[Rocco Del Sesto]

Did not do anything with the ratings attached. Updated a little data and bio info included. Found some interesting articles on a couple of his fights.

Joe Baksi - HW - USA
Career Record: W61(KO 30) / L9(KO 1) / D3

Defeated: Bruce Woodcock, Freddie Mills, Freddie Schott, Lou Nova, Buddy Knox, Lee Savold, Tami Mauriello, Buddy Walker, and Frank Poreda.

Unknown Information has been left blank.

Trainer: Whitey Bimstein

Joe Baksi took on Tami Mauriello in last February 1944 a 5-12 underdog to Mauriello who was the number 2 ranked challenger for Joe Louis' crown.Baksi though sent Tami to the canvas in the 1st round with a left hook and piled up an impressive lead to cruise to a unanimous decision.This article confirms Baksi being from Kulpmont, PA, a former anthracite coal miner.
From The Ellensburg Daily Record, 2/26/44.

The Lewiston DAily Sun, 3/31/45 accounts Baksi' unanimous 10 round decision over Lou Nova on March 30th. Baksi knocked Nova down for a 9 count in the 4th on his way to the decision. Baksi caught Nova with three hard lefts and rights to the head in the 9th to pen up a bad cut over Nova's right eye. Another Baksi left then started blood spurting from the cut. With the blood flowing freely, surprisingly it would seem Referee Ruby Goldstein let the fight continue and Nova fought gamely in through the 10th. The fighters were given an ovation from the fans at the end for a great fight.

A 4/15/47 article from the Prescott Evening Courier found on line on the upcoming fight between Baksi and Bruce Woodcock mentions that Baksi is a former Pennsylvania coal miner. This fight was being billed as the winner potentialy then meeting Joe Louis for the world heavyweight crown.The Deseret News the next day 4/16/47 account of the fight mentions Baksi flooring Woodcock five times in the first two rounds winning all six of the first completed rounds. Woodcock was bleeding and groggy when the referee haulted the fight at 1:12 of the seventh round.

Baksi' chances to climb into the ring to fight champ Joe Louis we dashed though in his next fight on July 6, 1947 Swede Olle Tanburg upset Baksi in a 10 round majority decision in Stockholm. His last big chance fight in December 1948 was a 11th round TKO loss to Ezzard Charles.