Where Are They Now?: Vito Antuofermo

Recently it was my great pleasure to speak with former World Middleweight Champion Vito Antuofermo. Antuofermo was born in Italy, later moving to the United States. Antuofermo was a New York Golden Gloves Champion as an amateur, and won the World Middleweight Championship in 1979 over Hugo Corro.

After a defense over Marvin Hagler in a controversial draw, Antuofermo lost the title to Alan Minter by split decision. Antuofermo, known for a tendency to bleed, would also lose rematches later to Hagler and Minter via TKOʼs.

Well known fighters he would beat included Emile Griffith, Bennie Briscoe, Denny Moyer, Willie Classen and Eckhard Dagge. After a loss in 1985 to Matthew Hilton, Antuofermo retired with a record of 50-7-2.

Shawn Murphy: Mr. Antuofermo, how did you get your start in boxing, was it in Italy or the US?

Vito Antuofermo: I started as an amateur in America at age 17. I had a very good amateur career. I won the Golden Gloves title in 1970. In 1971 I was defeated in the finals by a guy named Eddie Gregory [later known as Eddie Mustafa Muhammad]. Eddie was a future light heavyweight champ and a big puncher. I did beat him the year before that loss.

SM: I have read in a previous interview that winning the Golden Gloves title was as proud a moment as when you won the middleweight title?

VA: Yes, Shawn I still believe that. It was a real honor to win the Golden Gloves. My son wanted the Golden Gloves title real bad too. He was a very good boxer but also was a very good student. He won his first three fights. In his last fight he didnʼt get the decision. I thought it was a bad decision. The guy that beat him ended up winning the title. I was very proud of him. I wouldnʼt want him to go pro, though.

SM: What do you remember most about your early days in boxing, before you won the title?

VA: I guess mostly it would be the loss to Harold Weston. I had about 18 wins in a row at that point. I got cut in that one. I didnʼt even have a cut man when I fought Weston. I was beating the hell out of him and the referee stepped in and stopped the fight. I thought I had won because I had him against the ropes hitting him. But I had a nasty cut and he won, what are you gonna do? The next day the headlines in the paper read “The Ring Rained Red”.

SM: What about your title win over Hugo Corro in 1979? How confident were you going in?

VA: No doubt at all I would win that fight. I never thought I would lose any fight I ever had. I lost several fights solely on cuts, and was never knocked out.

SM: In your first title defense, you met Marvin Hagler, fighting to a draw. Do you agree with that decision?

VA: I think I should have won by a decision. I pulled it out in the last several rounds. It was close but I thought in the last 2-3 rounds I pulled out a decision, not a draw. The rounds were close but even to this day when friends and I watch that fight, we know who won, thereʼs no point of even watching it.

SM: In your next defense against Minter, you lost the title. What happened?

VA: I thought I won that fight! So did the audience. In this fight, as compared to the second Minter fight, you could use coagulates. I know I won that fight.

SM: What about the rematches with Hagler and Minter? You lost both by TKO. What was the difference in these fights?

VA: In the Hagler fight, I got butted, it wasnʼt even from a punch. I thought it was an intentional butt, however they ruled it was neither of our faults. There is a reason why I think it was intentional, mainly because of the first fight and how it went.

On the morning of the fight they always have the rules given to each camp. What ounce gloves were wearing and things like what substances we can use in the corner. Both camps have to agree on what kinds of medicine we can use. When I came to the rules meeting, their camp said we could use anything we like as long as they could use anything they wanted as well.

Hagler didnʼt beat me in the first fight, so coming into the second fight, they knew my only losses were by cuts. So this fight, their camp wanted nothing used at all. They figured the only way they could beat me was on cuts, and not in a straight up fight.

The first fight I got 75 stitches on my face. In the second fight, we couldnʼt use Adrenaline to help with the bleeding. The cut was a huge deal. I got butted in the first, you can see that if you watch the film. To me, it seems if you watch it, that it was on purpose.

My trainer Freddie Brown was so discouraged because he knew he couldnʼt stop it with the stuff we were allowed to use, so he stopped the fight. I wanted to go on. If you see the fight youʼll see me telling him I want to go, but he just pulled me away. He knew the cut was too bad and that I couldnʼt go on like that.

In the second Minter fight, my skin was just getting too fragile, I cut real easy by then. I got a cut a couple days prior to the fight, bumped heads with my sparring partner. I tried to hide it when I went to England. All the papers were saying that I was gonna cut, because they saw I had an injury.

He opened it right in the first round. We werenʼt able to use a coagulate here in England and they had no choice, I guess, but to stop the fight later on. This fight never should have happened anyway, since I know I beat him in the first fight

SM: You retired after a loss to Matthew Hilton in 1985. What finally made you hang up the gloves?

VA: Well, I got cut in that one too. I was getting cut a lot at that point and I was so very frustrated. I wanted to go, wanted to keep fighting, but they stopped it. I was in great shape. When I made a comeback in 1984, my manager didnʼt want me to. I was 33 and I thought I could fight. Don King asked me after the Hilton fight if I wanted more fights, offered me good money. I just said no, that was it.

I thought about a comeback in 1993, but it never went through. They had a fight for me but I told them to just forget it. I still feel great now. I run, go to the gym, and hit the bag. Iʼve got some long breaks for my job and so I go to a gym nearby and work out.

SM: Any regrets looking back now on your career?

VA: I wish I would have never made a comeback when I fought Hilton. He wasnʼt the best fighter and itʼs a loss on my record that I donʼt like. I also missed that I fought later on without my old manager and trainer being there. I thought I could do it myself, but I missed them being there.

SM: So, after retirement, I know you did quite a bit of acting. What else have you been doing in retirement?

VA: I got into a couple businesses. A restaurant and a pizzeria. It was a lot of work. I still may go back with the restaurant business someday. Now I work for the NY/NJ Port Authority. Iʼm a crane operator. I make a good living. I havenʼt done any acting since 2000 or so, since I got my present job. It takes most of my time and itʼs too hard to do both. In acting you have to be there as soon as they call you and with my job you canʼt do that.

SM: What future plans do you have?

VA: Maybe Iʼll do this job for another 9 years or so and then quit. Boxing was different. When itʼs over you know it, and itʼs really over for good.

SM: Do you still watch boxing these days?

VA: Yeah, I still do a lot. Tell me a fight and Iʼll tell you about it. Look at how many champions there are in each division. When I fought for the title and defended it, I had to fight the best. There werenʼt 3 or 4 titles so we had to fight the best out there. After beating Corro for the title, I fought Hagler, then Minter. So I fought the best, there were no easy fights.

As far as today, I like this guy Hopkins. But if he were around in my era I donʼt think he would have been as great. Against me or Hagler, it would have been a different story. Look at all the money they’re making today. When I fought Hagler, I made $150,000. In the 1970ʼs you had one true champion, there were no light or super divisions. A lot of the champions today wonʼt fight each other. Itʼs much better for the boxer, donʼt get me wrong. Iʼm glad they’re making so much money.

SM: Mr.Antuofermo, any final comments or words to the fans out there?

VA: I want to thank all the fans who supported me. I still now get letters from all over the world, like England and Japan. Fans want autographed photos and such. Iʼve been out of boxing since 1985 and I still get fan mail, thatʼs great. People still tell me today that when I fought you would see the two best fighters in the ring. But I appreciate all the fan mail I get and that the fans still think of me.

SM: Mr. Antuofermo, itʼs been a real pleasure.

VA: Thank you.