By Eric Bottjer
RICHARD FABIAN, 70, Florida boxing man, handed in Tampa in August. Richard, a 2022 Florida Boxing Corridor of Fame inductee, was an advisor to native promoters and most not too long ago labored as an inspector for the Florida Boxing Fee.
NELSON FERNANDEZ, 76, New Jersey boxing supervisor, handed in September. Nelson managed title-holders Hector Acero-Sanchez, Julio Cesar Inexperienced and Andrew Lewis amongst others in a long time of professional boxing. Fernandez was born in Cuba and moved to New York, the place he finally took over his father’s meals distribution firm. A lifelong boxing fan, Fernandez based the Mile Sq. Fitness center in North Jersey, managed dozens of professionals – eight of whom received world titles – and was a favourite TV commentator amongst many Northeastern Latin boxing followers.
FRANCISCO FIOL, 74, Spanish light-heavyweight, died in March after a protracted sickness. Fiol, born in Spain, lived in Switzerland throughout his whole profession. After about 100 beginner matches (he sparred with Muhammad Ali in 1971 whereas as an beginner, when Ali fought Jurgen Blin in Zurich), Fiol turned professional in 1974 and went 22-6-1 (16 KOs) in a five-year profession. He received the Spanish title in 1976, however got here up brief in opposition to Mate Parlov and Aldo Travasaro in separate pictures on the European crown.
GEORGE FOREMAN, 76, legendary heavyweight champion from Houston, died after a brief sickness in March in a Texas hospital. No reason for dying was given. Foreman was one of the terrifying figures in heavyweight historical past, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound menace who received an Olympic gold medal on the 1968 Video games, regardless of having lower than 20 beginner bouts, and knocking out Joe Frazier in January 1973 for the undisputed heavyweight championship. Each Frazier and Foreman have been undefeated, however Frazier, lower than two years faraway from his victory over Muhammad Ali, was a 3-1 favourite. Foreman had not overwhelmed a prime professional earlier than assembly Frazier in Jamaica. It didn’t matter. Foreman bounced Frazier off the canvas six instances in two rounds, at one level actually lifting the champion off his toes with an uppercut. Foreman crushed Joe Roman and Ken Norton in title defenses and was a 3-1 favourite within the well-known “Rumble within the Jungle” vs. Muhammad Ali. The battle cemented Foreman’s fame – and misplaced him the title. The 32-year-old Ali, in a call made in actual time, opted to put on the ropes and let Foreman bludgeon him. The champion drained and Ali knocked Foreman out in a surprising upset in 8 rounds. Foreman got here again after 15 months – received just a few matches (together with an epic struggle with Ron Lyle the place he crawled off the canvas twice to KO Lyle in 5 rounds – however misplaced in March 1977 to Jimmy Younger and retired. Foreman disappeared for 10 years, preaching on streetcorners in Houston (he had a religions expertise within the dressing room after the Younger loss, which he felt known as on him to go away boxing and preach). When he ran out of cash, he returned to the ring in 1987. He was 39 years outdated, bald, fats and most have been saddened on the web site of him within the ring. Foreman toured the nation, combating in membership venues each month, slowly getting again into form till Bob Arum signed him. A KO win over Gerry Cooney in 1990 bought some consideration. Foreman bought a title shot in 1991, shedding a call to champion Evander Holyfield in a gallant effort. It appeared a superb ending, however Foreman fought on. He misplaced to Tommy Morrison and appeared achieved, however when Michael Moorer beat Holyfield and wished a straightforward first title protection, he tabbed Foreman. Sporting the identical trunks he wore in opposition to Ali in Africa, Foreman, now 45, took a beating for 9 rounds after which crashed a proper on Moorer’s jaw, flattening the champion. It was boxing historical past’s most superb comeback. Now spherical and lovable, Foreman turned a well known pitchman and loaned his identify to a conveyable indoor hamburger grill that turned practically as well-known as the person himself. Foreman fought till age 50, throughout which period he was stripped of his titles for defending in opposition to inferior opposition. No one cared. In 1999, two years after his final battle, Foreman bought the rights to the grill – alongside along with his identify as a model – for $138 million. He was a much-desired public speaker and did boxing commentary on HBO.
JOE FORMATO, 97, Connecticut welterweight, died “peacefully” in December at his Connecticut dwelling, surrounded by his spouse and three youngsters. Formato turned professional in 1948 and went 3-0-1 (1 KO) in simply 10 weeks earlier than retiring to change into a bodily training instructor in Orange.
