Carmen Basilio versus Donald Curry

[goose 5]

15 rounds. Welterweights

[gilgamesh]

I'd have to give Carmen Basilio the benefit of the doubt. Curry is stronger, faster, but is he better conditioned and more willful than Carmen Basilio? Well Carmen would damn sure find out I'll tell you that, and I think the answer is no.

Basilio by KO in the 13th or 14th round. He breaks Curry down in a classic fight that he's well behind in at the time of the stoppage.

[elmersalsa]

I'd have to give Carmen Basilio the benefit of the doubt. Curry is stronger, faster, but is he better conditioned and more willful than Carmen Basilio? Well Carmen would damn sure find out I'll tell you that, and I think the answer is no.

Basilio by KO in the 13th or 14th round. He breaks Curry down in a classic fight that he's well behind in at the time of the stoppage.

I see it the same way. Donald Curry might be more skilled, but Carmen Basilio's heart would erase everything in this fight. Basilio was probably top 5 when it came to heart.

Of the top 5, Joe Frazier and Evander Holyfield matches Basilio when it comes of heart, will and determination. I have never seen guys that had more game than these three.

[gilgamesh]

Basilio also had tremendous stamina. What he lacked in natural gifts he made up for in hard work, and absolutely immaculate conditioning. He had the stamina to fight 3 minutes of every round for 15 rounds. They don't come any more conditioned than that.

[Expug]

Basilio also had tremendous stamina. What he lacked in natural gifts he made up for in hard work, and absolutely immaculate conditioning. He had the stamina to fight 3 minutes of every round for 15 rounds. They don't come any more conditioned than that.

Ya, he was something else in that regard.
I seem to recall him saying after he beat Robinson
“ if he hit me three times I was gonna hit him four”
Something like that.
Sounds simple. It ain’t.

[elmersalsa]

Basilio also had tremendous stamina. What he lacked in natural gifts he made up for in hard work, and absolutely immaculate conditioning. He had the stamina to fight 3 minutes of every round for 15 rounds. They don't come any more conditioned than that.

Carmen Basilio was involved in The Ring Magazine Fight of the Year for 5 straight years: 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958 and 1959. He was truly a crowd pleaser.

He wasn't just rugged. I have seen fight many times, and he had some underrated boxing skills. It's just that he was so aggressive that he is so misjudged as a technician. But, he had skills. You can't have only stamina and grit to be great. Basilio got something extra.