RIP Gus Mercurio

RIP Gus Mercurio, my thoughts are with his family.

 

Hope you're travelling well following your own recent tragic loss mate.

As you probably know, Gus officiated in bouts involving some of our alltime greats including:

Lionel Rose, Tony Mundine, Barry Michael, Lester Ellis, Rocky Mattioli, Paul Ferreri, Henry Nissen, 'Porky Brooke, 'Flash' Malcolm. 'Baby Cassius' Austin etc.

 

For those available and willing to pay respects to a great man of Aust. boxing...


THE ABBEY in Diamond Creek. Vic.

20th December.

Gus shall be cremated at another location, yet the chance to farewell an Aussie Icon is open to all. He gave his all... let's return a little!!

This info has only just been forwarded, so please sit back and await further news.

 

Gus on great on Wide World of Sport all those years ago. He was nothing if not passionate about the local boxing scene

I read decades ago that he came here to fight and ended up staying. Does anyone know more about the circumstances? (or his pro career? I think he was a middleweight. There's no Boxrec listing that I could find)

 

what a shocker...totally out of the blue.:verysad
....as a kid growin' up in the '70's Gus was in everything...I also enjoyed his commentry in some of those old boxing tapes too...he was like...part of the furniture...he was an aussie icon and a real old school character....his name will never be forgotten.....RIP Gus.

 

Bollox.. Gus' reported am career was 64 bouts.. Pro being 32 bouts. Boxrec will not contain the pro bouts, as they were said to be 'armed forces' fights. He came to Melb in '56. Following the US Olympic side to check how they fared in the 'friendly' games. He moved in with local Melbourne boxer, Johnny Cooper (RIP) and intergrated himself into the local fight game in short time.

For more info, some clown will be scribing a story fot THE FIST magazine (a very handsome, and refreshing fellow indeed) and shall be available on shelves in Jan.

Bollox, Gus' own story in a nutshell must be a task to put together. The recent news of his passing has left quite a lot of locals in shock. Very understandable. Such a rare gem.. so charismatic.. astute.. easy going.. staunch.. encouraging.. relentless.. approachable.. forceful.. The man seems to have typified the spirit of boxing.

 

Thanks for the info. I saw him at the Austin Hospital about 8 years ago and he looked a bit frail even then

 

p.s. may have to get the Jan copy of Fist

 

Well.. he would have been 74 back then!!!!!!