It was in the winter of 1966, on a cold night, that I drove from Springfield to Walpole Massachusetts to watch a professional boxing card. While waiting for the main event, I took my seat to watch the obligatory under card. One of the first participants in the ring that evening appeared to have gotten lost on the way to his high school science fair.
Larry Boardman was born March 21, 1936, in Marlborough, Connecticut. He was a popular fighter who campaigned from 1952 until 1963. Larry was a world ranked lightweight contender from April 1956 until October 1957, his highest ranking number 2.
In 2003 the Lawrence Historical Center received a bronze plaque from Gerard Ryan of Pembroke, MA. commemorating Andy Callahan.
BENNY CHAVEZ: THE ALMOST CHAMP by ROBERT CARSON The small shabby figure stood quietly on the street corner. A chill wind whipped the bottom of his gray overcoat and his thoughts raced back to a time that had long gone by. He pulled his knarled, brown hands out of his coat pocket and looked at
“When it came to all around ring generalship, Benny Valgar was on a par with Benny Leonard, though Leonard packed the better punch”.—Ray Arcel.
Guido Bardelli was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame on November 15th, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.
Driving from Albuquerque, NM, I was headed north through South Western Colorado into Utah in search of South Jordan. I’ll never again complain about my 2-hour drive to Brockton, MA for an interview with Iron Mike Pusateri. Much of the terrain was open prairie as far as the eye could see. I wondered what I would do if my Toyota Echo decided to lay down and die in this vast wilderness.
“That Gene was one tough champ, he didn’t duck anybody! What about his kid brother Don, he came within a few seconds of winning the title himself.” Sadly many of these same fans don’t know a third brother existed, or think; wasn’t there a baby brother named Jay who had a few bouts? I was guilty of thinking Jay was the youngest Fullmer until meeting him last year in Canastota, New York at the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
This article attempts to redress the lack of information on this great fighter of the first decade of the twentieth century and tries to evaluate his true position in pugilistic history.
