I had this very brief newsreel footage that shows highlights of the first fight between Graham and Basilio from 1952. I've uploaded it to my own Youtube channel: [yt]_WpnoiRf_Gg[/yt] At this time, Graham was the top welterweight contender and in line for a shot at champion Kid Gavilan's title. He had previously challenged Gavilan for the title a year earlier and lost a close and hotly contested decision (which is also on Youtube, BTW). With the title fight rematch looming, Graham risked his #1 status by fighting up-and-comer Carmen Basilio, who had just begun to distinguish himself as a contender. Graham was heavily favored to outclass Basilio, and he performed accordingly, as you can see above. It was considered among Graham's most impressive career performances. However, when Graham got his shot at Gavilan a month or so later, it was Graham who got outclassed much the way he had outclassed Basilio here. Graham's career went in steady decline after that loss, and within another year or so he was basically finished as a top tier competitor. In that time, he fought two rematches with Basilio, losing fairly decisively in their first fight and holding him to a draw in a rematch.
Very nice, thank you. What a jab. He's got such a great right hand too, sneaky, disguised he doesn't seem to wind it up at all aside from maybe with the uppercut. Great clip.
The thing that impresses me the most about Graham was that he was never decked or stopped in his entire career. Strange that you don't hear too many shouts for Graham in those "greatest chin" threads.
Once again Carmen proved that he could take a great shot, that's for sure. Graham looked very impressive in there.
I hope their trilogy has survived on film. I hope Billy's trilogy with Joey Giardello has too. How those 6 fights played out could be quite telling in deciding where a fighter like Billy Graham ranks all time. I've been polishing him lately because he looks very classy on film to me, but I'd still like to see more footage of him.
Brilliant. I had no idea this fight existed on film. Basilio looks a bit green, but he just has no answer for that stinging jab.
As I have posted before. I saw Billy Graham starting out as a prelim.and severaln times later on...He was a great boxer ,who was ALSO rugged,and had a great chin...He was never FLOORED, and his trainer Whitey Bimstein,maintained that he never saw Graham staggered.. A great classical boxer who was not a hard puncher, otherwise he would have been an alltime welterweight great...Great infighter too,I might add....
