CARMEN BASILIO - PRINTED PHOTOGRAPH SIGNED IN INK CO-SIGNED BY: GENE "CYCLONE" FULLMER - HFSID 268072

CARMEN BASILIO and GENE "CYCLONE" FULLMER
Black and white publicity photograph of Basilio and Fullmer being weighed in for their fight August 28, 1959
Printed Photograph Signed in Ink: "Carmen Basilio" and "Gene Fullmer". B/w, 10x8 overall, image 8¼x6½ (one surface). Captioned at lower margin: "Carmen Basilio * Gene Fullmer/Weigh In for Middleweight Title Fight San Francisco, Aug. 28, 59". When Basilio and Fullmer faced off for the vacant NBA Middleweight Championship in San Francisco on August 28, 1959, Fullmer defeated Basilio with a 14th round KO. The two would meet again in a title bout in June 1960 in Salt Lake City, where Fullmer was successful in defending his crown, defeating Basilio with a 12th round KO. CARMEN BASILIO (1927-2012) was World Welterweight Champion from 1955-1957. On September 23, 1957, he defeated Sugar Ray Robinson to become the World Middleweight Champion, giving up his Welterweight title. On March 25, 1958, however, Basilio lost his crown to Robinson. Both bouts were 15 round decisions. Basilio, who won 56 bouts (27 by KOs), lost 16 and fought seven draws, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. The most successful of the three boxing Fullmer brothers, Gene Fullmer (1931-2015) was World Middleweight Champion from January 22, 1957, when he won a 15-round decision over champ Sugar Ray Robinson until May 1, 1957 when Robinson KO'd him in the 5th round. From 1959-1962, he was NBA Middleweight Champion. In his 64 bouts, Fullmer won 55 (24 by KOs), lost six and fought three draws. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. Lightly creased at blank margins. Slightly soiled at lower left blank margin and upper background. Otherwise, fine condition.