Joe Baksi

Infobox Boxer
name=Joe Baksi


realname=Joseph William Baksi
nickname=
weight=Heavyweight
nationality=Flagicon|USA American
birth_date=January 14 1922
birth_place=Kulpmont, Pennsylvania
death_date=August 6 1977
death_place=Albany, New York
style=Orthodox
total=72
wins=60
losses=9
draws=3
no contests=0
KO=29|

Joe Baksi (January 14, 1922 - August 6, 1977) was a top heavyweight contender who defeated fighters such as Tami Mauriello, Lee Savold, Lou Nova, and Freddie Mills, while losing decisions to Jersey Joe Walcott and Ezzard Charles.

Background

Joe Baksi was a child of the Kulpmont, Pennsylvania coal mines. He was quoted as saying that he never had any intention of being a boxer, but he saw it "as a ticket to a better way of life, out of the coal mines." [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30A1EF73A5B167493CAA91783D85F438785F9 Joe Baksi Dies at 55] ,"NY Times", August 8, 1977, p26 ] He broke into professional boxing in 1940 at the age of 18. He beat 9 boxers that year, including the future movie actor Jack Palance (who fought under the name of "Jack Brazzo") at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY. [ [http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=041420 Boxing Records] Official records for Jack Palance "aka" Jack Brazzo] [ Lawrence Christon, [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/21416664.html?dids=21416664:21416664&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Apr+30%2C+1995&author=Lawrence+Christon&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=3&desc=Home+on+the+Range+It%27s+been+a+long%2C+dusty+journey+since+%60Panic+in+the+Streets%27+and+%60Shane.%27+These+days%2C+Jack+Palance+is+tough+as+boot+leather-except+when+it+comes+to+talking+about+his+own+life "Home on the Range It's been a long, dusty journey since Panic in the Streets and Shane"] , "The Los Angeles Times", April 30, 1995, Calendar Section. "Palance recounts a "pier 6 brawl" with Baksi"] [ [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117953728.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 Oscar-winning thesp Palance dies] , "Variety", November 10, 2006]

Becoming a contender

Baksi campaigned over the boxing circuit for a number of years, until he got his first big match with Tami Mauriello on February 25, 1944 at Madison Square Garden. Mauriello was the 5-11 favorite, and the bronx contender for the Heavyweight crown. Mauriello was expected to win, based on his experience. Baski hoped to win by matching punch with punch and using his 210 vs. 196 lb weight advantage to his favor. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30714FF3A58157A93C7AB1789D85F408485F9 Mauriello Choice to Vanquish Baksi] "NY Times", February 25, 1944, p20 ] Tami was floored late in the first round with a left hook by Baksi, and was down for a nine count. Tami faced a battering and battled back to prevent his first knockout defeat. Baksi won by unanimous decision. [James Dawson, [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10A11F6395C167B93C4AB1789D85F408485F9 Baksi Outpoints Mauriello in 10-Round Upset] , "NY Times", February 26, 1944, p18]

