Joey Giardello's early career missed MW title shot Joey was ranked #2 in 1953 year's end, then takes on a lower #10 boxer Pierre Langlois, in May 1954 and loses. CAREER CRASHES When Giardello began 1954 with impressive stoppage wins over Garth Panter, Walter Cartier and Willie Troy, he was on course for a title challenge against Carl 'Bobo' Olson. However, he lost on points to Pierre Langlois in a return in May 1954, and after three more wins, the last one against the dangerous Ralph 'Tiger' Jones, he was involved in a car crash on the New Jersey Turnpike which left him with a damaged knee and sidelined for four months. His title chance had evaporated. After three wins at the start of 1955, Giardello was back in the frame and he actually signed an agreement to meet Olson...until disaster struck. Giardello was jailed for six months for his relatively minor part in a violent row at a petrol station. He was still on crutches at the time, but had used one of them to strike the pump attendant. In 1953, Giardello lost a 12-round decision to Graham in a third meeting in Madison Square Garden ? 'I went to a training camp for the first time in my life and I lost the fight.' said Giardello. He was also outpointed over 10 rounds by Johnny Saxton, but won his other six outings, including decisions over Gil Turner and Tuzo Portuguez from Costa Rica. Giardello said the Saxton defeat was a fix. I was robbed in my own home town, Philadelphia, because of Blinky Palermo. He bought the fight. One official gave seven rounds even! I know I didn't lose it.' This in itself probably would not have amounted to a jail sentence, except for the fact that one of his companions also hit the poor man on the head with a pistol. Giardello was disgraced and his New York State licence confiscated. He served four and a half months in Holmesburg Prison, just outside Philadelphia. but while he was in jail, his father died. Giardello was allowed out to attend the funeral, but only with prison guards on either side. It was a complete humiliation. As he stood at the graveside, he promised himself that he would win the world title for his father. Further heartache followed when his second son, Carmen, was born mentally disabled. much more here: http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Joey_Giardello 1954-05-21 : Joey Giardello 160½ lbs lost to Pierre Langlois 159½ lbs by UD in round 10 of 10 Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, USA Referee: Ruby Goldstein 4-5 Judge: Artie Aidala 3-6 Judge: Jack Gordon 3-6 Giardello down in the 9th round. Scoring: 6-3-1, 6-3-1, 5-4-1 "Pierre Langlois has scrambled middleweight title plans by manhandling a slugging Joey Giardello. Giardello was in line for an October title shot at Bobo Olson's crown - if the champ got past Rocky Castellani in August. The lone knockdown of the MSG fight came in the 9th when Langlois landed a solid counter right to the jaw, a punch manager Jean Bretonnel said they practiced all week. Giardello got up at about two but took the automatic eight and one more for good measure standing in a corner. Langlois treated Giardello toughly in the corners and along the ropes. Seldom was Giardello able to cut loose with the rapid combinations that knocked out Garth Panter, Walter Cartier and Willie Troy in his last three previous starts." -Associated Press Unofficial AP scorecard - 7-3 Langlois Post fight comment "I didn't box at all tonight. My mind wasn't all there. I thought I would have won if I didn't get knocked down." -Joey Giardello "Pierre is going home to Paris and he won't come back until he gets Bobo Olson." -George Kanter, Langlois' American agent.
