Billy Costello (boxer)


Billy Costello was a professional boxer in the United States.

Early life

Costello was born in Kingston, New York, on April 10, 1956, to a Sicilian father and a mother of Native American, Italian and African American descent, as one of nine children. Costello was active in the Boy Scouts. He played third base on the Kingston High School baseball team and had originally hoped for a career as a professional baseball player.

Amateur career

Billy Costello won the 1978 135 pound New York Golden Gloves Open Championship. Costello stopped Raymond Johnson of the United Block Association in the second round to win the Championship. Costello began boxing in the Police Athletic League program in Kingston, and later trained at the Castle Hill Athletic Club in the Bronx, New York.

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. The Kew Gardens section of Queens, New York 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. Costello defeated ex-champion Mamby by 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. Smith recovered from a first-round knockdown himself and dropped Costello five times before the fight was over.
Billy kept coming back, next fighting three-time champion Alexis Argüello in February 1986. Arguello, behind on points, stopped Costello in Round 4 after knocking him down. 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 1999, he defeated former world champion Juan Laporte by ten round decision in a Pay Per View fight, avenging a 1986 loss to LaPorte by his brother Vinnie. All in all, Costello's professional career had lasted an astounding 20 years, from 1979 to 1999, and ended with a win over a former world champion. His respectable career had only two losses, both to world champions.
Costello is perhaps best remembered for his stoppage loss to Alexis Arguello.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
42Win40–2Juan LaporteSD10 1999-06-18Crown Coliseum, Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.
41Win39–2Marvin LadsonTKO3 1997-01-22The Ritz, Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
40Win38–2Tim ScottUD10 1995-05-31Civic Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
39Win37–2Jeff PasseroTKO10 1995-04-28Music Fair, Westbury, New York, U.S.
38Win36–2Bobby ElkinsKO6 1994-09-13Music Fair, Westbury, New York, U.S.
37Win35–2Robert HightowerPTS10 1994-01-28Kingston, New York, U.S.
36Win34–2Bernard BoisvertTKO6 1993-11-11Huntington Hilton Hotel, Melville, New York, U.S.
35Win33–2Juan Carlos RomeroUD8 1993-06-18Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, White Plains, New York, U.S.
34Win32–2Marvin LadsonTKO4 1992-06-27Mahi Temple Shrine Auditorium, Miami, Florida, U.S.
33Loss31–2Alexis ArgüelloTKO4 1986-02-09Lawlor Events Center, Reno, Nevada, U.S.
32Win31–1Rick KaiserKO2 1985-12-13Midtown Neighborhood Center, Kingston, New York, U.S.
31Loss30–1Lonnie SmithTKO8 1985-08-21Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Lost WBC super lightweight title
30Win30–0Leroy HaleyUD12 1985-02-16Midtown Neighborhood Center, Kingston, New York, U.S.Retained WBC super lightweight title
29Win29–0Saoul MambyUD12 1984-11-03Midtown Neighborhood Center, Kingston, New York, U.S.Retained WBC super lightweight title
28Win28–0Ronnie ShieldsUD12 1984-07-15Municipal Auditorium, Kingston, New York, U.S.Retained WBC super lightweight title
27Win27–0Bruce CurryTKO10 1984-01-29Civic Center, Beaumont, Texas, U.S.Won WBC super lightweight title
26Win26–0Mike EssettKO4 1983-12-21War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
25Win25–0Clemente RojasTKO5 1983-09-30Kingston, New York, U.S.
24Win24–0Carl CrowleyTKO3 1983-04-16Municipal Auditorium, Kingston, New York, U.S.
23Win23–0Willie RodriguezUD10 1982-11-07Municipal Auditorium, Kingston, New York, U.S.
22Win22–0Dominic FoxKO2 1982-10-08Municipal Auditorium, Kingston, New York, U.S.
21Win21–0Felix FavellaTKO3 1982-05-23Caesars Palace Sports Pavilion, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
20Win20–0Bob HarveySD10 1982-04-14Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S.
19Win19–0Raul HernandezTKO6 1982-02-17Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S.
18Win18–0Chico RosaTKO1 1981-12-05Playboy Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
17Win17–0Rosendo RamirezUD8 1981-07-18Imperial Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
16Win16–0Trevor EvelynTKO5 1981-04-24Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S.
15Win15–0Marvin JenkinsUD10 1981-03-18Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S.
14Win14–0Charles ThomasKO2 1981-01-21Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S.
13Win13–0Orlando MontalvoUD8 1980-10-24Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, U.S.
12Win12–0Jose GreenTKO7 1980-10-02Long Island Arena, Commack, New York, U.S.
11Win11–0Paul MooreKO1 1980-09-17Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S.
10Win10–0Rick StinniePTS6 1980-05-14Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S.
9Win9–0Richie GarlandTKO5 1980-05-04Concord Resort Hotel, Kiamesha Lake, New York, U.S.
8Win8–0Kato AliTKO3 1980-04-16Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S.
7Win7–0Kato AliSD6 1980-02-13Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S.
6Win6–0Marvin EdwardsTKO1 1979-12-05Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S.
5Win5–0George CasherPTS4 1979-10-26Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
4Win4–0John JonesTKO2 1979-10-19Long Island Arena, Commack, New York, U.S.
3Win3–0Dave BoldenPTS4 1979-10-12Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, U.S.
2Win2–0Jose GonzalezKO3 1979-09-12Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S.
1Win1–0Angel OrtizUD4 1979-08-22Felt Forum, New York City, New York, U.S.

Life After Boxing

In retirement, Costello worked as a home contractor, active in building and road construction. Costello also served as the volunteer director of the Kingston PAL Boxing Club in Kingston, New York. On evenings and weekends, Costello remained active in pro boxing as a professional boxing judge and referee in New York State at many sanctioned events. There is a Billy Costello Boxing Gym in Kingston, and Costello was involved in boxing shows in the area.

Book

Billy Costello's championship run was the subject of Thomas Hauser's "The Black Lights: Inside the World of Professional Boxing." One of the most widely heralded books ever written on boxing, Hauser appeared in the Costello training camp during last minute negotiations for a televised bout with substitute challenger Saoul Mamby, was given access to the contractual negotiations, and painted a literary portrait of the inside wheels of boxing as it affected Costello.

Personal life

Costello lived most of his life in Kingston, New York. He also lived in Kew Gardens, New York during much of his reign as champion. He then retired from boxing & moved to New Paltz, New York, a small village in Ulster County, New York near Costello's hometown of Kingston, New York. Costello eventually settled back in his hometown of Kingston, New York where he lived until his death. He was married and divorced, and had a son and a daughter, who survive him. He was close with his younger brother Mario 'Vinnie' Costello, a noted professional super featherweight boxer from 1981 to 1990 with a pro record of 20-2-2 but who never fought for a title, who trained with his brother under the late Victor Vallee, who also trained Gerry Cooney.

Death

According to his mother, Dolores, Costello died of lung cancer at a hospital in his native Kingston on June 29, 2011. He was 55. He was survived by: his parents, Dolores and Billy Costello Sr.; a daughter, Christine Costello, and a son, Brandon, from his marriage to his wife, Jane, which ended in divorce; four living brothers, Stephen, Mario 'Vinnie' Costello, Anthony, and Glenn; and two sisters, Vicky Costello and Tammy Moody.