Carmine Vingo

There are short snatches of film on you tube including a few seconds of Vingo with his back to the camera. He looks well built with rather broad shoulders. He had just turned 20 when he fought Marciano.

As for Vingo the fighter, he was a prospect, but hadn't really accomplished much yet. I happened upon an article with Fleischer listing the best of 1949, including a section on "comers" or prospects, and he listed Vingo with Marciano and LaStarza. About all we have to go on is that he was considered promising by the guys who had watched him.

I would be interested in Burt's opinion on Vingo.

 

Is Vingo still alive?

 

i looked into that last year and I believe he is yes....early 80s now....think florida was last location I found.

 

EM, I only saw Carmine Vingo live [later near death] against the coming sensation from Brockton, Rocky Marciano at MSG. My dad and I had great seats right over the ring, 1st row, side balcony. When the fighters were introduced Vingo towered over
Marciano and then the bout started. I recall in the very first round Bingo Vingo as he was known by his fans lifted Marciano
off the floor it seemed with a powerful right uppercut. Rocky
wavered, recovered and a war started. Both could hit, but
my doubts of this short guy from Mass. stopped when his
boulder like punches took it's toll on the bigger Vingo who took
horrendous punishment until the 6th round when he collapsed on his back unconscious with his foot quivering violently..A scary sight to see. The doctor Vincent Nardiello jumped into the ring with medics, and immediately put Vingo on a stretcher with wheels and instead of waiting for an ambulance rushed him to the nearest hospital a block or two away where he was put into intensive care and luckily survived with many a scare...
WOW it was 66 years ago, and I still remember those horrible moments. As I posted before I saw Carmine Vingo on our 12" tv set koing some guy. He had the makings of a top puncher, and
if Marciano didn;'t come on the scene those days, Vingo might have developed into a contender or champion. Such is fate...
One other thing I must say. NEVER sell Rocky Marciano short in H2H bouts !. P4P as strong as any fighter who ever lived and a force to be reckoned with...

 

I talked to people who followed boxing in those days, and Vingo was being talked up big as a potential champ up till after that fight

 

Looking at that photo you can readily believe Louis's comment,"it hurt just bumping into him".

 

Good stuff Bert!
Vingo was given conditional absolution and because no ambulance was available he was carried on foot the two blocks to St Clare's Hospital by his friends and handlers wrapped in their overcoats against the chill of the December evening.

 

Vingo had not filled out, He might have later, he was built like Foster who was a bit shorter & lighter (the scale was weighted a bit for the Frazier fight).

Bonaventure-ironically his nickname rhymes with Carmine's name, Ringo/Vingo-was 30, not 20, lbs. heavier than the prime weight Rocky trained down too. at 5' 10" 1/2" & 217 lb

Thus he did not look bigger than he was-he was big in everything but height.slean, he carried as much mules per square inch as most bulky guys today. Frazier said moving him was like "carrying a refrigerator" around the ring. His stats were very like prime Tyson's.

 

No, not prime Tyson like.

Bonavena weighed 204 for the Ali fight. But he certainly looked like he weighed 217 or more. That's what I'm talking about.

For the Frazier fights, he only weighed 205-207, only 2 and 4 lbs heavier than Joe's 203. But that comment doesn't surprise me, the way Bonanvena's mass was distrubted, he was built like a guy 20 lbs heavier.

 

Bonavena was HUGE I have footage of the weigh in for either Ali or Patterson and his biceps look like they are going explode. The guy was almost muscle bound.

 

Thanks for the info, doug.ie.

 

His arms were worthy of a body builder. And at only 204 for the Ali fight. Him and Machen are just two of many guys from the past who may not have scaled 220-230 lbs like the Heavies of the 80s-present, but had big legs, massive arms, and broad chests we dont' associate with LHW and Cruiser sized fighters anymore. Denis Lebedev is roughly the same height and weight as Bonavena, but you really wouldn't think that to look at them.

 

dunno if this one has been posted already..

http://i10.tinypic.com/29qm69l.jpg