Kansas City's Favorite Son: Tony Chiaverini

[Mark42661]

"Tough" Tony Chiaverini

One of the best fighters of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s to never win a world title was Kansas City, Missouri’s Tony Chiaverini. Over a fifty-bout career, the 5’8” southpaw battled some of the best boxers of the era, including Sugar Ray Leonard and Wilfred Benitez. Yet, Tony Chiaverini not only never won a world title… he never even got a shot at world title.

Tony fought in both the junior middleweight and middleweight divisions with equal proficiency during his career. He was actually offered world title shots on two separate occasions, but both never materialized due to broken promises… wrongs that I hope to right during the course of this replay project. Chiaverini was a skilled southpaw brawler with a solid chin and, while not a huge puncher, was able to wear opponents down. Before his fight with Sugar Ray Leonard in 1979, Howard Cosell said Chiaverini “is 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 was very popular in my hometown of Kansas City, Missouri and I followed his career with great interest when I was a teenager up into my early twenties when he retired.

Chiaverini is rated as a junior middleweight in TBCB, but since he had equal success in the middleweight division and since he engaged in just about an equal number of middleweight contests, I’m going to use the same rating for his middleweight bouts. And although I feel that he is a bit underrated in the game, I’m going to use his official TBCB ratings to eliminate any perception of personal bias. This will not be a "strict" replay... his career may go in different directions depending upon the results. He may also face fighters that he did not face in real life.


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[Mark42661]

Here is a brief career summary that was composed by Jim Amato:

Tony was born in 1953 and turned professional in 1975. He won seven of his first nine bouts. The two losses were to highly touted prospect Doug Demmings. After winning four in a row, Tony would drop a verdict to Cleveland’s James Parks. Chiaverini then put together a ten bout win streak that included victories over Sammy NeSmith,Vincente Medina,Tony Gardner,Willie Warren and the crafty Vinnie Curto. This led to a 1978 showdown with “Bad” Bennie Briscoe. The dangerous Briscoe halted Tony in the eighth round.

Chiaverini then launched a nine bout-winning streak beating rugged Renato Garcia, former world junior middleweight titleholder Elisha Obed and Edgar “Mad Dog” Ross. Then in 1979 he faced the unbeaten Olympic hero Sugar Ray Leonard. The 1976 Gold Medal winner was 22-0 and streaking toward a world title shot. Leonard proved to be too much for Tony as he won in four rounds. Undaunted, Tony came back to defeat former junior welterweight champion Alfonso “Peppermint” Frazier and middleweight contender Tony Licata.

In 1980 Tony met former welterweight champion Wilfred Benitez. The gifted Benitez halted Tony in the eighth round. Two fights later Chiaverini was stopped by O’Dell Leonard. In 1981 Tony continued to slip out of the ratings with a decision loss to Mike Baker. Finally in 1983 Tony lost in five rounds to the vastly underrated Robbie Sims. That would be Chiaverini’s last fight.

In all Tony won 39 of 50. He lost nine and drew twice. He won 26 inside the distance and was stopped five times. He met four world champions and four others who attempted to win a championship.

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[Mark42661]

The Road to Professional Boxing

Tony Chiaverini was born in Toldeo, Ohio on October 8th, 1953. At the age of 8, he moved with his family to Kansas City, Missouri. Tony's father did some boxing in the Air Force, so there always seemed to be some boxing gloves laying around. He had three brothers and when they would get a little rambunctious, his father would send them out to the backyard with boxing gloves to settle matters. As he got older, Tony would accompany his father to a gym called The Argentine Parish House in Kansas City, where his father played in a mens basketball league. While there, Tony would go into the basement and sneak over a chain-link fence that separated the gym from a boxing ring. It was there that he learned how to box from Coach Joe Amayo.

