68 Facts About Bushy Graham

Bushy Graham was an American boxer from New York City.

Bushy Graham took the Undisputed World Bantamweight Championship on May 23,1928, when he defeated Corporal Izzy Schwartz at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.

Bushy Graham had a number of managers who included Peter Carro, Bill Parr, Dewey Fragetta, Joe Netro, and Joe Falcone.

Bushy Graham took the ringname Graham from a Canadian boxer he admired, and possibly to honor the many accomplished Irish boxers of his era who were popular in New York.

Bushy Graham adopted the nickname "Bushy" from the look of his thick, dark, wavy hair.

In New York, particularly in his early career, Graham frequently boxed under the name Micky Garcia, or in rare cases Bobby Garcia.

Bushy Graham had a brother who boxed under the name of "Frankie Garcia" and "Frankie Bushy Graham".

Bushy Graham became a professional boxer in 1921, and initially boxed exclusively near his hometown of Utica, or in the state of New York.

On March 28,1924, Bushy Graham defeated Frankie Ash in a six-round points decision in Syracuse, New York.

Bushy Graham fought American and future NBA World Flyweight Champion Frankie Genaro On July 7,1924, in Rochester, New York, to a draw.

Bushy Graham was the aggressor with fast left jabs and right crosses, and mixed frequently with Graham throughout the bout.

The referee ended the bout when Bushy Graham received a low blow and was unable to continue.

Bushy Graham defeated Jewish boxer Nat Pincus in a technical knockout, 1:03 into the eighth round on January 9,1925, at New York's Madison Square Garden.

In what the Brooklyn Daily Eagle termed a "brilliant exhibition", Bushy Graham knocked Pincus to the mat once in the first, twice in the fourth, and once in the eighth.

Dancing with his hands by his side as was his style, Bushy Graham brought up either fist at the slightest opening.

Bushy Graham dropped Pincus in the first with a right hand smash to the chin.

On June 24,1925, Bushy Graham won a ten-round newspaper decision against Pete Zivic in Utica, New York.

On July 23,1925, Bushy Graham defeated Abe Goldstein, a 1923 NYSAC World Bantamweight Champion, in an exciting eight round points decision at the Velodrome in New York City.

Bushy Graham, who fought under the name Mickey Garcia, sent Goldstein to the mat in the first and fourth rounds.

Bushy Graham had previously defeated Tommy Ryan in an eight-round points decision on New Years Day, 1925, in Syracuse.

Bushy Graham was down for a count of nine in the first round from a left uppercut from Taylor, and upon arising was down again for a count of seven, but he soldiered on.

Bushy Graham won the second meeting with Taylor on August 24,1925, in Queens, New York, in a close twelve round points decision.

August 5,1926, at New York's Madison Square Garden, Bushy Graham scored a technical knockout over Dominick Petrone due to a dislocated right shoulder he complained of :45 seconds into the eighth round.

Bushy Graham dominated in the final two rounds, battering Sugts in a bout that clearly placed Bushy Graham at the top of world bantamweight title contenders.

Bushy Graham danced through the ten rounds, showing his best technique against his undefeated opponent, and nearly gaining a knockout in the ninth, though Suggs fought on and remained on his feet throughout the bout.

On February 4,1927, Bushy Graham first gained the opportunity to fight for the New York State Athletic Commission World Bantamweight Title held by Charley Phil Rosenberg.

Regardless of Rosenberg's inability to make weight, Bushy Graham would have taken the world bantamweight title had he won the match.

Bushy Graham's speed carried him into a slight edge in the first four rounds, but Rosenberg discovered the key to Graham's defense in the remaining rounds, and dominated him with solid blows.

Bushy Graham received another shot at the vacant NYSAC and National Boxing Association titles when he met Corporal Izzy Schwartz.

Bushy Graham defeated Schwartz in a fifteen-round unanimous decision on May 23,1928, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn.

Bushy Graham was awarded twelve rounds, Schwartz, the seventh and eighth, with the sixth even.

Bushy Graham knocked out Babe Keller in the second round of a scheduled ten round feature bout at the Music Hall Arena in Cincinnati on February 13,1929.

The tide turned early in the second round when Bushy Graham downed Keller with a right to the chin for a count of nine.

Not long after arising, Bushy Graham tagged his opponent out with a left and then a right that put Keller down for the count.

