George Araujo’s Madison Square Garden Shot
On June 12, 1953, George Araujo challenged lightweight champion Jimmy Carter at Madison Square Garden in New York. Carter stopped the Providence contender, denying him the world title. The contest marked the pinnacle of Araujo’s rise from local boxing into championship competition.
Career Milestones and Fight Results
The chance arrived at Madison Square Garden on June 12, 1953, against Jimmy Carter, the reigning champion. Contemporary Associated Press coverage captured a fight that was competitive before it turned. Araujo’s jab helped him build an early lead, but Carter changed the pace with two knockdowns in the ninth round. The champion kept pressing and finished the contest with body punches in the thirteenth, retaining the title by technical knockout (contemporary Associated Press report). Araujo had not taken the belt, yet he had brought the champion deep into a hard fight on one of boxing’s biggest stages.
The defeat did not erase the standing he had earned at home. Araujo returned to New England title contention against Teddy “Redtop” Davis, losing twice in bouts that drew attention from the regional boxing public. After a long break, he came back for five more fights in 1958 and then retired. His career record—58 wins, 9 losses and 1 draw—reflected both his early knockout power and the durability that kept him in the sport through a demanding decade.
His influence continued after the last fight. Araujo taught boxing at the Providence Boys Club, worked as a youth counselor and later coached the Army Olympic boxing team. Future world champion Harold Gomes credited Araujo with teaching him the sport. That legacy gives the Carter bout a larger meaning: Araujo was not only Providence’s contender on a championship night, but also a mentor whose work helped shape the next generation of Rhode Island fighters.
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George Araujo, Boxing, Championship Fights, Boxing History
