George Benton should not be confused with George Benson.
| George Benton | |
| Birth Date: | May 15, 1933 |
| Birth Place: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US |
| Death Date: | September 19, 2011 |
| Nickname: | The Mayor of North Philadelphia |
| Style: | Orthodox |
George Benton (May 15, 1933 – September 19, 2011) was an American boxer and boxing trainer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
His first amateur bout was when he was thirteen. He turned professional three years later. He boxed professionally from 1949 to 1970 and defeated future world champions Freddie Little, Jimmy Ellis, and Joey Giardello. In seventy-six professional fights, he was never knocked down and was stopped just twice, on a cut against Luis Manuel Rodriguez and when he didn't come out for the final round of his fight with Bennie Briscoe. Benton had a professional record of 62–13–1 (37 KOs).[1]
Benton became the #1 ranked middleweight in the world in the early 1960s, but he never got a shot at the world title. In 1962, after he beat Giardello, Benton thought that he would get a title shot. However, Giardello's manager, Lou Duva, was well connected and was able to get Giardello a fight with Dick Tiger for the World Middleweight Championship, which Giardello won by decision. "Yeah, I screwed George out of his shot," Duva said. "He didn't even know about it till I told him many years later."
Benton's boxing career ended in 1970 after he was shot. The shooter had tried to pick up Benton's sister in a bar, and Benton's brother beat him up. Vowing to kill someone from the Benton family, the man shot George in the back. He was in and out of the hospital for two years. The bullet remained lodged near Benton's spine for the remainder of his life.
With his boxing career over, he turned to training. He studied under Eddie Futch and was in Joe Frazier's corner for his third fight with Muhammad Ali, the Thrilla in Manila. He was also in the corner of Leon Spinks when he upset Ali to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
For seventeen years, Benton worked with Lou Duva and the Duva family's promotion company, Main Events, as the head trainer for many of their fighters. Among the fighters he trained were Evander Holyfield, Oliver McCall, Mike McCallum, Meldrick Taylor, and Pernell Whitaker. Also he coached Marvis Frazier during his amateur career.
Benton died on September 19, 2011, after a battle with pneumonia.[2] A veteran of the United States Army, he was buried at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Upper Makefield Township, Pennsylvania.[3]
In 1989 and 1990, Benton was named "Trainer of the Year" by the Boxing Writers Association of America.
In 2001, he was elected to the International Boxing Hall Of Fame.
| Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date, | Age | Location | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | Loss | 61–13–1 | Juarez de Lima | UD | 10 | Apr 3, 1970 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 74 | Win | 61–12–1 | Eddie Owens | UD | 10 | Mar 25, 1970 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 73 | Win | 60–12–1 | David Beckles | KO | 1 (10) | Jan 13, 1970 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 72 | Win | 59–12–1 | Juarez de Lima | SD | 10 | May 1, 1969 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 71 | Win | 58–12–1 | Bobby Warthen | TKO | 1 (10) | Sep 24, 1968 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 70 | Win | 57–12–1 | Danny Garcia | TKO | 2 (10) | Apr 15, 1968 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 69 | Win | 56–12–1 | Oscar Freeman | KO | 2 (10) | Mar 11, 1968 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 68 | Win | 55–12–1 | Hilton Whitaker | KO | 8 (10) | Nov 9, 1966 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 67 | Win | 54–12–1 | Dick Young | KO | 4 (10) | Oct 2, 1966 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 66 | Loss | 53–12–1 | Bennie Briscoe | RTD | 9 (10) | Dec 5, 1966 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 65 | Loss | 53–11–1 | Milo Calhoun | UD | 10 | Aug 25, 1966 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 64 | Loss | 53–10–1 | Luis Manuel Rodriguez | TKO | 9 (10) | Mar 7, 1966 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 63 | Win | 53–9–1 | Larry Barrett | TKO | 6 (10) | Apr 12, 1965 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 62 | Win | 52–9–1 | Jimmy Ellis | MD | 10 | Nov 30, 1964 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 61 | Win | 51–9–1 | Johnny Morris | SD | 12 | May 18, 1964 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 60 | Win | 50–9–1 | Ernest Burford | KO | 4 (10) | Mar 16, 1964 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 59 | Loss | 49–9–1 | Johnny Morris | UD | 10 | Nov 19, 1963 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 58 | Win | 49–8–1 | John Henry Smith | KO | 2 (10) | Aug 31, 1963 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 57 | Win | 48–8–1 | Allen Thomas | UD | 10 | Jul 20, 1963 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 56 | Loss | 47–8–1 | Rubin Carter | SD | 10 | May 25, 1963 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 55 | Win | 47–7–1 | Clarence Riley | TKO | 6 (10) | Apr 4, 1963 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 54 | Win | 46–7–1 | Clarence Alford | TKO | 3 (10) | Mar 7, 1963 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 53 | Win | 45–7–1 | Allan Harmon | TKO | 8 (10) | Nov 19, 1962 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 52 | Win | 44–7–1 | Joey Giardello | UD | 10 | Aug 6, 1962 