Rudell Stitch
Encyclopedia
Rudell Stitch was a professional boxer
from Louisville
, Kentucky
. Stitch was ranked second in the world as a welterweight
and fought numerous contenders, including Isaac Logart, Yama Bahama, Chico Vejar, Gasper Ortega, Luis Manuel Rodríguez
, Ralph Dupas
, Holly Mims, and Stan Harrington. He died while trying to save a friend from drowning in the Ohio River
.
and welterweight
, Stitch won 45 of 57 amateur bouts. He won Kentucky
state titles in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, and 1956. Stitch reached the semifinals of the Chicago
Golden Gloves
and the finals of the National AAU
Tournament in 1956.
With Bud Bruner
as his manager and trainer, Stitch started his professional boxing career as a welterweight in 1956. He won his first three professional fights, then lost a four-round split decision to Art Glass. He followed his first pro loss with two knockout victories, then lost a six-round decision in a rematch with Glass. After two more wins, Stitch lost an eight-round split decision to middleweight
Pedro Bradley.
To make ends meet, Stitch worked a full-time job at a meat packing plant while pursuing his boxing career. He had a wife, a daughter, and five sons to support.
in the world. The fight took place at the Jefferson County Armory
in Louisville
, Kentucky
on August 27, 1958. Stitch defeated Logart by a ten-round unanimous decision. On October 6, 1958, they had a rematch at St. Nicholas Arena in New York City
. It was a close battle all the way. Logart had a strong finish and won by a close ten-round unanimous decision.
On November 26, 1958, Stitch faced Yama Bahama, a veteran with fifty-two professional victories. Stitch won by a ten-round unanimous decision. On December 28, 1958, Stitch defeated middleweight
Chico Vejar by a ten-round unanimous decision. He gave away 11½ pounds to Vejar, a winner of eighty-three professional fights.
Stitch's first fight with Gasper Ortega, which took place at Madison Square Garden
on February 6, 1959, illustrated his character. In the third round, there was an accidental clash of heads. Stitch wasn't hurt, but Ortega was staggering around. Stitch backed away and let Ortega's head clear: he didn't believe in taking advantage of an opponent in such a situation. Ortega went on to win by a ten-round split decision, but Stitch's sportsmanship earned him much respect. On May 8, 1959, they had a rematch in Syracuse, New York
, and Stitch won by a ten-round unanimous decision.
On the day of the Ortega rematch, Stitch was awarded the Carnegie Hero Fund
medal for rescuing a man from drowning in the Ohio River
.
On July 1, 1959, Stitch knocked out Rudy Sawyer in the first round. In his previous fight, Sawyer lost a ten-round unanimous decision to future World Welterweight Champion Benny Paret
. The knockout loss to Stitch was the only time Sawyer was stopped in his entire career.
On August 26, 1959, Stitch faced future World Welterweight Champion Luis Manuel Rodriguez
at the Fairgrounds Coliseum in Louisville, Kentucky. Stitch was ranked second in the world at welterweight, while Rodriguez was ranked seventh. Rodriguez won by a ten-round split decision, advancing his record to 23-0.
In his next fight, Stitch, now ranked eighth in the world, fought Ralph Dupas
at Freedom Hall
in Louisville, Kentucky on October 7, 1959. Dupas, the future World Junior Middleweight Champion, was ranked third and had seventy-seven professional wins. Stitch won by a ten-round unanimous decision.
Stitch followed the Dupas win with a fight against Holy Mims, a top ten ranked middleweight contender. The fight took place in New Orleans, Louisiana
on November 23, 1959. Stitch won by a ten-round split decision.
Stitch was scheduled to fight Carl Hubbard in Chicago
, Illinois
in January 1960, but the Illinois State Athletic Commission discovered that he had a cataract on his left eye and barred him from fighting. Stitch returned home and was examined by two Louisville eye specialists who determined that the cataract wasn't serious enough to halt his career. Stitch returned to the ring on February 17, 1960 and stopped Charley "Tombstone" Smith in four rounds.
Stitch, once again ranked second in the world, had a rematch with Ralph Dupas in Sydney, Australia on May 2, 1960. They fought before a crowd of 11,000. Dupas came on strong after a sluggish start, using his speed and boxing skill to pile up points. Dupas won by a twelve-round unanimous decision.
Stitch fought Stan Harrington in Honolulu, Hawaii
on May 24, 1960. Stitch, behind on points midway thorough the fight, picked up the pace in the second half and won by a ten-round unanimous decision. The win advanced his record to 27-7 with 13 knockouts..
, Bruner's son, and Charles Oliver, a friend. They were fishing on a rock shelf below the McAlpine Locks and Dam
when Oliver slipped. He grabbed Stitch, and they both went into the Ohio River
. As he was swimming back to shore, Stitch heard Oliver yelling and went back to get him. Stitch and Oliver, both weighed downed by heavy waders
and coats, disappeared in the turbulent water. Their bodies were found by the Coast Guard
hours later.
