Mickey Rooney Has Passed Away

Mickey Rooney, as Tommy "Killer" McCoy in the 1947 classic "Killer McCoy". R.I.P Mickey Rooney!

Former WBC Flyweight Champ Erfen Torres passes away

Photo Courtesy of La Jornada

Efren "Alacran" Torres has passed away. Torres, 66, died in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico. Torres won the WBC Flyweight Championship from Chartchai Chionoi of Thailand, on February 23, 1969 in Mexico City. Our condolences to his family, friends and many fans.

Former WBC Lightweight champion a longtime friend and stablemate of Torres had this to say: 

"Today has been a sad day for my hometown Guadalajara and for the whole country of Mexico.
My friend and stablemate Efren "Alacran" Torres died this morning. He and I started training on the same day at the Police Station in the City of San Andres, about twenty miles south of downtown Guadalajara in July of 1959. My cousin, Jose Becerra taught us both the left hook to the liver and all the classic boxing moves he knew. What he taught us was enough for me and Alacran Torres to start winning fights. The two of us were racing to see who could win more knockouts in a row.

In my opinion Alacran was one of the best Flyweight World Champions that Mexico has ever had.
Perhaps many of you remember his fights against Susumu Hanagata and Chartchai Chionoi. Those were outstanding fights. Fights like that you don't see anymore.

I just saw Alacran Torres in Guadalajara in November, 2009 where they placed our pictures and a star in the beautiful sports museum. He was so happy and seemed to be in good shape. He was just a little older than me. May God rest his soul.".... Roldolfo "El Gato" Gonzalez

Rest in Peace Champ..

Alexis Arguello Has Died

Alexis Arguello

1952-2009

Alexis Arguello vs Aaron Pryor

Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida

November 12, 1982

"See, I respect boxing because it has given me so much and that’s why I will never allow anyone to mistreat the sport of boxing if I can help it."

- Alexis Arguello

By Randy De La O

In an era that produced such stellar fighters as; Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, Wilfredo Benitz, Wilfredo Gomez, Salvador Sanchez, Bobby Chacon, Danny "Little Red" Lopez, Ruben Olivares , and in a sport where even the contenders held the mantel of greatness with aplomb and grace, Alexis Arguello stood as tall as any of them. In an era where great fighters fought each other for the right to be called the best, Alexis Arguello fought the best.

Arguello fought his first fight forty one years ago, August 1, 1968 in Managua, Nicaragua against someone named Cachorro Amaya, getting stopped in the first round of a scheduled four round fight. He fought his last fight on January 21, 1995 in Las Vegas, Nevada, losing a ten round decision to Scott Walker. In between those years Arguello won titles in three weight classes; Featherweight, Super Featherweight, and Lightweight. He lifted the WBA Featherweight crown from Mexican great "Rockabye" Ruben Olivares on November 23, 1974 stopping Olivares in the 13th round of their 15 round fight. He successfully defended his title several times before moving up in weight to challenge Alfredo Escalera for the WBC Super Featherweight title. The fight took place on January 1, 1978 in Escalera's home turf of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Arguello won a hard fought and exciting fight by stopping Escalera in the 13th round. On June 20, 1981 Arguello once again moved up to challenge the respected WBC Lightweight champion from the United Kingdom, Jim Watt. The fight, which took place at the Empire Pool, Wembley, London, went the distance. Arguello won the fight with a 15 round unanimous decision. It was Watt's last fight and Alexis Arguello's third title.

Arguello defended his titles against the likes of Bobby Chacon, Ruben Castillo, Cornelius Boza Edwards, Jose Luis Ramirez, Rafael "Bazooka" Limon, Andy Ganigan, Ray Mancini and so many more. He never gave anything but his best when he stepped into the ring. He was a champion in the truest sense of the world. He was also a champion with compassion. Who can forget his fight with Ray Mancini, who fighting valiantly, as much for his father as for himself, was finally stopped in the 14th round of their fight. Arguello, as much a gentleman as he was a champion, put his arm around Mancini and reminded him, that he too failed in his first bid for a world title, a 15 round decision to Ernesto Marcel of Panama. He encouraged Mancini and let him know that his day would come. That act of mercy and compassion would become his signature, his trademark.

Arguello was already an all time great when he moved up once again to
challenge the great Aaron Pryor for Pryor's WBA Junior welterweight title, for an unprecedented fourth title. On November 12, 1982, Alexis Arguello and Aaron Pryor fought their way into boxing immortality, in one of the great fights of the 1980's, a fight that would stand out in any era.

