Boxing World Oct 2010 by Tom Huff

BOXING WORLD AND OTHER SPORTS

$5.00 US

Oct-2010

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Tornado Alley: Manny Pacquiao Meets Antonio Margarito In Dallas

Plus: Looking Back On Ron Lyle vs. Earnie Shavers

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TABLE OF CONTENTS CURRENT EVENTS By Joe Cicchelli .........................................................................................2 PUBLISHER Tom Huff

TORNADO ALLEY: MANNY PACQUIAO MEETS ANTONIO MARGARITO By Carlos Acevedo .............................................................................................................................................4

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lindy Lindell

SNAFU CITY: THE MANNY PACQUIAO-FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. CIRCUS By Carlos Acevedo ................................................................................................................................6 BOXING BUZZ By Mike Greenhill ..............................................................................................8 BOXING AT THE MICHIGAN STATE FAIRGROUNDS 1923-2005 By Bob Ryder...........11 LOOKING BACK ON LYLE VS SHAVERS: By Rob Tierney ...............................................14 TOMMY GOMEZ By Angelo Prospero ....................................................................................17

WINNING RESPECT By Ted Sares ...........................................................................................19

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joe Cicchelli Mike Greenhill Anthony Malakian Jim Amato Jerry Fitch Angelo Prospero Terry White Steve Canton Jim Borgen John English Ted Sares Rob Tierney Don Myers Carlos Acevedo Kevin Walters

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NAUTICA PAVILION By Samuel McKibbon...........................................................................21 GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN .................................................................................................23

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Mike Greenhill Pat Orr Ray Bailey Mary Lynn Canton Dan Graschuck Terry Gallagher Mary Ann Owen Bob Ryder David Martin Warr Joe Miranda Melinda Rinehart JD Meredith Emily Harney Michael Kan Richard Esposito Marty Rosengarten

CLEVELAND SAYS GOODBYE TO PAUL “PABLO” RAMOS By Jerry Fitch .................24

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“I HAD TO LEARN ON THE JOB”: AN INTERVIEW WITH GERALD EVANS By Lindy Lindell...............................................................................................................................................27 BOXING’S UNUSUAL NAMES By Steve Canton .......................................................................33 WBC FIGHT RESULTS................................................................................................................38

Cover photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank

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REVIEW OF CHAMP IN THE CORNER: THE RAY ARCEL STORY By Terry White ...39

CONTRIBUTERS Harry Shaffer

Ring Talk

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Your look into the world of professional boxing Featuring the undisputed King of the airwaves, Pedro Fernandez The longest running radio talk show, now in its 20th year. www.ringtalk.com October-2010

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Allan Green - Andre Ward (Photo by Tom Casino/Showtime)

Dave Saunders - Demetrius Andrade (Photo by Emily Harney)

fighting who they put in front of him, it's his job. *** Another unfortunate break (excuse the pun) for boxing was the announcement from Star Boxing that their up-and-coming jr. welterweight prospect, Chris Algieri (10-0 5 KO's) had fractured his hand while preparing for his Sept 16th New York City fight against Martin Tucker. The card was rescheduled for Oct 22nd bur Algieri will be out for three months so they will go with a different headline bout. Algieri was

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By Joe Cicchelli September 18, 2010 --My fellow boxing fans, we are in the unenviable position of being in love with a sport that appears to be snake-bitten as of late. Admirers of the Sweet Science know that when its at its best, there is no greater contest to be witnessed in the world of sports. But when its bad, and it has been overall in recent years, it can be frustratingly miserable. Do not lose heart though, remember that during the era of The Lost Heavyweights in the mid to late 80's a teenaged Mike Tyson was ready to be launched onto the pro boxing scene. Go back farther and you may recall that after the undefeated legend Rocky Marciano retired from the sport Floyd Patterson did his best to keep the sport at it's zenith but fell short. Even the crushing new champion, Sonny Liston couldn't bring the excitement back to boxing - but alas, a young boxer by the name of Cassius Clay was about to electrify boxing and its fans forever. My point is that we have to appreciate the few truly great champions in boxing today and just hang in there during the reigns of these less than stellar champions and match-ups. Boxing's savior can't be far off and I, for one, am willing to wait. Which brings me to the alleged incident that could forever put off boxing's number one anticipated showdown - Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather. To sum it up multi-divisional champion, Mayweather was arrested for domestic abuse and grand larceny at the house of his ex-girlfriend, Josie Harris. Her three children were apparently present during the event. Floyd had just made some racially charged remarks about his arch-rival Pacquiao via an online chat video possibly giving us a window into his erratic behavior preceding the alleged attack. If convicted on any or all counts Floyd can do some serious jail time and in the process rob boxing of a legitimate mega-fight. When it rains on boxing, it pours. In the meantime, the Philippine Phenom prepares for his title defense against the controversial former champ, Antonio Margarito. I thought it was especially classy when Pac Man made it a point to announce to Mexican boxing fans (in their native tongue) that he's not targeting Mexican fighters - he's just

Current Events

Chris Algieri (Photo by Marty Rosengarten) October-2010

Boxing World & Other Sports

coming off a six round unanimous decision over James Hope in his last outing earlier this year. Algieri turned pro boxer in 2008, after an extensive and successful career as a kick boxer. We wish Chris a speedy recovery and return. *** There were some fights that did take place according to schedule. Demetrius Andrade, highly touted 2008 Olympian and super welterweight prospect sizzled in defeating journeyman Dave Saunders via a 2nd round KO. Speed and power were the key ingredients making up the potent cocktail that left Saunders face down and motionless as the fight was halted at 2:55 of the second stanza. Saunders record fell to 9-10, 6 KO's while Andrade took another step towards title contention now at 11-0, 8 KO's. *** The Recognized Heavyweight Champion of the world, Wladimir Klitschko, had a much easier time of beating used-to-be-dangerous Samuel Peter than he did back in 2005. In that first fight, Peter had Klitschko on the canvas at three separate times during the exciting scrap. Maybe brother Vitali did Wlad a favor by softening Peter up with his onesided bashing of the Nigerian Nightmare a couple of years ago. Whatever it was Peter came into the rematch with Wladimir with 2

no fight in him and was systematically dissected thanks mainly to hard left jabs, furious right crosses and then came the uppercuts! Halfway through the 10th round it was one final brutal uppercut that finished off the challenger and the fight was called off as soon as Peter crumbled. The only other heavyweight belt holder out there who would make for an interesting opponent for Wladimir is his brother Vitali so we're probably in for a slew of heavyweight defenses by someone named Klitschko for quite a while. Ho hum. ***

Freddy "El Riel" Hernandez (right) - Mike Anchondo (Photo by Tom Casino/Showtime)

round it would have been the next. He was hurt. I was getting him in the face and the body." Now lets hope he can get Berto in the ring with him. *** Lastly, a fight card that should have never been a pay per view event (especially for the $50 cover charge) was less than scintillating as former champion and boxing's former best pound-for-pounder, Shane Mosley, appeared to win a comfortable, albeit boring, 12 round decision over Sergio Mora mainly by outworking and out-classing his younger jr. middleweight opponent. But somehow the judges scored it a draw with one judge having Mosley ahead, 116-112, another saw it Mora winning, 115-113, and the final judge calling it a 114-114 draw. Like I stated at the beginning of this article boxing fans, ya gotta hold out hope...

