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Thursday, December 26, 2024
Weigh-in I
This weigh-in photo obviously made the LIFE Archive,
The nude boxer makes me think of Floyd Patterson and the seated boxer reminds me of and could be Ingemar Johansson. Strangely a nude weigh in would be for weight but then they would do one with trunks on for published photos. Of course I have no idea or proof if it’s either of those boxers in the photo.
So true. It seems they were famous after all. I just had the wrong famous boxers. Go figure. I think it doesn’t show up either way because the photo was kept private in the Life archives. Thanks to you and your reader who had downloaded the photo from the archive when they could. Great photo!
Back in the day we had to strip naked to weigh in for wrestling per the coaches orders or else. The boxer in the robe looks like one of the two Rocky’s, Graziano or Marciano in profile. Hope that helps with ID’s. -CA jock
The nude boxer is Sugar Ray Robinson and the seated boxer is Carmen Basilio. The two fought twice, in 1957 and 1958. The seated boxer does look similar to Rocky Graziano, who did fight Robinson once, but you can tell it is Basilio by that front flip of his hair, a trademark look of Basilio's. (Marciano never fought Robinson as they were not in the same weight class.) I downloaded this photo years ago when the Life Photo Archive was easier to navigate and the information I have on it came from the website.
Basilio, a former Marine, he could take the punches, and World Champion. He beat Robinson in 1957, and was top professional athlete of that year. A couple a years later he testified at a Senate hearing about Mafia influence in boxing and felt the sport needed a thorough house cleaning. My Marine veteran dad, who wrestled and boxed in the Corps while fighting in Ww2, would punch me in the arm for not mentioning Basilio. -CA jock
Great photo of boxing’s past. Had an Unc who was an amateur boxer back then, good looking and well built. Even they were given a big build up then, and he had to go along. He couldn’t afford a Cadillac like the pros, but he bought the first new car of his life, a 59 Pontiac coupe and a proper, well tailored suit. And he couldn’t afford a mink coat or diamonds for my aunt, but he did buy her a squirrel stole and chandelier earrings that sparkled like diamonds. They were a terrific lookin’ couple, despite some of our Irish-American family disapproved of my aunt marrying an Italian-American.The promoters wanted to call him the Apulian Beast, as his folks were from Apulia, but Unc would have none of that, for he was a proud Italian-American boy….:)
The nude boxer makes me think of Floyd Patterson and the seated boxer reminds me of and could be Ingemar Johansson. Strangely a nude weigh in would be for weight but then they would do one with trunks on for published photos.
ReplyDeleteOf course I have no idea or proof if it’s either of those boxers in the photo.
What you say makes sense, but Google Imagtes search would probably have recognized a photo of two boxers that famous.
DeleteSo true. It seems they were famous after all. I just had the wrong famous boxers. Go figure. I think it doesn’t show up either way because the photo was kept private in the Life archives.
DeleteThanks to you and your reader who had downloaded the photo from the archive when they could.
Great photo!
You're welcome!
DeleteI do love how everyone’s attention is on the nude boxer. Would full tone and moment.
ReplyDeleteGreat photo!
They are supposed to be looking at the scale, but we all know a lot of them were looking at his ass.
DeleteBack in the day we had to strip naked to weigh in for wrestling per the coaches orders or else.
ReplyDeleteThe boxer in the robe looks like one of the two Rocky’s, Graziano or Marciano in profile. Hope that helps with ID’s.
-CA jock
Thanks! See Bigbilly's comment below.
DeleteThe nude boxer is Sugar Ray Robinson and the seated boxer is Carmen Basilio. The two fought twice, in 1957 and 1958. The seated boxer does look similar to Rocky Graziano, who did fight Robinson once, but you can tell it is Basilio by that front flip of his hair, a trademark look of Basilio's. (Marciano never fought Robinson as they were not in the same weight class.) I downloaded this photo years ago when the Life Photo Archive was easier to navigate and the information I have on it came from the website.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the detailed information! I don't know why someone hasn't improved the LIFE Archive search function. It sucks.
DeleteBasilio, a former Marine, he could take the punches, and World Champion. He beat Robinson in 1957, and was top professional athlete of that year. A couple a years later he testified at a Senate hearing about Mafia influence in boxing and felt the sport needed a thorough house cleaning.
DeleteMy Marine veteran dad, who wrestled and boxed in the Corps while fighting in Ww2, would punch me in the arm for not mentioning Basilio.
-CA jock
Thanks so much for all of the info and the photos!
DeleteGreat photo of boxing’s past.
ReplyDeleteHad an Unc who was an amateur boxer back then, good looking and well built. Even they were given a big build up then, and he had to go along.
He couldn’t afford a Cadillac like the pros, but he bought the first new car of his life, a 59 Pontiac coupe and a proper, well tailored suit. And he couldn’t afford a mink coat or diamonds for my aunt, but he did buy her a squirrel stole and chandelier earrings that sparkled like diamonds. They were a terrific lookin’ couple, despite some of our Irish-American family disapproved of my aunt marrying an Italian-American.The promoters wanted to call him the Apulian Beast, as his folks were from Apulia, but Unc would have none of that, for he was a proud Italian-American boy….:)