4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Carl Gizzi: Tributes to ‘legend' boxer who ‘put Rhyl on map'
Mr Gizzi, who was born in Rhyl in 1944, died aged 80 on April 27 following a battle with dementia, with his funeral held at St Asaph Crematorium on May 30.
He is survived by his brother, Tony; his daughter, Renee, and son, Carl; and his two granddaughters, Monique and Stevie.
As a boxer, Mr Gizzi was Welsh heavyweight champion from 1965 to 1971, and a British heavyweight title challenger in 1971.
Carl Gizzi (Image: Jimmy Garland)
Making his debut in the ring in 1964, he went on to win 31 of his 43 bouts (with 11 KOs), with opponents including Jack Bodell and Joe Bugner, while he also sparred with Muhammad Ali.
After retirement, Mr Gizzi worked as a bouncer, including at the now-closed Rhyl club The Bistro on West Parade, and as a window cleaner.
In 1972, he married his wife, Heather, who died in 2016, and became a father in 1974 when Renee was born, with Carl following in 1975.
Renee Gizzi celebrated the life her 'amazing' father, who she described as 'the perfect gentle giant'.
She said: 'He would give everybody the time of day. He was always there for other people.
'He was big family man; even though he had all the fame when he was younger, he didn't care about that, and it didn't go to his head.
'His boxing was amazing; he was a big gentle giant even when he was in the ring. He would never get in the ring first; he'd always wait for his opponent to get in the ring before him. He thought: 'First in, first out'.'
Carl Gizzi with his late sister, Sandra (Image: Jimmy Garland) Donations pledged at Mr Gizzi's funeral will part of a £1,000 offering to the Gwanwyn ward at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, whose staff Ms Gizzi said were 'amazing' in caring for him.
She said Mr Gizzi's funeral was a 'really beautiful celebration of his life', with the last song at the service No Limit by 2 Unlimited.
Ms Gizzi added: 'He just loved being outside in the fresh air. All the way up to COVID, he was still working.
'He was always there for us. Anything you wanted, he'd be there. When I bought my house at age 20, he was always on hand to help.
'My dad always wanted to celebrate life; he never thought the worst.'
Actor Spencer Wilding, from Rhyl, said Mr Gizzi 'put Rhyl on the map' and 'brought so much happiness to the town'.
Spencer Wilding with Carl Gizzi (Image: Spencer Wilding) He added: 'He was my cousin, but I called him 'Uncle Carl'. I was glad to have loved him; he was the 'number one'. We all looked up to him. He was a legend.
'Carl fought before I was born, but you'd have trains pulling up to Rhyl full of people coming to watch him fight.
'I used to walk past Carl every weekend and he'd always say hello outside The Bistro. I loved Uncle Carl; I'd go and see him many a time.
'Everyone in the boxing world had so much respect for him. He was a gentleman. He had the best left jab in the business; he was a brilliant boxer.
'He was a very special soul, and I loved him so much.'
Spencer Wilding with Carl Gizzi (Image: Spencer Wilding) Peter Trehearn, who got to know Mr Gizzi personally through his cousin, said he was a 'second to none' bouncer who 'greeter customers as friends' at The Bistro.
He was, Mr Trehearn added, a 'protective big brother and father figure'.
'I had known of Carl from a distance as 'the' Rhyl icon since my youth, and had seen him box in Liverpool when I was trying out boxing in Rhyl Youth Club circa 1966-67.
'Carl was a thoughtful, gentle and modest person, and above all, a family man who was loved and respected by all.
'He made customers safe to relax and enjoy The Bistro's atmosphere. He is the reason that the Bistro had and still has, in customers' memories, such a good reputation.
'Renee and Carl Jr gifted us a lovely classical statue from their father's home which stands in our garden, and is a reminder of a long and continuing friendship.'
Carl Gizzi (Image: Jimmy Garland) Jimmy Garland, Mr Gizzi's nephew, called his uncle 'a gentleman, a giant, and a guardian'.
He said: 'In the days when legends like Muhammad Ali reigned in the ring, our very own 'Uncle Mickey' - Carl Gizzi - stood among the world's best.
'Ranked fifth in the world as a heavyweight boxer, he wasn't just a fighter by title - he was one by heart, spirit, and grit; A man whose hands could move with thunder, but whose heart beat with warmth and loyalty.
'Uncle Mickey became a silent guardian at the doors of clubs and venues. With his imposing frame, he kept the peace, not with force but with presence — a protector, not a provoker. And always, with his signature smoking pipe in hand.
'Uncle Mickey was the kind of man whose strength never drowned out his kindness. Whether it was in the boxing ring, on the doors, or at the dinner table, he was deeply respected — and deeply loved.
'A warrior in his youth, a watchman in his later years, and a legend in our hearts forever.'
