Phil Terranova

Phil Terranova was born on September 4, 1919, in New York City. In his first sixteen matches between July 1941 and September 1942, he won eight bouts, lost only two and drew six. His two losses were to talented opponents Johnny Dell and Gus Levine in front of large venues. In this first year of fighting he boxed twice in Madison Square Garden.[1]

Terranova won the National Boxing Association World Featherweight Championship when he knocked out Jackie Callura in front of 8,500 fans in eighth rounds at Pellican Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 16, 1943. Astonishingly, Terranova had barely two years of professional boxing experience prior to his championship victory. Callura seemed to lead in the early rounds but may have tired by the fifth. Terranova with strong rights and lefts in the seventh, knocked his opponent to the canvas for a count of nine in the eighth. Upon rising, Callura was knocked to the canvas for good, around one minute into the eighth round.[3]

In an upset, perhaps exhaling after his good fortune, he lost to Maurice Lachance, in a ten round non-title decision in Hartford, Connecticut. The referee gave every round to the challenger, who was down only briefly in the eighth, but knocked down Terranova briefly in the seventh. Lachance used his two inch reach advantage and five pound weight advantage to his benefit. It may also be important to note that Lachance was a southpaw, having the ringname "Lefty", which made him more dangerous to a less experienced boxer.[4]

He lost the Featherweight Championship when he was outpointed by Boston native Sal Bartolo before a home crowd of 12,000 on March 10, 1944, in a fifteen round unanimous decision at Boston Garden.[1] Bartolo won with lightning fast left jabs, two handed hooks, and fancy footwork growing even more aggressive in later rounds, though Terranova may have previously been considered the heavier hitter. Bartolo, in some scoring won all fifteen rounds. Though Terranova continued to be dangerous throughout the bout, Bartolo was likely leading in points from the early rounds. The reigning champion had close to five additional years of professional experience to Terranova's two, and perhaps as a result was an 8-5 leader in the pre-fight betting odds.[6]

In a World Featherweight Championship rematch on May 5, 1944, before 7,673 fans, Terranova lost again to reigning champion Bartola at Boston Garden in a closer fifteen round split decision. Terranova staggered Bartolo in the eleventh, and landed a number of blows, trying with desperation for a knockout. The effort may have exhausted Terranova as Bartola finished stronger in rounds twelve through fifteen. The United Press gave nine rounds to Bartolo, and only four to Terranova with two even. Though Bartolo scored a series of strong jabs in the first round looking to end the bout quickly, the going was not as easy for him the remainder of the bout, particularly in the second. [7]

He was elected into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1998.

Boxing record for Phil Terranova from BoxRec (registration required)