MARK FRAZIE, 67, Ohio middleweight, died in Could in a Portsmouth hospice facility. Mark was 29-9 (15 KOs) from 1980-1988, arising brief in opposition to prime guys like Bobby Czyz, Wilford Scypion and Alex Ramos. Frazier was recognized in Portsmouth for his charitable work with youngsters and he hosted a neighborhood cable entry present known as “Athletes for Christ.”
SARBELIO FUENTES, 85, Cuban middleweight and later famed coach of the Cuban and Argentine nationwide groups, died in April in Cuba. Fuentes went 19-8-2 (12 KOs) from 1957-1961, an period when professional boxing was nonetheless allowed in Cuba. He was coach of the Cuban workforce within the early 2000s, garnering an unheard-of seven gold medals within the 2001 world beginner championships and later 5 gold medals on the 2004 Olympics. The mild-mannered Fuentes, a true-believer within the Cuban philosophy of maintaining its athletes out of the professional ranks, credited Cuba’s beginner success to the very fact it began its’ boxers of their pre-teens and made them fulltime fighters.
JOE GAGLIARDI, 85, San Jose promoter and boxing insurance coverage mogul, died in July in Arizona. Gagliardi adopted his father into actual property after which branched off into insurance coverage, the place he turned a go-to for years for boxing promoters to cowl their occasions and fighters insurance-wise. Gagliardi was additionally a boxing fan and fashioned J&J Promotions, holding dozens of exhibits from 1972-1992 within the San Jose space. Gagliardi additionally owned minor league baseball groups in Modesto and San Jose.
ELIZABETH GANDY, 60, Georgia bantamweight with one professional battle, died in July from most cancers. Gandy was a world traveler and held a grasp’s diploma from the College of Georgia. She realized Karate whereas educating in South Korea and after returning to Georgia in 2004, fought a 4-round professional match with nine-fight veteran Terri Moss in Baton Rogue, “on a dare.” Gandy misplaced a call.
NAZIF GASHI, 74, Yugoslavian beginner star, died in December. Gashi, from what’s now known as Kosovo, fought for a workforce of amateurs in Pristina, who have been well-known behind the Iron Curtain. Gashi joined the membership when it fashioned in 1971 and helped lead it to 5 nationwide workforce titles. Gashi’s dying was famous by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani.
ARTURO GATTI JR., 17, son of legendary Corridor of Famer Arturo Gatti, died in October in Mexico from an obvious suicide. Gatti’s mom and his father’s widow, Amanda Nunes. Has a residence in Mexico Metropolis. Gatti Jr.’s dying was introduced by household good friend Chuck Zito and confirmed by Moe Latic, who was Gatti Jr.’s beginner coach. Zito shared that Gatti Jr. took his personal life by hanging, as did his father in 2009. Two weeks after Gatti’s dying was introduced, Sofia Gatti, Arturo Jr.’s older half-sister, introduced (with out proof) that Mexican authorities have been investigating the dying as a murder and began a GoFundMe web page to help in her personal investigation (as of Dec. 5, the web page had raised $29,000).
FRANK GELB, 87, New Jersey boxing energy dealer, handed away in April from pure causes. Gelb was the glue for Atlantic Metropolis boxing occasions within the late twentieth century, getting casinos to cooperate with each other in internet hosting common exhibits on the shore’s dozen casinos, in addition to the famed Boardwalk Corridor. Gelb, a Pennsylvania native, labored at his household’s furnishings retailer within the Nineteen Seventies. A driver for the shop moonlighted as a professional boxer and Gelb managed him, launching an unplanned profession as a manger and later a promoter. Gelb started guiding world-class fighters resembling Tyrone Everett and Jimmy Younger and later graduated to promotions. Gelb noticed the early promise that Atlantic Metropolis held for boxing and promoted the primary on line casino present there in 1978 after playing was legalized. Gelb additionally quenched his love for classical music by selling live shows, creating lifelong skilled and private relationships with Luciano Pavarotti and Andre Bocelli.
THOMAS GERBASI, 57, award-winning boxing author, handed in September in Staten Island. Gerbasi labored for the UFC the previous 20 years, however was a well known freelance boxing author. His ebook, Boxing: The 100 Best Fighters, was launched weeks earlier than his passing. Gerbasi entered boxing journalism on the time the web exploded with boxing information websites and he made his bones writing for MaxBoxing and Home of Boxing.
JIMMY GIAMBELLUCA, 69, Buffalo light-weight, died in January. Giambelluca received a neighborhood Golden Gloves title at featherweight in 1974, however by no means devoted himself to boxing fulltime. He turned professional in 1981, however took fights for cash. He went 2-21-1 (0 KO’s) over 5 years earlier than retiring to work at a neighborhood metal firm. Giambelluca was a 26-year worker at Samuel Plate Gross sales and a supervisor there on the time of his dying.
