RIP Johnny Saxton

[scottmallon]

My mother runs the facility where Saxton lived for almost 11 years. Apparently some of his old friends, mob and otherwise, showed up at his wake, one of which was supposedly his former trainer, who gave his name as "Rocky." He was basically all alone and never had visitors. But after his death, people showed up who never bothered showing up in the 11 years he was at the facility.

RIP Johnny Saxton

**********************************************

Mr. Johnny Saxton held to "edge of greatness"
By HAL HABIB
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

More than 43 years had passed since they last met, back in an era when their boxing match meant something on a national scale. Johnny Saxton had defeated Kid Gavilan that October evening in 1954, but for this get-together, tears replaced sweat and hugs replaced punches.

So much had changed, but neither was going to be pushed around by the other.

When the frail Gavilan told Saxton he was the champion, Saxton corrected his host, saying he was the champ. Moments later, though, Saxton stepped outside to see his longtime friend, Richard Joselit, who had arranged the 1998 reunion in Hialeah.

"He was crying," Joselit said. "He said, 'Why does he have to be like this? Why does he have to be so sick?' I'll never forget that."

Joselit recalled the story Tuesday while awaiting word on services for Mr. Saxton, who died Saturday at Good Samaritan's Hospice Unit. Mr. Saxton, 78, spent most of his final 10 years as a resident of the Crystal Palms assisted living facility in Lake Worth.

Mr. Saxton was born on Independence Day in 1930, a precursor to the life he would lead. He grew up in an orphanage, had a limited education and was a member of a gang in his younger days, yet he grew up to become a two-time world welterweight champion.

His résumé includes victories over legends Gavilan and Carmen Basilio, which would cement any fighter's legacy, if not for extenuating circumstances.
"The truth of the matter is nobody really knows where he rates because of the allegations that a lot of his fights were handled by the mob and it wasn't for real," said Joselit, a former inspector with the New York State Athletic Commission. "But he did beat some of the greatest welterweights who ever lived."

Boxing journalist and historian Bert Sugar agreed.

"Johnny was one of the golden age of sports' good fighters," Sugar said. "He sort of tiptoed on the edge of greatness.

"He is to be remembered as a welterweight champion who fought the best of them and beat some of them, by whatever means. It's not his fault the judges were in someone's pocket."Mr. Saxton was managed by Frank "Blinky" Palermo, who had ties to mobster Frankie Carbo.

"It was the only way in the '50s that you could get ahead," Sugar said.
Sugar and Joselit agreed that because of his connections to Palermo, Mr. Saxton never fully enjoyed the financial rewards of his labor.

"I think he had several fights under Palermo where he got no money - not even a token to get home on the subway," Sugar said.

Resorting back to his difficult younger ways, Mr. Saxton was caught stealing $5 from an apartment in Queens, Joselit said.

Mr. Saxton's luck changed about a decade ago after Joselit discovered him in a filthy New York apartment, with no electricity or food. He promptly brought Mr. Saxton to South Florida.

Because Mr. Saxton was suffering from fighter's dementia, Joselit placed him in an assisted-living facility, and even though his right leg was badly injured in a hit-and-run auto accident, Mr. Saxton appeared in good spirits and enjoyed teaching kids to box.

"I'm feeling fine," Mr. Saxton told The Post in 1998. "Doing good. Real good. Real fine. Yessir."

For much of his boxing career, there was little doubt about that.

Thirty-seven fights into his professional career, Mr. Saxton was undefeated.
On Oct. 20, 1954, he took a 15-round decision from Gavilan in Philadelphia to become world champion, and although he lost the belt six months later to Tony DeMarco in Boston, Mr. Saxton once again was champion on March 14, 1956, when he defeated Basilio via a controversial 15-round decision in Chicago. Sports Illustrated labeled the decision "dubious," and within a year, Mr. Saxton was knocked out twice by Basilio in title fights.

"He was a hell of a fighter, though," Sugar said. "Johnny Saxton was a dynamo in the ring. It just happened that he came along at a time - one of the few times - when boxing was overflowing with talent, and he was one of the talent."

Mr. Saxton finished 55-9-2 with 21 knockouts.

"He was an overachiever," Joselit said. "Yeah, he grew up in an orphanage and was the leader of a gang in New York, but through it all, he had enough discipline and intelligence to become welterweight champion of the world.
"Today there are like 124 champions, but when Johnny was the welterweight champion, there were only eight champions. ... He would walk down the street then and people would say, 'That's Johnny Saxton. That's the champion of the world.''''

Johnny was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame on November 12, 1998.

[Jaclem]

..sad story...i followed his career on tv and he was good....but a couple of the tank jobs were so obvious it was hard to get a real line on him.

just for the record he wasn't undefeated going into the title match with gavilan. her had lost to del flanagan and gil turner.

probably some of the guys who showed up at the wake were among those who exploited him, moved him to the title...bled him dry and then tossed him aside when he was no longer of any use to them.

alas his story is not unique or even rare...too many times...too many fighters....too many hoods.

