Johnny Saxton

Johnny Saxton was twice recognised as the undisputed welterweight champion of the world, yet his name remains tied as closely to the disreputable business surrounding boxing in the 1950s as to anything he achieved between the ropes. That was not entirely his fault. Saxton was an accomplished boxer who defeated several outstanding opponents, but his association with manager Frank “Blinky” Palermo and the disputed decisions over Kid Gavilan and Carmen Basilio ensured that his finest victories were viewed with lasting suspicion.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, on July 4, 1930, Saxton endured an unsettled childhood. He was passed among relatives before being placed in the Colored Orphan Asylum in the Bronx, where he learned to box. A foster mother later took him into her home in the Bedford-Stuyvesant district of Brooklyn. He developed his ability through the Police Athletic League and became one of New York’s leading amateurs, winning 31 of his 33 contests. He captured a New York Golden Gloves title and twice won the National AAU championship at welterweight, in 1947 and 1949.

Saxton turned professional at 18 under the management of Bill “Pop” Miller. His debut came at the Arena in Philadelphia on May 9, 1949, when he knocked out Jimmy Swann in the third round of a scheduled six-rounder. It began an unbeaten sequence lasting four years. Saxton was kept busy in Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, initially meeting the usual mixture of novices and experienced trial horses. He had the speed and amateur schooling to advance rapidly, though his handlers generally let him develop without unnecessary risk.

By the end of 1950, he had already defeated notable opponents such as Charley Salas, Joe Miceli, Sonny Bunn and Tony Pellone. The victory over Pellone at Madison Square Garden was particularly significant because it demonstrated that Saxton could operate successfully at the ten-round level. He was an orthodox boxer with quick hands, a sound jab and clever feet. At 5ft 9in, with a reach of almost 71 inches, he was well equipped for the welterweight division. He preferred to work at range, score rapidly and move before an opponent could establish his attack. He was not a destructive puncher, despite recording 21 stoppages, but his timing and accuracy could make him difficult to catch cleanly.

Palermo purchased Saxton’s original contract for a reported $10,000. Palermo was an influential Philadelphia manager whose position in boxing was later exposed as part of the criminal network controlled by Frankie Carbo. From that point on, Saxton’s career carried a shadow that never disappeared. Some of the opposition he faced during his unbeaten run was undistinguished, and several performances by his opponents drew criticism at the time. Nevertheless, Saxton also beat legitimate contenders, including Freddie Dawson, Luther Rawlings, Virgil Akins, Danny Womber and Ralph “Tiger” Jones.

His unbeaten record ended on September 29, 1953, when Gil Turner outpointed him over ten rounds in Philadelphia. Saxton had entered with 39 victories and one draw. He suffered another defeat three months later when Del Flanagan beat him by split decision in Minneapolis, but his position improved after he defeated future middleweight champion Joey Giardello and former welterweight champion Johnny Bratton. Giardello was naturally the heavier man and would later defeat Dick Tiger for the world middleweight championship. Saxton’s victory over him showed that there was genuine quality beneath the careful management.

That run earned Saxton a challenge against Kid Gavilan, the gifted Cuban who had ruled the welterweights since defeating Johnny Bratton in 1951. They met at Convention Hall in Philadelphia on October 20, 1954. Saxton boxed cautiously, relying on his jab, movement and counter-punching, while Gavilan pressed the action. After 15 rounds, the decision went unanimously to Saxton. The reaction was immediate and hostile. Most ringside writers believed Gavilan had retained his championship, and the verdict became one of the most disputed in welterweight history. Later revelations about Palermo and organised crime strengthened the belief that the result had been improperly influenced, although Saxton himself was never proved to have participated in any arrangement.

Saxton’s first reign lasted fewer than six months. He defended against Tony DeMarco at Boston Garden on April 1, 1955, and boxed well during the early rounds, using his speed to build an advantage. DeMarco, a powerful and determined local favourite, continued pressing and attacked the body as Saxton began to tire. In the 14th round, he overwhelmed the champion, knocked him down and forced the stoppage. Saxton had lost the title in a manner which admitted no controversy.

He rebuilt with three victories, then received another championship opportunity against Carmen Basilio at Chicago Stadium on March 14, 1956. Basilio had taken the crown from DeMarco and retained it in a punishing rematch. Saxton used movement and fast combinations, while Basilio pursued him relentlessly. A damaged glove caused a lengthy interruption after Basilio had badly hurt Saxton in the third round. Saxton recovered during the delay and boxed defensively through much of the remainder. After 15 rounds, he was awarded a unanimous decision and became welterweight champion for the second time.

The crowd greeted the verdict with loud derision, and many observers considered Basilio the clear winner. Saxton had boxed with skill and discipline, but once again his management background made a close decision look darker than it might otherwise have. Saxton remained publicly loyal to Palermo, maintaining that his manager had treated him honestly. It was an uncomfortable position for a champion whose reputation required distance from the very man directing his career.

The return with Basilio took place at the War Memorial Auditorium in Syracuse on September 12, 1956. Saxton departed from the mobile tactics that had served him in Chicago and elected to exchange at close quarters. He won the second round on all three official cards and later produced a useful spell with his jab, but he could not match Basilio’s strength, body punching or capacity for sustained combat. Basilio split Saxton’s lip in the seventh and had built a wide lead by the end of the eighth. In the ninth, an overhand right left Saxton unsteady. A left hook buckled his knees, and referee Al Berl intervened after one minute and 31 seconds as the battered champion struggled to remain upright. The contest was named The Ring’s Fight of the Year for 1956.

A third meeting followed in Cleveland on February 22, 1957. This time Basilio required less than two rounds to settle matters. Saxton was stopped again, and his career never recovered its former direction. He returned seven months later against Joe Miceli but was halted in the third round. After more than a year away, he edged Barry Allison on a split decision, then lost on points to the unbeaten Denny Moyer and was stopped in three rounds by Willie Greene. Saxton retired in December 1958 at the age of 28 with a record of 55 victories, nine defeats and two draws.

His life after boxing was unhappy. Despite holding one of the sport’s most valuable championships during the television age, he faced serious financial and personal difficulties. Tax authorities seized his property, and he later said that he had seen very little of the money supposedly earned during his career. He experienced periods of mental illness and legal trouble and spent time in state care. His circumstances illustrated a familiar and grim feature of the period: fighters generated substantial income while managers and other figures retained control of the business.

Saxton was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame in 1998 and died at Mangonia Park, Florida, on October 4, 2008, aged 78. His final record and two world championships confirm that he was considerably more than a manufactured contender. He was fast, well-schooled and capable of beating first-class opposition. Yet his career cannot be separated from Palermo, the controversial verdicts or the corruption that damaged American boxing during the 1950s. Saxton reached the summit twice, but the men around him ensured that history would never examine those achievements without first raising an eyebrow.