At first, Tony was more interested in football and did very well in high school and played for Division NAIA Washburn University. Although boxing was always a "side interest" for Tony growing up, he did enter the Kansas City Golden Gloves at the age of 15 or 16. For three straight years he won his first bout and lost his second bout, so he had a record of 3-3 in that competition. But Tony was not discouraged and decided to get serious about boxing.

Chiaverini ended up having 67 amateur fights, including having fought in the National AAUs in 1974 and lost in the semi-finals of the 1975 National Golden Gloves to eventual champion Tommy Sullivan. Tony was then invited to join the National squad that same year to compete against the Russian team, but he declined that invitation, having made up his mind to turn pro.

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[Mark42661]

Turning Pro

After he graduated from Washburn University with a degree in education, Tony married his high school sweetheart and worked construction to pay the bills... having had difficulty finding a teaching job. But that was ok with Tony, as he was now determined to become a professional prizefighter.

Chiaverini's original plan was to turn pro in Las Vegas, which was the headquarters of a trainer named Glen Powell, who had seen him fight in the National Golden Gloves. So Tony and his wife packed up their panel van with all their worldly belongings and drove out to Las Vegas. But nothing seemed to go right after they arrived. Powell got involved in some legal issues, which seemed to take up all his time, and Tony could not find any work to get them by in the meantime.

After his wife became pregnant with their first child, Tony decided to move back to Kansas City. Shortly after their arrival back home, Tony signed with Peyton Sher as his manager and Dave Conchola as his trainer. Tony Chiaverini was now anxious and ready for his first professional fight. All that was left was for Sher to find him an opponent.

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[Mark42661]

Fight #1

July 24th, 1975

Tony Chiaverini (professional debut) vs. Charles Cook (2-5-0, 1 KO)

Topeka, Kansas

Although he entered the ring with a less than stellar record, Cook actually looked pretty good in his most recent outing, winning a points decision over Mike Hallacy in Kansas City. Chiaverini's trainer and cornerman Dave Conchola was a bit concerned because Tony appeared to be a little nervous as the bell sounded to start the fight. The first round was pretty even with neither man taking a real advantage. Between rounds, Conchola urged Tony to step it up and press the action more. Tony did just that, but was rewarded by having a point deducted by the referee for using his elbows. In the corner, between rounds 2 and 3, Conchola became very animated and shouted to his fighter, "Listen... this is the first fight of your career! Do you wanna start with a loss? You need to use your head and concentrate! Take it to this guy! You're a better fighter than he is... go out there and show it!" Tony heeded his advice and outscored Cook over the final two rounds, winning his professional debut with a unanimous decision victory.

Tony Chiaverini W4 Charles Cook
(39-36 38-37 39-36)

Tony Chiaverini's professional record: 1-0-0

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[Mark42661]

Fight #2

August 13th, 1975

Tony Chiaverini (1-0) vs Barry Smith (professional debut)

Topeka, Kansas

Chiaverini looked much sharper in his second outing when he met Barry Smith of Dallas, Texas, who was making his professional debut. The first round was all Chiaverni as he seemed to be able to land at will. Tony finished Smith off in the 2nd round with a crushing left hook that dropped Smith to the canvas for the 10 count. The official time of stoppage was 2:35 of the 2nd round.

Tony Chiaverini KO 2 Barry Smith
(2:35)

Tony Chiaverini's professional record: 2-0-0, 1 KO

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[Mark42661]

Fight #3


September 4th, 1975

Tony Chiaverini (2-0-0, 1 KO) vs Monty Cady (2-0-0, 1 KO)

Omaha, Nebraska

Although he came into the fight with a perfect 2-0 record, it's been 3 years since Monty Cady of Lincoln, Nebraska last entered the ring. Chiaverini pounded the rust off of him in the first round and, out of frustration, Cady hit Tony after the bell. Furious, Chiaverini attacked Cady with a relentless series of punches in round two, almost prompting the referee to stop the fight. Turns out that the referee did Cady no favors by letting him come out for round 3. Tony continued his assault in the third round, with the referee finally waving the fight over after Chiaverini landed a wicked left cross. To Cady's credit, he stayed on his feet despite the fact that his eyes literally rolled back in his head after absorbing that final blow.