Baksi's upset over Tami sprang him to nation-wide prominence. He was the favorite to beat Lee Savold two weeks later at the Garden, having the weight advantage and coming off his victory over Mauriello (who had beaten Savold twice before). [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10612FD3A58157A93C2A81788D85F408485F9 Baksi 1-2 Choice to Defeat Savold] , "NY Times", March 10, 1944, p18 ] But Baksi was a tyro compared to Savold. Baksi got off to a slow start, and though he showed advantage in the ninth and tenth rounds Savold boxed his way with left hooks and jabs to win a split decision that night. [ Joseph Nichols, [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0E15F83B54107B93C3A81788D85F408485F9 Savold Beats Baksi in Heavyweight Bout] , "NY Times", March 11, 1944, p18] They had a rematch on March 10, 1944. This time, Savold was the 5-7 favorite. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F2071EFB385C167B93C4AB178ED85F408485F9 Savold 5-7 Choice to Vanquish Baksi] , "NY Times", May 26, 1944, p14] Baksi was in better shape that night, and fought a careful fight, out "left-handing" Savold, who was thought to have the best southpaw amongst the heavyweight contenders. At the finish Savold's left eye was cut, his nose and mouth bleeding, and his left side looked like raw hamburger. Baksi's only wound was a broken nose. [ Joseph Nichols, [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10C1EF93855157B93C5AB178ED85F408485F9 Baksi Decisively Outpoints Savold in 12-Round Heavyweight Bout] , "NY Times", May 27, 1944, p20] He won a unanimous decision. His victory advanced him to be ranked 4th in the N.B.A rankings, behind champion Joe Louis, and boxers Billy Conn and Jimmy Bivins. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0811F63859147B93C6A8178CD85F408485F9 Baksi Placed 4th in N.B.A Rankings] , "NY Times", July 14, 1944, p18] Baksi went on to beat Savold again on August 7, 1944.

In his next fight, Baksi defeated Finnish boxer Gunnar ("GeeBee") Baerlund and then scheduled a fight with his former sparring partner Lee Oma on January 28, 1945. Oma, unknown six months previously, gained fame by putting up a spirited fight against Mauriello in September. Oma lost that fight but earned a rematch in December, which he won. Still, Baksi was a 1-3 favorite to beat Oma. He had a 25-pound advantage over Oma, and corresponding advantages in height, reach, and punching power. But he lacked mental alertness that night, having suffered a cold over the last several days before the fight. He made a late comeback in the fight, but lost the fight by a unanimous decision. [ James Dawson, [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F5091FF9355C1B7B93C5AB178AD85F418485F9 Oma Beats Baksi in Boxing Upset] , "NY Times", January 27, 1945, p17]

Baksi went on to win a unanimous decision against Lou Nova on March 30, flooring Nova in the fourth round with a left hook to the ribs that kept Nova down for a count of nine. [Joseph Nichols, [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10A14F73D5F1B7B93C3AA1788D85F418485F9 Baksi Beats Nova] , "NY Times", March 31, 1945, p25] Baksi was now the second ranked (wartime) heavyweight. He scored easy decisions against Lee Dixie Oliver and Larry Lane, and then fought a thirty-one year old Jersey Joe Walcott. Walcott had lost earlier bouts with world-class professionals, and was an underdog against Baksi. But Walcott won, scoring 6-3-1 on the single referees scorecard. Walcott's dancing and dodging allowed him to escape Baksi's reach, and he was able to get in enough hooks to make Baksi groggy. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30E1EFD3D5D107A93C1A91783D85F418485F9 Walcott Outboxes Baksi] , "NY Times", August 3, 1945, p20] Baksi lost his next fight with Jimmy Bell (a split decision in which Baksi was penalized two rounds for a low blow), but then racked up four easy wins before traveling to Europe.

externalimage|align=right|width=200px|
http://www.webcitation.org/5ZGN3n0Nt Baksi in his prime] |
http://www.webcitation.org/5ZGNKf6vx Post Card]

http://www.webcitation.org/5ZGN84GYo Bow Tie Advert]

Europe and back

Baksi left for Europe on October 9, 1946 to fight the two British champions. He first defeated British light heavy weight champion Freddie Mills. Baksi was sluggish in the first round, but Mills (who had chronic eye problems) suffered a cut in his right eye in the second round, and his left eye in the third. After a bad battering, Mills gave up at the end of the sixth round. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0B15FA3A5C107A93C4A9178AD95F428485F9 Baksi Stops Mills] , "NY Times", November 6, 1946, p41] Baksi then went on to fight British heavyweight champion Bruce Woodcock. Baksi floored Woodcock three times in the first round and twice in the second. Woodcock made a comeback in the fifth, but Baksi was scoring at will when the referee stopped it in the seventh. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00C14F93E5A147B93C4A8178FD85F438485F9 American Batters British Champion] , "NY Times", April 16, 1947, p33] Woodcock went to the hospital with a broken jaw.

