George "Sugar" Costner beat Gavilan and Ike Williams with one eye

This ww contender was twice ko'd in the first by Sugar Ray Robinson in the first, although according to him, he threw the second one. "Three days before the Robinson fight, my vision in my left eye started to go." George had suffered the eye injury against Chico Varona, losing his vision during the match, but coming back to win the fight in a whirlwind even when his corener had wanted to pull him with a suspected detatched retina, exactly what the man had.

Anyway, his vision came back (this may have happened to Greb, too) but then departed once more - right in time for his getting in with Sugar Ray Robinson, The Greatest. "While I'm crying my eyes out, somebody - i don't recall who - suggests I lay down against Robinson. And you know what? That's just what I did." Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, but he was certainly having trouble with his vision. The Other Sugar died completely blind in both eyes. This makes what happened next all the more remarkable.

Costner beat Kid Gavlian - what, top 5 WW head to head all time? - in a possible bull**** decision over 10. Then he matched lightweight champion Ike Williams over ten rounds, taking all ten rounds on one of the cards. A shut out type victory over Ike Williams, who probably was starting to slip past his very best, but was still lightweight champion of the world and certainly one of the very best in all the world. Pretty stunning.

Supposedly, John Grosa of the Philly state commision asked Costner to go into Williams' dressing room and say hi. "When I got into his dressing room Ike was lying on a stretcher and it looke dlike he had two heads. That's how swollen he was."

The next day, Grosa and Costner would see each other again. Costner told him: "I know about your injury. I knew at the weigh in. And I was up half the night talking to my wife as to whether you should fight Ike. We decided to let you fight because we didn't think he would present you much of a problem [if that was said i'll eat my hat]. But i'm sorry to say that you're not going to fight any more. The NBA has ordered your retirement."

And that was that.

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Anyone know any details of the Kid G fight? It sounds like a bull**** decision, I wonder if it was mad close or a robbery? I wonder if Costner was connected? Losses KO1, then beats a fighter nearly as good on points...

Anyway or no, the guy has decisions over these two boys with one eye. Hall of fame! Hall of fame! Hall of fame!

 

Here he is knocked dangerously unconcsious by either LaMotta or Sugar Ray the first time (not sure which, sorry).

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And here he is apparently giving Ike Williams a lesson in boxing!

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GREAT LaMotta line!

 

From The Ring, October 1950:
"Willams took on George "sugar" Costner, the Camden N.J, welterweight, at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, recently. A victory over George was to qualify the Trenton Terror for a welterweight title fight with Sugar Ray Robinson. Contrary to the plans of Blinky Palermo, Williams' manager, it didn't happen that way.

To the amazement of the 9,809 spectators, Costner proceeded to give Williams a thorough going over. It wasn't even close. One judge, Frank Knarsborough, gave every round to Costner. Referee Beloff and Judge Lou Tress agreed that sugar George had won 8/10.

Williams never had a chance after Costner had rocked him iwth a terrici left hook in the third round. The lightweight champion rallied briefly in the 7th, but by then the verdict was a foregone conclusion."

Not to shabby.

 

"Unpopular" is the word i keep running across too.

But unpopular close decisions don't really interest me. Even keeping it close is nice work, and the Williams win seals the deal. Must have been a good fighter.

 

Thanks for the pics Great A. I can confirm that mine comes from the LaMotta fight.

An obituary:


Went toe to toe with greatest boxers in world

By Rebecca Billman
The Cincinnati Enquirer









George "Sugar" Costner was a contender.

On July 12, 1950, the Cincinnati prizefighter took on the lightweight champion of the world, Ike Williams.

Mr. Costner thrashed him in the non-title bout - winning all 10 rounds on one judge's scorecard and eight rounds on the cards of the other two.

The victory made Mr. Costner the No. 1 contender to face another "Sugar" - welterweight champion Ray Robinson.

Mr. Costner was hoping the third time would be the charm. "Sugar" Ray Robinson - considered by many the best boxer in history, pound for pound - had defeated him twice before. But that third boxing match didn't take place. While Mr. Costner was a winner in the ring, he lost his eyesight. He had suffered detached retinas in both eyes, and he never fought again.

Yet, in the manner of a true champion, the Cincinnati slugger overcame blindness and got a college degree in business administration - at age 56.

Mr. Costner died Saturday at Harmony Court Nursing Home in Roselawn. He was 79. His nickname - Sugar - indicated his proficiency in the brutal sport known as "the sweet science." In addition to sweet moves in the ring, he packed a powerful punch. Mr. Costner scored 58 knockout victories in his 98 prizefights.

He fought his first pro bout at 15, knocking out "Red" Knox in the second round. Mr. Costner followed that with 22 straight KOs.

He fought some of the greatest names in boxing. In addition to Mr. Robinson, he battled Jake "The Bronx Bull" LaMotta and Kid Gavilan. He was knocked out by Mr. LaMotta in six rounds, while he beat Mr. Gavilan in 10.

Mr. Costner chalked up his initial loss to Mr. Robinson - by a knockout in the first round in February 1945 - to inexperience.

When the two Sugars met again, in March 1950, it was 10 months after Mr. Costner had both of his retinas detached in a fight with Chico Varona.

Despite the injuries, he knocked out Mr. Varona in the 10th round. By the time of his rematch with Mr. Robinson, Mr. Costner had no vision in his right eye. Mr. Robinson knocked him out - again in the first round.

Mr. Costner fought three more times. All were wins, including the thrashing he dealt the lightweight champ, Mr. Williams. But the handicap was too great to risk another match with the dangerous Mr. Robinson.

Then Mr. Costner went completely blind. Finding no work, he became homeless. In 1951, he got a job as a shipping clerk and began to rebuild his life.

At the age of 52, Mr. Costner became a student at Cleveland State, taking four buses a day to and from classes. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1979.

"It was like winning the championship of the world," Mr. Costner recalled in 1995.

He worked as an intake specialist for the Ohio Civil Rights Commission until 1985.

Survivors include: two sisters, Mae Scott and Norma Buckingham, both of Roselawn; two sons, George Costner Jr. of Dayton, Ohio, and Alvin Costner of College Hill; a daughter, Carolyn Dawkins of College Hill; and several grandchildren.

Visitation: 10-11:30 a.m. Friday at Thompson, Hall & Jordan Funeral Home, 2625 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills, followed by the funeral. Interment at Spring Grove Cemetery mausoleum.


He was a great man.

 

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There are many ways to bump a thread.

That there is the best one

 

True dat.