Johnny Saxton

Infobox_Boxer


name = Johnny Saxton
nationality = United States
realname =
nickname =
weight = Welterweight
birth_date = Birth date and age|1930|7|4|mf=y
birth_place = Newark, New Jersey
style = Orthodox
total = 66
wins = 55
KO = 21
losses = 9
draws = 2
no contests = 0

Johnny Saxton (born July 4, 1930, in Newark, NJ) was a professional boxer in the welterweight (147lb) division.

Saxton learned to box in a Brooklyn orphanage and had an outstanding amateur career, winning 31 of 33 fights.

Professional career

Saxton turned professional in 1949 and ran up forty wins without a defeat before losing to Gil Turner in 1953. His win over Joey Giardello and Johnny Bratton helped propel him to fight with Kid Gavilan in 1954 for the world welterweight championship. He beat Gavilan via a fifteen-round decision to take the title. The lost the title the following year via technical knockout against Tony DeMarco. In 1956 he won the title again with an upset win over Carmen Basilio, but lost the title in a rematch with Basilio later in the year. He retired in 1958.

Managed by Frank "Blinky" Palermo, a boxing manager linked to organized crime, Saxton's career was often marred by rumors of shady dealings. His two biggerst wins, against Gavilan and Basilio, were both controversial and unpopular with many in the boxing world. [Citation
last = Shelton
first = Alan
title = Johnny Saxton: Fate Finally Smiles
journal = Boxing Digest
volume = 41, no. 6
page = 56
date = July 1999]

His career Record: Won 55 (KOs 21) Lost 9 Draw 2

After boxing

Saxton worked as a security guard and a boxing coach after he retired. A hit-and-run accident left him with damage to one leg, and by the early 1990s he was living in a New York City apartment that had no electricity. A friend helped Saxton move to a retirement home in Florida. He was diagnosed with pugilistic dementia. [Citation
last = Shelton
journal = Boxing Digest
volume = 41, no. 6
page = 57
date = July 1999]

See also

External links

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References