Tony Anthony

Tony Anthony, born Ernest Anthony Jr in New York City on February 6, 1935, was a tall, hard-punching light-heavyweight who rose from the city’s amateur tournaments to challenge Archie Moore for the world championship. Standing 6ft 1in with a reach of approximately 75 inches, Anthony boxed from the orthodox stance and possessed unusual height for a 175-pounder of his period. His final record of 41 victories, nine defeats and one draw included 30 wins inside the distance, evidence that he was considerably more than a rangy points boxer.

Anthony developed through New York’s highly competitive amateur system. Fighting under his birth name, Ernest Anthony, he won the sub-novice lightweight class at the New York Golden Gloves in 1951. A year later, he took the New York Daily News Golden Gloves open welterweight championship and the New York Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions at the same weight. He also won the inaugural National AAU light-middleweight championship in 1952. Those honours marked him as one of the country’s leading young amateurs, combining natural size with speed and genuine punching strength.

Published records sometimes give Anthony’s professional debut as December 18, 1952, but the present BoxRec record begins on November 5 at the Arena in Cleveland. There he stopped George Boddie, an opponent who had already boxed professionally, by technical knockout. Anthony’s appearance against the debuting Lou Ford at the Jefferson County Armory in Louisville on December 18 was his second professional contest, which he won by knockout. That distinction matters because the Cleveland bout forms part of his official 41-9-1 record.

Anthony was matched frequently from the beginning. During the opening months of 1953, he travelled between Syracuse, Johnstown, Chicago, Fall River and Brooklyn, usually appearing only days or weeks apart. He knocked out Gordon Perry and Joe Shaw, stopped Ronnie Moore, Al Niang and Jose Contreras, and then suffered his first defeat when Miguel Mendivil stopped him at the War Memorial Arena in Johnstown. Anthony returned promptly, winning 12 successive contests. Eddie Dixon took him the distance twice, but most of the others did not. His run included stoppages of Tommy Smith, Roy Alston, Richie Anderson, Andy Mayfield, Wilfredo Miro and Lou King.

That sequence ended in July 1954 when Willie Troy knocked him out at the Eastern Parkway Arena in Brooklyn. Anthony was still only 19 and learning against experienced professionals. His record illustrates how promising fighters were developed during the period: regular work, frequent travel, and relatively little protection from defeat. He was stopped again by Bobby Boyd at St Nicholas Arena in August 1955, but neither reverse prevented him from progressing. Anthony rebuilt with victories over Claude Chapman and Lloyd Triplett before entering the most productive phase of his career.

In 1956 he stopped Clarence Floyd at Madison Square Garden, knocked out Frank McGarry at Chicago Stadium and halted Tony Johnson back at the Garden. A split-decision victory over Clarence Hinnant in Washington was followed by a significant knockout of Gordon Wallace at Madison Square Garden. Anthony’s combination of height and power was now causing difficulty for established light-heavyweights. He could work behind the jab at range, but his high knockout percentage showed that he was prepared to commit the right hand and attack once an opponent had been hurt.

His breakthrough came against Chuck Spieser at Detroit’s Olympia Stadium on April 5, 1957. Spieser, a former United States Olympian, was an accomplished boxer and the contest served as an eliminator for the world light-heavyweight championship. Anthony knocked him out, extending an impressive run of stoppage victories and establishing himself as a legitimate challenger to Archie Moore. He returned to the same arena in June to face Canadian and British Empire champion Yvon Durelle. Their ten-round contest ended in a draw, although many observers believed Durelle had done enough to win. Whatever the argument over the verdict, Anthony retained his position near the head of the division.

Moore defended the world championship against him at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles on September 20, 1957. Anthony was 22 and entered with a record of 31 wins, four defeats and one draw. Moore was officially 43 and had already completed more than 190 professional contests. The champion required six visits to the scales before making the 175-pound limit, while Anthony weighed 172. Youth, activity and mobility appeared to favour the challenger, but the advantage in ring knowledge rested overwhelmingly with Moore.

Anthony boxed capably in the opening rounds, using his legs and attempting to exploit his speed. Moore remained behind his cross-armed guard, conserved his strength and gradually reduced the challenger’s room. Anthony’s punches were not sufficient to discourage him. Moore began finding the target more regularly as the contest developed and knocked Anthony down in the sixth round. The bell enabled the younger man to survive, but the end came in the seventh. An overhand right sent Anthony heavily to the canvas and referee Mushy Callahan immediately declared the fight over at 2 minutes 29 seconds. It was Anthony’s only challenge for a world championship.

His response to defeat was commendable. Six months later he met Durelle again, this time at Madison Square Garden. Anthony reversed the disputed result of their first contest by stopping the Canadian in the seventh round. It was one of the best victories of his career, particularly in light of Durelle’s subsequent performance against Moore. Nine months later, Durelle came close to taking the championship when he dropped Moore four times before being knocked out in the eleventh round.

Anthony followed the Durelle victory by stopping Art Miller, Orville Pitts and Calvin Brad. He then defeated Archie McBride by split decision in Syracuse and stopped him in their immediate return at Baltimore. A unanimous decision over the unbeaten Sonny Ray at Madison Square Garden completed another strong sequence. Anthony remained a dangerous contender, but the loss to Moore was followed by increasing difficulty maintaining consistent form against ranked opposition.

In January 1959 he lost a split decision to Reuben Vargas at Madison Square Garden. Anthony outpointed Sonny Ray in their return but was then beaten on points by Jesse Bowdry at Chicago Stadium. Victories over Bob Young and Alonzo Johnson briefly steadied his career. Billy Hunter stopped him at Madison Square Garden in October 1959, however, and Anthony did not box again for more than a year. He returned against Johnson at the Palisades Rink in McKeesport on November 15, 1960, but was stopped. At 25, after only eight years as a professional, he left the ring permanently.

Anthony’s record contains a clear distinction between his rise and his decline. He was a prolific knockout winner on his rise, developed through respected venues, and defeated credible contenders rather than reaching a title fight through careful matchmaking. His victories over Spieser, Hinnant, Wallace and Durelle established his standing. Madison Square Garden became a regular setting for his career, while appearances in Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore, Washington and Los Angeles placed him on major American promotions of the period.

His limitations were exposed by Moore, whose defence, patience and tactical control gradually removed Anthony’s advantages. Yet losing to one of boxing’s most experienced champions should not obscure the quality of the challenger. Anthony returned from that defeat to stop Durelle and remained among the better light-heavyweights of the late 1950s. He had the reach to box at distance, the power to end contests and the amateur schooling to operate against skilled opposition, though he proved vulnerable when caught cleanly by stronger or more seasoned men.

Tony Anthony died on May 31, 2012, aged 77. His career is sometimes reduced to the seventh-round knockout by Moore, but its broader outline merits attention. He was a decorated New York amateur, a world-title eliminator winner and a challenger who fought leading light-heavyweights during a strong period for the division. His 41-9-1 record, with 30 stoppages, accurately reflects a fighter whose championship ambition was supported by substantial results rather than reputation alone.