1960s Timeline

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Mar 31, 2022

Archie Moore Knocks Out Alejandro Lavorante

Mar. 31, 1962 - Middle-aged Archie Moore knocked out 25-year-old Alejandro Lavorante in 38 seconds of the 10th round last night in Los Angeles, and the exhausted Argentine heavyweight was carried from the ring on a stretcher. Moore gave Lavorante a boxing lesson for nine rounds of the scheduled ten-rounder. The crowd of 12,500 in the Sports Arena was hushed for a few minutes while Lavorante was apparently unconscious on the canvas. Lavorante was carried off but regained his s

Mar 26, 2022

Two Previous Madison Square Garden Fights Led to Fatalities

Mar. 26, 1962 - Madison Square Garden has been the scene of two fatal fights in its many years as a boxing arena. One of them caused as much of a stir as the finish of Saturday’s Benny (Kid) Paret-Emile Griffith fight, but for different reasons. That was the meeting of Primo Carnera, the giant boxer from Italy, and Ernie Schaaf on Feb. 10, 1933. The other victim in the Garden was Georgie Flores (left), who succumbed after a semi-final bout with Roger Donoghue (right) in 1951.

Mar 26, 2022

Emile Griffith is Living a Nightmare

Mar. 26, 1962 - Welterweight champion Emile Griffith, two long days after his greatest triumph, is living in a nightmare. “They say, ‘How come a sweet little boy like you who designs hats can turn tiger and hurt a man’s brain,’” Griffith said today. “They’re trying to get me to say I wanted to kill Paret. All I wanted was to be champion again. I didn’t want to hurt him.” Griffith was encountered today in a little room on the third floor of the New York State Athletic Commissi

Mar 25, 2022

Referee in Paret-Griffith Bout Responds to Criticism

Mar. 25, 1962 - Ruby Goldstein, the referee during Emile Griffith’s brutal championship victory over Benny Paret Saturday night, responded to charges of negligence today. The referee was charged by Manuel Alfaro, Paret’s manager, with acting too slowly in halting the battle that sent Paret to Roosevelt Hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Goldstein, a 56-year-old New Yorker who is considered one of the best in the business, stopped the fight at 2 minutes 9 second

Mar 25, 2022

Referee in Paret-Griffith Fight Faces Criticism

Mar. 25, 1962 - Benny (Kid) Paret remains unconscious and in critical condition at Roosevelt Hospital this evening with brain injuries suffered when he lost the world welterweight title to Emile Griffith Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. The 24-year-old Cuban boxer is being given little chance to survive. Paret underwent a three-hour brain operation early this morning to relieve pressure caused by blood clots on both sides of his head. Referee Ruby Goldstein is being c

Mar 16, 2022

Patterson to Defend Heavyweight Crown Against Liston this Summer

Mar. 16, 1962 - Floyd Patterson will defend the heavyweight boxing title against Sonny Liston next summer. The two fighters signed a 10-page contract in New York today. It provides that the bout be held between June 18 and Sept. 30. “We’ve already received an offer of a million-dollar guarantee from Seattle,” said Tom Bolan, president of Championship Sports. “The other cities under consideration are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington and Philadelphia.” Patterson today

Mar 1, 2022

Film of Boxing Legends to Be Shown on CBS-TV

Mar. 1, 1962 - “Turn of the Century Fights,” a group of film clips featuring boxing bouts of the late 1890s and early 1900s, will be televised by “Sunday Sports Spectacular” on CBS on March 11 at 2:30 p.m. Boxers to be seen include James J. Jeffries (left), Jack Johnson (right), Bob Fitzsimmons, Sam Langford, and Jim Corbett. #boxing #boxinglife #1960s #boxingtraining #boxinggloves #boxinghype #boxinggym #boxingnews #boxingfans #boxingfanatik #boxingcoach #boxingclub #boxingn

Feb 28, 2022

Cassius Clay Knocks Out Don Warner in Fourth Round, Now 12-0

Feb. 28, 1962 - Cassius Clay of Louisville scored a technical knockout over Don Warner of Philadelphia in the fourth round of a scheduled ten-round bout tonight at Miami Beach Auditorium. “I would have let it go five, as I had predicted,” Clay said, “but he wouldn’t shake my hand. That made me mad.” Warner, 189 pounds, shook Clay, 195, in the third with a right to the chin and ran out of his corner when the bell rang for the fourth round. Unfortunately for Warner, he ran dire

Feb 27, 2022

Paret and Griffith to Fight for Third Time on March 24

Feb. 27, 1962 - Benny (Kid) Paret (left), the world welterweight champion, and Emile Griffith (right) of New York, former champion, today signed contracts for their third title fight at Madison Square Garden on March 24. Paret, from Cuba, and Griffith signed at the New York State Athletic Commission offices. Paret will receive a guarantee of $50,000 with the option of 40% from the gate and television. Griffith will get a $10,000 guarantee and a 20% option. #boxing #boxinglife

Feb 18, 2022

Sugar Ray Robinson Loses Unanimous Decision to Denny Moyer at the Garden

Feb. 18, 1962 - Ten rounds is a long way for a 41-year-old boxer to go against a target that fights back relentlessly. This was painfully obvious, especially to Sugar Ray Robinson, as he was beaten by young Denny Moyer at Madison Square Garden last night. The decision was unanimous. The 22-year-old Moyer thus avenged a setback administered by the former welterweight and middleweight champion at the Garden last Oct. 21. Moyer brought no extraordinary equipment for the task, me