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 51 | Win | 43–7–1 | Jesse Smith | UD | 10 | May 28, 1962 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 50 | Win | 42–7–1 | Rudolph Bent | KO | 2 (10) | Apr 12, 1962 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 49 | Win | 41–7–1 | Eddie Thompson | TKO | 8 (10) | Mar 8, 1962 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 48 | Win | 40–7–1 | Joe Louis Adair | KO | 4 (10) | Feb 8, 1962 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 47 | Win | 39–7–1 | Chico Corsey | TKO | 3 (8) | Nov 3, 1961 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 46 | Loss | 38–7–1 | John McCormack | PTS | 10 | Nov 2, 1960 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 45 | Win | 38–6–1 | Freddie Little | MD | 10 | Oct 18, 1960 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 44 | Win | 37–6–1 | Gene Washington | TKO | 9 (10) | Dec 10, 1959 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 43 | Loss | 36–6–1 | Henry Hank | UD | 10 | Oct 26, 1959 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 42 | Loss | 36–5–1 | Holly Mims | UD | 10 | Jul 15, 1959 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 41 | Win | 36–4–1 | Bobby Boyd | UD | 10 | May 18, 1959 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 40 | Win | 35–4–1 | Young Beau Jack | KO | 1 (10) | Feb 16, 1959 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 39 | Loss | 34–4–1 | Charley Joseph | UD | 10 | Nov 17, 1958 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 38 | Win | 34–3–1 | Charley Joseph | UD | 10 | Aug 26, 1958 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 37 | Loss | 33–3–1 | Willie Dockery | SD | 10 | Jul 7, 1958 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 36 | Win | 33–2–1 | Jim Robinson | KO | 4 (8) | Jun 12, 1958 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 35 | Win | 32–2–1 | Archie Whitfield | TKO | 6 (6) | Apr 16, 1958 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 34 | Win | 31–2–1 | Clarence Hinnant | MD | 8 | Oct 21, 1954 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 33 | Win | 30–2–1 | Clarence Hinnant | SD | 8 | Sep 30, 1954 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 32 | Win | 29–2–1 | Joe Dorsey | TKO | 7 (10) | May 2, 1954 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 31 | Draw | 28–2–1 | Leroy Coleman | PTS | 8 | May 14, 1954 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 30 | Win | 28–2 | Charolito Spirituano | UD | 10 | Apr 27, 1954 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 29 | Win | 27–2 | Bobby Jones | SD | 10 | Dec 28, 1953 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 28 | Win | 26–2 | Jimmy Franklin | TKO | 6 (8) | Aug 13, 1953 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 27 | Win | 25–2 | Chuck Goldsby | UD | 8 | Jul 23, 1953 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 26 | Loss | 24–2 | Joe Blackwood | MD | 10 | Mar 24, 1953 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 25 | Win | 24–1 | Lester Felton | PTS | 8 | Jan 27, 1953 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 24 | Win | 23–1 | Bobby Lee | TKO | 6 (10) | Jan 20, 1953 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 23 | Win | 22–1 | Charley Joseph | UD | 10 | Dec 23, 1952 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 22 | Win | 21–1 | Leroy Coleman | TKO | 3 (6) | Dec 8, 1952 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 21 | Win | 20–1 | Jackie Burke | TKO | 6 (6) | Jun 5, 1952 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 20 | Win | 19–1 | Moses Ward | TKO | 5 (8) | Mar 26, 1952 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 19 | Win | 18–1 | Bobby Rosado | KO | 4 (6) | Mar 21, 1952 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 18 | Win | 17–1 | Holly Mims | UD | 8 | Jan 10, 1952 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 17 | Win | 16–1 | Chuck Goldsby | KO | 3 (8) | Nov 29, 1951 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 16 | Win | 15–1 | Georgie Johnson | KO | 5 (?) | Oct 11, 1951 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 15 | Win | 14–1 | Buddy Newby | TKO | 2 (6) | Aug 24, 1951 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 14 | Win | 13–1 | Emmett Norris | TKO | 6 (8) | Jul 2, 1951 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 13 | Win | 12–1 | Van Butler | PTS | 6 | Jun 11, 1951 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 12 | Win | 11–1 | Jimmy Moore | KO | 1 (6) | Apr 19, 1951 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 11 | Win | 10–1 | Jetson Arnold | PTS | 8 | Apr 16, 1951 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 10 | Win | 9–1 | Billy Whye | PTS | 6 | Mar 5, 1951 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 9 | Win | 8–1 | Al Niang | RTD | 1 (6) | Feb 6, 1951 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 8 | Loss | 7–1 | Al Mobley | PTS | 6 | Jun 5, 1950 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Frank Gubas | TKO | 2 (6) | May 15, 1950 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Bucky Slocum | UD | 6 | Feb 2, 1950 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Gene Landers | PTS | 6 | Jan 5, 1950 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Dave Peters | UD | 6 | Nov 21, 1949 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Dave Peters | TKO | 5 (6) | Nov 3, 1949 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Whitman Dorsch | PTS | 4 | Aug 8, 1949 | text-align:left;" | |||
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Chico Wade | KO | 1 (4) | Jul 18, 1949 | text-align:left;" | |||