UBO Flashback: When "The Bull" Became Another Youngstown Champion   

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June 2, 2021 / BY UBO PRESS OFFICER

Comparisons to fellow townsmen Ray Mancini, Kelly Pavlik and Harry Arroyo, who all won world titles, are not fair, but former UBO All-America Lightweight Champion Jake Giuriceo, 20-6-1 (5), could definitely fight!

Turning pro in 2009, on the undercard of a Pavlik title-defense, Giuriceo went through the usual easy fights in the beginning.

But he also came through decent tests early on, beating Raymond Cain (1-0) and James Hope (4-1).

Earning the nickname, “The Bull”, with his entertaining style, he went on to defeat the likes of Roberto Lopez (4-0-2), Angel Hernandez (14-8), Winston Mathis (7-3) and Ramesis Gil (6-2-4) and became a local attraction in his own right.

By the fall of 2011 he was 13-0-1, and it was decided that he was ready to fight for his first title.

So on November 19 at the St. Lucy Hall in Campbell, a few miles outside Youngstown, he took on Bryne Green (7-4-1) for the vacant UBO All-America Lightweight crown.

In front of a near sell-out crowd, Giuriceo boxed well against the game Green, finishing with a strong tenth round to secure victory by scores of 97-93, 99-91 and 96-94.

Giuriceo also won his next two fights, but then dropped a close decision to fringe contender Michael Clark (42-7-1).

That was followed by a shock loss to Peter Olouch (11-6-2), before Giuriceo rebounded with a win in the summer of 2014.

He then lost three in a row, to world class operators Viktor Postol (26-0), Alex Saucedo (17-0) and Egidijus Kavaliauskas (9-0), before winning three, including a decision over 12-0 Jose Abreu, to secure himself another big assignment.

That came in May of 2017 against future world champion Jose Carlos Ramirez. Unfortunately for Giuriceo it was a step too far, as he was stopped in the second round of what turned out to be his final fight.