Joe DeNucci burst onto the boxing scene when, as a 16-year old high school junior, he won a Golden Gloves Championship.  The following year, while still in high school, he joined the professional ranks, launching a 60-win, 30-knockout career that would last until 1973.

Joe was the New England middleweight champion and, during his career was ranked among the top ten middleweights and light heavyweights in the world at a time when there were only eight weight divisions and eight undisputed world championship titles in all of boxing.  In 

1961, he fought Joey Giardello to a 10-round draw in the old Boston Garden.  Giardello then went on to win the world middleweight championship, defeating Dick Tiger.  Joe also fought former five-time world champion Emile Griffth twice in three weeks.  Other notable opponents included Ralph "Tiger" Jnes, Don Fullmer, Denny Moyer, Joey Giambra, Jackson Brown and Chico Vejar.  At the closing ceremonies of the Boston Garden in 1995, it was announced that Joe DeNucci held the distinction of having had the most fights and victories in the storied history of the Garden.