{{Short description|Canadian boxer (1923-1954)}} {{Infobox boxer |name =Johnny Greco |image = File:Johnny Greco Pierre tombale.JPG | image_size = |realname =Johnny Greco |nickname =Jolting Johnny |weight = Welterweight |nationality = {{flagicon|CAN}} Canadian |birth_date = 1923 |birth_place = Montreal, Quebec, Canada |death_date=December 12, 1954 |death_place=Montreal, Quebec, Canada |height =5 ft 5½ in (166cm) |reach =66 in (168cm) |style =Orthodox |home = |total = 102 |wins =78 |losses =18 |draws =5 |no contests = |KO = 43 }}
'''Johnny Greco''' (1923{{snd}}1954) was a Canadian former professional welterweight boxer who won the Canadian welterweight boxing championship in 1946.
==Early life== Johnny Greco was born to an Italian family in 1923 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Greco's father was an acrobat who encouraged Johnny's interest in athletics and bought him a set of boxing gloves.<ref name="The Bayonne Times. (1944)">{{cite news |author= |date=November 14, 1944 |title=Greco's Dad Wanted Him to be Acrobat |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/907985499/?terms=johnny%20greco&match=1 |access-date=2025-11-01 |newspaper=The Bayonne Times |page=6}}</ref>
==Amateur boxing career== Greco started boxing at age seven, learning the fundamentals at Montreal's Griffintown Boys Club.<ref name="The Gazette. (1954)">{{cite news |author=|date=December 13, 1954 |title=Boxer Johnny Greco Killed in Westmount Auto Crash|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/420043327/?match=1&terms=johnny%20greco%20pit%20audette |access-date=2025-11-01 |newspaper=The Gazette |page=20}}</ref>
As a 14-year-old fighting out of the Crescent Athletic Club, Greco won the first Quebec Golden Gloves novice title in the 108-pound class in 1938.<ref name="The Montreal Star. (1938)">{{cite news |author= |date=May 3, 1938 |title=Tonight's Draw Golden Gloves |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/740399093/?match=1&terms=johnny%20greco%20golden%20gloves |access-date=2025-11-04 |newspaper=The Montreal Star |page=29}}</ref> By then, he was known by the moniker "Westmount Flash."
A points victory over Joe Gagnon on an amateur show at Monument-National in November 1939 established him as one of the leading featherweights in the province.<ref name="The Montreal Star. (1939)">{{cite news |author= |date=November 21, 1939 |title=Johnny Greco Impresses In Ring Victory |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/740598522/?match=1&terms=johnny%20greco |access-date=2025-11-01 |newspaper=The Montreal Star |page=19}}</ref>
Greco's amateur record consisted of 38 fights, with 22 knockout victories, 13 decision wins, and four losses.
==Professional career== The Montreal native's professional boxing debut took place on June 7, 1940, where he registered a technical knockout win.<ref name="BoxRec">{{cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/11084|title=Johnny Greco|website=boxrec.com|access-date=2025-11-01}}</ref> His first manager as a professional was Raoul Godbout, who also oversaw the career of Canadian featherweight and lightweight champion Dave Castilloux. He soon felt pushed aside in favor of Castilloux and sought new management. After parting ways with Godbout, he began working with manager Pit Audette in October 1941.<ref name="The Gazette. (1941)">{{cite news |author=|date=October 8, 1941 |title=Greco Will Fight Under Pit Audette |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/419436440/?terms=johnny%20greco&match=1 |access-date=2025-11-04 |newspaper=The Gazette |page=17}}</ref>
After advancing through the preliminary ranks in Montreal, Greco moved to New York under Murray Elkins in 1942 and secured a Madison Square Garden date before year's end. He made a statement by knocking out Harold Green at the 1:34 mark of round one, then scoring another first-round knockout over Bill Speary. The back-to-back stoppages elevated Greco to headliner status. He defeated Cleo Shans twice at the Garden in February and March 1943. Soon after, Greco enlisted in the Canadian Army, where he served as a private for about a year before being discharged.<ref name="The Bayonne Times. (1944)"/>