Ricky Hatton (Photo by Mary Ann Owen)

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For anyone who has missed the video, let me tell you that things have gone from bad to worse when one of boxing's recent dominant and exciting champions, Ricky Hatton is seen online snorting line after line of coke in a UK hotel room. The most recent reports state that Hatton has been

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admitted into a rehabilitation center and we can only hope Hatton gets a grip on his life while he still has it. *** On the September 17th edition of ShoBox, welterweight Freddy "El Riel" Hernandez made it clear that he will not be denied a possible title shot against champion Andre Berto by scoring an impressive 4th round KO over former world champion Mike Anchondo. Anchondo came in with a sturdy record of 30-2 (19 KO's) but one wicked right hand in particular basically left him defenseless and the fight was mercifully stopped at 1:38 of 4th stanza. The elated Hernandez, now 29-1 (20 KO's) said, "If it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that

Official apparel for Boxing World is available at Sew Crazy. Many quality embroidery products are available

Visit on the Internet at http://www.stitchandglitz.com or call Sew Crazy at 440.835.1036 Shane Mosley - Sergio Mora (Photo by Joe Miranda) October-2010

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Manny Pacquiao - Antonio Margarito (Photo by Chris Farina)

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statement regarding Margarito after the “Tijuana Tornado” fizzled out in front of the CSAC: “At this time Mr. Margarito has fulfilled his obligations per the ABC (which was to appear before the CSAC before applying for licensure to another state/tribal commission in the United States) and thus he is now free to pursue licensure with any ABC member commission. There is nothing under the federal law that would prohibit consideration for licensure.” The fact remains that Margarito went through the only channels available to regain his license, and all the squawking in the wake of his receiving it cannot take away from the simple fact that this issue is as settled as anything in boxing ever is. Since there is no governing body to bar Margarito from boxing and since he was not levied with--or found guilty of-criminal charges, then he has to be allowed to compete in whatever jurisdiction will permit him to. Margarito may or may not deserve to be barred from boxing, but that is irrelevant since there is no structure or authority extant to mete out such a punishment. Yes, Margarito is villainous, and yes, his actions were deplorable, but his fate now belongs to the whims of the marketplace. The feeling that Margarito is not qualified to fight for a world title is also somewhat shaky. After all, most alphabet titles—silver ones, interim ones, super ones, vacant ones, real ones—are nonsense. Andre Berto won his “World”

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By Carlos Acevedo When the strange negotiations between teams representing Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. broke down a few months ago, it set the stage for one of the most controversial boxing matches to come along in years. On November 13, at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas, disgraced Antonio Margarito enters the ring against Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao in a catchweight bout for a sanctioning body Junior Middleweight title. Margarito was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission in 2009 after a foreign substance was discovered in his hand wraps prior to his fight with Shane Mosley. His trainer, the malignant Javier Capitello, was barred for life for his part in the scandal. After fighting a tune-up bout in Mexico in May, Margarito went before the California State Athletic Commission, notorious for its incompetence, again, hoping to regain his license. In a comical hearing not exactly the dramatic equivalent of Jimmy Stewart in Anatomy of A Murder or Gregory Peck in To Kill A Mockingbird, Antonio Margarito, shot down by a 5-1 vote against, was denied a license to fight by the CSAC. Insisting that the doctored knuckle pad was the sole work of his trainer, the Renfield-like Capitello, Margarito was forced to go elsewhere in the United States for a license. But all it took was a $20 fee and a half-lidded nod from someone at the lax Texas Combative Sport Commission and Margarito received the go-ahead to resume his blotched career in the Lone Star State. Margarito, whose past accomplishments are now overshadowed by the Mosley affair, quickly become a firestarter, igniting a conflagration of protest and condemnation throughout the boxing press and its most potent medium, cyberspace. Many observers feel Margarito should be banned permanently for being caught with loaded wraps, others feel his suspension should be longer, and another line of thought says that Margarito does not deserve a title fight so soon after being suspended. As far as reinstatement goes, Margarito was free to pursue a license in whatever state would hand him one. This decree had the imprimatur of the Association of Boxing Commissions, who issued a

Tornado Alley: Manny Pacquiao Meets Antonio Margarito

October-2010

Boxing World & Other Sports

title by beating a policeman of painfully limited ability. He has yet to make a mandatory defense. Light heavyweight Beibut Shumenov has fought for 16 titles in a career comprised thus far of a dozen bouts. Guillermo Jones has not defended his trinket in two years. Paul Williams won some “interim” junior middleweight title. Half the fighters challenging for “title” belts do not deserve the opportunity. To point out Pacquiao-Margarito as some kind of sanctioning anomaly seems somewhat farfetched. But the objections about Margarito keep popping up and are indicative of a certain amount of backlash against this fight. At this point, Margarito is practically radioactive, but Arum is counting on controversy to sell a Pacquiao-Margarito fight. That, and the fact that Margarito still has a large—and loyal—Mexican fan base. By painting Margarito as a villain and Pacquiao as some sort of avenger of justice, Arum might be hoping to kickstart a creaky “good versus evil” storyline for this bout. But Top Rank faces some serious risks in building a pay-per-view extravaganza around a pariah like Margarito. Margarito drew dismal payper-view numbers for his fight with Roberto Garcia, reportedly garnering fewer than 20,000 buys. This figure was offset by attendance of over 18,000, but gate receipts have played second fiddle to television revenue for nearly 30 years now, and Arum might not be so sure that Margarito is a bankable pay-per-view 4

question surrounding a chaotic promotion that only promises to get more tumultuous as the fight approaches.