On this night it would be Aaron Pryor that would have his arms raised in victory. In the 14th round, after a grueling, exhausting and exciting fight, Alexis Arguello was knocked out, and in a sickening manner. It was painful. Up to that point it was still anyone's fight. Arguello had landed right hands that would have knocked out middleweights but Pryor was at the top of his game that night. There would be no fourth title for Arguello.

Arguello had two more fights before once again challenging Aaron Pryor for the title. His first fight after his loss to Pryor was against Vilomar Fernandez of the Bronx, New York, by way of the Dominican Republic, winning a 10 round decision and avenging an 1978 loss to Fernandez. Next up was former WBALightweight Champ Claude Noel. Noel was knocked out in the 3rd round. The second Arguello-Pryor fight ended with a 10th round KO of Arguello. Arguello retired but came back two years later to fight Pat Jefferson, knocking him out in the 5th round. His next fight was with former WBC Lightweight Champion Billy Costello. The durable Costello was stopped in the fourth round.

Arguello has been a favorite of mine from the very beginning. He was the epitome of coolness in the ring and the master of patience. He was a master counter puncher and a consumate professional. It's not enough to say that he was a great Latin fighter, he was a great fighter, a great champion. He will be missed by his fans.

I met Alexis Arguello in 1976 while training at the Main Street Gym in Los Angeles. He was training for a fight. I can't remember who his opponent was but looking at his record the only fight that shows in that time frame is a fight with Salvador Torres at the Forum in Inglewood, a fight he won by a 3rd round knockout. Arguello was only there a week or so but I had the chance to meet him, talk with and shake his hand. He was very humble, reserved and quiet.

Alexis Arguello died earlier today, the victim of a self inflicted gun shot wound. A suicide. I cannot imagine what demons drove him to such an act. Alexis was born on April 19, 1952. He was 57 at the time of his death. It is a great loss to his family and friends, his countrymen and the sport of boxing. He will always be remembered as a class act. A good guy. A man who gave his all to his sport. Even in losing, he lost like a champion, going out on his shield. He will always be a champion. He belongs to history now.

My condolences to the family of Alexis Arguello. Rest in peace Champ! You will be missed.

Referee Toby Gibson Dies

It was reported today that boxing referee Toby Gibson died either this morning or last night, as a result of suicide. Gibson was a competent and successful referee. It's hard to imagine what demons drove him to this. R.I.P. Tony

Toby Gibson at Boxrec.com

More on Kevin Finnegan

The following is courtesy of the Times Online U.K. Edition

By Ron Lewis

Kevin Finnegan found dead

Kevin Finnegan, the former British and European middleweight champion, has been found dead at his home at the age of 60. Finnegan, the younger brother of Chris, the 1968 Olympic gold medal-winner, held the British title three times and the European title twice. He boxed Alan Minter three times and Marvin Hagler twice. Among the boxers he beat were Frankie Lucas, Gratien Tonna and Bunny Sterling, whom he first won the British title from in 1974. He is pictured above (right) on the way to possibly his best win over Tony Sibson at the Albert Hall in 1979.

His body was discovered when police broke into his flat in Hillingdon, Middlesex, after he has not been seen for a few days.

Minter was among the first to pay tribute to his former rival 

(the pair are pictured, right prior to their final bout in 1977). "I'm very shocked" he said. "When you box someone three times, you have a special rapport with them. He became like a brother to me and he gave me t

he three hardest fights of my life."
He also boxed another future world champion in Ayub Kalule in Denmark in 1978. He

 retired in 1980, at the age of 32, after losing his European title to Matteo Salvemini in Italy.

Big brother Chris also paid tribute: "Kevin was the cream of boxing, he had far more class than me," he said. "In all his boxing career he was never knocked out, this time he just couldn't beat the count."

Kevin Finnegan Dies

The following was written by Bennie, a fight reviewer and a contributor to Boxrec's West Coast Boxing Forum. The photo is also courtesy of Bennie.

