The Daily Record

1953 Was Good Year For Fighting Fans

NEW YORK (UP) - Middleweight activity, climaxed by the crowning of Carl 'Bobo' Olson, highlighted boxing in 1953. Hawaiian-born Olson of San Francisco won the vacant title in the ring's only talent-packed division after a world-wide tournament to determine a successor to Sugar Ray Robinson.

Robinson had retired and given up the 160-pound crown in December of 1952. Olson, a fine ring mechanic, became champion on Oct. 21 by winning a lopsided 15-round decision over ex-champion Randy Turpin of England in Madison Square Garden.

Bobo had won the American championship by outpointing Paddy Young of New York on June 19, and Turpin had beaten Charles Humez of France for the European title on June 9.

Olson's victory over Turpin was his 11th straight, including four this year.

EXCEPTIONAL YEAR
It was an exceptional boxing year from the angle that not a title changed hands in any of the other seven divisions. In those seven classes there were a total of 13 championship fights.

Kid Gavilan of Cuba and Jimmy Carter of New York made the most defenses -- three each.

Welterweight champion Gavilan won the Edward J. Neil Award, given by the Eastern boxing writers to the "fighter of the year," for his performances in knocking out Chuck Davey and outpointing Carmen Basilio and Johnny Bratton. He had to rise from the canvas in the Basilio bout.

Gavilan also had seven non-title bouts this year. He lost one on an upset decision to Danny Gang in New York when out of condition. Because of his welter performances in 1953, the Kid probably will get a shot at Olson's middleweight title early in 1954.

Lightweight champion Carter of New York made knockout defenses against Tommy Collins, Georgie Araujo and Armand Savoie. But he lost three non-title decisions to Eddie Chavez, Savoie and Johnny Cunningham.

Rocky Marciano made two defenses of his heavyweight crown. He knocked out ex-champ Jersey Joe Walcott at 2:25 of the first round in their return bout at the Chicago Stadium, May 15, and he stopped Roland LaStarza in the 11th round at the Polo Grounds, Sept. 24. The LaStarza bout attracted 44,562 spectators and $435,817 -- the sport's best figures for the year.

Archie Moore, in his only defense of the light heavyweight title, won a close 15-round decision over ex-champ Joey Maxim in their return bout at Ogden, Utah, June 24.

Featherweight champion Sandy Saddler was in the U. S. Army during 1953 and unable to defend. Percy Bassett of Philadelphia won the "interim title" by stopping Ray Famechon of France on Feb. 3.

Jimmy Carruthers of Australia kept his bantamweight crown on a knockout over ex-champ Vic Toweel of South Africa, and on a decision over Henry Pappy Gault of Spartanburg, S. C. His fight with Gault on Nov. 13 at Sydney was the first world title bout in Australia in 45 years.

Yoshio Shirai of Japan likewise made two defenses of his flyweight diadem. He outpointed Filipino Tanny Campo, and ex-champ Terry Allen of England.

Cuban Nino Valdes' remarkable rise from obscurity to top contender among heavyweights was a feature of non-championship activities. After suffering four straight defeats, Valdes beat Omao Aguilera for the Cuban title, upset ex-champion Ezzard Charles, but lost to Doc Williams and knocked out Heinz Neuhaus of Germany, European champ.