Stanley Ketchel vs. Joey Giardello

This would be a good one.Ketchell was a rough and tumble ,polish-american, cowboy wanna be, more balls than brains, but generally too powerful for the middleweights of the day.Giardello was no choir boy himself, a known head butter, and a damn good classic boxer with some pop.
It wouldn't take long for this one to heat up into a brawl, and this would favor Ketchell.If Stanley could fight on even terms with a bigger Sam Langford, and put Jack Johnson on the deck, he'd probably out brawl and outlast Giardello down the streatch.Ketchell by tko, around the 13th.

 

Joey.
Ketchel never came across a boxer that could do the things Joey could do.
Joey would give him a boxing lesson and cruise to a UD.

 

Jack O Brien was a fine boxer ,and a LH,he was saved by the bell when out against Ketchel in their first fight,and stopped in 4 in the rematch,Ketchel also carried his power all througha fight and could stop a man late or early ,he would be no ckake walk for any Middle ,much as I think Giardello is underated today he was stopped on occassion,and Ketchel had the guns to do it.

 

mcvey, the only time Giardello was stopped due to concussion was against Harold Green (and perhaps far past his prime against Nate Collins, not sure on this one) early in his career, and he still maintains Green hit him once he turned his head after the bell rang. Other than that, Carey Mace and ‘Spider’ Webb managed stop him on cuts; in the latter, Joey withstood Webb’s hardest counters without blinking before the referee decided to halt the contest, and believe me when I say Giardello was pissed about it. Fullmer’s unorthodox clubs and headbutts had no effect on him, and neither did Carter’s jolting left hooks against a faded Joey coming off of two tough fights with Rocky Rivero. Dick Tiger gave Giardello such a pounding in '65 that members of the audience began to shed tears in awe of his courage and fortitude. George Benton himself said of Giardello in an interview, "Man, I never saw a guy take a punch like him". Joey’s various displays of toughness have been well documented throughout his career, and against an immensely powerful but still wild Ketchel, I can’t see Joey getting stopped; even on account of cosmetic damage.

IMO, Giardello would diffuse the ever explosive Ketchel with the type of technical ability and ring craft of which Stan has never seen. If anything, I believe it would be Ketchel who would be countered to shreds and possibly stopped inside the distance on account of Joey's timing and precision.

 

I'd take Giardello in this one and to me it would be all about styles. Ketchel's aggresive but wild and sloppy way of fighting would be made to order for a smart and crafty guy like Giardello. Now Ketchel is obviously a tough order for anyone and Giardello could be inconsistent to say the least, so a Ketchel win wouldn't be some sort of shock. Just at their best, I like the style of Giardello a lot more than Ketchel's.

 

I didnt say Ketchel would win ,but that he could,Im a fan of Giardellos,and would take him to beat B Hop,but Joey could be inconsistant,losing to Downes and Benton,who on the top of his game ,I think he should beat,in nthe Fullmer v Giardello fight both blamed the other for instigating the butting ,and there is still animosity today.I was really taking issue with the remarks about Ketchel not beating good boxers,not denigrating Giardello,if you rwead my old posts ,you will see that I have constantly boosted him on this site.

 

:good

 

I wasn't knocking you mate, just proving a point. :good