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 Gavilan Gone but not Forgotten
by Lee Groves (February 18, 2003)
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As I watched SportsCenter early Friday afternoon, I read a sobering report on ESPN's ever-present "Bottom Line": "Boxing: Former welterweight champion Kid Gavilan dies at age 77 of a heart attack." I knew "The Keed had been in failing health in the past few years, but the news jolted me just the same.
Pondering the weight of the news, my mind flashed through time and space, making instant associations of Gavilan's fistic deeds. The first image, of course, was his famous bolo punch, a sweeping, wide-arcing uppercut that thrilled fans and confounded opponents. It was a punch that Gavilan made his own, and though many others have tried to emulate it, none have duplicated the artistry with which Gavilan delivered it.
The bolo carried special meaning to Gavilan because as a boy named Gerardo Gonzalez, he spent many days using that same motion while cutting sugar cane with a machete in Camaguey, Cuba, where he was born in 1926. As days became months, and months became years, Gavilan perfected his technique and, being an imaginative sort, translated that technique into his ring style. The rest, they say, is history.
Gavilan's ring history began at age 10, and he engaged in 60 amateur fights before turning pro at age 17 with a four-round decision over Antonio Diaz in Havana. Over the next several years, Gavilan developed a slick boxing style that featured quick-handed flurries, deft upper-body movement and some ring moves that haven't been seen before or since. One of those moves was called the "rhumba step," in which Gavilan backed into a corner and moved back and forth between the two sets of ropes while literally dancing the rhumba.
Without exception, his opponent would look at Gavilan with disbelief and bewilderment in his eyes.
As the years went by, Gavilan continued to learn his craft while steadily increasing the quality of his opposition. In his early 20s, he fought men like Gene Burton (D 10), Ike Williams (L 10) and Tommy Bell (W 10) before landing a non-title fight wiht the great Sugar Ray Robinson, who was already being considered by fans and the insiders of the day as one of the greatest fighters who ever lived.
The match took place Sept. 23, 1948 in New York and by all accounts, the 22-year-old Gavilan gave as good as he got before dropping a 10-round decision. Although he lost, Gavilan's stock in the boxing world rose. It was clear Gavilan learned some lessons from the peerless Sugar Ray as he ripped off seven straight wins over the likes of Ben Buker and Ike Williams (twice) before earning a rematch with Robinson for the welterweight title on July 11, 1949 at Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia.
The pre-fight talk centered on whether Robinson could make the 147-pound limit without weakening himself. At the weigh-in, Robinson hit the limit on the nose while Gavilan weighed 144 1/2. A picture taken at the weigh-in showed Gavilan reacting with mock surprise as Robinson confidently stood on the scale. The fight was another close affair, but Robinson came away with another hard-fought 15-round decision.
Undeterred, Gavilan continued to plug away, beating world-class opponents like Rocky Castellani, Beau Jack, Laurent Dauthuille, Billy Graham, Tony Janiro, Joe Miceli and Eugene "Silent" Hairston. But Gavilan wasn't perfect, as he lost fights to Graham, Hairston, Robert Villemain, Lester Felton and George Costner, plus fought a draw with Tommy Ciarolo.
Two years after the rematch with Robinson, Gavilan won the vacant welterweight title by beating Johnny Bratton over 15 rounds in Madison Square Garden. His first defense would turn out to be one of the most controversial fights in boxing history, his rubber match with Graham at the Garden. It was a tale of two fights, with Graham winning many of the first eight rounds and Gavilan coming on strong down the stretch. When all was said and done, Gavilan was declared the winner on a split decision. As referee Mark Conn held Gavilan's hand aloft, "The Keed" danced a little jig in the middle of the ring as the boos rained down upon him.
Gavilan took many non-title fights during his championship reign, and he won more than he lost. But when it came time to defend his title, he did so with his typical flair. After defeating Bobby Dykes by decision, he knocked out tough Gil Turner in 11 rounds and handed Graham another decision loss. Popular TV fighter Chuck Davey was seen as a threat to Gavilan's title, but the Cuban used his skills to slice and dice Davey before knocking him out in 10 rounds.
Carmen Basilio gave Gavilan a stern test during their fight at Syracuse's War Memorial Stadium on Sept. 18, 1953. Basilio, a big underdog in the betting, dropped Gavilan for a nine-count in round two, only the second knockdown in Gavilan's long career. Basilio dominated the first half of the fight, but Gavilan slowly made his way back in the later rounds, earning another controversial split decision.
Five months after retaining the title against Johnny Bratton, Gavilan attempted to emulate his former conqueror Sugar Ray Robinson by rising in weight to challenge for the middleweight title. Unfortunately for the Cuban, Carl "Bobo" Olson was equal to the task as he won a 15-rounder in Chicago.
Following a six-month hiatus, Gavilan, who many say was the recipient of several gift decisions, was on the wrong end of a questionable call when Johnny Saxton won a decision in Chicago. Following that loss, Gavilan's form dropped off considerably, winning only nine of his next 26 fights before announcing his retirement in 1958. In all, Gavilan compiled a record of 107-30-6 with 28 knockouts.
In his retirement years, the honors befitting a great former champion flowed toward Gavilan. He was a frequent guest at banquets, boxing shows and other boxing-related events. He was elected to Ring Magazine's Hall of Fame in 1966 and was one of the inaugural members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He often visited Canastota during the annual induction festivities, and it was there that I met him for the first, and only, time.
The meeting took place on June 12, 1997 at Graziano's restaurant, the main gathering spot during the weekend's nighttime hours. The bar was jammed with hundreds of people because that year's marquee inductee, Sugar Ray Leonard, was signing dozens of autographs for the adoring fans that surrounded his table. After accommodating the fans that circled his table six-deep, boxing historian Hank Kaplan brought a special guest to Sugar Ray's table: the great Kid Gavilan. Leonard's eyes lit up with recognition as he enthusiastically greeted his legendary guest.
With dozens of fans looking on, the two great champions sat and talked boxing for several minutes. Although Gavilan was clearly in failing health, it was obvious that he, too, was thrilled with meeting one of his peers.
After a few minutes, Leonard excused himself to go to another part of the restaurant and some of the fans who were there to see Leonard left with him. As boxing fans and historians, both Hank Kaplan and I stayed with the Kid.
Kaplan, ever the gentleman, formally introduced me to Gavilan and requested that he sign my copy of Harry Mullan's "The Great Book of Boxing" that featured a terrific action photo of Gavilan's fight with Gaspar Ortega. And ever the gentleman himself, Gavilan complied by slowly signing his name in crisp, cursive script underneath the picture of himself.
Kid Gavilan, ever the picture of class in the squared circle, remained the picture of class in the squared circle of life until the day he died.
Rest in peace, gran campeon.
To Contact Lee Groves Send e-mail to: lgroves@ovis.net
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