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aggression are threats to any welterweight or junior middleweight in the world. Does that include Manny Pacquiao? This is just another

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commodity at this point. In addition, the fact that Mayweather Jr.Pacquiao never came through may have left a segment of fans embittered. General sports followers, for example, are used to seeing good teams against other good teams under the auspices of leagueapproved schedules. They have also become accustomed to competitive matchups fostered on a monthly basis by the UFC. So any flapdoodles about the two most famous fighters in the world dancing around each other are merely head scratchers for the average fan, who never has to ask himself, “How come the Yankees are not playing the Red Sox this year?” These folks may not recognize Margarito as a viable substitute for Mayweather Jr. Finally, there is the potential public backlash of rewarding a fighter— Margarito—who was suspended for an atrocity-in-progress. “If Pacquiao fights Margarito instead of Mayweather, it would be a travesty,” Tim Starks, editor of The Queensberry Rules, said in July when Margarito began to emerge as a possible substitute for Mayweather Jr. “Talk about a downgrade. Pacquiao would go from fighting the only other person who can make a claim to being the best fighter in the world to fighting someone whose claim to fame is that he got busted with loaded gloves. I'm sure some people would tune in, but Pacquiao-Margarito would be a disgrace to the sport.” Disgrace or not, the fight is set, and moral distinctions vanish at the sound of the opening bell. At that point, it will be Pacquiao facing a former world champion who was ranked the number one welterweight in the world by The Ring in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008. Is this bout, on the basis of competition, viable? Or is Margarito, 33 and a pro since 1994, a shot fighter as some believe? Make no mistake about it, Shane Mosley played a Category 5 hurricane while Margarito impersonated a tin shack all night long in their January 2009 fight. Mosley beat Margarito into submission en route to a vicious 9th round TKO. Margarito had never taken that kind of punishment before, and it remains to be seen if he has recovered from it. In the end, Margarito may be slightly past his peak due to wear and tear accrued over a 16year career, but he is still a formidable threat to many fighters out there. That he is a reprehensible cheat does not change that fact. Until he proves that he has been diminished by the Mosley defeat, Margarito remains a big, strong welterweight whose power and

Angelo Dundee cuts the ribbon to officially open the new 5th. Street Gym in Miami. 9/23/10

October-2010

Boxing World & Other Sports

(Photo by Jeff Julian)

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By Carlos Acevedo When Bob Arum arranged a 3:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time conference call in mid-July to announce that Floyd Mayweather Jr. had missed an “exclusivity” deadline to negotiate with Manny Pacquiao, he brought boxing vaudeville into the 21st century with a wink and a nod. The operator sounded like some ghostly remnant of the 1950s. A sputtering Michael Marley was promptly shot down by Arum, Steve Carp was apparently slurping a Big Gulp through a crazy straw as he asked a few questions, and tenacious Greg Leon was given the dial tone by the curmudgeonly Arum, who griped “Can we get another caller?” One reporter was actually surfing the web while on the line with Arum. “You’ve got mail” was heard in the background as Arum droned on. Halfway through the conference call, Arum sounded like he needed a Red Bull or two. Meanwhile, the rest of the boxing community needed a Mylanta/Ambien combination hotshot after it was learned that one of the biggest moneymaking fights in history was kaput. Over the last year, bizarre negotiations for a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. bout--possibly the biggest fight in boxing history--have baffled many and exhausted most. Boxing has always excelled at FUBAR and FUGAZI, but the absurd shenanigans surrounding these failed discussions reached farcical levels at times. Thanks to a cast of characters that suggests Dickens, the DeCavalcantes, MTV, Monty Python, and Perez Hilton thrown into some sort of metaphysical blender, the Pacquiao-Mayweather negotiations took on an air of parody unusual even for boxing. Conditioning coaches, bodyguards, lawyers, uncles, fathers, figureheads, rappers, advisors, doctors, the USADA, wives, and go-fers all made oracular pronouncements--many within minutes of each other and in direct contradiction--via the democratic miracle of cyberspace. Even a “gag order” agreed to by both camps could not prevent Oscar De La Hoya from saying that the fight was close to a done deal or stop Arum from announcing that a consortium from Dubai was interested in sponsoring the fight and that they had promised him a “gazillion” dollars and a camel. Every now and then Floyd Mayweather Sr. popped up on a

Snafu City: The Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. Circus

October-2010

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Photo by Mike Greenhill)

podcast to spout doggerel, and Michael Koncz, advisor to Manny Pacquiao--in the same way, one supposes, that Joan Quigley once consulted the White House-materialized seemingly out of nowhere to be assaulted by a personal trainer or an aging Filipino movie star. Indeed, Koncz showed up at the BWAA awards ceremony last June in New York City with a black eye and various bruises. Like a sitcom that long ago jumped the Boxing World & Other Sports

shark, people soon became tired of the entire affair. “I'm sick of the negotiations, for sure. Ebola-sick,” said Tim Starks, editor of The Queensberry Rules, at the height—or lows-of the talks. “You know what nobody likes? Rich egomaniacs squabbling over how to divide up tens of millions of dollars. But it's more than that. The egomaniacs are playing games where the egomania necessitates that neither side caves. I honestly don't care if they cut off 6

Manny Pacquiao (Photo by Naoki Fukuda/WBC)

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seems happy just cashing outsized paychecks on a regular basis. No one has to worry about the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, in the poisonous boxing air for nearly a year now, being rushed. In fact, it looks like it will be all but impossible for this bout to be made. Consider these subplots: Haymon hates Arum, Mayweather hates Arum, Arum hates them back, Mayweather thinks Pacquiao is on steroids, Oscar De La Hoya, who got beat up by two of the participants in the negotiations, is despised by Mayweather and Arum and suffers from foot-in-mouth disease, lawsuits are in the air, Golden Boy Promotions gets a cut of every Pacquiao fight due to binding arbitration a few years ago (with Golden Boy recently accusing Bob Arum of cooking the books and slapping Top Rank with a lawsuit), Roger Mayweather is facing the hoosegow again, Pacquiao has a busy schedule because he is a congressman, and Mayweather Jr. faces a cloudy future with domestic violence charges currently hanging over him. The only losers in this whole mess, of course, are the fans and the sport itself, thrown for a loop–yet again–by a sport that produces farces more often than Noel Coward or the Marx Brothers ever did.