Feb 11, 2022

Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Banks at the Garden

Feb. 11, 1962 - Cassius Marcellus Clay punched with crisp efficiency last night and dispatched Sonny Banks of Detroit in a nationally televised heavyweight bout at Madison Square Garden. Just as the undefeated Clay had predicted, the end came in the fourth round of the scheduled 10-round contest. However, just before Referee Ruby Goldstein halted the match after 26 seconds of the fourth, Banks recorded a signal achievement. He sent his 20-year-old rival to the canvas for the

Feb 9, 2022

Archie Moore Stripped of Light-Heavyweight Title

Feb. 9, 1962 - The New York State Athletic Commission stripped Archie Moore of his world light-heavyweight title today for failing to defend it. In his last defense, Moore outpointed Giulio Rinaldi in June 1961. Commission rules call for a titleholder to defend at least once every six months. Moore turned pro in 1936. He won the light-heavyweight title on Dec. 17, 1952, by outpointing Joey Maxim. The Athletic Commission today also directed Harold Johnson of Philadelphia, who

Feb 7, 2022

Charges Against Former Welterweight Champ Saxton Dismissed, Deemed "Legally Insane"

Feb. 7, 1962 - Burglary charges against Johnny Saxton (pictured in 1955 between Tony DeMarco and Carmen Basilio), twice welterweight boxing champion of the world, were dismissed today in Queens County Court after he had been declared “punch-drunk and legally insane” at the time of his arrest. District Attorney Frank D. O’Connor of Queens moved for the dismissal after studying a psychiatrist’s report. Defense counsel had contended that Saxton, 31 years old, had “been left penn

Feb 6, 2022

Cassius Clay's Goals: Win Heavyweight Title and "Liven Up" Boxing

Feb. 6, 1962 - Cassius Clay (pictured with trainer Angelo Dundee), a 20-year-old heavyweight from Louisville, told a gathering of New York ring writers today: “Boxing is not as colorful as it was in the past. We need more guys to liven it up, and I think I can help.” Clay, unbeaten in 10 fights, has a command of words not usually associated with a boxer. He also has confidence. The 1960 Olympic light-heavyweight champion doesn’t believe in starting at the bottom. “I want the

Feb 5, 2022

Cassius Clay to Fight Sonny Banks for Garden Debut

Feb. 5, 1962 - Cassius Clay (right), an undefeated heavyweight from Louisville, has been chosen to fight Sonny Banks (left) of Detroit in a substitute ten-rounder at Madison Square Garden Saturday night. Clay eagerly accepted the bout. “I’ll fight anybody from Floyd Patterson [the world champion] down to Sonny Liston or from Sonny Liston up,” he said today. Liston is regarded as the No. 1 challenger for Patterson’s crown. The 20-year-old Clay has scored seven knockouts in his

Jan 22, 2022

Champion Floyd Patterson Says Liston Deserves and Will Get Shot at Heavyweight Title

Jan. 22, 1962 - Heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson (right) stated today that he would meet Sonny Liston (left) in defense of his heavyweight championship. He said he was not permitted to give the date of the proposed bout. Patterson, in an interview with Howard Cosell, said that he thought Liston “morally” deserved a shot at the title. He added: “Sometimes, many of us get off to a bad start. Liston has paid for his crimes. I met him at a boxing writers’ dinner and I think h

Dec 5, 2021

Patterson Knocks Out McNeeley, Retains Heavyweight Crown

Dec. 5, 1961 - In a savage brawl that produced nine knockdowns, Floyd Patterson retained his world heavyweight championship by knocking out Tom McNeeley last night in the fourth round. The number of knockdowns were heavily in Patterson’s favor. He had his 23-year-old rival on the canvas 8 times. He himself was down only once — for a fleeting instant in the fourth. Although Patterson, a resident of Scarsdale, N.Y., completely dominated his Arlington (Mass.) rival, McNeeley sur

Dec 5, 2021

Boxing: Sonny Liston Destroys Albert Westphal, First-Round KO

Dec. 5, 1961 - In Philadelphia last night, heavyweight Sonny Liston knocked out Albert Westphal in the first round. A right-handed blow caught the 5-foot-7-inch German on the left temple. Down like a sandbag he fell, flat on his face. He lay there — and lay there and lay there. They could have counted 50 over him. When Westphal finally was revived, he was in no shape even to be helped to his corner. They brought the stool to the middle of the ring and he sat there, looking th

Nov 30, 2021

Benefit for Boxer Floyd Patterson's Old School

Nov. 30, 1961 - Dinner and a showing of the closed-circuit telecast of the Floyd Patterson-Tom McNeeley fight in Toronto and the Sonny Liston-Albert Westphal fight in Philadelphia will be given at New York’s Four Seasons Restaurant Monday night. The charge is $65. The dinner/fight program will be a benefit for the Wiltwyck School for Boys. Patterson (pictured left with Tom McNeeley) is a former Wiltwyck boy. The school is an interracial treatment center for troubled boys, 8 t

Nov 29, 2021

Cassius Clay Stops Besmanoff in the Seventh, Remains Undefeated

Nov. 29, 1961 - Cassius Clay stopped Willi Besmanoff in the seventh round tonight for his 10th consecutive victory since turning professional. After using Besmanoff as a punching bag through the first six rounds, Clay dropped the German-born heavyweight for an eight-count midway in the seventh. Besmanoff arose and took a right to the jaw that dropped him on his back. Referee Don Asbury stopped the fight. The 19-year-old Clay had Besmanoff, 29, bleeding from the mouth in the f