Bushy Graham (18 June 1903 – 5 August 1982) was an American boxer from New York City. He took the World Bantamweight Championship on May 23, 1928, when he defeated Corporal Izzy Schwartz at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Unwilling to defend the title at the bantamweight limit, he vacated it in January, 1929, and in the 1930s became a top rated World Featherweight contender.
He had a number of managers who included Peter Carro, Bill Parr, Dewey Fragetta, Joe Netro, and Joe Falcone.
Early life and career highlights
Angelo Gerraci was born on June 8, 1905, in Calabria, Italy. He 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. He 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. Graham had a brother who boxed under the name of "Frankie Garcia" and "Frankie 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, Graham defeated Frankie Ash in a six-round points decision in Syracuse, New York.
Bouts with Flyweight Champion Frankie Genaro
Graham fought American and future NBA World Flyweight Champion Frankie Genaro On July 7, 1924, in Rochester, New York, to a draw. In a spirited rematch on September 23, Genaro defeated Graham by a twelve-round decision in Brooklyn. Genaro took seven rounds, and scored knockdowns in the fourth, eighth, and twelfth, pulling ahead most decisively in the last three rounds. He was the aggressor with fast left jabs and right crosses, and mixed frequently with Graham throughout the bout.
Win over Genaro, May, 1926
On May 17, 1926, he met Genaro for a third time at New York's Madison Square Garden in the first of three feature bouts and defeated him in a speedy ten round points decision. Before a capacity crowd of 18,000, Graham used his longer reach, and slight extra weight to advantage against New York's former American flyweight champion. Winning handily, Graham side stepped and smartly countered with his left, which he held extended as Genaro came at him repeatedly. Both boxers left the ring showing signs of battle on their faces.
On September 8, 1924, fighting as Mickey Garcia in a ten-round semi-final, he defeated Jackie Snyder in a disqualification, 1:35 into the eighth round at Queensboro Athletic Club in Queens, New York. The referee ended the bout when Graham received a low blow and was unable to continue.
He 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", 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, Graham brought up either fist at the slightest opening. He dropped Pincus in the first with a right hand smash to the chin. A solid left hook brought Pincus to the mat again for a count of nine in the fourth. Pincus gamely fought on, taking further punishment, but connecting with blows that slowed Graham a bit until the final round. The brutal match may have contributed to the boxing retirement of Pincus, who fought few additional bouts after his crushing loss.
On June 24, 1925, Graham won a ten-round newspaper decision against Pete Zivic in Utica, New York. Zivic was down in the seventh and was quite weak by the end of the match.
Victory over Abe Goldstein, July 1925
On July 23, 1925, Graham defeated Abe Goldstein, a 1923 NYSAC World Bantamweight Champion, in an exciting eight round points decision at the Velodrome in New York City. Graham, who fought under the name Mickey Garcia, sent Goldstein to the mat in the first and fourth rounds. Graham's decisive win came in a semi-final match prior to Charlie "Phil" Rosenberg's main bout, and served to spotlight Graham as a future challenger to Rosenberg's world bantamweight title. Graham had previously defeated Tommy Ryan in an eight-round points decision on New Years Day, 1925, in Syracuse. Ryan had contended unsuccessfully against Goldstein for the NYSAC Bantamweight Championship in September, 1924.