Bushy Graham lost to Kid Chocolate on April 12,1929, by a seventh round disqualification in an eventful bout before a packed house of 16,000 at the Coliseum in the Bronx.

Bushy Graham boxed, feinted, and danced through the bout, but dealt a low blow to the "Kid" in the second that put him on the mat, and brought a warning from the referee.

The "Kid" was fouled again at the end of the round, and Bushy Graham was again warned for fouls in the third and sixth.

Bushy Graham did not defend the bantamweight title, vacating it in January 1929.

Bushy Graham held champion Freddie Miller to a draw before a crowd of 6,000 on January 29,1930, in Cincinnati.

Bushy Graham continued to dominate in the tenth with two brief knock downs, until turning the tide on points and forcing the judges to rule a draw.

On May 15,1929, Bushy Graham defeated Jewish boxer Young Montreal in Providence in a ten-round split decision.

On June 11,1929, Bushy Graham had an important victory over Jewish boxer Archie Bell before a crowd of 4,000 in a ten-round decision at Artillery Park in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Bell was down again in the third for a count of nine from a low right from Bushy Graham which failed to get a warning from the referee.

Bushy Graham punished Bell in the eighth, and built a significant margin on points in the last two rounds.

Bushy Graham danced, feinted effectively with a bobbing head, and dodged the left leads of Gregorio at will.

On September 20,1929, in the feature bout at Boston Garden, Bushy Graham lost to Andy Martin in a non-title ten round points decision.

Bushy Graham tried for a knockout in the seventh, eighth and ninth, but Martin weathered the storm, though losing the rounds on points.

On May 28,1930, Bushy Graham lost a ten-round points decision fought before a disappointing crowd of 5000, to former American and World Flyweight Champion Fidel LaBarba at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Bushy Graham refused to mix with LaBarba, causing the bout to proceed slowly, and spark gentle protests from the small crowd present.

Bushy Graham often held during the few instances when LaBarba did mix with him.

Bushy Graham showed his usual speed and evasive in the first five rounds, but landed few blows of his own.

Bushy Graham decisively defeated Milton Cohen on July 15,1930, knocking him out 1:30 into the third round at Utica Stadium, his favored hometown venue.

On May 11,1931, Bushy Graham defeated Hymie Wiseman in an eight-round newspaper decision of the Des Moines Register and Tribune at the Coliseum in Des Moines, Iowa.

Bushy Graham lost to Battalino in Hartford on April 25,1930, in a hotly contested battle, where Battalino was credited with eight of the ten rounds.

Unexpectedly in the fourth, Bushy Graham floored Battalino with a left to the chin for a count of nine, but the champion continued on through the following rounds seemingly unfazed.

At long range, Bushy Graham seemed to have the advantage in the later rounds.

The opponents fought evenly for the first six rounds, but Paul pulled ahead in the seventh, planting a strong right on the cheek of Bushy Graham that opened an old cut.

Bushy Graham then insured his winning points margin by taking two of the last three rounds, battering Graham particularly hard in the ninth and opening a cut below the eye.

Bushy Graham, who was warned three times by the referee for avoiding and not actively engaging his opponent, danced and used his fancy footwork throughout the bout, but was booed my many for throwing far too few punches at Paul.

On November 6,1935, Bushy Graham defeated Eddie Zivic in an eight-round points decision at Convention Hall in Utica.

On February 7,1936, Bushy Graham fought Leo Rodak, a 1938 world featherweight champion, to a draw in Madison Square Garden.

Bushy Graham used smart foot work, lightning fast ducking, and superb slipping and counter-punching.

Bushy Graham frequently leaned forward coaxing Rodak to throw punches, and then repeatedly drew back and dodged them.

On November 27,1936, Bushy Graham, fighting as a lightweight, lost to Italian Enrico Venturi, former holder of the European Lightweight Title, in a close eight round points decision at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Bushy Graham retired from boxing in 1937 after a second-round knockout of Willie Hines in Utica, New York.

Bushy Graham performed in charity exhibitions with brother Frankie and other boxers, and promoted regional athletic clubs.

Bushy Graham contributed to orphanages and other causes, and in his retirement from the ring managed several aspiring boxers.

Bushy Graham died at the age of 72 on August 5,1982, in his hometown of Utica, New York.