Former EBU and French super welterweight champion Jacques Kechichian has passed away at the age of 78 after a long illness.
Kechichian fought professionally 1968 through 1974 and compiled a 27-7-2 and there´s a lot of good names on his record. Kechichian won and lost to Carlo Duran, beat Johann Orsolics, drew with Jose Hernandez, lost to Billy Backus and Jose Duran.
R.I.P. Jacques Kechichian
Re: R.I.P. Jacques Kechichian
Jacques Kechichian is a real blast from the past, a distinctive name that would pop up in Boxing News or Ring in the early 1970s, occasionally with a shot of him and he looked different to other fighters of the day: an old head on a young body and a look bordering on concern. Kechichian, who died a few days ago, almost knew that his boxing career would break him.
Jacques turned pro in 1968 and punched his way to an impressive 17-1 (12), before dropping a 10-round decision to fellow Frenchman Nessim Max Cohen, who went on to challenge Rodrigo Valdes for the WBC middleweight title in Paris and flung himself to the floor in the fourth round and never fought again. “Do you have to die in the ring to satisfy people?” he snapped. As for Jacques, he bounced back with a 10-round stoppage of Matt Donovan, a globetrotting Trinidadian who later challenged Japan's Koichi Wajima for the world light-middleweight title and was overpowered in three rounds. Already a sickening pattern was forming: the other guy getting a shot – never Jacques.
By this time, Jacques held the French light-middleweight title and was going well when he faced the great Emile Griffith in a highly ambitious 10-rounder in Paris in February 1972. Griffith may have been 34 but he was still winning and still winning in world class company and Kechichian did well to hang in there and stay the course with a man who gave Carlos Monzon a desperately close 15-rounder a year later for the world middleweight title – the closest of Monzon's entire magnificent reign. At the age of 38, Griffith also dropped a horrible majority decision to Eckhard Dagge for the WBC light-middleweight title in Germany in 1976.
Kechichian got a dose of the same when, just a month after losing to Griffith, he challenged Spain's Jose Hernandez for the European light-middleweight title in Barcelona and came away with nothing when they made it a 15-round draw, which is a long old fight for nothing, and they slung him out for reckless headwork in Italy in another shot against Carlo Duran (who had deposed Hernandez), which was another sickener. Kechichian also lost to rugged Aussie Charkey Ramon but he kept faith in his ability and showed real character when he made his way back to Italy to face Duran and came through on a nine-round stoppage for the European title and the greatest win of his career (only the second time Duran had been stopped in 83 fights).
Revenge was sweet for Kechichian who found himself in demand and agreed terms to challenge that man Wajima for the undisputed world light-middleweight title in Japan in August 1973 but before Jacques could even pinch himself, Team Wajima reneged and settled for Silvano Bertini instead, an undeserving Italian who fought gamely until he retired at the end of the 12th round (and was then taunted by an angry Wajima who wanted a more emphatic win, although the Japanese warrior quickly calmed down). It must have been a crushing blow for Kechichian, who stood a chance with the face-first Wajima because Jacques could clearly dig a bit, but he had his European title to fall back on and he successfully defended in Vienna with a nine-round stoppage of seasoned local man Johann Orsolics and then took a solid decision over Italy's useful Domenico Tiberia in Lyon in a non-title affair.
In April 1974, came a showdown in Paris with former world welterweight champion Billy Backus, a popular fighter in France and as brave as his famous uncle Carmen Basilio, if nowhere near as skilled. Kechichian needed to win this one and he drove the American back and dropped him in the second but he couldn't finish him and southpaw Backus came back and dropped the Frenchman four times to force a retirement stoppage at the end of five bruising, thrilling rounds. Typically, Backus went on to fight for a world title and lasted three gut-wrenching minutes with a peak Jose “Pipino” Cuevas in 1978 in California, before the doctor pulled him out.
Sadly, Kechichian's own world title dreams were now behind him and he must have cut a forlorn, resigned figure as he made his way to Madrid a couple of months later for a no-win defence of his European crown against the slippery Jose Duran, who had lost only twice in 58 fights, but Jacques stuck it out for 15 rounds before dropping a decision to a man who later dethroned the ageless Wajima in Japan on a late knockout.
