Look Who it Was Random video

Kid Gavilan vs Billy Graham III 29.8.1951 (Selected Rounds) - NBA World Welterweight Championship

3,367 views · Published 28 December 2015 · 10:11 · Indexed 8 November 2026

Channel: Classic Boxing Matches · 2015 · Sports

Watch on YouTube

"The Cuban Hawk" Kid Gavilan defends his NBA World Welterweight Title against old foe, "Irish" Billy Graham.  The result after 15 rounds was so controversial it almost caused a riot and the referee had to be escorted from the ring under police protection.  More info below...  

Kid Gavilan and Billy Graham were no strangers to each other.  They had already fought twice the previous year, with Graham winning the first encounter by split decision and Gavilan winning the second by majority decision, both over 10 rounds.  Since their last meeting however, Gavilan had gone on to win the NBA World Welterweight Title from Johnny Bratton, but because the matter of who the better boxer was between Gavilan and Graham had not yet been settled, not all the boxing community recognized Gavilan as the true world champion...

Kid Gavilan was a tremendous boxer.  He was often credited as having invented the bolo punch, which is inaccurate, as Ceferino Garcia had been using the punch almost a decade earlier.  But, if Ceferino had popularized it, then Gavilan perfected it.  He had fought and lost to the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson twice, in 1948 and 1949, however on both occasions he made a solid showing with some fans feeling he was hard done by not getting the win in their first encounter.  Gavilan had also fought World Lightweight Champion Ike Williams three times, winning two out of three.  He had beaten the many tough contenders like Rocky Castellani, Laurent Dauthuille and former World Light Weight Champion, Beau Jack.  His record coming into this fight was 74-12-3.

Billy Graham had an even better 91-6-6 record, but, in 103 fights he had never fought for a championship of any kind...  He did however hold the distinction of having beaten Sugar Ray Robinson in the amateur ranks.  

The fight was very back and forth but after 15 rounds Gavilan was the winner by an extremely controversial 15 round split decision with Referee Mark Conn having the final say.  Graham had reportedly out-boxed the champion during the middle and late rounds making Gavilan miss awkwardly with long lefts and rights, however the lead Gavilan had established in the opening rounds and a couple he managed to steal in the middle-to-late rounds were enough to keep him ahead.  With this win, Gavilan received universal recognition as World Welterweight Champion.

Due to the controversy surrounding the outcome of this fight, both men would meet again the following year for Gavilan's World Welterweight Title.  This time however, Gavilan would leave no doubt as to who the better boxer was, pulling of the performance of his career and winning a lopsided 15 round decision.  Gavilan would go on to defend his welterweight title against the likes of Bobby Dykes, Carmen Basilio, Johnny Bratton and undefeated fighters Chuck Davey and Gil Turner.  In 1954 Gavilan challenged Carl Bobo Olson for the World Middleweight Title but came up short over 15 rounds, losing a close majority decision.  In his very next fight Gavilan would lose his World Welterweight Title to Johnny Saxton over 15 dull rounds amid rumors of a possible fix...  Following the loss of his title Gavilan's career went downhill fast, losing many dubious split decisions including a world welterweight title eliminator in 1957 against Gaspar Ortega, a man he had previously beaten.  He retired the following year with 108-30-5 record.

Billy Graham would go on to have a famous trilogy of fights with Joey Giardello in New York, losing their first 2 encounters by split decision over 10 rounds but pulling off the win of his career in their third fight over 12 rounds in 1953.  He would also have a trilogy of fights with Carmen Basilio, going 1-1-1 against the future World Welterweight and World Middleweight Champion.  Graham retired in 1955 with a 102-15-9 record and the remarkable distinction of never having been knocked off his feet.

More from this channel