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were. Arum claimed that he never spoke to anyone who represented Mayweather. No one. Instead, HBO honcho Ross Greenburg played go-between and delivered folded up notes to Al Haymon, who then relayed these messages to both Mayweather and, presumably, Golden Boy Promotions. The Pony Express or a heliograph seem like better ways to communicate than what this motley crew of self-regarding businessmen supposedly patched together. A few days after the already legendary conference call, Team Mayweather finally spoke out. “Here are the facts,” said Leonard Ellerbe. “Al Haymon, Richard Schaefer and myself speak to each other on a regular basis, and the truth is, no negotiations have ever taken place. Nor was there ever a deal agreed upon by Team Mayweather or Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao on November 13. Either Ross Greenburg or Bob Arum is not telling the truth, but history tells us who is lying.” Unfortunately for Ellerbe, Ross Greenburg soon emerged from his Ivory Tower to confirm that Arum, Haymon, and HBO were, indeed, all working to make the fight happen. As for Mayweather, it simply appears that he is not interested in fighting Pacquiao. “I’m not interested in rushing to do anything,” Mayweather told The Associated Press. Since Mayweather is a big enough star to guarantee paydirt no matter who answers the opening bell against him, it makes no difference to him if he never gets into the ring with Pacquiao. Having raked in over $50 million during his comeback, Mayweather

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random blood withdrawals at 17 days, 14 days or two days. I just want them to fight.” It all began in late December when initial talks broke down after Mayweather insisted on stringent USADA “Olympic style” drug testing procedures that may include random blood tests leading up to the fight. Mayweather, along with his entourage, suspects that Pacquiao may, like something out of Fast Food Nation, not be all natural. For his part, Pacquiao claimed that drawing blood so close to a fight will have adverse effects on him physically. Most likely, he is merely uninterested in being dictated to by a fighter who has made unprecedented demands on his opponent. Some believe the drug testing requirements were simply a smoke screen for Mayweather to avoid facing Pacquiao in the ring; others feel Pacquiao should take the tests to salvage the fight and to clear his name in the face of growing steroid suspicions. When Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and GBP president Oscar De La Hoya hinted that Pacquiao might be using performance enhancing drugs, Pacquiao filed a lawsuit against them and practically the entire Mayweather family. At times, the wrangling over drug testing procedures was surreal, with USADA representative Travis Tygart so overzealous that he often resembled Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder General, more than he did a chief executive director. Roger Mayweather, it should be noted, thinks Manny Pacquiao is bulletproof and taking some strange drug he calls the “ASide Meth.” Even ex-felon Victor Conte, founder of BALCO and convicted steroid pusher, became a reliable quote machine during this whole mess. Of course, all of this was against the backdrop of one mysterious question: Is anybody actually negotiating anything with anyone? “Who are they negotiating with, themselves?” Ellerbe asked David Mayo of The Grand Rapids Press at one point. Pacquiao himself told ABS-CBN News that talks were still ongoing. To make things more bizarre, in early June, Mayweather Jr. claimed he was going to retire yet again in a video shot for a MakeA-Wish-Foundation event. Even for boxing, where 3 out of every 4 participants needs a dose of sodium pentathol just to tell you the time of day, none of this makes any sense. Then came the nighthawk conference call where Arum insisted negotiations existed. And unusual negotiations they

Boxing World & Other Sports

A Professional Boxing blog. http://thecruelestsport.com 7

Mike Greenhill’s

BOXING BUZZ Oct, 2010 WELCOME to “Boxing Buzz”, a monthly pugilistic potpourri of inside news, gossip, results, fight predictions, ratings, opinions and miscellany about the “sweet science” !!

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Tomasz Adamek - Michael Grant (Photo by Marty Rosengarten)

fights in every round and draws large crowds in Newark, since the lives in Jersey City and there is a sizable Polish contingent that calls the New York area home.

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Adamek-Grant Surprises ---The fans at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey were treated to a surprisingly decent heavyweight bout when Tomasz Adamek and Michael Grant went the distance in the main event on August 21st. Nobody expected the bout to go 12 rounds, as Adamek is one of the most complete fighters in boxing, while the 6/7” Grant had fallen off the radar after a knockout losses to Lennox Lewis and Dominic Guinn years ago. While this was no Fight of the Year, it was no stinker, either. Adamek scored frequently with two-punch combos, but Grant never quit. The American’s jab was adequate, but he didn’t throw enough of them, nor enough right hands. Grant rallied late, seeming to briefly hurt Adamek in the 12th, but it was too little, too late. Adamek, 42-1 (27), should now be included in the talk of pound-for-pound rankings, due to activity and skill, even with a faded Grant on his resume. He

NEWS AND VIEWS

Jean Pascal - Chad Dawson (Photo by Mike Greenhill) October-2010

Boxing World & Other Sports

Oh, Canada ---Credit goes to Jean Pascal for dictating the pace in his 11-round technical decision win over previously unbeaten Chad Dawson. Pascal, now the world light heavyweight champion, has an awkward style about him, but used it effectively against the lethargic American, darting in and out with rights and combos, and moving away often enough to survive. Dawson appeared to have the Quebecer hurt once or twice, but backed off and let Pascal off the hook. Dawson appeared unnerved early by Pascal’s handspeed, and rarely let his hands go while moving in. 8,112 fans roared their approval at the final verdict, but Montreal’s Bell Centre when Pascal swept the cards after a clash of heads stopped matters at 2:06 of the 11th. Next up for Pascal is Bernard Hopkins in December. A mega-fight for Canada, with Pascal facing Lucien Bute, would be the biggest bout in Canadian history, but based on previous experience and records, one has to favor Hopkins, even on Pascal’s home turf. Bernard is simply too smart and disciplined. A Bute fight as a first defense would have made more sense. Pascal needed to get at least 8

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Zab Judah - Jose Armando (Photo by Marty Rosengarten)

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much to the delight of the by-then frenzied crowd. The disputed majority draw could not diminish Tua’s persistence nor Barrett’s guts; after the final bell the totally-spent Barrett had to shuffle to a stool in the neutral corner and sit down, barely able to move. That’s called giving it your all. Congrats, Monte; you went out with a bang. So just when you travel to two venues expecting ruptured ducks, you are presented with soaring eagles. Once again,

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Suprisingly Good Kudos must go to both Main Events and Star Boxing for recent shows in mid-July. Few were expecting much out of the Zab Judah - Jose Armando Santa Cruz main event in Newark, New Jersey July 16th, nor the David Tua - Monte Barrett matchup the next night at the Tropicana casino in Atlantic City, but not only did their bouts entertain, but so did the whole cards at both venues. Judah, Tua and Barrett could only be described as recycled going in, but turned out to be anything but. Zab TKO’d Santa Cruz in 4 rounds, a classic uppercut dropping his foe before Benji Estevez stopped the carnage moments later. And all the losers that night went down swinging; nobody cowered and quit. That’s all a fight fan asks for. The same thing occurred in A.C. After several exciting prelims, Tua and Barrett entered the ring for the main event. Tua took an early lead, causing Barrett discomfort with his vaunted left hook. But he tired, and Barrett, in the final fight of his career, exhibited courage and cunning, jabbing in the second half of the bout and landing rights to Tua’s head with increasing regularity. The 12th and final round saw both men go at it, and after losing a point for throwing Barrett to the ground, Tua tasted the canvas for the first official time in his career after Barrett floored him with a right to the temple,

one good payday before The Executioner takes the title back.

