Joey Giardello an original...

By ScottG


I was just reading about Joey Giardello yesterday who's real name was Carmine Orlando Tilelli. I was actually researching about another great fighter Joey Giambra Who beat Giardello and had a record of 65-10 -2 but never got a shot at the middleweight title. But back to Joey Giardello...He was born in Brooklyn but he lived most of his life in Philly He became a professional boxer in 1948 he built up a very good early record but like Giambra but, because of the underworld control of boxing, was denied a shot at the title. Giardello fought in the famous reverse of the reversal fight against Billy Graham The decision first was awarded to Graham, then later reversed to a decision in favor of Giardello, then reversed again, some time later, in favor of Graham. He fought and beat some of the best Boxers of that era he was 5-3-1 against other boxers in the Hall of Fame, including a 2-2 mark against Dick Tiger. He won the title against Tiger and held it for two(2) years even defending against Ruben "Hurricane" Carter. which was later portrayed in the movie "The hurricane." Giardello later sued the makers of the movie for "thoroughly false depiction" of his bout with Rubin Carter in Norman Jewison's 1999 film The Hurricane. "In a key scene, the film shows a punch-drunk, blood-spattered Giardello being clearly beaten by Carter but winning a racially-tinged decision.... [Giardello had] suffered only a small cut over the left eye caused by a butt in the 4th round and won what a majority at ringside thought was a clear decision over a listless Carter...." Giardello settled out-of-court for an undisclosed sum and Jewison's agreement to make a statement on the DVD version of the film that Giardello "no doubt" was a great fighter.
He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993 and was also inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame. His career record was 101 wins, 25 losses and 7 draws. They don't make them like that anymore.