Stitch died the day before he was to sign for a rematch with Luis Manuel Rodriguez
. The fight would have taken place on July 24, 1960.
Rodriguez fought former World Welterweight Champion Virgil Akins
in Louisville
, Kentucky
on July 6, 1960, with 35% of the gross going to Stitch's window and six children. Bud Bruner accepted an invitation to act as one of Akins' seconds.
The month following Stitch's death, the National Boxing Association
announced the creation of the Rudell Stitch Sportsmanship Award, which would be presented annually to the professional boxer who displayed the most sportsmanship in and out of the ring.
For his tremendous sacrifice, Stitch posthumously received another medal from the Carnegie Hero Fund
. Only three other people have received two Carnegie Hero Fund medals.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
from Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. Stitch was ranked second in the world as a welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
and fought numerous contenders, including Isaac Logart, Yama Bahama, Chico Vejar, Gasper Ortega, Luis Manuel Rodríguez
Luis Manuel Rodriguez
Luis Manuel Rodríguez was a professional boxing champion. Known as "El Feo", Rodriguez began his career in pre-Castro Havana. In Cuba, Rodriguez twice defeated the ill-fated future welterweight champion Benny Kid Paret.After the Cuban Revolution, Rodríguez campaigned in the United States...
, Ralph Dupas
Ralph Dupas
Ralph Dupas was a boxer from New Orleans who won the world light middleweight championship.-Early boxing career:...
, Holly Mims, and Stan Harrington. He died while trying to save a friend from drowning in the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
.
Early Boxing Career
Boxing as a lightweightLightweight
Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....
and welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
, Stitch won 45 of 57 amateur bouts. He won Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
state titles in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, and 1956. Stitch reached the semifinals of the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
and the finals of the National AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
Tournament in 1956.
With Bud Bruner
Bud Bruner
Edgar L. "Bud" Bruner was a boxing manager, trainer, and gym proprietor from Louisville, Kentucky.Bruner was a star athlete at duPont Manual High School in Louisville. He lettered in baseball, basketball, football, and track...
as his manager and trainer, Stitch started his professional boxing career as a welterweight in 1956. He won his first three professional fights, then lost a four-round split decision to Art Glass. He followed his first pro loss with two knockout victories, then lost a six-round decision in a rematch with Glass. After two more wins, Stitch lost an eight-round split decision to middleweight
Middleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
Pedro Bradley.
To make ends meet, Stitch worked a full-time job at a meat packing plant while pursuing his boxing career. He had a wife, a daughter, and five sons to support.
Becoming A Contender
After six consecutive wins, Stitch fought Isaac Logart, the second-ranked welterweightWelterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
in the world. The fight took place at the Jefferson County Armory
Louisville Gardens
Louisville Gardens is a multi-purpose, 6,000 seat arena, in Louisville, Kentucky, that opened in 1905, as the Jefferson County Armory. It recently celebrated its 100th anniversary as city mayor Jerry Abramson's official "Family-Friendly New Years Eve" celebration location...
in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
on August 27, 1958. Stitch defeated Logart by a ten-round unanimous decision. On October 6, 1958, they had a rematch at St. Nicholas Arena in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It was a close battle all the way. Logart had a strong finish and won by a close ten-round unanimous decision.
On November 26, 1958, Stitch faced Yama Bahama, a veteran with fifty-two professional victories. Stitch won by a ten-round unanimous decision. On December 28, 1958, Stitch defeated middleweight
Middleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
Chico Vejar by a ten-round unanimous decision. He gave away 11½ pounds to Vejar, a winner of eighty-three professional fights.
Stitch's first fight with Gasper Ortega, which took place at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
on February 6, 1959, illustrated his character. In the third round, there was an accidental clash of heads. Stitch wasn't hurt, but Ortega was staggering around. Stitch backed away and let Ortega's head clear: he didn't believe in taking advantage of an opponent in such a situation. Ortega went on to win by a ten-round split decision, but Stitch's sportsmanship earned him much respect. On May 8, 1959, they had a rematch in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, and Stitch won by a ten-round unanimous decision.
On the day of the Ortega rematch, Stitch was awarded the Carnegie Hero Fund
Carnegie Hero Fund
The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, also known as Carnegie Hero Fund, was established to recognize persons who perform extraordinary acts of heroism in civilian life in the United States and Canada, and to provide financial assistance for those disabled and the dependents of those killed saving or...
medal for rescuing a man from drowning in the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
.
On July 1, 1959, Stitch knocked out Rudy Sawyer in the first round. In his previous fight, Sawyer lost a ten-round unanimous decision to future World Welterweight Champion Benny Paret
Benny Paret
Benny "the Kid" Paret, born Bernardo Paret , born in Santa Clara, Cuba, was a Cuban welterweight boxer. Paret won the world welterweight title twice in the early 1960s and died in 1962 following an unsuccessful attempt to defend the crown in what is considered to be the first ring death witnessed...
. The knockout loss to Stitch was the only time Sawyer was stopped in his entire career.
