Tommy Hearns
08-06-2007, 06:41 PM
Admittedly, I’ve been a huge Giardello fan ever since I first saw the man on film dismantling Garth Panter at Madison Square Garden; nonetheless, this post isn’t bias driven. Bearing an impressive resume amidst one of the toughest decades in middleweight history and an equally impressive skill set, even Hopkins is surpassed as Philly’s 160 pound king IMO (even with consistency taken into account).
Giardello, whose famed poor training habits often included smoking, regularly entered the ring with minimal preparation yet still managed to tame some of the toughest, most rugged powerhouses the middleweight division had to offer. Joey’s mentality was simply fight anyone, anywhere, at anytime, and he made sure to put that into full effect throughout his career. Wins over Dick Tiger and Rubin Carter, as well as a Ring Magazine “Fight Of The Year” worthy victory over Henry Hank and a controversial draw with Gene Fullmer are all but a few of his more notable performances.
Sure, Hopkins’s eye catching twenty title defenses dwarf Giardello’s one in comparison, but in the same sense look at the numbers; Giardello had 100 plus fights prior to his second title shot as opposed to Hopkins’s 29.
Head to head it’s close; both fighters were expert counter punchers and all in all very crafty opponents for anyone at the 160 pound mark. Joey was generally less safety first and mechanical than Bernard; he worked the ring well and had a sharp jab, but he never shied away from getting his hands dirty or mixing it up with the big guys. His mandible was chiseled out of the same rock as Halger, Antuofermo, and LaMotta as well. I’ve seen Giardello take full fledged bombs from Spider Webb and Rubin Carter without batting an eye. In order to stop him you had to cut him, and even that wasn’t easy. Fighting with the type of regularity against the caliber of opposition he did, you picked up a thing or two. Forget the multiple feints, sly blocking and shifting, subtle head movement, or even his cleverly crafted right cross that saw Panter, Troy, and Cartier to the canvas; Giardello had mastered the art of deception and then some.
Hopkins on the other hand was more dangerous on the inside and more strategically efficient, but lacked the malleability to deal with someone as versatile as Giardello IMO.
The bottom line: Giardello’s inconsistency is outweighed by his win resume and head-to-head ability, earning him at the very least consideration for a top ten spot on middleweight lists and recognition as Philly’s finest 160 pound fighter ever.
Giardello, whose famed poor training habits often included smoking, regularly entered the ring with minimal preparation yet still managed to tame some of the toughest, most rugged powerhouses the middleweight division had to offer. Joey’s mentality was simply fight anyone, anywhere, at anytime, and he made sure to put that into full effect throughout his career. Wins over Dick Tiger and Rubin Carter, as well as a Ring Magazine “Fight Of The Year” worthy victory over Henry Hank and a controversial draw with Gene Fullmer are all but a few of his more notable performances.
Sure, Hopkins’s eye catching twenty title defenses dwarf Giardello’s one in comparison, but in the same sense look at the numbers; Giardello had 100 plus fights prior to his second title shot as opposed to Hopkins’s 29.
Head to head it’s close; both fighters were expert counter punchers and all in all very crafty opponents for anyone at the 160 pound mark. Joey was generally less safety first and mechanical than Bernard; he worked the ring well and had a sharp jab, but he never shied away from getting his hands dirty or mixing it up with the big guys. His mandible was chiseled out of the same rock as Halger, Antuofermo, and LaMotta as well. I’ve seen Giardello take full fledged bombs from Spider Webb and Rubin Carter without batting an eye. In order to stop him you had to cut him, and even that wasn’t easy. Fighting with the type of regularity against the caliber of opposition he did, you picked up a thing or two. Forget the multiple feints, sly blocking and shifting, subtle head movement, or even his cleverly crafted right cross that saw Panter, Troy, and Cartier to the canvas; Giardello had mastered the art of deception and then some.
Hopkins on the other hand was more dangerous on the inside and more strategically efficient, but lacked the malleability to deal with someone as versatile as Giardello IMO.
The bottom line: Giardello’s inconsistency is outweighed by his win resume and head-to-head ability, earning him at the very least consideration for a top ten spot on middleweight lists and recognition as Philly’s finest 160 pound fighter ever.