Real name Raffaele Giordano Wins 121 Height 1.71 m Nationality American Role Boxer Total fights 155 | Name Young III Division Welterweight Nickname(s) "Young Corbett III" Wins by KO 32 Martial art Boxing | |
 | ||
Died | ||
Young corbett iii w10 jackie fields
Young Corbett III (born Raffaele Giordano, May 27, 1905 – July 15, 1993) was an Italian-born American boxer. He was the World Welterweight Champion in 1933 and the NYSAC Middleweight champion in 1938. A tough southpaw, he did not have strong punching power but was known for his great speed. Corbett is considered one of the greatest southpaws of all time and one of the all-time great counterpunchers. He was inducted into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame in 1959, the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1982, and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.
Contents
- Young corbett iii w10 jackie fields
- 1993 07 news young corbett iii death
- Early life
- Boxing career
- Retirement and death
- Private life
- References
1993 07 news young corbett iii death
Early life
Born in Rionero in Vulture, in the Italian region of Basilicata, from Vito Giordano and Gelsomina Capobianco, he moved with his family to the United States when he was still an infant and was erroneously registered as Raffaele Capabianca Giordano. After four years of living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he moved to Fresno, California, and began boxing in 1919 while still a 14-year-old "newsboy." Initially known as Ralph Giordano, he got his stage name when a ring announcer told him he would not present him as Ralph Giordano and dubbed him "Young Corbett III" because his fighting style reminded him of William J. Rothwell, known as Young Corbett II.
Boxing career
Corbett fought many great fighters of his era. For example, he engaged in a four-fight series with future welterweight champion Young Jack Thompson, winning three and drawing once. He also scored wins over Jack Zivic, Sgt. Sammy Baker, and welterweight champion Jackie Fields and future middleweight king Ceferino Garcia.
On February 22, 1933, Corbett captured the welterweight championship of the world by decisioning Jackie Fields over 10 rounds. He hurt his left thumb in the fifth round but continued to fight undaunted. The referee Jack Kennedy remembered Corbett as "vicious in those first five rounds. He ripped him like a tiger. Fields could not protect himself". Three months later, he was dethroned by Hall of Famer Jimmy McLarnin via a one-round knockout.
Corbett then moved up to the middleweight division. He scored wins over future light heavy champ Gus Lesnevich (TKO 5), as well as Hall of Famers Mickey Walker, Billy Conn. On February 22, 1938 he beat Fred Apostoli, winning the middleweight championship. On November 18 of that year, he challenged Apostoli again, but was stopped in 8 rounds.
Retirement and death
Corbett boxed until August 20, 1940, winning his last fight against Richard "Sheik" Rangel. He retired with a 124-12-15 (32 KOs) record. He later operated a bar in Fresno. On October 2, 1945 Corbett survived a serious car accident, suffering a fractured skull and other injuries. He died after a long illness in Auberry, California at the age of 88. A statue of him, posed in a fighting stance and boxing gloves, was erected in Fresno. The sculpture was realized by Clement Renzi.
Private life
Beside the boxing career, Corbett was a physical education instructor for the California Highway Patrol and a grape grower. His cousin Al Manfredo (1912-1990) also was a boxer and later a boxing manager. Corbett is the great-grandfather of former American football safety Matt Giordano.