Boxing in The 1950s - 1956

1956

• January 18- Sandy Saddler retains his world Featherweight title with a thirteenth round knockout of future world Jr. Lightweight champion Flash Elorde, in San Francisco. It would be Saddler's last career title bout.
• March 14- Johnny Saxton regains the world Welterweight title with a fifteen round unanimous decision over Carmen Basilio, at Chicago. Once again, it would prove to be a controversial win, as most ringside reporters thought Basilio should have deserved the win.
• April 27- Rocky Marciano announces his retirement, officially making him the only Heavyweight champion in history to retire undefeated, at the Hotel Shelton, New York.
• May 18- Sugar Ray Robinson defeats Bobo Olson for the fourth time in their career, knocking out the former Middleweight champion of the world in round four, to retain the world Middleweight title, in Los Angeles.
• June 29- Mario D'Agata becomes boxing's first deaf-mute world champion in history, defeating Robert Cohen by knockout in six, to win the world Bantamweight title, at Rome, Italy.
• July 27- Sandy Saddler suffers a life-threatening car accident and requires hospitalization for one month.
• August 24- Joe Brown wins the world Lightweight title with a fifteen round split decision over Bud Smith, New Orleans.
• September 12- Carmen Basilio regains the world Welterweight title with a ninth round knockout over Johnny Saxton, in Syracuse.
• November 30- Floyd Patterson wins the vacant world Heavyweight championship with a fifth round knockout win over world light heavyweight champion Archie Moore, on the same night that his wife gave birth to a baby girl. Patterson became, at 21, the youngest world Heavyweight champion in history, record that he would maintain until 1986. Moore, by his part, at 42, was attempting to become the oldest world heavyweight champion in history. Right after the fight, held at Chicago, Patterson flew to New York to see his daughter.