Bushy Graham

Bushy Graham (8 June 1905 – 13 April 1982) was an Italian-American boxer from New York City. He held the World Bantamweight Championship on May 23, 1928, when he defeated Corporal Izzy Schwartz, but immediately vacated it and did not defend it.

Biography

Boxing career

Graham became a professional boxer in 1921. In 1924 he fought future flyweight champion Frankie Genaro in Rochester, New York to a draw. In a rematch two months later, Genaro defeated Graham by decision. In 1925 he fought future bantamweight champion Bud Taylor twice. Graham lost both—the first by decision in Illinois and the second by decision in Long Island City, New York. In 1926 he met old foe Genaro for a third time and defeated him by a decision.

Later in 1926, he fought Tony Canzoneri and lost by a decision, but in his next fight he received the opportunity to fight for the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) bantamweight title held by Charley Phil Rosenberg. Rosenberg defeated him via fifteen-round unanimous decision.

In 1928 he received another shot at the bantamweight title when he met Corporal Izzy Schwartz for the vacant NYSAC and National Boxing Association titles. He defeated Schwartz in a fifteen-round match.

He did not defend the title and instead continued his career fighting over the bantamweight limit. Throughout the rest of his career he fought a number of future or former champions. He defeated Battling Battalino (although Battalino defeated him in two additional fights) and held Freddie Miller and Leo Rodak to draws. He lost to Kid Chocolate by disqualification and to Tommy Paul twice by unanimous decision.

His brother boxed under the name of "Frankie Garcia" and "Frankie Graham".

External links

• Professional boxing record for Bushy Graham from BoxRec