A young Kevin Finnegan

Former British and European middleweight champ Kevin Finnegan has been found dead in his flat in West London at the relatively young age of 60.
In the context of today's boxing scene, with 'world' titles seemingly given away, it is incredible to think this man never got a sniff at a world title shot. The younger brother of the better-known Chris licked the likes of Bunny Sterling, Tony Sibson, Gratien Tonna, Jean Claude Bouttier, Frankie Lucas, gave "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler a real war in the first of two fantastic efforts in the States in 1978 (both stopped on cuts, just two months apart) and looked desperately unlucky in the second of three 15-round classics with Alan Minter, who staggered home to a debatable decision in 1976.
Quite simply, Kevin Finnegan was gifted.
After his five wars with Minter and Hagler, both of whom went on to win the undisputed world middleweight title, Finnegan enjoyed a glorious, totally unexpected twilight to his career. In 1979 he outboxed Sibson over 15 rounds for the British title - just after "Sibbo" had destroyed "The Animal" Lucas - and then avenged a defeat to the ferocious Gratien Tonna with another magnificent boxing display in 1980 in France to lift the European title (his points loss to Tonna in the mid-1970s possibly cost him a shot at Carlos Monzon) and picked up a couple of nice paydays abroad in defence of the European belt. Finnegan fought well in his very last fight with Matteo Salvemini in Italy in September 1980, flooring the local man with a beautiful counter right, but Salvemeni proved a bit too energetic and took the points.

Marvin Hagler always said Finnegan gave him his hardest fight. What a boxer, what a character, what an epitah.

Rocky Castellani Has Died

In what can only be described as a difficult year for boxing, another boxing great has passed away. Rocky, born Attilio N. Castellani died Sunday August 21, 2008. Rest in peace Rocky.

The following is Courtesy of  Wikipedia

CASTELLANI, ATTILIO N., "ROCKY", 81, - of Atlantic City, passed away quietly, Sunday, August 31, 2008.

Born in Luzerne, PA., he later became known as "the pride of the coal regions."

Rocky served in the U.S. Marine Corps and fought in the battle for Iwo Jima. While overseas fighting in the war, he earned the boxing title "Champion of all China and Guam." After being honorably discharged from the Marine Corps, Rocky embarked on a stupendous career as a professional middleweight prize fighter, being awarded Ring Magazine's honor of "Rookie of the Year." Rocky also earned the right to fight for the Middleweight Championship of the World as the number one middleweight contender in 1954. He fought for the Middleweight Title of the World against Carl "Bobo" Olsen. Rocky lost a highly coned split decision, knocking Olsen down in the 3rd round, gaining the respect of the entire international boxing community. Rocky's career as a professional fighter also included notable battles against Sugar "Ray" Robinson, landing Robinson on the canvas for a controversial 8 count. Many scholars of the sport believed Rocky won by the knockout. This bout, as well as his fight with boxing great Gene Fullmer, are constantly featured on ESPN- Classic Fights of the Century.

Rocky was inducted into both the NJ and PA Boxing Halls of Fame and was most recently inducted into the PA Sports Hall of Fame. He retired with a record of 65-13-4 with 16 knockouts.

Rocky continued to give back to the AC Community and the boxing world by volunteering his time to the AC & Pleasantville PAL, teaching local youth the basics of his sport, known as the "sweet science" and sponsoring local softball, baseball and basketball teams.

In his retirement, he served as a judge for the NJ Boxing Commission and enjoyed the time he spent with his loving wife and 10 grandchildren. Rocky Castellani was truly a living legend, loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to all who came in contact with him. He will truly be missed!

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Rocky's name may be made to: The Alzheimer's Association, 25 Dolphin Avenue, Building D-ground floor, Northfield, NJ, 08225.

Attilio N. "Rocky" Castellani (born May 26, 1926), is a former American boxer.] He was born in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, to Attilio Castellani (1889-1974) and Concetta Castellani (1901-1985), who later moved to Margate City, formerly South Atlantic City, in Atlantic County in eastern New Jersey.
The highlight of Castellani's career was probably his 1955 bout with Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Robinson. Castellani lost a close split decision and knocked Robinson down in the sixth round. A year earlier, he had lost a fight to Carl "Bobo" Olson. He also lost to Gene Fullmer, Kid Gavilan, and Joey Giambra, but defeated Tony DeMarco, Joey Giardello, Johnny Bratton, and Ralph 'Tiger' Jones
He finished his career with a 65–14–4 record.
Castellani has long operated "Rocky's," a bar in Atlantic City.
A biography of Castellani is entitled Young Rocky: A True Story of Attilio "Rocky" Castellani by Joe Kinney.

Joey Giardello

The painting of Joey Giardello is
courtesy of artist Roger Esty

Carmine Orlando Tilelli AKA Joey Giardello
July 16, 1930-September 4, 2008
Middleweight Champion 1963-1965
Joey Giardello's Boxing Record

Joey Giardello Dead at 78

From Fightnews.com

Joey Giardello passes
Former middleweight champion Joey Giardello passed away today a little after noon at the age of 78 in Cherry Hill, NJ. "He was the greatest middleweight ever to come out of Philly and one of the few white fighters of his era who fought every tough black guy out there," said Hall of Fame Philadelphia promoter J Russell Peltz. Funeral arrangements are pending.