After defeating Woodcock, Baksi was scheduled to fight Joe Louis for the world heavyweight title. Baksi, still in Europe after the Woodcock fight, signed a contract to fight the Swedish champion, Olle Tandberg in Stockholm. Baksi was the 1-5 favorite to beat Tandberg, and 1-3 favorite to knock him out by the seventh round. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60E1EF83958147B93C4A9178CD85F438485F9 Baksi 1-5 Favorite In Stockholm Bout] , "NY Times", July 6, 1947, p89] Baksi was going into the ring with 6 straight victories (five by knockout), while Tandberg had only been fighting since 1943, and only against local fighters. Then, in what the New York Times reported as the greatest upset in years, Baksi lost a split decision. Even Tandberg was surprised, saying after the fight "I didn't believe I had won the fight. I thought I was too much on the defensive in the closing rounds." [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB081FF83A5A147B93C5A9178CD85F438485F9 Decision Awarded To Swedish Boxer] , "NY Times", July 7, 1947, p21]

After his stunning defeat, Baksi took a year off. He was still the third ranked heavyweight contender, behind Jersey Joe Walcott and Ezzard Charles, and ahead of Lee Savold, [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10915F73954177A93C5A81782D85F4C8485F9 NBA Keeps Louis at Top of Division] , "NY Times", September 17, 1948, p35] when he scheduled a fight with Ezzard Charles. The winner of that fight would have a title match with Joe Louis. Charles, the 5-14 favorite, defeated Baksi by TKO in the seventh. [ James Dawson, [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50C12F7385A157B93C3A81789D95F4C8485F9 Charles Stops Baksi in Eleventh to Become Leading Contender] , "NY Times", December 11, 1948, p19]

Later career

After being beaten by Charles, his status as a contender faded. After beating some obscure and aging boxers, he went into semi-retirement in 1951. He then made a come back attempt in 1954. His first comeback match was with Billy Smith, who he knocked out in the first round. His second was with a tougher opponent, Bob Baker. Baker was the 7-5 favorite. Baksi had little to offer except courage and stamina, and lost by unanimous decision. Baksi's manager, Leo Feureisen, collapsed during the fight and died in the dressing room a short while after. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60712FB3E5E107B93C7AB178ED85F408585F9 Baker Sets Back Baksi on Points] , "NY Times", May 25, 1954, p32] Baksi went into permanent retirement after the bout. He then became a teamster and later an ironworker and joined the International Brotherhood of Ironworkers.

Trivia

In the book "Trainspotting", by Irvine Welsh, several of the characters use the phrase Joe Baksi to refer to a taxicab (taxi). The phrase is an example of rhyming slang and is used infrequently throughout the UK.