[pete]

Too bad.Although not great himself he fought some of the biggest names ever.
Shady but sounds like he got screwed over plenty.Hopefully he outlived those that used him.He may not have been completely innocent in his involvement with those characters but that's for another time.
RIP Johnny

[bennie]

My mother runs the facility where Saxton lived for almost 11 years. Apparently some of his old friends, mob and otherwise, showed up at his wake, one of which was supposedly his former trainer, who gave his name as "Rocky." He was basically all alone and never had visitors. But after his death, people showed up who never bothered showing up in the 11 years he was at the facility.

RIP Johnny Saxton

**********************************************

Mr. Johnny Saxton held to "edge of greatness"
By HAL HABIB
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

More than 43 years had passed since they last met, back in an era when their boxing match meant something on a national scale. Johnny Saxton had defeated Kid Gavilan that October evening in 1954, but for this get-together, tears replaced sweat and hugs replaced punches.

So much had changed, but neither was going to be pushed around by the other.

When the frail Gavilan told Saxton he was the champion, Saxton corrected his host, saying he was the champ. Moments later, though, Saxton stepped outside to see his longtime friend, Richard Joselit, who had arranged the 1998 reunion in Hialeah.

"He was crying," Joselit said. "He said, 'Why does he have to be like this? Why does he have to be so sick?' I'll never forget that."

Joselit recalled the story Tuesday while awaiting word on services for Mr. Saxton, who died Saturday at Good Samaritan's Hospice Unit. Mr. Saxton, 78, spent most of his final 10 years as a resident of the Crystal Palms assisted living facility in Lake Worth.

Mr. Saxton was born on Independence Day in 1930, a precursor to the life he would lead. He grew up in an orphanage, had a limited education and was a member of a gang in his younger days, yet he grew up to become a two-time world welterweight champion.

His résumé includes victories over legends Gavilan and Carmen Basilio, which would cement any fighter's legacy, if not for extenuating circumstances.
"The truth of the matter is nobody really knows where he rates because of the allegations that a lot of his fights were handled by the mob and it wasn't for real," said Joselit, a former inspector with the New York State Athletic Commission. "But he did beat some of the greatest welterweights who ever lived."

Boxing journalist and historian Bert Sugar agreed.

"Johnny was one of the golden age of sports' good fighters," Sugar said. "He sort of tiptoed on the edge of greatness.

"He is to be remembered as a welterweight champion who fought the best of them and beat some of them, by whatever means. It's not his fault the judges were in someone's pocket."Mr. Saxton was managed by Frank "Blinky" Palermo, who had ties to mobster Frankie Carbo.

"It was the only way in the '50s that you could get ahead," Sugar said.
Sugar and Joselit agreed that because of his connections to Palermo, Mr. Saxton never fully enjoyed the financial rewards of his labor.

"I think he had several fights under Palermo where he got no money - not even a token to get home on the subway," Sugar said.

Resorting back to his difficult younger ways, Mr. Saxton was caught stealing $5 from an apartment in Queens, Joselit said.

Mr. Saxton's luck changed about a decade ago after Joselit discovered him in a filthy New York apartment, with no electricity or food. He promptly brought Mr. Saxton to South Florida.

Because Mr. Saxton was suffering from fighter's dementia, Joselit placed him in an assisted-living facility, and even though his right leg was badly injured in a hit-and-run auto accident, Mr. Saxton appeared in good spirits and enjoyed teaching kids to box.

"I'm feeling fine," Mr. Saxton told The Post in 1998. "Doing good. Real good. Real fine. Yessir."

For much of his boxing career, there was little doubt about that.

Thirty-seven fights into his professional career, Mr. Saxton was undefeated.
On Oct. 20, 1954, he took a 15-round decision from Gavilan in Philadelphia to become world champion, and although he lost the belt six months later to Tony DeMarco in Boston, Mr. Saxton once again was champion on March 14, 1956, when he defeated Basilio via a controversial 15-round decision in Chicago. Sports Illustrated labeled the decision "dubious," and within a year, Mr. Saxton was knocked out twice by Basilio in title fights.

"He was a hell of a fighter, though," Sugar said. "Johnny Saxton was a dynamo in the ring. It just happened that he came along at a time - one of the few times - when boxing was overflowing with talent, and he was one of the talent."

Mr. Saxton finished 55-9-2 with 21 knockouts.

"He was an overachiever," Joselit said. "Yeah, he grew up in an orphanage and was the leader of a gang in New York, but through it all, he had enough discipline and intelligence to become welterweight champion of the world.
"Today there are like 124 champions, but when Johnny was the welterweight champion, there were only eight champions. ... He would walk down the street then and people would say, 'That's Johnny Saxton. That's the champion of the world.''''

Johnny was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame on November 12, 1998.

This is sad news, and a distressing little story all round. People show up and nod their heads after someone's death but where are they when that someone is on his or her own and lonely and frail?

[robert.snell1]

thanks to the kindness of his friend - and you mum- he lived with dignity

[elmersalsa]

May he rest in peace. Does he got credentials to be in the INTERNATIONAL BOXING HALL OF FAME? He is a hall of famer in my book.

[Zelley]

Hearing about Johnny Saxton reminds us all of some of those forgotten or overlooked champions such as Don Jordan, Virgil Akins, and Denny Moyer.