The Fight Games’ black eyes

[APerno]

Five Notorious Results; these five fights people think were fixed.

I am not necessarily concerned whether these fights were fixed or not, but whether others think there are even more questionable fights out there. All five of these caused a stink one way or another, but are there other notorious results that have left the fight game with a black eye?

1915 Jack Johnson vs. Jess Willard -- for the HW World Title -- KO 26/45

1922 Benny Leonard vs. Jack Britton -- for the WW World Title -- DQ 13/15

1947 Jake LaMotta vs. Billy Fox -- LHW -- contenders’ bout – TKO 4/10

1954 Willie Pep vs. Lulu Perez -- FW -- contenders’ bout -- TKO 2/10

1965 Sonny Liston vs. Muhammad Ali (II) -- for the HW World Title -- KO 1/15

[gilgamesh]

Does it have to be strictly controversial decisions because I'd say one of Boxing's biggest black eyes was the Fatal Emile Griffith vs Benny Paret bout. That one had a lot of people calling to have the sport banned, and probably did more damage to the sport at the time than a lot of the other bouts mentioned although for a different reason.

[APerno]

Does it have to be strictly controversial decisions because I'd say one of Boxing's biggest black eyes was the Fatal Emile Griffith vs Benny Paret bout. That one had a lot of people calling to have the sport banned, and probably did more damage to the sport at the time than a lot of the other bouts mentioned although for a different reason.

I wasn't thinking in that direction but that is an interesting list as well, so both.

All the known ring deaths fit into that category, but the Paret fight being on early television had a deep impact.

Maybe the Sharkey-Schmeling (I) mess belongs on the list as well; and then you have to wonder how damaging are bad decisions to the fight game? E.g. Sharkey-Schmeling (II) A list of the five worst decisions would be interesting to assemble but this group would never be able to come to a consensus on that.

Yea, opinions on all the 'black eyes' would be interesting.

[gilgamesh]

I'm sure the mafia association with the sport throughout the 40's and 50's and the fact that there were several known cases and rumored cases of fights either being fixed or guys taking dives did major damage at the time.

Wasn't there a specific title organization that was completely abolished due to its ties with the mafia?

[Boxing Trivia Guy]

I'm sure the mafia association with the sport throughout the 40's and 50's and the fact that there were several known cases and rumored cases of fights either being fixed or guys taking dives did major damage at the time.

Wasn't there a specific title organization that was completely abolished due to its ties with the mafia?

Frankie Carbo of the Lucchese crime family and Frank 'Blinky' Palermo were behind the International Boxing Club (IBC) a promotional company which operated during the late 40's and into the 50's. It was deemed a monopoly and forced to dissolve by the Supreme Court in 1957 but not before fixing a huge number of fights.

None were worse than Johnny Saxton getting the decision over Kid Gavilan for the welterweight title in 1954. It was an open secret in New York that Saxton was going to get the decision to the point that bookies refused to take bets on Saxton well before the fight.

[APerno]

Good one, will add that to the list; 19 out of 21 reporters can't be wrong.

[Noxy]

Kelly vs Maludrottu 1. Kelly won it clearly AND was at home. The Italian got the nod. Go figure.

[Duran1970]

I'm sure the mafia association with the sport throughout the 40's and 50's and the fact that there were several known cases and rumored cases of fights either being fixed or guys taking dives did major damage at the time.

Wasn't there a specific title organization that was completely abolished due to its ties with the mafia?

Frankie Carbo of the Lucchese crime family and Frank 'Blinky' Palermo were behind the International Boxing Club (IBC) a promotional company which operated during the late 40's and into the 50's. It was deemed a monopoly and forced to dissolve by the Supreme Court in 1957 but not before fixing a huge number of fights.

None were worse than Johnny Saxton getting the decision over Kid Gavilan for the welterweight title in 1954. It was an open secret in New York that Saxton was going to get the decision to the point that bookies refused to take bets on Saxton well before the fight.

Saxton was managed by said names in the mob and he got a bunch of freebies throughout his career...ie. the first Basilio fight

[APerno]

I'm sure the mafia association with the sport throughout the 40's and 50's and the fact that there were several known cases and rumored cases of fights either being fixed or guys taking dives did major damage at the time.

Wasn't there a specific title organization that was completely abolished due to its ties with the mafia?

Frankie Carbo of the Lucchese crime family and Frank 'Blinky' Palermo were behind the International Boxing Club (IBC) a promotional company which operated during the late 40's and into the 50's. It was deemed a monopoly and forced to dissolve by the Supreme Court in 1957 but not before fixing a huge number of fights.

None were worse than Johnny Saxton getting the decision over Kid Gavilan for the welterweight title in 1954. It was an open secret in New York that Saxton was going to get the decision to the point that bookies refused to take bets on Saxton well before the fight.

IBC - Joe Louis was an early partner/investor in the organization but was eventually squeezed (bought) out; the front man was some guy named Dougan Norris (who was no pussy cat). Carbo then squeezed Doc Kearns out of control of the Boxing Managers Guild and with Carbo controlling the fighters' managers and Norris (IBC) controlling the sanctioning (match-making) they took over boxing.

Truth be told Joe Louis wasn't such a nice guy either, at the beginning of the IBC, Louis signed Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott to promotional deals and then sold his (their) interests to to the IBC, giving the IBC control of the HW division elimination bout, and with it the HW championship, and thus boxing.

[HomicideHenry]

I take issue with Johnson vs Willard being considered a fix. There was no fix. He was kicking Willard's ass for 20 rounds. It's a wonder Willard could take that kind of punishment. Johnson just got old, tired, etc. and got knocked out by a powerful right hand. It happens to fighters all the time. Nothing controversial about an old champion whose been inactive getting laid out by a younger, stronger and determined challenger.


Imho a real black eye to boxing is the ratings systems, along with the multiple belts per organization. There's about 20 pro organizations out there, and alot of them have "Gold", "Silver", "Regular", and "Super" belts per division. This means, in theory, there could be 640 champions (20 X's 8 Divisions X's 4 belts). It's absolutely disgusting and ridiculous. Can you imagine at minimum 20 Heavyweight champions, or 80 Heavyweight champions? It happens all the time.