David Tua – Monte Barrett (Photo by Marty Rosengarten) October-2010

Boxing World & Other Sports

boxing surprises. Baltimore is Back – Two cards in a week’s time reactivated a dormant boxing spring and summer in Baltimore. Promoter John Rallo of Bangtime Boxing, the new promoter in town, seems to be doing a good job with his shows, as the crowds have been decent. Jake “the Snake” Smith of Baltimore Boxing, followed Rollo’s show with barnburner main event of Jesse Nicklow and Julius Kennedy, a draw that featured virtual non-stop punching. The more promoters, the merrier; with Scott Wagner’s Ballroom Boxing that makes three promoters in Charm City. Let’s hope they all succeed. Margarito Deserving? --With Floyd Mayweather’s troubles sabotaging a potential fight with Pacquiao, Manny now turns to Antonio Margarito in Dallas at Cowboys Stadium this fall. Does Margarito deserve this shot after being suspended for having plaster-of-Paris in his gloves before his Mosley defeat? Not likely. Somehow Texas saw fit to grant the Mexican a license. Money must have talked, once again. But since the fight will take place, can Pacquiao pull another rabbit out of his house against perhaps his tallest foe so far? Despite not seeming invincible anymore, Margarito’s height and reach will still pose a problem for the PacMan. Pacquiao always seems to amaze us as he keeps raising the bar of difficulty 9

with his opponents; will he fall off the bar against Margarito? Alexander Not Great – There were high hopes St. Louisan Devon Alexander would shine against Andreas Kotelnik in Alexander’s backyard. But after a slow first half, Kotelnik began timing the southpaw beltholder, landing rights with increasing frequency, especially in the last three rounds. Alexander threw more but landed less; he needs to guage distance better, as his jabs and some other punches kept coming up short, as if he was reluctant to engage. Though he won, Alexander knows he has to do better, not just to win, but to impress.

(Photo by David Martin Warr/DKP)

David Haye vs. Audley Harrison ---This one should be a joke. Haye’s too skilled; Harrison’s too slow and inactive. Haye by mid-round KO. Paul Williams vs. Sergio Martinez ---This is the rematch of last December’s barn-burner. Martinez seemed able to hit Williams at will, but got hit just enough to let the judges take it from him. This time the Argentinian won’t let it slip away. Sergio’s gained even more confidence after slicing up Kelly Pavlik. Willams is always dangerous with his high punch volume, southpaw stance and long reach, but is getting hit more often. Martinez by close unanimous decision.

Vitali Klitschko vs. Shannon Briggs ---Beltholder Klitschko should have an easy time of it. Poor Shannon; he tries, but his asthma prevents him from having the conditioning to go the distance and be busy while doing it. Klitschko by 5th-round stoppage. Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Rafael Marquez ---- Juan-Ma has shown himself vulnerable lately, but Marquez is now past his prime due to 4 wars with Israel Vasquez in the best rivalry in the past 25 years. Lopez by close unanimous decision. Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito ---- Can Margarito prove himself capable of winning without plaster-of-Paris in his gloves? Can Pacquiao get to the taller October-2010

win a close decision. Maidana has to put the Brit to sleep to win.

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man, and at his highest weight to date? While logic says it will be tough for the Pac-Man, he never ceases to amaze. Pacquiao by close unanimous decision.

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Lucien Bute vs. Jesse Brinkley ---- Bute’s star continues to rise after knockout wins over Librado Andrade and Edison Miranda. Brinkley’s appearance in the first season of The Contender has kept his name on the radar, but the Canadian has more experience in big fights. And with this one in Montreal, pick Bute by unanimous decision or late-round KO.

Devon Alexander (right) W-UD-12 Andriy Kotelnik, WBC & IBF light welterweight title, 8/07/10, Saint Louis, Missouri

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Carl Froch vs. Arthur Abraham ---Who ever thought these two would be facing each other only after the first loss of each fighter’s career? In their next Super Six match, both fighters look for redemption. Froch lost a unanimous decision to Mikkel Kessler in an entertaining bout, while Abraham tries to make amends for his DQ loss to Andre Dirrell, a fight the German was losing even before he was disqualified. Abraham is stronger, but Froch boxes better. Froch by close decision.

Upcoming Predictions

Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Michael Katsidis ---- This will be excting because Katsidis always makes it so, but this is a bad matchup for him. Marquez is one of the most solid technical boxers of the past 15 years, while Katsidis is an Australian version of Arturo Gatti. Marquez will reach him often. J.M by unamous decision or late-round stoppage. Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana --- This should be a good matchup of styles – the power of Maidana vs. The boxer/puncher style of Khan. Maidana isn’t quick, but he’s relentless, and Khan must box smartly to not get caught. If he does, he should Boxing World & Other Sports

Bernard Hopkins vs. Jean Pascal ---- So what if it’s in Montreal? Hopkins is one of the smartest fighters in the past 20 years, able to adapt in mid-fight. The Executioner will school the less-disciplined Pascal over 12 rounds for a unanimous decision.

Top 10 Pound-For-Pound 1 - Manny Pacquiao 2 - Floyd Mayweather 3 - Tomasz Adamek 4 - Paul Williams 5 - Sergio Martinez 6 - Andre Ward 7 - Juan Manuel Marquez 8 - Amir Khan 9 - Pongsaklek Wonjongkam 10 - Vladimir Klitchsko

Top 10 Heavyweights 1 - Tomasz Adamek 2 - Vladimir Klitchsko 3 - Vitali Klitschko 4 - David Haye 5 - Alex Povetkin 6 - Eddie Chambers 7 - Ruslan Chagaev 8 - Alexander Dimtrenko 9 - Denis Boytsov 10 - Chris Arreola

See you at the fights!! 10

Boxing At the Michigan State Fairgrounds 1923-2005

State Fair Coliseum

in attendance. Attendance plays the key role in our next contest. In what is most likely the largest crowd ever for any fairgrounds fight, over 15,000 fans jammed into the coliseum to watch the giant Primo Carnera in action. Carnera did not disappoint, putting the KO on KO Christner in the 4th round on June 5, 1930. Carnera was still three years removed from winning the heavyweight title at this point but obviously was already a huge draw (literally and figuratively).