Between 1944 and 1945, he delivered three consecutive fights with Bobby Ruffin. Following his decision victory over Ruffin and their December 1944 draw, Madison Square Garden promoter Mike Jacobs dubbed him the "$200,000 kid." Their first two fights had generated $55,760 and $86,489 at the gate.<ref name="The Record (1945)">{{cite news |author= |date=January 31, 1945 |title='$200,000 Baby' Tag Pinned On Johnny Greco By Jacobs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/489653611/?match=1&terms=johnny%20greco |access-date=2025-11-01 |newspaper=The Record |page=15}}</ref> He lost in the rubber match that was arranged with Ruffin at Madison Square Garden in February 1945.<ref name="BoxRec"/>
''The Ring'' magazine placed Greco third among welterweight contenders in its 1944 annual ratings, published in February 1945. He was ranked behind champion Fred Cochrane, Henry Armstrong, and Sugar Ray Robinson.<ref name="BoxRecTheRing">{{cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php/The_Ring_Magazine%27s_Annual_Ratings:_1944|title=The Ring Magazine's Annual Ratings: 1944|website=boxrec.com|access-date=2025-12-01}}</ref>
Greco and Tony Janiro clashed three straight times at Madison Square Garden in 1945, with the Montrealer capturing two victories via unanimous decision.<ref name="BoxRec"/>
His 1946 campaign at the Garden included two meetings with former world lightweight champion Beau Jack.<ref name="BoxRec"/> In their initial bout on February 8, 1946, Greco pulled off an upset by battling Beau Jack to a 10-round draw.<ref name="The Corrector. (1939)">{{cite web|url=https://www.google.ca/books/edition/The_Corrector/y3FecAPzuRUC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=johnny+greco+boxer&dq=johnny+greco+boxer&printsec=frontcover|title=The Corrector - Volumes 25-37|website=books.google.ca|access-date=2025-11-02|date=1939|publisher=House of Correction}}</ref> With 18,941 in attendance, the $148,152 gate shattered the Madison Square Garden record at the time, eclipsing the previous record held by Joe Louis and Buddy Baer.<ref name="The Gazette. (1946)">{{cite news |author=Dink Carroll |date=February 9, 1946 |title=Greco Earns Draw With Beau Jack |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/421025313/?match=1&terms=johnny%20greco |access-date=2025-11-01 |newspaper=The Gazette |page=14}}</ref> Three months later, in May 1946, he lost to Beau Jack by unanimous decision.<ref name="BoxRec1">{{cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/event/39394/60928|title=Beau Jack vs Johnny Greco|website=boxrec.com|access-date=2025-11-01}}</ref>
===Taking the Canadian welterweight championship, August 1946=== On August 28, 1946, Greco dethroned Dave Castilloux as Canadian welterweight champion, taking a 10-round decision to end Castilloux's five-year title reign. Greco held an 8-pound advantage at 145 pounds to Castilloux's 137½. The bout drew 14,750 spectators and generated $49,549, establishing a new indoor gate record for Canada.<ref name="The Leader-Post. (1946)">{{cite news |author=|date=August 29, 1946 |title=Johnny Greco new champion |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/495432559/?terms=johnny%20greco&match=1 |access-date=2025-11-01 |newspaper=The Leader-Post |page=13}}</ref>
====Notable bouts during welterweight title reign==== Greco successfully defended his title for the first time on May 16, 1947, meeting Danny Webb at the Montreal Forum.<ref name="BoxRec3">{{cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/event/445623/929372|title=Johnny Greco vs Danny Webb|website=boxrec.com|access-date=2025-11-01}}</ref> In Greco's second defense, Harry Hurst challenged for the Canadian welterweight championship on November 3, 1947, with Greco retaining the belt. The two met again on May 18, 1948, with Greco once more emerging victorious.<ref name="BoxRec"/>
He disrupted the North American debut of Eric Boon in August 1948.<ref name="BoxRec"/>
Greco met Beau Jack for a third time on April 9, 1948, in their first Canadian matchup, with Greco falling short on a majority draw before his home crowd. The series concluded in March 1949 when Greco defeated Jack by unanimous decision in their fourth encounter.<ref name="BoxRec"/>
