FROM THE ARCHIVE
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Calhoun, an unbeaten middleweight prospect at the time, had outpointed Luedee in a four-rounder in November 1954, handing the Connecticut standout his first loss. Luedee bounced back with nine consecutive victories, but Calhoun, who developed into a top contender for the remainder of the decade, still had his number. Calhoun counted middleweight standouts such as Spider Webb, Joey Giambra, Ralph “Tiger” Jones and future hall of famers Joey Giardello and Dick Tiger as multi- fight rivals. 5 ARCHIE MOORE VS. JIMMY SLADE Jimmy Slade (left) could not shock or befuddle the great Archie Moore with his sneaky power punching and herky-jerky style, as he did with many of the top light heavyweights and heavyweights of the 1950s. Instead, The Old Mongoose took the fight to the celebrated spoiler and landed thudding right crosses like the one pictured during their 10-round contest at the St. Louis Arena in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 27, 1952. Moore won a lopsided decision. Ten months and three bouts later – at the ripe ole age of 39 – he lifted the light heavyweight title from Joey Maxim at the same venue. 6 MIGUEL AGUERO VS. VINCE MARTINEZ Miguel Aguero eats a straight right from Vince Martinez during their hotly contested 10-round bout at St. Nicholas Arena in New York City on May 8, 1961. Martinez, a former welterweight contender from New Jersey, earned a split decision. Most of the fans and ringside newspaper writers thought Aguero, a charismatic slugger from Argentina, deserved the nod. It was the final bout of Martinez’s 77-pro bout career, which had its share of notable victories, including a pair of 10-round decisions over aging all- time great Kid Gavilan in 1957. It was Aguero’s only U.S. appearance in 79 pro bouts.
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1 GENE FULLMER PUNCHED BY NEAL RIVERS Gene Fullmer (left) took a lot of punishment during his 10-round battle with hard-punching contender Neal Rivers, but the former middleweight champ earned a majority decision on the strength of his trademark pressure and volume punching. “This was tougher than fighting for the championship,” Fullmer said after getting his hand raised inside Madison Square Garden on November 15, 1957. “The pressure was just as great but not the reward. I had everything to lose and Rivers had everything to gain.” Fullmer hoped the victory would secure a shot at the winner of the Carmen Basilio- Sugar Ray Robinson middleweight championship rematch in 1958, but he wouldn’t face Basilio until 1959 (with the NBA title on the line) or get Robinson back into the ring (for their rubber match) until 1960. 2 BLACKIE VANDERVEER PUNCHED BY PAPA BROWN Blackie Vanderveer absorbs a jolting right from Little Papa Brown en route to a four-round draw against his fellow Seattle journeyman at the Civic Ice Arena in their hometown on July 27, 1951. It was their third bout of 1951 and one of 17 bouts that Vanderveer, the more accomplished of the two, fought that year. Brown,
who’d made his pro debut just four months earlier, fought 11 times in 1951. You don’t see activity like that anymore. You also don’t see fighting monikers like “Blackie” and “Little Papa” anymore. Some of their contemporaries included Spider McCallum, Bunty Andrews, Bucky Edwards and Pinky Cowan (who they fought a combined seven times). 3 PETE RADEMACHER VS. BUDDY TURMAN Pete Rademacher (left) took his share of punishment during his fight with Buddy Turman but was able to gut out a ninth-round stoppage against the tough Texas journeyman on November 30, 1961, in Dallas. The victory (one of seven bouts Rademacher had in 1961) snapped a three-bout losing streak – stoppages to Doug Jones, George Logan and Archie Moore – for the 1956 Olympic gold medalist, who famously challenged Floyd Patterson for the heavyweight championship in his pro debut. 4 JERRY LUEDEE VS. RORY CALHOUN Rory Calhoun (right) fought the 10-round distance for the first time in his promising career when he met Jerry Luedee at St. Nicholas Arena in New York City on January 23, 1956.
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