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heavyweight champ). Sam Greene of the Detroit News quotes, “Greb did just what was expected. He swarmed all over Burns, shooting punches from every angle and landing on every shot above the belt with such quickness that Burns was defenseless.” On the same card Detroit's Sid Barbarian also dropped a newspaper decision to future lightweight champion Sammy Mandell. The opportunity to see all time greats Harry Greb and Sammy Mandell on the same card had to be a wonderful treat for the Detroit fight fans of yesteryear. Sadly, the great Greb would pass away a mere 14 months after his lone fairgrounds contest. The one and only bout with world title implications to occur at the fairgrounds took place on July 25, 1929. Joe Dundee was defending his world welterweight title and Jackie Fields was putting his National Boxing Association version (yes, they occasionally had split titles even back then!) of the crown on the line. One of boxing's earliest title unification bouts. Things did not go well for Joe and he decided after suffering a second knockdown that it was time to call it a day. By all accounts he deliberately fouled Fields and was disqualified in the second round to bring the bout to what had to be an unsatisfactory conclusion for the folks

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As the nation’s oldest state fair (established 1849), the Michigan State Fair has provided its share of entertainment to families during its traditional annual last week in August to Labor Day run. Located just off of Woodward Avenue in Detroit, the fair showcased the usual rides, midway side shows, animal exhibits and musical acts over the years. There were however, other significant happenings on the fairgrounds during times when the fair itself was not running. Horse racing was a big part of the activity on the grounds in the early days. Until he won his first major race on September 7, 1936, Seabiscut was considered a mediocre racehorse. From that first win on the state fair track, Seabiscut moved on to fame and fortune ultimately becoming one of the best loved racehorses of all time. The Shrine Circus was always a big attraction and it was here that one of the worst circus accidents occurred in 1962 when the Flying Wallenda's seven person high wire pyramid collapsed, killing two performers and permanently paralyzing one other. The focus of this literary treatise however, is boxing. With the fair now on the verge of being eliminated and the fate of the property and its buildings unknown, the time is right to review the history of the sweet science as it played out within the confines of the fairgrounds. The largest and most imposing building on the grounds is the coliseum. Built in 1922, it is here that our journey back in time begins. On May 7, 1923 future heavyweight champion Gene Tunney stopped one Jack Clifford in eight rounds in this structure. One might imagine that with a record of 3-20 going into the contest, Clifford probably did not provide much of a test for Tunney who was still three years away from winning the big prize against Jack Dempsey. However, given the fact that Tunney was coming off a hard fifteen round win over Harry Greb just two months before, he was entitled to an easy one. The incomparable Greb himself fought at the fairgrounds on August 17, 1925 on a card organized by the American Legion to benefit disabled soldiers. Brought in as last minute replacement for Jack Delaney, Greb won a ten round newspaper decision over Tommy Burns (not the ex

By Bob Ryder

October-2010

Primo Carnera – KO Christner, 6/05/1930

The list of future world champions that fought on the fairgrounds is impressive. A young Barney Ross (a pro less than a year at the time) beat Eddie Koppy over six rounds on July 1, 1930. Soon to be light heavyweight champ Gus Lesnevich won a Boxing World & Other Sports

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ten round decision over Dave Clark on New Year's Day, 1940 and future middleweight kingpin Joey Giardello stopped Joe Gray after five rounds on July 2, 1957. However, one of the most famous boxers of all time was a faded, ex-champ by the time he made his fairgrounds appearance. Jack Dempsey was winding down his career with a stint in which he was taking on questionable opposition (mostly professional wrestlers). After losing his second fight to Tunney in 1927, Jack took off a couple of years before he began a barnstorming tour across the country fighting many exhibitions (sometimes two or three in the same day) during 1931-32. Out of the ring again until 1940, the 45 year old Dempsey returned to knock out wrestler Cowboy Luttrell (side note: the film of this fight shows Jack scoring a devastating KO, if the wrestlers thought it would be fun and games Dempsey sure didn't). This leads us to Dempsey's coliseum contest against pro wrestler Bull Curry on July 15, 1940. Curry, a legitimate tough guy and ex-cop from Hartford, CT had spent some years on the carnival circuit taking on all comers. He knew how to fight and brawl. The poster trumpets "real action with 6 ounce gloves", however, "the world's toughest matman" was determined to turn the contest into a wrestling bout. Early in the match Curry succeeded in locking Dempsey by the legs at which point both tumbled from the ring into the lap of a ringside official. Back in the ring and regaining control in the second round, Jack landed a hard body shot dropping the “Wild Bull” for the full count. Curry, now up, raced across the mat and slapped Dempsey on the back and demanded he continue. Not getting the satisfaction he wanted, Curry finally left the ring in true pro wrestling fashion, cursing at every one of the 4,500 in attendance within ear shot. Dempsey went back to running his New York City restaurant. The 1930's, 40's and 50's saw many quality fighters ply their trade here. Excellent and now almost forgotten ring men of the day such as George Burnette, Holman Williams, Bud Taylor, Red Burman, Teddy Yarosz, Chuck Spieser, Roscoe Toles and Lester Felton all graced fairgrounds rings. An outdoor contest between heavyweight contenders held in October-2010

Jack Dempsey – Bull Curry, 7/15/1940

front of the horse racing grandstands took place on May 24, 1958 when Nino Valdes knocked out Detroit's Johnny Summerlin in five rounds leading to Johnny's retirement from the ring. In the 1960's and 70's, presentations at the fairgrounds took on a club show feel. Shows were frequent but top contenders boxed less. Other Detroit area venues like Cobo Arena and the old Olympia landed the big fights. The fairgrounds cards became a place where Detroit area fighters such as Alvin "Blue" Lewis and Tommy Hanna honed their skills as they waited for their big chance. Occasionally however, a top contender would appear as when George Chuvalo took on Billy Tiger on May 1, 1970. George was coming off a big win over Jerry Quarry in his last fight when he tangled with Tiger at the coliseum. Chuvalo remembered that his Boxing World & Other Sports

manger did not accompany him as he had business in Japan. Not expecting a particularly tough fight with Tiger, Chuvalo had a boyhood pal work his corner. As luck would have it, early on Chuvalo banged heads hard with Tiger in the first round resulting in a gash on George’s forehead. With blood dripping down his face and an inexperienced cut man in his corner, Chuvalo decided to step up his attack and knocked Tiger out in the 4th (boxrec.com erroneously records this as a 10th round KO for George). The 12