Tony Chiaverini TKO 3 Monty Cady
(1:58)

Tony Chiaverini's professional record: 3-0-0, 2 KOs

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[Mark42661]

Conchola's Corner


(From time to time Tony Chiaverini's trainer and cornerman, Dave Conchola, will offer his comments and insights on the progression of Tony's boxing career.)


Tony got off to kind of a rough start in that first fight against Cook. Although he did come away with the win, he was nervous and didn't fight a very smart fight. So my main focus after that fight was to work on his confidence. I needed to make him understand that he belongs in the ring with these guys. Not only that, but I also needed to pound it into his head that he's better than these guys and deserves to win. Gotta make sure he doesn't get overconfident, though. That can be a tricky balance to achieve sometimes. But Tony's a smart guy and I could tell from the first time I saw him fight back in the Golden Gloves that he's got a lot of heart. I really do think this kid is gonna go places. I don't like to waste my time, and I sure wouldn't be in Tony's corner if I didn't sincerely believe that.

I'd really like to step up the pace with getting him in the ring, but Peyton (Sher), Tony's manager, has had a hard time finding him fights. Right now we're at about a one fight per month pace... but I think it'd be good to get Tony in the ring every 2 or 3 weeks... at least starting off. His next fight is against a kid named Dick Fowler out of Kansas City. It'll be Fowler's first professional fight and you gotta be careful with those guys... you really don't know what you're gonna get. And unfortunately it's 2 months away. But one thing for sure... we'll be ready.


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[Mark42661]

Fight #4


November 4th, 1975

Tony Chiaverini (3-0-0, 2 KOs) vs. Dick Fowler (professional debut)

Topeka, Kansas

Dick Fowler of Kansas City, Kansas made his professional debut tonight, but may want to rethink his career choice after being demolished by Tony Chiaverini in one round. Most of the round was spent with his back against the ropes as Tony unleashed a relentless barrage of punches. Fowler finally succumbed to a perfect left-right combination to the head and slumped to the canvas with 20 seconds left to go in the round. Fowler gamely got to his feet at the count of 9, but the referee, seeing that he was clearly knocked loose from his senses, stopped the contest at 2:52 of the 1st round.

Tony Chiaverini TKO 1 Dick Fowler
(2:52)

Tony Chiaverini's professional record: 4-0-0, 3 KOs

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[Mark42661]

Fight #5


November 20th, 1975

Tony Chiaverini (4-0-0, 3 KOs) vs. Holandus Oliver (1-4-0, 1 KO)

Omaha, Nebraska

Oliver comes into this fight having been knocked out 4 times during his 5 fight professional career so far... so there is not a lot of hope at ringside that he'll be able to go the distance against Chiaverini. However, it looked like Oliver was determined to prove the naysayers wrong while he outpunched Tony during the first round... punctuated by a hard right hand flush on the chin that hurt Chiaverini just as the round expired. But it was quite a different story in the second round, which was thoroughly controlled by Chiaverini. Oliver's corner had finally seen enough and threw in the towel at the 2:42 mark immediately after a wicked cross connected with Oliver's ribcage.

Tony Chiaverini TKO 2 Holandus Oliver
(2:42)

Tony Chiaverini's professional record: 5-0-0, 4 KOs

(Chiaverini's real-life record at this point was 5-0-0, 4 KOs)

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[Mark42661]

Rings Around the World

(Every now and then I'll provided some glimpses of what's going on in the world of boxing, with a little extra focus on the junior middleweight and middleweight divisions. These will be real-life events that occurred during the time of this replay... just to add a little flavor.)

Elisha Obed of the Bahamas took the WBC Junior Middleweight Title away from Miguel De Oliveira just 7 days ago on 11/13/75.

WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Jae-Doo Yuh successfully defended his crown on 11/11/75 against Masahiro Misako by way of a 6th round knockout.

Carlos Monzon has held the WBA Middleweight Title since 11/7/70 and has now been a world champion for over 5 years.

Rodrigo Valdez is the WBC Middleweight Champion.

Meanwhile, World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali successfully defended his title last month against Joe Frazer in the fight known as "The Thrilla in Manilla."

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[Mark42661]

Fight #6


January 8th, 1976

Tony Chiaverini (5-0-0, 4 KOs) vs. Frank Foramero (4-8-2, 0 KOs)

Omaha, Nebraska

The first 3 rounds were very close, with both men taking as much as they gave. Foramero, of Des Moines, Iowa, began to visibly tire in the 4th round and Chiaverini started pressing an advantage, stunning Foramero with a left hook just before the bell sounded to end the round. It was all Chiaverini in the 5th and he nearly had Foramero out on his feet as the round concluded. Much to his credit, Foramero did not give up and came out for the 6th and final round looking refreshed. Foramero won the round, but needed a knockout to win the fight at this point, which he failed to accomplish. Tony Chiaverini took the decision in this hard fought battle.

Tony Chiaverini W6 Frank Foramero
(59-56 59-55 58-56)

Tony Chiaverini's professional record: 6-0-0, 4 KOs

Next up: Chiaverini will face his first real challenge when he meets highly touted prospect Doug "Demolition" Demmings (16-1) on February 7th in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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[bear]

I like this thread. Any chance of posting the files of the opponents that aren't in the database in the mods section? I always like seeing more fighter creations.

[Mark42661]

Originally Posted by bear

I like this thread. Any chance of posting the files of the opponents that aren't in the database in the mods section? I always like seeing more fighter creations.

Sure... I'll be happy to do that. And thank you for following along. I appreciate it!

Mark

[Mark42661]

Conchola's Corner


There have been some folks asking me if we're cutting off more than we can chew by putting Tony in with a guy like Demmings this early in his career. I really don't think so. Sure, Demmings has had almost 3 times as many pro fights, but Tony had a much more extensive amateur career. And, in my opinion, Tony's just a tougher guy than Demmings. That fight is scheduled for 8 rounds and even though Tony's never gone 8 rounds before... from what I've seen in training, he won't have any problems with that. So, our plan is to work inside to the body and wear him down. If we can do that, Tony will knock this guy out before the 8th round.

(Dave Conchola is Tony Chiaverini's trainer and cornerman.)

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[Mark42661]

[Mark42661]

Fight #7


February 7th, 1976

Tony Chiaverini (6-0-0, 4 KOs) vs. Doug Demmings (16-1-0, 6 KOs)

Minneapolis, Minnesota

This fight definitely lived up to the hype! However, it didn't start out that way as the first three rounds belonged to Chiaverini as he pressed the action, while Demmings seemed content to constantly move away while throwing very few punches. That all changed at the beginning of the 4th round when "Demolition" Demmings came out swinging, apparently deciding to make this a fight. Both men refused to back up as they traded blows in the middle of the ring, with Demmings getting the better of it as the round progressed. At the 2 minute mark, Demmings connected with a crippling right cross that buckled the knees of Chiaverini... but Tony still refused to back up and absorbed a tremendous amount of punishment before the bell sounded to end the round. Demmings continued to out-punch Chiaverini during the 5th and 6th rounds and by the end of the 6th round, Chiaverini had developed significant swelling around his right eye. At this point it looked like Tony could be heading toward his first defeat. However, during the 7th round Demmings began to tire badly while Chiaverini continued to press forward. Still, Demmings did land enough punches to make it a very close round. It appeared the fight was up for grabs as the bell sounded to start the final stanza. Demmings started off the round by forcing Chiaverini up against the ropes and landing a great right cross. Then, as Demmings attempted to follow up with a left hook, Chiaverini ducked under the punch and threw a straight right hand that landed flush... and down went Demmings! He was able to courageously rise at the count of 6 and survive the ensuing onslaught of Chiaverini until the bell sounded to end the fight. It was a big final round for Chiaverini, but ringsiders had no idea who would be awarded the decision. The ring announcer read off the scores of 77-74, 76-75, 76-75 and then raised the arm of the winner by unanimous decision... Tony Chiaverini!