Right to the end, Kechichian was so near and yet so far from a world title shot. He retired with a record of 27-7-2 (18), and Backus was the only man to stop him.
Jacques turned pro in 1968 and punched his way to an impressive 17-1 (12), before dropping a 10-round decision to fellow Frenchman Nessim Max Cohen, who went on to challenge Rodrigo Valdes for the WBC middleweight title in Paris and flung himself to the floor in the fourth round and never fought again. “Do you have to die in the ring to satisfy people?” he snapped. As for Jacques, he bounced back with a 10-round stoppage of Matt Donovan, a globetrotting Trinidadian who later challenged Japan's Koichi Wajima for the world light-middleweight title and was overpowered in three rounds. Already a sickening pattern was forming: the other guy getting a shot – never Jacques.
By this time, Jacques held the French light-middleweight title and was going well when he faced the great Emile Griffith in a highly ambitious 10-rounder in Paris in February 1972. Griffith may have been 34 but he was still winning and still winning in world class company and Kechichian did well to hang in there and stay the course with a man who gave Carlos Monzon a desperately close 15-rounder a year later for the world middleweight title – the closest of Monzon's entire magnificent reign. At the age of 38, Griffith also dropped a horrible majority decision to Eckhard Dagge for the WBC light-middleweight title in Germany in 1976.
Kechichian got a dose of the same when, just a month after losing to Griffith, he challenged Spain's Jose Hernandez for the European light-middleweight title in Barcelona and came away with nothing when they made it a 15-round draw, which is a long old fight for nothing, and they slung him out for reckless headwork in Italy in another shot against Carlo Duran (who had deposed Hernandez), which was another sickener. Kechichian also lost to rugged Aussie Charkey Ramon but he kept faith in his ability and showed real character when he made his way back to Italy to face Duran and came through on a nine-round stoppage for the European title and the greatest win of his career (only the second time Duran had been stopped in 83 fights).
Revenge was sweet for Kechichian who found himself in demand and agreed terms to challenge that man Wajima for the undisputed world light-middleweight title in Japan in August 1973 but before Jacques could even pinch himself, Team Wajima reneged and settled for Silvano Bertini instead, an undeserving Italian who fought gamely until he retired at the end of the 12th round (and was then taunted by an angry Wajima who wanted a more emphatic win, although the Japanese warrior quickly calmed down). It must have been a crushing blow for Kechichian, who stood a chance with the face-first Wajima because Jacques could clearly dig a bit, but he had his European title to fall back on and he successfully defended in Vienna with a nine-round stoppage of seasoned local man Johann Orsolics and then took a solid decision over Italy's useful Domenico Tiberia in Lyon in a non-title affair.
In April 1974, came a showdown in Paris with former world welterweight champion Billy Backus, a popular fighter in France and as brave as his famous uncle Carmen Basilio, if nowhere near as skilled. Kechichian needed to win this one and he drove the American back and dropped him in the second but he couldn't finish him and southpaw Backus came back and dropped the Frenchman four times to force a retirement stoppage at the end of five bruising, thrilling rounds. Typically, Backus went on to fight for a world title and lasted three gut-wrenching minutes with a peak Jose “Pipino” Cuevas in 1978 in California, before the doctor pulled him out.
Sadly, Kechichian's own world title dreams were now behind him and he must have cut a forlorn, resigned figure as he made his way to Madrid a couple of months later for a no-win defence of his European crown against the slippery Jose Duran, who had lost only twice in 58 fights, but Jacques stuck it out for 15 rounds before dropping a decision to a man who later dethroned the ageless Wajima in Japan on a late knockout.
Right to the end, Kechichian was so near and yet so far from a world title shot. He retired with a record of 27-7-2 (18), and Backus was the only man to stop him.
Last edited by bennie on 15 Apr 2018, 09:35, edited 1 time in total.
Re: R.I.P. Jacques Kechichian
nice write up , helps put a person to a name 