In October 1948, Greco's contract with manager Pit Audette, who also handled Gaby Ferland, expired. He then moved forward with trainer-manager Frankie Doyle guiding his career.<ref name="The Montreal Star. (1948)">{{cite news |author=|date=October 13, 1948 |title=Johnny Greco Gets Himself New Manager |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/741586698/?match=1&terms=johnny%20greco%20pit%20audette |access-date=2025-11-04 |newspaper=The Montreal Star |page=31}}</ref>
At 26, he fought Laurent Dauthuille at Delorimier Stadium in 1949. The match drew 19,580 fans, generating $76,523, the largest attendance in Canadian boxing history, surpassing the previous record from his 1946 Castilloux championship fight.<ref name="Calgary Herald. (1949)">{{cite news |author=|date=August 4, 1949 |title=Dauthuille Beats Greco In Fifth |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/481618533/?match=1&terms=johnny%20greco%20Laurent%20Dauthuille |access-date=2025-11-01 |newspaper=Calgary Herald |page=22}}</ref>
Greco defended his title successfully in January 1950, scoring a TKO over Fitzie Pruden at the Montreal Forum, then posted a unanimous decision against Bob Montgomery at the same venue in February. He fell by split decision to Eddie Giosa in Philadelphia in May, then lost to Cuban Kid Gavilán at the Montreal Royals' baseball park in August 1950. Greco rebounded in February 1951 with a victory over Giosa in their rematch, then won back the Canadian welterweight title in March 1951 by TKO'ing Gaby Ferland.<ref name="BoxRec"/>
===Loss against ex-NBA world middleweight champion Rocky Graziano, May 1951=== The Canadian champion took on 32-year-old ex-NBA world middleweight champion Rocky Graziano on May 21, 1951.<ref name="BoxRec2">{{cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/event/12447/18502|title=Rocky Graziano vs Johnny Greco|website=boxrec.com|access-date=2025-11-01}}</ref> Graziano stopped Greco in three rounds before a crowd of 6,165 at the Montreal Forum.
===Losing the Canadian welterweight championship to Armand Savoie, July 1952=== Following a 4-0-1 run, Greco defended the welterweight title against Armand Savoie, losing a tight split verdict on July 7, 1952.<ref name="BoxRec"/>
===Taking the Canadian welterweight championship, August 1952=== He faced Savoie in an immediate rematch a month later on August 26, 1952. He captured the Canadian welterweight championship for the second time.<ref name="BoxRec"/>
Greco retired from the ring in 1952 following a 100-plus fight welterweight career, posting a 78-18-5 mark with 43 victories inside the distance.<ref name="BoxRec"/>
==Professional boxing record== {{BoxingRecordSummary |draws=5 |nc= |ko-wins=43 |ko-losses=4 |dec-wins=35 |dec-losses=14 |dq-losses= }}
==Death== Johnny Greco died on December 12, 1954, in Westmount, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was killed in a car accident.<ref name="The New York Times. (1954)">{{cite news |author= |date=December 13, 1954 |title=GRECO, PRO BOXER, KILLED IN CRASH; Car Mishap Fatal to Former Canadian Welter King -- Was Popular Here |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1954/12/13/archives/greco-pro-boxer-killed-in-crash-car-mishap-fatal-to-former-canadian.html |access-date=2025-11-01 |newspaper=The New York Times |page=36}}</ref> He was buried at Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery.
==Legacy== Greco's career extended 14 years and included 14 appearances at Madison Square Garden, 11 of which were main event bouts.<ref name="The Gazette. (1954)"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{boxrec|id=011084}}
{{S-start}} {{s-ach|ach}} {{s-bef|before=Dave Castilloux}} {{s-ttl|title=Canadian Welterweight Champion| years=August 28, 1946 – July 7, 1952}} {{s-aft|after=Armand Savoie}} {{s-bef|before=Armand Savoie}} {{s-ttl|title=Canadian Welterweight Champion| years=August 26, 1952 – August 26, 1952}} {{s-aft|after=Rocky Brisebois}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greco, Johnny}} Category:1923 births Category:1954 deaths Category:Sportspeople from Montreal Category:Boxing people from Quebec Category:Canadian male boxers Category:Welterweight boxers Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen Category:Canadian people of Italian descent Category:Road incident deaths in Canada Category:Accidental deaths in Quebec