Tony Chiaverini W8 Doug Demmings
(77-74 76-75 76-75)

Tony Chiaverini's professional record: 7-0-0, 4 KOs




Tony Chiaverini and his trainer, Dave Conchola,
prior to being introduced to the Minneapolis crowd.

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[Mark42661]

Fight #8


February 19th, 1976

Tony Chiaverini (7-0-0, 4 KOs) vs. Al Clay (1-1-0, 1 KO)

Kansas City, Missouri

Just 12 days after his war against Doug Demmings, Tony Chiaverini made his hometown debut in Kansas City in a bout against Al Clay of Chicago, Illinois. Chiaverini definitely had an easier time this time around. Clay was able to stay pretty even with Tony during the first round, but in the 2nd round, it was all Chiaverini. 43 seconds into the round, Tony landed a tremendous left hook to the liver and Clay went down gasping for air. Clay pulled himself up at the count of 4 and Chiaverini was all over him. A powerful shot under his ribcage dropped Clay again at the 1:06 mark. Clay got back up at the 9 count and the referee allowed the fight to continue. Clay was able to stay away from Chiaverini briefly until he was knocked down for the 3rd time after Tony connected with a sizzling left hook to the jaw. There would be no getting up from this one and the referee waved the fight over at 2:14.

Tony Chiaverini TKO 2 Al Clay
(2:14)

Tony Chiaverini's professional record: 8-0-0, 5 KOs

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[Mark42661]

Breaking News From the Chiaverini Camp!


Peyton Sher, the manager of Tony Chiaverini, confirmed today that he has accepted the terms of Doug Demmings' manager for a rematch of their February 7th fight. That fight went the distance, with Chiaverini winning a narrow decision. The rematch will take place on May 5th, 1976 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and will be scheduled for 10 rounds. When asked to comment, Sher stated, "They actually believe that Demmings should have been awarded that decision and I guess they have something to prove. But that's ok... Demmings is a good fighter and that first fight was a real crowd pleaser. But I have no reason to believe that the outcome will be any different. Tony will be ready for him." Dave Conchola, Chiaverini's trainer, added, "Yeah, Tony will be ready for him alright... and might even knock him out this time. They should be more careful what they wish for." When Chiaverini was asked to comment, the always humble southpaw said, "Doug is a great fighter and a good guy, and I guess I'm just gonna do my best."

Sher noted that he doesn't want Chiaverini to be inactive until May, so they are going to try to get one or two fights in before the rematch. A fight has already been scheduled with C.J. Faison of Washington DC to take place on March 12th. Sher said that he'd like to get one more fight in after that and before the Demmings rematch... hopefully during the early part of April. The opponent for that potential fight is yet to be determined.

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[Mark42661]

Fight #9


March 12th, 1976

Tony Chiaverini (8-0-0, 5 KOs) vs. C.J. Faison (6-6-0, 0 KOs)

Kansas City, Missouri

Chiaverini once again fought in front of his hometown fans in Kansas City, Missouri... and once again he sent them home happy. During the early part of the 1st round, Faison nailed Chiaverini with some good jabs which set up a nice uppercut that did some damage. Faison was able to force Chiaverini up against the ropes, but then, out of nowhere, Tony landed a powerful left hook to the chin that dropped Faison to the canvas. Faison gallantly regained his feet at the count of 3, but then stumbled and dropped back to his knees. The referee completed the 10 count, and just like that it was over.

Tony Chiaverini KO 1 C.J. Faison
(2:24)

Tony Chiaverini's professional record: 9-0-0, 6 KOs

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