Carolla from Astoria, L.I. He was a great,great HW prospect who turned out to be a mediocre pro .Same with Vince Shomo. Emile Griffith was a great GG champion, who turned out to have a great pro career as we all know.
You've no idea whatta pleasure it is to be transported back, burt, to re-awaken memories of Jacob's Beach.
And the Garden Cafeteria, across the Street.I might have some Arthritis, but I also have great memory's jg.
How often, 'n how much time, did you spend at Stillman's, Burt?...'n didya gota shows (besides the ol' Garden) at these clubs: Sunnyside, Eastern Parkway, Ridgewood Grove, St.Nicks 'n Coney Island?
jg,all the above,and then some,as B'way Arena, Ft.Hamilton,Dexter Park [home of the Bushwicks] etc. My greatest pleasure was to go to Stillman's which I went almost weekly,from the late 1940s to mid 50s. What wonderful times I spent there alone.Even played hookie on certain days. As posted before my paramount memory there was seeing a tough looking guy sitting on a radiator [cold radiator,summer],and spitting on the floor,ala Lew Stillman. His legs were on the ring apron, and a big heavyweight asked this toughie to let him go by, but this guy told him to go under his legs to get through, which he did.I was impressed by this hoodlum event. Well a few days later sitting with my dad at St Nicks Arena, who do I see in a 4 rd prelim,but this tough guy fighting under the name of Rocky Graziano ! To top it all ,Rocky at this time was AWOL from the ARMY under his real name Rocco Barbella. After this my dad took me to all of Rocky's bouts in NY. He was my digitalis fighter...Memory,s...