GEORGE GILBODY, 70, British Olympian, died on Halloween. Gilbody was England’s light-weight on the 1980 Moscow Olympics (he didn’t medal) and received 4 nationwide beginner titles within the Nineteen Seventies. Gilbody, who had 195 beginner fights, stayed within the sport as a coach after he stopped boxing and labored for the nationwide workforce from 2010-2013.
JIMMY GILL, 81, British membership promoter and matchmaker, died in January. Gill was remembered as a implausible story-teller and all-around “boxing man” who labored in Nottingham practically half a century.
DANNY GIOVANELLI, 92, Brooklyn welterweight, handed in February. Danny was a part of New York boxing’s golden period of the Fifties, the place fighters dreamed of creating it to the Backyard. Giovanelli headlined there in 1953, getting off the deck in opposition to favored Vince Martinez to win a 10-round determination. The win earned Giovanelli a coveted top-10 rating in The Ring journal. Giovanelli turned professional in 1951, cramming 40 fights right into a profession that lasted lower than six years, retiring with a 30-9-1 (13 KO’s) document.
SAMMY GIULIANI, 93, Connecticut welterweight, died “peacefully” in November at a daughter’s dwelling in Ohio. Skilled by Charlie Goldman, Guiliani was 30-9-1 (11 KOs) from 1953-1955, which included a draw with Joey Giardello and determination losses to Chuck Davey and Vince Martinez. A younger Carmen Basilio stopped Guiliani in three in 1952 and when Paddy Younger stopped him at St. Nick’s Area a 12 months later, Guiliani retired. In his later years, Guiliani labored as a faculty electrician and later as a crossing guard, retiring from that job at age 83. His retirement was famous within the native media, which described Guiliani as “beloved.”
CARL GIZZI, 80, British heavyweight, died in April from dementia. Gizzi misplaced a detailed determination (one level) to Jack Bodell in 1969 for the British title. Gizzi was 31-12 (11 KOs) from 1864-1971, labored as a bouncer and window washer after boxing.
TONY GRAZIANO, 103, upstate New York supervisor and venerable proprietor of Graziano’s Casa Mia, the mainstay restaurant and watering gap that was a compulsory cease for guests to the Worldwide Boxing Corridor of Fame, died in Canastota in December. Graziano was proprietor, cook dinner, bartender, confidant from 1964-2018 at Graziano’s, whose partitions have been adorned with signed boxing images, intermixed with Graziano household portraits and work. An period ended when the Oneida tribe purchased Graziano’s restaurant – together with Tony’s two-floor motel behind it – in 2021, razing the complete space (it stays vacant). Graziano guided Billy Backus to the world welterweight championship in 1970, when Backus shocked Jose Napoles on the Warfare Memorial in Syracuse (to be truthful, Napoles was stopped on a reduce within the fourth in a battle that had not discovered its legs – he stopped Backus in a rematch). Graziano additionally steered Rocky Fratto to a jr. middleweight title shot within the Eighties. Graziano served in World Warfare II as a paratrooper and noticed motion through the D-Day invasion in addition to the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded twice throughout service. To place Tony’s lifespan in perspective, he was born 5 years earlier than the Dempsey-Tunney Lengthy Depend.
EDDIE GREGG, 75, New York heavyweight, died in his sleep in October at his North Carolina dwelling. Gregg was an impressive faculty athlete who’s data for interceptions in a single sport (5) and rebounds (31) in single soccer and basketball video games nonetheless stand at Winston-Salem State College. Gregg received two New York Golden Gloves titles earlier than turning professional in 1979 at age 29, going 24-3-1 (18 KO’s) in a quick profession that lasted lower than seven years. Gregg was unbeaten in his first 21 fights earlier than assembly James Broad (then 15-1) for the NABF heavyweight title in 1984. Each males have been 6-foot-5 and the winner can be rewarded with a WBC world rating. The hard-hitting Broad stopped Gregg in 8 rounds. Gregg rebounded 9 months later by beating Tex Cobb (truly flooring Cobb as soon as), however didn’t get a title shot at Larry Holmes he claimed Don King had promised earlier than the battle. A 12 months later, Gregg fell in a single spherical to Gerry Cooney and completed his profession one battle later a first-round sufferer to Francesco Damiani.
RONALD GWALTNEY, 70, Tennessee heavyweight, died in June. Gwaltney scored two fast KO wins in 1990 over debut boxers. Gwaltney labored as a Westerly police officer for 25 years.
