BoxRec

SPIDER WEBB



Spider Webb was a top level middleweight.

He was the only fighter to stop Giardello (on cuts).

Webb won four fights in a row by KO leading up to his title shot against Fullmer:

Joey Giardello TKO 7

Terry Downes TKO 8

Bobby Boyd TKO 1

Neal Rivers TKO 4

Webb then got his chance at Fullmer's middleweight title in Fullmer's first defense after Fullmer beat Basilio to win the title.

I remember the resignation that Webb emanated as he came out for the last rounds of that fight, realizing he was not going to be champion.

In adddition to stopping Giardello, Downes, Boyd and Neal Rivers,
in his career Webb also stopped Franz Szuzina (7), Rory Calhoun (4), Irvin Thatch (1), Jackie LaBua (1).

Webb won 10 round decisions over Dick Tiger, Jimmy Beecham, Holly Mims, Rory Calhoun, Charley Cotton, Neal Rivers, Wilfie Greaves, Randy Sandy, Willie Vaughn.

Webb was only stopped ONCE--in his very last fight, against Dick Tiger, whom he had beaten previously by decision.

Webb lost 10 round decisions to Gene Fullmer, Holly Mims, and Charley Josephs.

He only lost six times in 40 bouts against the top level middleweights of his time--

Two decisions to Fullmer (one for the title), a 10 round decision to Holly Mims (who he also won a decision over on another bout), a 10 round decision to Charley Josephs (who he also won a decision over on another bout), a loss on a 6 round decision early in his career, and the final loss to Tiger.

Spider Webb TKO 1 Bobby Boyd
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcsM1puxCL4

Spider Webb TKO 7 Joey Giardello

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeW2N8duWv8&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptPaG_ekrPA

Webb's last fight and the ONLY time he was stopped in his entire career, by Dick Tiger.

granberry wrote:
He was the only fighter to stop Giardello (on cuts).

Giardello was stopped 2 or 3 other times in his career; once by Harold Green I believe.

Harold Green was far better than most know. Supposedly his KO loss to Graziano was an arrangement where Green owed ganbling debts which he paid of in that fashion.

Webb's stoppage of Giardello was unusual because Giardello was at the top of his form at that time and
hadn't been stopped for 8 very active years since the Green fight.

Thanks for the correction.

Nice to see Spider get some recognition for a change, you rarely see anyone mention him on boxing forums, shame as the man was the goods. I`ve got more footage on him than most folks and he really was a damn fine fighter, excellent boxer-puncher he was with a good, stiff jab to set up all his offence with. Really goes to show just how tough and deep the era he fought in was, a fighter with his skillset and ability would have had a field day with todays middles, can anyone imagine what a monkey he would make out of the Pavliks and Taylors of today?

Gene`s roughhousing and bullying tactics in their first fight wore him down and allowed the tough Mormon to take the nod, I`ve got a brief highlight of the fight and it was a fiercely contested battle to say the least. In the return bout though Gene boxed him more and didn`t do us much mauling, and that he outboxed an excellent boxer like Spider for long stretches in their fight the way he did which is no mean feat by ol` Gene goes to show just how good Fullmer was too. Today`s sorry crop of middleweights pale in comparison to that era, its not even close at all.

Lausse wrote:Nice to see Spider get some recognition for a change, you rarely see anyone mention him on boxing forums, shame as the man was the goods. I`ve got more footage on him than most folks and he really was a damn fine fighter, excellent boxer-puncher he was with a good, stiff jab to set up all his offence with. Really goes to show just how tough and deep the era he fought in was, a fighter with his skillset and ability would have had a field day with todays middles, can anyone imagine what a monkey he would make out of the Pavliks and Taylors of today?

Gene`s roughhousing and bullying tactics in their first fight wore him down and allowed the tough Mormon to take the nod, I`ve got a brief highlight of the fight and it was a fiercely contested battle to say the least. In the return bout though Gene boxed him more and didn`t do us much mauling, and that he outboxed an excellent boxer like Spider for long stretches in their fight the way he did which is no mean feat by ol` Gene goes to show just how good Fullmer was too. Today`s sorry crop of middleweights pale in comparison to that era, its not even close at all.

Thanks for the comments, Lausse.

All spot on.

Fullmer was a very skilled fighter and could fight in a surprising number of totally different styles.

By the way, Fullmer had great respect for your namesake-Lausse-and praised him highly.

granberry wrote:
Thanks for the comments, Lausse.

All spot on.

Fullmer was a very skilled fighter and could fight in a surprising number of totally different styles.

By the way, Fullmer had great respect for your namesake-Lausse-and praised him highly.

Granberry,

Gene certainly was more than the mindless, mauling brawler he is portrayed as being by so many, the man could adapt very well in the ring depending on who and what was in front of him, that is the mark of a great fighter. As for Lausse he is one of the great unsung fighters of his era, very feared and avoided the man was and its a damn shame he never got a crack at the title.

Bobo Olson`s people were offered a huge payday to put his title on the line against Lausse in his native Argentina but wisely turned it down, I have no doubt that a motivated Lausse would have laid him out for the count within the fifteen rounds had they met and I think Bobo`s people knew it too.

Come to think of it, a Lausse/Webb bout would have made for an interesting clash of styles, Webb`s smooth boxing ability and powerful right hand vs Lausse`s raw aggression, explosiveness and devastating left hook. Anyway, good to see others like yourself who can appreciate just how good these men really were, we owe it to them as boxing fans to keep their memory alive.

Lausse wrote:

granberry wrote:
Thanks for the comments, Lausse.

All spot on.

Fullmer was a very skilled fighter and could fight in a surprising number of totally different styles.

By the way, Fullmer had great respect for your namesake-Lausse-and praised him highly.

Granberry,

Gene certainly was more than the mindless, mauling brawler he is portrayed as being by so many, the man could adapt very well in the ring depending on who and what was in front of him, that is the mark of a great fighter. As for Lausse he is one of the great unsung fighters of his era, very feared and avoided the man was and its a damn shame he never got a crack at the title.

Bobo Olson`s people were offered a huge payday to put his title on the line against Lausse in his native Argentina but wisely turned it down, I have no doubt that a motivated Lausse would have laid him out for the count within the fifteen rounds had they met and I think Bobo`s people knew it too.

Come to think of it, a Lausse/Webb bout would have made for an interesting clash of styles, Webb`s smooth boxing ability and powerful right hand vs Lausse`s raw aggression, explosiveness and devastating left hook. Anyway, good to see others like yourself who can appreciate just how good these men really were, we owe it to them as boxing fans to keep their memory alive.

Lausse was so strongly built when I looked at him I wondered how he could make 160.

Tell us more about Lausse.

I know little about him.

Webb's record leading in his last several fights leading up to his shot against Fullmer was the best of any active middleweight.

As champion Fullmer defended against the top contenders.