The Sizzling Sixties Boxing

The Sixties Boxing Review: by Brian Zelley

The first major bout in the sixties was the January 1960 bout that saw Paul Pender defeat the greatest Sugar Ray Robinson
The last major bout in that sizzling super era was the
bantamweight bout between champion Ruben Olivares 
and Alan Rudkin.
Between those two bouts, there would be plenty of
action, great moments, upsets, controversy and 
some tragic moments such as the death of
Benny Kid Paret and Davey Moore.

Selected has the top boxer of the sixties byb
"Boxing Illustrated" was Emile Griffith, but the 
self-appointed greatest was Cassius Clay aka 
Muhammad Ali. His first term has heavyweight 
champion was clouded in controversy and great
ballyhoo.  Following his gold medal in the
light heavyweight division in the 1960 Rome 
Olympics, Cassius Clay would turn pro and work
his way to a title shot with Sonny Liston in 1964.
Two of his pre-championship bouts prior to the
Liston title bout that ended in controversy but
great publicity were bouts with Doug Jones 
and Henry Cooper. However, "The Louiville Lip"
would roll along until his last title bout in 1967
against the old veteran Zora Folley before being 
stripped of the title, But, that would open the door 
for Jimmy Ellis and Joe Frazier. Prior to 1967, Ali also 
was stripped of the title by one of the boxing bodies that
had Ernie Terrell defeating Eddie Machen for a piece
of the divided heavyweight title. One boxer that Ali
looked up to was lightheavyweight Willie Pastrano
who won the title from Harold Johnson, but would
 lose it to Jose Torres 

In the various divisions there were a variety of champions
such as Gene Fullmer, Dick Tiger, Joey Giardello,
Luis Rodriques, Ralph Dupas Denny Moyer, Bob Foster,
Jose Napoles, Curtis Cokes, Joe Brwn, Carlos Ortiz, Davey Moore, Sugar Ramos, Vincente Saldivar, Eder Jofre,
Fighting Harada, Pone Kingpetch, Eddie Perkins,
and Flash Elorde.

                             Eddie Perkins
There were plenty of bouts and contenders:
George Chuvalo, Doug Jones, Brian London,
Jerry Quarry, Gregorio Peralta, Eddie Cotton, 
Brian  Curvis, Jose Stable, Manuel Gonzalez, 
Joey Archer, Alan Rudkin, Fraser Scott, 
Cleveland Williams, Chic Calderwood and more.

Curtis Cokes

welterweight champion

Some Top Names from 1965

Heavyweights

Muhammad Ali, Floyd Patterson, Ernie Terrell,

George Chuval, Zora Folley, Eddie Machen 

Thad Spencer and Amos Johnson

Light Heavy

Jose Torres, Gregorio Peralta, Willie Pastrano,

Harold Johnson, Eddie  Cotton, Wayne Thornton,

Roger Rouse, Henry Hank and Bob Foster

Middleweight

Joey Giardello, Joey Archer, Dick Tiger,

Rubin Carter, Gomeo Brennan and Don Fuller

Weterweights

Emile Griffith, Luis Rodriguez, Manuel Gonzalez

Jose Stable, Brian Curvis, Billy Collins,

Curtis Cokes and Gaspar Ortega

Lightweights

Carlos Ortiz, Bunny Grant, Ismael Laguna,

Kenny Lane, Frankie Narvaez, and 

Angel Robinson Garcia

Feathers to Flyweights

Vincente Saldivar,  Howard Winstone, Raul Rojas,

Eder Jofre, Fighting Harada, J esus Pimental

Pone Kingpetch, Efren Torres and

Walter McGowan

Other Divisions

Carlos Hernandez,  Eddie Perkins, Paul Fujii,

Flash Elorde, Johnny Bizzarro,  and

Danny Valdez

British Empire/Commonwealth

Brian London, Johnny Prescott, Billy Walker,

Joe Bygraves, Chic Callderwood, Freddie Cross,

Wally Swift, Mick Leahy, Joey Durelle, 

Bunny Grant, Maurice Cullen, Persey Hales,

Johnny Famechon, Frankie Taylor, George Bowes

,Johnny Caldwell, Alan Rudkin, Jackie Brown

Bob Allotey and Monte Laud.

1969

Joe Frazier, Mac Foster, Jerry Quarry

Leotis Martin, Bob Foster, Dick Tiger,

Andy Kendall, Hal Carroll, Eddie Avoth,

Denny Moyer, Fraser Scott, Freddie Little,

Jose Napoles, Manuel Gonzalez, Ernie Lopez,

Mando Ramos, Ken Buchanan, Frankie Narvaze

Ruben Navarro, Jose Legra, Dwight Hawkins,

Ruben Olivares, Octavio Gomez, Alan Rudkin.

Henry Cooper, George Chuvalo, Jack Bodell,

Bob Cleroux, JoeBugner, Carl Gizzi,

Bob Dunlop, Dickie Owens, Mark Rowe

Bunny Sterling, Dave Downey

Brian Hudson, Al Ford, Bryn Lewis,

Colin Fraser, Lawrence Hafey, Billy McGrandle,

Evan Arstrong, Jackie Burke, and Art Hafey

Some Bouts for early 1967

Zora Folley stops Floyd Joyner

Amos Lincoln over Archie Ray

Boone Kirkman stops Bowie Adams

Hubert Hilton stops Prentice Snipes

Eddie Cotton stops Bobby Rascon

Karl Zurheide stop Cassius Clay Scott

Hedgeman Lewis overPrimus Williams

Emile Griffith  over Joey Archer

Wilbert "Skeeter" McLure wins

Pacific Northwest Names

Harold Mann, Mike Tunney, Jimmy McGowan,

Larry Buck, Eddie Cotton

1967 California names

Armando Ramos, Ray Echavarria, 

Frankie Crawford, Bobby Valdez, 

Jesus Pimental, Johnny Perez, Charlie Shipes 

Beyond the ring wars

The legend from the Fifties

Rocky Marciano

could often be found in the 

Sixties supporting boxing

such was the case in 

the spring of 1967

There are countless stories

about the names in boxing.

And the sixties produced its share.

Who could fotget that

December 1960 bout

Gene Fullmer vs Sugar Ray Robinsin.

or the brutal 1961 middleweight bout

Gene Fullmer vs Benny Paret

Or, a rare slice of fame for Sonny Banks

when he decked Ali then known as

Cassius Clay in the first round.

It was a short left hook.