Poche Pictures
e-mail: rich@pochepictures.com
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Costello vs. Alexis Arguello
vs. Bruce Curry
vs. Leroy Haley
vs. Saoul Mamby
vs. Ronnie Shields
vs. Lonnie Smith
vs. Bruce Curry
vs. Leroy Haley
vs. Saoul Mamby
vs. Ronnie Shields
vs. Lonnie Smith
Billy Costello Fights on DVD
$24.95
$24.95
Fights in the set include:
Professional career
During his career, he was managed by Mike Jones, who was also famous for managing Gerry Cooney and
Wilford Scypion. Costello fought a lot of his early professional bouts around the Hudson Valley-NYC area, after
a successful amateur career that culminated in a Golden Gloves award. Kingston, New York (about 90 miles
north of NYC) eventually became his home, at least while he was champion. But before winning a title, he put
together an early undefeated streak, which included a 10-round decision over Willie Rodriguez on CBS
television in November 1982. He and his management then became closely associated with the CBS network,
which aired several of his fights.
The one and only title he held in his career, the WBC junior welterweight title, was won by knocking out Bruce
Curry in the 10th round in January 1984 in front of a pro-Curry crowd in Beaumont, Texas. He would then make
three defenses of the belt, all in Kingston, and all by 12-round unanimous decision. His first foe as champion
was Ronnie Shields, with whom he traded first-round knockdowns before eventually securing the points win.
Next was former WBC 140-lb. champion and veteran Saoul Mamby, who replaced Leroy Haley, another
former
possessor of Costello's belt, on five days notice. This caused concern for Costello's group, but Billy steadily
erased such concerns, defeating the challenger on points en route to a unanimous decision.
His next fight was finally against Leroy Haley. The result was a unanimous win over 12 rounds for Costello. Next,
a Denver, Colorado fighter named Lonnie 'Lightning' Smith defeated him, knocking down and cutting the
defending champion en route to an eighth-round stoppage in New York City to claim the title in August 1985.
Billy came back, albeit briefly, fighting three-time champion Alexis Argüello in February 1986. Arguello beat
Costello in Round 4, to inflict Costello his second loss in a row. Costello then took some time off from the ring,
fighting on a sporadic 'here-and-there' basis until the early 1990s. In his last bout, in 1998, he defeated former
world champion Juan Laporte by a decision in ten in a Pay Per View fight. In retirement Bill Costello has served
as the volunteer director of the Kingston PAL Boxing Club in Kingston NY.
Amateur career
Billy Costello won the 1978 135 lb New York Golden Gloves Open Championship. Costello stopped Raymond
Johnson of the United Block Association in the second round to win the Championship. Costello trained at the
Castle Hill Athletic Club in the Bronx, New York.
Book
Billy Costello's championship run was the subject of Thomas Hauser's "The Black Lights: Inside the World of
Professional Boxing."
During his career, he was managed by Mike Jones, who was also famous for managing Gerry Cooney and
Wilford Scypion. Costello fought a lot of his early professional bouts around the Hudson Valley-NYC area, after
a successful amateur career that culminated in a Golden Gloves award. Kingston, New York (about 90 miles
north of NYC) eventually became his home, at least while he was champion. But before winning a title, he put
together an early undefeated streak, which included a 10-round decision over Willie Rodriguez on CBS
television in November 1982. He and his management then became closely associated with the CBS network,
which aired several of his fights.
The one and only title he held in his career, the WBC junior welterweight title, was won by knocking out Bruce
Curry in the 10th round in January 1984 in front of a pro-Curry crowd in Beaumont, Texas. He would then make
three defenses of the belt, all in Kingston, and all by 12-round unanimous decision. His first foe as champion
was Ronnie Shields, with whom he traded first-round knockdowns before eventually securing the points win.
Next was former WBC 140-lb. champion and veteran Saoul Mamby, who replaced Leroy Haley, another
former
possessor of Costello's belt, on five days notice. This caused concern for Costello's group, but Billy steadily
erased such concerns, defeating the challenger on points en route to a unanimous decision.
His next fight was finally against Leroy Haley. The result was a unanimous win over 12 rounds for Costello. Next,
a Denver, Colorado fighter named Lonnie 'Lightning' Smith defeated him, knocking down and cutting the
defending champion en route to an eighth-round stoppage in New York City to claim the title in August 1985.
Billy came back, albeit briefly, fighting three-time champion Alexis Argüello in February 1986. Arguello beat
Costello in Round 4, to inflict Costello his second loss in a row. Costello then took some time off from the ring,
fighting on a sporadic 'here-and-there' basis until the early 1990s. In his last bout, in 1998, he defeated former
world champion Juan Laporte by a decision in ten in a Pay Per View fight. In retirement Bill Costello has served
as the volunteer director of the Kingston PAL Boxing Club in Kingston NY.
Amateur career
Billy Costello won the 1978 135 lb New York Golden Gloves Open Championship. Costello stopped Raymond
Johnson of the United Block Association in the second round to win the Championship. Costello trained at the
Castle Hill Athletic Club in the Bronx, New York.
Book
Billy Costello's championship run was the subject of Thomas Hauser's "The Black Lights: Inside the World of
Professional Boxing."
