billy arnold v rocky graziano

dougie, I saw that tremendous fight as the old MSG in which Rocky Graziano a 1-8 underdog, came from behind to flatten Billy Arnold a sensational young ko artist called "the new Joe Louis".
The crowd went bonkers as did Vice President Harry Truman who was in the audience...Most exciting comeback I ever saw, making young Rocky a star attraction and ruined Billy Arnold forever...
I DOUB'T there was a video of that fight very much...

 

Sure the clip was on the Espn sports century doc.

 

WOW, if it was only a "clip" , there must be the full 3 rounds of that great upset...I hereby beseech yee who has that film to show that great upset that made Rocky Graziano the greatest drawing card in boxing ,aside from the heavyweight champion.....My three Digitalis moments at ringside was...
1- Rocky Graziano upsetting Billy Arnold by ko MSG...
2 -Ray Robinson with a badly cut eye, went all out with a fusillade of desperate punches that stopped the truly brave and rugged prime Randy Turpin at the old Polo Grounds...
3- The FOTC at MSG where the tension was so great that you could cut it with a knife...Ah, memory's...
old Polo Grounds...

 

I have the film. Its from Rocky's home movies. Its just short highlights shot from ringside.

 

Dougie, of course we saw all of the undercards that day. But doug I cannot recall even one of the prelims...Besides the do or die ko by Robinson still indelible in my mind today, I recall vividly sitting about 10 rows in back of Gen. Douglas MacArthur and his entourage, about the time MacArthur said to Congress," Old Soldiers Never Die, They Just Fade Away".
But most of all I recall the moment after the dramatic finish,
seeing from my aisle seat Ray Robinson looking on the verge of
physical exhaustion being half carried off his feet, being rushed to his dressing room...I recall his eyes were glazed and he was gasping for air...What a fight/ What an event...
P.S. I have seen hundreds of meaningful boxing cards in the early days, and the ONLY momentous I ever thought of saving is the ticket stub of the Robinson/ Turpin bout in Sept. 1951...It even survived Hurricane Sandy...

 

Ok...I admit it....I'm jealous every time I read Burt's posts!

 

gj, and what I wouldn't give to be your age...Wanna trade Jim ?..

 

Dougie, for the really big fights I doubt I sat near Liebling, as he sat in the first row ringside reserved for the press at MSG or other big venues...My dad was a hard working shnook, who loved boxing, but we were content to sit as close to ringside we could afford...The one place I mixed with the
"elite" was at Stillman's gym where I would "rub" shoulders with fighters, ex fighters, celebrities, and connected guys. Very democratic....

 

Oh, to have your "youth' Doug.ie !
Tis no FUN getting "old". For example, yesterday a good looking woman walked past my house, and I decided to catch up to her. After a couple of blocks I did catch up to her, but forgot WHY. ???