Boxing 1954

1954 promises to be a big fight year. Boxing fans can look forward to some exciting ring battles and the IBC can look forward to the exciting ring of cash registers from big gate receipts, TV, movie, and radio revenue.

Rarely have so many champions been so ready, willing and able to put their titles on the line. Heavyweight champ Rocky Marciano, for example, had originally planned on a long layoff after his decisive win over Roland LaStarza. Now, after touring the Far East, the Brockton Blockbuster is itching for more action.

Light-heavyweight king Archie Moore, back in the states after a series of exhibitions in South America, will defend his title against ex-champ Joey Maxim in Miami January 27th. Welterweight champion Kid Gavilan is anxious to move into the middleweight ranks for a shot at Carl "Bobo" Olson's newly acquired crown, and Olson seems equally anxious for the match.

With the champions ready to lace on their gloves, the International Boxing Club (continued on next page) Boxing (continued from preceding page) must select suitable apponents from each division. Here are Playboy's listings of the top contenders and predictions of the probable outcomes in each division during the year.

Heavyweights

Rocky Marciano of Brockton, Massachusetts is the world champion. He won the title from Jersey Joe Walcott in a tremendous thirteen round battle and successfully defended it last year in the much cussed and discussed one-round rematch. His second title defense was a one-sided win over Roland LaStarza. The leading contenders for his title are:

1. Dan Bucceroni of Philadelphia

2. Nino Valdes of Cuba

3. Ezzard Charles of Cincinnati

4. Roland LaStarza of New York

5. Earl Walls, Edmonton, Canada

Marciano's next title defense should be against 26-year-old Dan Bucceroni. But because of the growing popularity of Nino Valdes, the Cuban heavyweight may draw Marciano first. In his brief but impressive career, Valdes has excited Miami fans with wins over ranking heavyweights Ezzard Charles and Heinz Neuhaus of Germany.

On the basis of experience, however, Bucceroni is the more capable adversary. He wins our number one spot with wins over Roland LaStarza, Jimmy Slade, Dave Davey, Danny Nardico, Wes Bascom and Tommy Harrison. We'd like to see the IBC stage a Bucceroni-Valdes showdown with the winner getting a crack at Marciano's title. It is extremely doubtful that either one of them will have the pleasure of wearing the heavyweight crown, however. Marciano is an unusually powerful champion, the most impressive since Louis, and the only heavyweight to ever win the title without suffering a single defeat. It is doubtful that anyone in the division will beat him in the next two or three years. When he finally is beaten, it will probably not be by one of the five now listed as top contenders, but by a younger fighter, now relatively unknown.

Light-Heavyweights

Light-heavyweight champion Archie Moore, of San Diego, California, was one of the outstanding fighters in his division. He could have won the title several years ago, if he'd been given a shot at it. Instead, he remained a top contender, while others got the chance to wear the crown. When he finally did manage to swing a championship bout early last year, he was thirty-four years old. He still had enough left to win over Joey Maxim, but has since proved as reluctant about defending the title as his predecessors.

With the prospect of forfeiting his title if he doesn't defend it, Moore has agreed to a rematch with ex-champ Maxim on January 27th. This should be a dull one with Moore the winner. If top contender Harold Johnson can force the reluctant champion into a bout, however, the title should change hands. Light-heavyweight Johnson has whipped ranking heavyweights Nino Valdes and Ezzard Charles. The leading contenders in the division are:

1. Harold Johnson of Philadelphia, Pa.

2. Danny Nardico of Tampa, Florida

3. Yolande Pompee of Trinidad, B.W.I.

4. Joey Maxim of Cleveland, Ohio

5. Floyd Patterson of Brooklyn

Twenty-year-old Patterson is a real dark horse in the division. A former U.S. Olympic boxing champion, he possesses unusual poise, speed and power. He should develop into a real threat in the division and if he continues to grow, he may reach a heavyweight title showdown with Marciano sometime in '55.