References

ources

*
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30714FF3A58157A93C7AB1789D85F408485F9 MAURIELLO CHOICE TO VANQUISH BAKSI; Bronx Heavyweight Rated 5-7 Edge in Ten-Round Bout at the Garden Tonight]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10A11F6395C167B93C4AB1789D85F408485F9 Baksi Outpoints Mauriello in 10-Round Upset Before 16,015 Fans at Garden; BRONX BOXER LOSES HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT Baksi Floors Mauriello for 9 in First and Carries On to Unanimous Decision BODY BLOWS WEAKEN TAMI Pennsylvanian Forces Action Throughout Spirited Fight]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10612FD3A58157A93C2A81788D85F408485F9 BAKSI 1-2 CHOICE TO DEFEAT SAVOLD; Hard-Hitting Heavyweights to Meet in Ten-Rounder at the Garden Tonight]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0E15F83B54107B93C3A81788D85F408485F9 Savold Beats Baksi in Heavyweight Bout Before 15,947 at Garden; DES MIOS BOXER GETS SPLIT VERDICT Savold Tags Onrushing Baksi With Left Hooks and Jabs to Win 10-Round Fight BOTH LAND HARD PUNCHES But No Knockdowns Result]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F2071EFB385C167B93C4AB178ED85F408485F9 SAVOLD 5-7 CHOICE TO VANQUISH BAKSI; Heavyweights to Meet Over 12-Round Route in Return Garden Bout Tonight]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10C1EF93855157B93C5AB178ED85F408485F9 Baksi Decisively Outpoints Savold in 12-Round Heavyweight Bout at Garden; UNANIMOUS VERDICT FOR PENNSYLVANIAN Baksi's Sharp Left Helps Him Reverse Result of Previous Meeting With Savold]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0811F63859147B93C6A8178CD85F408485F9 BAKSI PLACED 4TH IN N.B.A. RANKINGS; Conqueror of Savold Is Rated Behind Louis, Conn, Bivins]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F4091EF93F5A157B93CAA91783D85F408485F9 BAKSI BEATS SAVOLD ON POINTS IN CHICAGO]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F5091FF9355C1B7B93C5AB178AD85F418485F9 OMA BEATS BAKSI IN BOXING UPSET; THE WINNER FORCING THE FIGHTING]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10A14F73D5F1B7B93C3AA1788D85F418485F9 BAKSI BEATS NOVA WITH LATE RALLY; CALIFORNIA HEAVYWEIGHT ON THE FLOOR]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30E1EFD3D5D107A93C1A91783D85F418485F9 WALCOTT OUTBOXES BAKSI; Notches Upset in Heavyweight Bout in Camden Ring]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0B15FA3A5C107A93C4A9178AD95F428485F9 BAKSI STOPS MILLS AT END OF SIXTH; British Boxer Fails to Answer Bell for Seventh as Both Eyes Are Injured]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00C14F93E5A147B93C4A8178FD85F438485F9 AMERICAN BATTERS BRITISH CHAMPION; Baksi Drops Woodcock 5 Times in First 2 Rounds -- London Bout Stopped in Seventh VICTOR IN LINE FOR LOUIS Pennsylvanian Qualifies for World Title Fight]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00811F93C58147B93C5A8178FD85F438485F9 BAKSI TURNS DOWN MATCH WITH LOUIS; Walcott and Bettina Possible Rivals for Heavyweight Champion June 26]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30812FA385A147B93C1A8178ED85F438485F9 BAKSI CHANGES HIS MIND; Now Says He Wants to Fight Louis in September]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60E1EF83958147B93C4A9178CD85F438485F9 BAKSI 1-5 FAVORITE IN STOCKHOLM BOUT; U.S. Boxer to Meet Tandberg Today -- Winner to Get Match With Louis]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB081FF83A5A147B93C5A9178CD85F438485F9 DECISION AWARDED TO SWEDISH BOXER; Verdict for Tandberg Over Baksi Is Called 'Disgrace' by American's Manager SURPRISE TO THE VICTOR Didn't Think He Had Fought So Well -- Result Snarls Plans for Louis Title Bout]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50C12F7385A157B93C3A81789D95F4C8485F9 Charles Stops Baksi in Eleventh to Become Leading Contender for Louis' Title; 11,194 SEE REFEREE HALT GARDEN FIGHT Baksi, Blinded by Systematic Beating, Is Stopped in 2:33 of Eleventh by Charles]
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,799563,00.html A Foe for Joe]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60712FB3E5E107B93C7AB178ED85F408585F9 BAKER SETS BACK BAKSI ON POINTS; Loser's Manager Dies After Ringside Collapse]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30A1EF73A5B167493CAA91783D85F438785F9 Joe Baksi Dies at 55; Was a Top Heavyweight; Fought Charles, Walcott]

Persondata
NAME= Baksi, Joe
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Boxer
DATE OF BIRTH=January 14, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH=Kulpmont, Pennsylvania
DATE OF DEATH=August 6, 1977
PLACE OF DEATH=Albany, New York