[Rocco Del Sesto]

Freddie Fiducia - FW, MW, LHW, HW - USA
Career Record: W63(KO 31) / L22(KO 5) / D2

Unknown information has been left blank.

Original file for heavyweight rating in my data base is credited to the TBCB3 DB Team. I did find back in my old files an original rating for Fiducia by Mark Elwood...Rocco

A New York Times death notice for Fiducia noted he died on May 10, 1966 from a heart attack and that his age was 52. Said he as stricken in his car while stopped at a trafic light. He died in Newark. The article says Fiducia lost 21 of his 225 prizefights having fought in every division from flyweight through heavyweight. It mentions he fought Willy La Morte as a flyweight but BoxRec listing for Willie La Morte does not show this fight. He worked as a dispatcher for the Continental Can Company of Paterson.

A NYTimes account of his 2/2243 fight with Pat Valentino says Fiducia of Nutley, N.J.

Fiducia's career as noted by BoxRec started back in May 1929 looks as a Featherweight. BoxRec shows him with 6 fights in 1929 at Featherweight with a record: W6(KO 3) / L0(KO 0) / D0. I looked up the Al Mason fight in June in the New York Times and cofirmed the fight and fight weight.

Then there are no fights till Feb 1932 and fights at Middleweight in 5 fights: W3(KO 2) / L1(KO 0) / D1.

Then in June 1932 against Lew Ferry he weights up to Light Heavyweight and appears to fight in that division through his 3/1/34 fight against Jackie Murray compiling a record of: W6(KO 2) / L4(KO 0) / D0.

From there on out his fights From there out Fiducia battles regularily it looks like as a Heavyweight starting with his 3/27/34 bout against Don "Red" Barry through til September 10, 1945 when he looses by 9th round KO to Freddie Schott.

A 9/11/45 New York Times account of the fight notes that youthful heavyweight Freddie Schott scored a knockout over the veteran Freddie Fiducia at 0:51 of the 9th round. All toll through the fight, Fiducia was put down 6 times by Schott, the final a left hook to the jaw that ended the fight. After the fight, the NYSAC announced that the fight purses would be held up and the fighters were ordered to appear before the board on that Friday.

A NYTimes article the next day on 9/12/45 detailed how Freddie Fiducia's manager Willie Gilzenberg had revealed to the NYSAC as early as the Friday before the fight that a gambler had offered Fiducia $20,000 to throw the fight with Schott. It noted that the commission waited until referee Benny Leonard had completed the 10 count in the 9th round and only then did the commission announce an investigation into the fight and that the purses of both fighters would be held until then. Chief Deputy Commissioner James Bruno actually stepped over to the Fiducia corner at the end of the 4th roundto warn Gilzenberg that Fiducia's purse would be held unless he fought harder believing Fiducia not putting up a legit good fight. On 9/15/45, the NYTimes reported that Fiducia and his manager, Gilzenberg were suspended by the NYSAC for 60 days for "their laxity in reporting a purported bribe". Schott and his manager, Bill Daly were absolved of any connection with the bribe.

After the suspension, Fiducia then did not box for four years until a comeback was staged in October 1949 and fought 6 more times till Sept 1950 compiling a W(KO 2) / L2(KO 1) / D0 Record in that span. Only found a brief mention in the March 1950 Ring, "Freddie Fiducca (note the spelling), veteran Newark slugger, looked good in his latest comeback attempt." Had brief account of Fiducia's Dec 1949 bout defeating Abel Gonsalves on points.

I've taken Fiducia and rated him accordingly.....

Featherweight from 1929-05 W6(KO 3) / L0(KO 0) / D0
Middleweight from 1932-02 W3(KO 2) / L1(KO 0) / D1
Light Heavyweight from 1932-06 W6(KO 2) / L4(KO 0) / D0
Heavyweight from 1934-03 W48(KO 24) / L17(KO 5) / D1