Middleweights

The title spot vacated by Sugar Ray Robinson has just been won by Carl "Bobo" Olson of Hawaii after a series of elimination bouts climaxed by Olson's unanimous decision over Randy Turpin of England.

The new champ faces a long and impressive list of challengers. Most notable are Rocky Castellani, Joey Giardello, Gil Turner and Joey Giambra. Turner is a beefed-up welterweight whose only previous defeat was against Gavilan in a title bout. Still another possibility for Olson is Ernie Durando who recently knocked out France's much heralded Charlie Humez in six rounds in Paris.

But the natural gate-appeal of a bout between middleweight champ Bobo Olson and welterweight champ Kid Gavilan makes this most likely as Olson's first title defense. Gavilan is having weight difficulties as a welter and is anxious to take a shot at the middleweight crown; Olson has indicated he will accept Gavilan for a championship bout. The bolo-throwing Kid was impressive in his last win over Johnny Bratton. He may very well take Bobo and the middleweight prize. Even if he misses, it is doubtful that Olson will be able to hold onto the title very long -- the list of contenders is too formidable and Olson isn't any Sugar Ray.

Top contenders for the middleweight crown are:

1. Welterweight champ Kid Gavilan of Cuba

2. Rocky Castellani, Luzerne

3. Joey Giardello of Philadelphia

4. Gil Turner of Philadelphia

5. Joey Giambra of Buffalo, N.Y.

The youngest, (continued on page 49) Boxing (continued from page 44) most promising "middies" being groomed for title shots are Joey Giambra and Willie Troy. Crew-clipped, 22-year-old Giambra is credited with wins over ranking Joey Giardello and Danny "Bang Bang" Womber, winner of a 10 round non-title bout with Kid Gavilan last year. Troy captured national attention with an impressive TKO over flashy Bobby Boyd and a knockout over ranking Randy Sandy.

Billy Graham is still listed as a welterweight, but his impressive win over middleweight Paddy Young makes him an important contender in both divisions.

From any angle, Bobo Olson has a rough year ahead in '54.

Welterweights

Champion Kid Gavilan of Cuba rules the welterweights. If he can beat middleweight champ Olson, he will forfeit the welterweight crown and the division will be up for grabs. The leading contenders are:

1. Carmen Basilio, Syracuse, N. Y.

2. Johnny Saxlon of New York

3. Johnny Bratton of Chicago

4. Billy Graham, New York, N. Y.

5. Ramon Fuentes of Los Angeles

If Gavilan loses to Olson, the welterweight picture will remain unchanged. Basilio will press for another title shot, but none of the contenders has much chance of taking the title away from the Kid, unless the problem of making the weight proves too much for him.

Lightweights

Lightweight champ Jimmy Carter of New York is credited with being the busiest champion in boxing. In his most recent title defense, he stopped Canada's pride, Armand Savoie, in Montreal. The leading contenders are:

1. Wallace Smith of Cincinnati

2. Orlando Zulueta of Cuba

3. Eddie Chavez of San Jose, Calif.

4. Ralph Dupas of New Orleans

5. Johnny Gonsalves of Oakland, California.

Seventeen-year-old Ralph Dupas will be a real threat to the champ soon, though he is still probably about a year away. He scored a sensational upset recently in defeating Armand Savoie.

Featherweight champion Sandy Saddler is now serving in the U.S. Army and until his discharge the division will be ruled by Willie Pep, Teddy Davis and Percy Bassett.

Jimmy Carruthers will reign over the bantamweights and Yoshio Shirai will rule the flyweights through 1954 for lack of any real competition.

Division by division it promises to be an active, exciting year.

Two ex-champions are trying comebacks in '54. Ex-heavyweight champ Ezzard Charles (left), after an easy win over Coley Wallace ("Joe Louis" of the movies), wants a shot at Marciano's crown. Ex-light-heavyweight champion Joey Maxim (right) will meet champion Archie Moore in a rematch the end of January.