On August 26, 1959, Stitch faced future World Welterweight Champion Luis Manuel Rodriguez
Luis Manuel Rodriguez
Luis Manuel Rodríguez was a professional boxing champion. Known as "El Feo", Rodriguez began his career in pre-Castro Havana. In Cuba, Rodriguez twice defeated the ill-fated future welterweight champion Benny Kid Paret.After the Cuban Revolution, Rodríguez campaigned in the United States...
at the Fairgrounds Coliseum in Louisville, Kentucky. Stitch was ranked second in the world at welterweight, while Rodriguez was ranked seventh. Rodriguez won by a ten-round split decision, advancing his record to 23-0.
In his next fight, Stitch, now ranked eighth in the world, fought Ralph Dupas
Ralph Dupas
Ralph Dupas was a boxer from New Orleans who won the world light middleweight championship.-Early boxing career:...
at Freedom Hall
Freedom Hall
Freedom Hall is a multipurpose arena in Louisville, Kentucky, on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center, which is owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky...
in Louisville, Kentucky on October 7, 1959. Dupas, the future World Junior Middleweight Champion, was ranked third and had seventy-seven professional wins. Stitch won by a ten-round unanimous decision.
Stitch followed the Dupas win with a fight against Holy Mims, a top ten ranked middleweight contender. The fight took place in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
on November 23, 1959. Stitch won by a ten-round split decision.
Stitch was scheduled to fight Carl Hubbard in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in January 1960, but the Illinois State Athletic Commission discovered that he had a cataract on his left eye and barred him from fighting. Stitch returned home and was examined by two Louisville eye specialists who determined that the cataract wasn't serious enough to halt his career. Stitch returned to the ring on February 17, 1960 and stopped Charley "Tombstone" Smith in four rounds.
Stitch, once again ranked second in the world, had a rematch with Ralph Dupas in Sydney, Australia on May 2, 1960. They fought before a crowd of 11,000. Dupas came on strong after a sluggish start, using his speed and boxing skill to pile up points. Dupas won by a twelve-round unanimous decision.
Stitch fought Stan Harrington in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
on May 24, 1960. Stitch, behind on points midway thorough the fight, picked up the pace in the second half and won by a ten-round unanimous decision. The win advanced his record to 27-7 with 13 knockouts..
Death
On June 5, 1960, Stitch went fishing with Bud BrunerBud Bruner
Edgar L. "Bud" Bruner was a boxing manager, trainer, and gym proprietor from Louisville, Kentucky.Bruner was a star athlete at duPont Manual High School in Louisville. He lettered in baseball, basketball, football, and track...
, Bruner's son, and Charles Oliver, a friend. They were fishing on a rock shelf below the McAlpine Locks and Dam
McAlpine Locks and Dam
The McAlpine Locks and Dam refers to the series of locks and the hydroelectric dam in Louisville, Kentucky at the Falls of the Ohio. They are located at mile point 606.8 and control a 72.9 mile long navigation pool...
when Oliver slipped. He grabbed Stitch, and they both went into the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. As he was swimming back to shore, Stitch heard Oliver yelling and went back to get him. Stitch and Oliver, both weighed downed by heavy waders
Waders (footwear)
Waders refers to a waterproof boot extending from the foot to the chest, traditionally made from vulcanised rubber, but available in more modern PVC, neoprene and Gore-Tex variants. Waders are generally distinguished from counterpart waterproof boots by shaft height; the hip boot extending to the...
and coats, disappeared in the turbulent water. Their bodies were found by the Coast Guard
Coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
hours later.
Stitch died the day before he was to sign for a rematch with Luis Manuel Rodriguez
Luis Manuel Rodriguez
Luis Manuel Rodríguez was a professional boxing champion. Known as "El Feo", Rodriguez began his career in pre-Castro Havana. In Cuba, Rodriguez twice defeated the ill-fated future welterweight champion Benny Kid Paret.After the Cuban Revolution, Rodríguez campaigned in the United States...
. The fight would have taken place on July 24, 1960.
Rodriguez fought former World Welterweight Champion Virgil Akins
Virgil Akins
Virgil Akins was an American boxer who won the undisputed Welterweight Championship of the World in 1958. Nicknamed ‘Honeybear’, Akins was the first World Champion boxer from St. Louis.-Career:...
in Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
on July 6, 1960, with 35% of the gross going to Stitch's window and six children. Bud Bruner accepted an invitation to act as one of Akins' seconds.
The month following Stitch's death, the National Boxing Association
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
announced the creation of the Rudell Stitch Sportsmanship Award, which would be presented annually to the professional boxer who displayed the most sportsmanship in and out of the ring.
For his tremendous sacrifice, Stitch posthumously received another medal from the Carnegie Hero Fund
Carnegie Hero Fund
The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, also known as Carnegie Hero Fund, was established to recognize persons who perform extraordinary acts of heroism in civilian life in the United States and Canada, and to provide financial assistance for those disabled and the dependents of those killed saving or...
. Only three other people have received two Carnegie Hero Fund medals.