Kid Gavilan vs. Bobby Dykes (1st meeting)

Dykes throws an uppercut at Gavilan.

Kid Gavilan 147 lbs beat Bobby Dykes 147 lbs by SD in round 15 of 15

• Date: 1952-02-04
• Location: Miami Stadium, Miami, Florida, USA
• Referee: Eddie Coachman 140-143
• Judge: Mark Erwin 142-141
• Judge: Ladislad Nodarse 145-139

• World Welterweight Championship
• Photo 2
• Photo 3

Notes

• This was the first time a black man and a white man met in a Miami boxing ring.
• This was the first world title fight authorized under Florida law.
• Gavilan was a 4 to 1 betting favorite.
• Referee Eddie Coachman and Judge Mark Erwin were from Florida, and Judge Ladislad Nodarse was from Cuba.
• Dykes was floored in round two for a count of nine.
• The New York Times reported: "Gavilan, behind on two scorecards after 13 rounds, won the last two rounds to get the decision; most observers thought it should've been a unanimous decision for Gavilan."
• In rounds, the Associated Press scored the fight for 7-5-3 or 144-142 for Gavilan.
• The crowd of 11,526 booed the decision.
• The gate was $76,814. Gavilan received 37½ percent and Dykes 17½ percent.

Post-fight comments

• "I wish I could have won. They were telling me in the corner I was ahead from the 12th round on." -Bobby Dykes

• "I had no idea Bobby wasn't a certain winner if he got through the 15th." -Jimmy Parks, Dykes' manager

Newspaper Articles

• "Gavilan, Bobby Dykes In 15-Round Fight" Kentucky New Era, February 4, 1952
• "Welter Champ Beats Dykes By Only 4 Points" Toledo Blade, February 5, 1952
• "Kid Gavilan vs. Bobby Dykes: 30 years after the big fight, time delivers the decision" By Tom Archdeacon, Miami News, May 1, 1982