Ringside Report Looks Back at Tony Chiaverini
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Tony Chiaverini, 39-9-2, 26 KO’s is one of the most popular boxers to ever come out of Kansas City, Missouri. The 5-foot-8 southpaw Chiaverini, who was rated eighth in the world at middleweight in 1978, battled legendary fighters, Sugar Ray Leonard and Wilfredo Benitez, during his career. He was a tough brawler, with limited defensive skills, who displayed the courage to face the best in the world.
On July 24,1975, Tony began his career at the Fairgrounds in Topeka, Kansas, with a knockout win over Charles Cook. Chiaverini would register victories in his first six fights, five by knockout. However, he would suffer a controversial loss in his seventh fight when he opposed Doug Demmings in Minneapolis, Minnesota on February 7,1976. The controversy was centered on a dispute with the judge’s scorecards, which prompted the ring announcer to declare Demmings as the winner, but Chiaverini’s manager, Peyton Sher stated that the scorecards showed a draw and immediately protested the decision. However, the Minnesota state boxing commission ruled that the scores were indeed correct and upheld the decision. The Ring records this bout as a draw despite the ruling from the commission board.
On May 5th, the two combatants would square off in a rematch, once again in Minneapolis. This time there would be no controversy as Demmings walked away with a unanimous decision. Despite the setback, Chiaverini would post fourteen wins in his next fifteen fights, including impressive knockout wins over Chucho Garcia, Marcelo Quinones and Tony Gardner.
“Before a crowd of 6,000 fans in Municipal Auditorium, 24- year old middleweight Tony Chiaverini of Shawnee, Kansas, knocked out Tony Gardner of Memphis, Tenn., with a southpaw left hand to the chin at 2:25 of the 2nd round in the scheduled 10 round main event. Chiaverini set up Gardner with a body punch, driving him into the ropes before unloading the fight ending blow. The knockout punch contrasted dramatically with the slow first round in which only Gardner landed a solid punch.” -Ring Magazine, May 1977 issue
On March 31,1978, 35-year old Bennie Briscoe gave the much younger Chiaverini the worst beating of his career, stopping the 25-year old Kansas prospect in the eighth round by technical knockout. Briscoe opened a cut around the left eye of Chiaverini in the second round, and closed his right eye by the eighth. The veteran boxer from Philadelphia unleashed a series of damaging shots on Tony’s bloodied face, prompting the referee to call a halt to the fight. Chiaverini, praising his opponent after the fight, stated “I always said Bennie Briscoe was one of the roughest fighters in the world. After fighting him, I still say he’s a rough old man”. Referee Eloda Morrison, who ended the onslaught, commented on the stoppage, “You know when a man has had enough. He couldn’t see”.
Undaunted by the setback, Tony Chiaverini went on a nine fight winning streak, six of those victories coming by way of knockout. He was able to defeat Edgar Ross, who had 58 wins in his sixty professional bouts, by technical knockout at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri on March 16, 1979. Chiaverini would be rewarded for his hard work by getting the biggest opportunity in his career next, by facing an individual who was not only an Olympic gold medal winner, but the fastest rising star in the business.
On June 24, 1979, Chiaverini faced off with Sugar Ray Leonard at Caesars Palace Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, Sugar Ray silenced some of his critics by displaying his punching power and stopping Tony after the fourth round. However, Chiaverini did have limited success against Leonard, especially in the fourth round, when he had Sugar Ray trapped in the neutral corner and was able to unleash some good body shots. Leonard was able to work his way out of trouble, and began to reassert control over the fight. “He’s about as fast as I thought, but he hits a little harder,” said Chiaverini following the bout. “He also caught me with a good one in the throat.” Tony, with his right eye absorbing a lot of damage from Leonard’s jab, would not answer the bell for the fifth round after his corner decided that he had enough.
Displaying the heart of a champion, Chiaverini rebounded nicely by winning seven fights in a row, with four coming via knockout, including victories over other contenders such as Chris Lange, Sandy Torres, Vince Neratka, Alfonso Frazer and Tony Licata.
On August 1, 1980, Chiaverini would get another opportunity to fight another boxing legend, when he squared off with Wilfredo Benitez at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Benitez, who lost his WBC World Welterweight title to Sugar Ray Leonard back in November, had won his last fight and was trying to position himself for the junior middleweight belt. Tony would fall short again, losing to Benitez by eighth round technical knockout. Unable to deal with the Puerto Rican’s blistering combinations and defensive skills, trainer Angelo Dundee did not allow Chiaverini to come out for the ninth round after feeling that his fighter had received enough punishment. The 24-year old Wilfredo Benitez had dominated the whole fight, and was well ahead on the judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage.
After his defeat to Benitez, Chiaverini would only win two of his last eight bouts. On June 29,1982, Tony would knockout Wayne Caplette at the Convention Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada), which ended up being his last victory. His final fight occurred on March 23, 1983, to middleweight prospect (and half-brother of middleweight champion Marvin Hagler) Robbie Sims in Worchester, Massachusetts. Sadly, Chiaverini was stopped by the Sims in the fifth round, bringing an end to the Kansas City kid’s career.
Before his technical knockout loss to Sugar Ray Leonard on June 24, 1979, Hall of Fame broadcaster Howard Cosell described Chiaverini as “a man who likes to cut the ring in half . . . work the body over, then bring the blows up to the head. And he has knockout power.” Tony
Chiaverini, despite never fighting for a world title, displayed tremendous heart and courage throughout his career. For that, boxing fans from Missouri will always remember the southpaw middleweight contender from Kansas City.