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HERE IS THE FIRST BOOK DEDICATED TO THE WORLD OF FEMALE BOXING

Extraordinary Women of the Ring By Mary Ann LURIE

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ringside doctor was able to butterfly bandage the cut for Chuvalo so he could keep his scheduled next fight in British Columbia nine days later (Chuvalo won over Gino Ricci by TKO 1). â&#x20AC;&#x153;I still see the scar on my forehead from that Tiger fight every day when I wash my face,â&#x20AC;? George chuckles now. For this writer, the fairgrounds will always be a special place. On March 25, 1972 I attended my first in person live fight as welterweight contenders Ronnie Harris and Raul Soriano went at it for ten hard fought rounds in the cramped Community Arts Building. Watching two evenly matched boxers apply their skills in an effort to best the other was artistry. Some felt Harris got the hometown decision, but I remember most the atmosphere, the smoke, the noise and the crowd. Boxing at its most brutal, yet beautiful best. I was hooked. The 1980's and 90's had Joe Louis Arena, Cobo Arena and later The Palace of Auburn Hills hosting most of the boxing in the Motor City. Fairgrounds fights were almost non-existent. Bernard Mays fought here several times in the early 80's and Len Hutchins was brutally beaten into retirement over three one sided rounds against upcoming Willie Edwards in 1982 but beyond this there was almost no other activity. The last fight of any significance took place on November 19, 2004. In a nationally televised contest aired by Showtime, Troy Rowland recovered from an early round knockdown and edged out Epifanio Mendoza over ten rounds. In what very well might be the last fight to be ever held at the state fairgrounds, Marlon Thomas stopped Vincent Thompson in the first round on June 10, 2005. With attendance down from the fair's heydays, corporate sponsorships fading away, and a budget strapped state unable to write off the fair's losses, things look exceedingly grim for the future. It appears likely that the Michigan State Fair has run its course. The fair's demise would most probably bring about an alternative use for the property and in combination with fewer fight cards anyway, would seem to indicate that boxing at the fairgrounds has heard the ten count. A sad ending for fair goers and fight fans alike. . October-2010

"At last, a book on FEMALE BOXING that glorifies a sport that is long over due for this kind of attention. MARY ANN LURIE OWEN has captured the beauty, courage and physicality that makes this world so breathtaking. Through her dramatic PHOTOS and POIGNANT PROSE, she shows the world what makes this sport so alluring. Female boxing has always faced an uphill battle for recognition and respect. Although these bouts are always the most exciting on any fight card - the women still fight for exposure and activity." Jackie Kallen, Former Commissioner: International Female Boxers Association Available at http://www.kiroed.com and Amazon.com Boxing World & Other Sports

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Ron Lyle â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Earnie Shavers

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an up and coming brawler's from Garland, Alabama. Earnie Shavers sent shockwaves throughout the heavyweight division in the 1970's. Of the first 49 fighters who fell victim to Earnie Shavers, only one, Vincente Rondon, escaped knockout. Therefore, it seemed inevitable that a storm was on the horizon when these two steamrollers squared off in the late summer of 75'. The forecast was on target. On June 22nd, I had an opportunity to speak to the two men, now great friends, and reminisce on one of the fight games rarest, yet thrilling, performances. With the help of both Ron Lyle and Earnie Shavers, Boxing World Magazine is now able to revisit one of the most exciting bouts in all of Heavyweight history with a specific recap from the men who were involved. "When you fight in someone else's hometown, you better be ready," remarked Earnie Shavers when I asked him about the first round of the 75' fight. With a crowd of obstreperous fans against him, Shavers knew that he needed to take control of the fight immediately in order to take away Ron Lyle's hometown advantage; so he did. In the first round, Ron Lyle showed impressive footwork in an attempt to pepper the stalking Shavers in front of him. However, Earnie would not have it. He immediately started releasing bombs. By

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By Rob Tierney On September 13th, 1975, two of the most powerful punchers in all of Heavyweight history pounded each other in one of the division's most over looked non title fights. In an era when few fighters received notoriety for their craft in the shadows of Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Muhammad Ali, two of the sport's all time heaviest hitters unleashed their weaponry, at the expense of one another, in front of an uproarious, blood thirsty crowd in Denver, Colorado. Thirtyfive years later, fans and experts are beginning to take notice to one of the most obscure, yet, fan friendly fights in all of Heavyweight history. The combatants were none other than the hard punching Earnie Shavers from Garland, Alabama and the devastating hometown Denver slugger, Ron Lyle. The fight itself was a brutal affair that saw both men suffering on the canvass. It was a bout that lasted less than 6 rounds due to the torturous punishment inflicted from each fighter. Most importantly, it is a bout that now must be remembered by fight fans forever for the courageous effort displayed by both men. In hindsight, Lyle VS Shavers is warranting more and more of its overdue attention. For collectors, it can in some ways be compared to a rare rock n' roll album from a lesser known band that was unfortunately released at the same time as another rock album from a more mainstream band. Therefore, it found less recognition. Thus was the case with Lyle VS Shavers in the world of boxing. The fight took place just two and a half weeks prior to the Thrilla in Manilla. As a result, most of the mass media attention at the time was on Ali and Frazier for their legendary third fight in the Philippines. Still, Lyle VS Shavers was a brilliant slugfest pitting two of the division's most fearsome punchers against one another in what can now be called a rare gem in the rich archives of boxing's extensive and historic collection. Therefore, it is only appropriate that this regional Denver classic receive much larger acclaim, even if it is 35 years past due. Ron Lyle was a fearsome face in the heavyweight division. To many boxing fans, he came across as an imposing brute who clobbered 21 of his first 30 victims into submission. Still, his knockout percentage seemed pale in comparison to

Looking back on Lyle VS Shavers:

October-2010

Boxing World & Other Sports

mid round, his bombs were landing and Lyle's efforts to keep him at bay were halted. The end of the first round saw exciting action with both men swinging and landed devastating shots. Even so, it was only a slight calm before the vicious storm. The second round started slowly with both men looking to dictate the pace. As the round crept forward, Shavers started to gain control. Upon completion of round two, the Denver fans knew that their hometown combatant was in for the fight of his life. Much has been made of Earnie Shaver's punching power. His right would pummel so many opponents through his career that he is often referred to by many as the hardest hitting heavyweight that ever lived. Although, unlike other nights against the likes of Larry Holmes and Muhammad Ali, when Earnie's right hand obtained credit for its devastating force, Shaverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left was responsible for the first significant blow of the fight. With only seconds remaining in the second round, Shavers landed a hard left hand to Ron's noggin that could have dilapidated today's Denver Coliseum. Lyle collapsed to the canvass. He looked as if the life had been sucked out of him. Not only was he on queer street from the punch, but, his knee was bent sideways from the fall. 14

"It was the first time I ever got knocked down," Lyle recalled. "When you go down for the first time it's tough," he continued. "Earnie Shavers was an awesome puncher." Lyle would ultimately struggle to his feet just shy of the ten count, thus, earning himself the right to continue. Luckily for Ron Lyle, the bell sounded. Both fighters recall the significance of this moment: RT: Mr. Shavers, how bad did you think he was hurt at the end of the 2nd round? ES: He was hurt. If it was earlier in the round, he might not have made it. He was tough though and he came back. Ron was a very durable guy so he was able to continue.

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In his corner, Ron recuperated for the following round. The third round would prove to be the most exciting round of the fight and a turning point for the Denver native. Shavers started towards Ron as the aggressor looking to capitalize on the damage he inflicted at the end of the 2nd. Looking back, it appeared to be his fatal error.

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RL: It's hard to say. I got up at the count of 4 or 6 or something like that. I knew he hit hard prior to the fight, but the punch still had an effect. It definitely made me a believer.

Ron Lyle (Photo by Mike Greenhill)

into his corner. As Earnie started to tire from punching himself out, Ron picked up the pace. From the war zone in the corner, Lyle began fighting off the ropes pummeling the now lumbering Shavers. Ron Lyle was taking control of the fight. It if weren't for Ali and Frazier's legendary 14th round in Manilla just eighteen days later, either the third or fourth round in the Lyle VS Shavers fight could have easily been embraced as 1975's round of the year. If anything, either one could be considered a worthy consolation prize considering that Ron and Earnie were both ranked in the top five that year anyway. After the sensational action in the 3rd, the fighters started right where they left off in the previous round. About mid-round, Shavers mustered a second wind and forced Lyle into a corner. Earnie landed at will jacking Lyle's head against the ring post on multiple occasions. Lyle was forced into the role of a sitting duck as the powerful Shavers landed at will. Still, Ron braced himself and withstood Shaver's unyielding punishment that only a select few in the sport have had the ability to withstand. By the end of the fourth, Lyle was coming on strong. It proved to be a sign of the fight's remaining direction. "The fight took a turn in about the fourth round," claimed Lyle. "Up until then it was touch and go." Ron's expression proves to be very delicate considering the amount of warfare that took place in Denver that night in the first four rounds. The phone booth expression is often overused in boxing journalism, however, it

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RT: Mr. Lyle, do you think you would have been able to continue if the round was any longer or did the bell save you?

Ron Lyle's recollection of the knockdown further cemented Shavers speculations.

RT: Looking back now, it appears that you were gunning for the knockout. Do you regret this decision?

ES: Once the fight was over, I realized I might have made a mistake. When your fighting Ron Lyle, you can't afford to make mistakes. I made a mistake. As the 3rd round continued, both men traded vicious blows. At one point, Lyle tried to tie Shavers up, but Earnie unloaded. By mid round, Lyle was leaning on the ropes with Shavers in front him. Head to head and toe to toe, they traded mallet like punches to the crowd's delight. At this point, the crowd was completely engaged. However, the opportune time had arrived for Ron Lyle to welcome them October-2010

Boxing World & Other Sports

is without question the best way to sum up the 3rd and 4th rounds. By the fifth, both men were feeling the effects of the two way hustle. However, in this round, Ron Lyle would start to put the finishing touches on what would ultimately become his biggest victory. Lyle worked relentlessly throughout the fifth. Upon completion of the round, the fight appeared to be relatively even despite the 2nd round knockdown. For Lyle, the 5th was his most convincing and he appeared to even the scorecards. However, the judges would not need their scorecards on this night. Roughly thirty five seconds into the 6th, Shavers dropped his hands and Lyle desecrated him with an overhand right; Shavers was out on his feet. Lyle unleashed a barrage of punches on his opponent. Within seconds, Earnie Shavers was seen crashing face first into the canvass. Drawing from personal courage and perseverance, Shavers struggled to get to his feet. However, he did not make it and Ron Lyle earned himself a knockout victory over the hardest hitting Heavyweight that ever lived. While recalling this great victory, I inquired as to why such an exciting fight had failed to be made a second time. RT: It was such a great fight, were you surprised that this fight was never made again? RL: No, I was happy! He was a devastating puncher so I'm glad I didn't fight him again. 15

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While both Ron Lyle and Earnie Shavers have earned each other's respect, there are still too many fight fans who are unaware of their battle. When bar side discussions arise pertaining to the greatest fights of the 1970's, Lyle VS Shavers should, without question, be counted equally, alongside Ali VS Frazier, Holmes VS Norton and Lyle VS Foreman, as one of the greatest fights in the history of Heavyweight boxing. This honor should be given regardless of the fact that the news didn't make it much farther than Denver, Colorado…until now.

Earnie Shavers (Photo by Pat Orr)

Still, Shavers seemed equally content with the fact that their paths did not cross again. ES: When you are in a fight like that, it takes a lot out of you. You can't take more than one or two fights like that. A lot of guys who fought more than one fight like that are never the same. However, both Lyle and Shavers would find themselves in future brawls of that stature again. For Ron Lyle, the fight with Shavers was sandwiched in between two close shortcomings against two Heavyweight legends. The first was an impressive performance against October-2010

Muhammad Ali earlier in the year. The second was one of the most brutal Heavyweight bouts in all of history against Big George Foreman. For Earnie Shavers, the Lyle fight proved to be a learning lesson in a stellar career marked by his own impressive shortcomings for the title against Ali and, future Heavyweight Champion, Larry Holmes. Still, it is what happened in Denver that night that changed the level of respect the two men now have for each other for the rest of their lives. "That's the fight game for you," said Lyle. "When you fight like that you can only gain respect from one another." Boxing World & Other Sports

Former Heavyweight contender Terry Daniels (Photo by Terry Gallagher)

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By Angelo Prospero Boxing Writer and Historian I was reading through some boxing materials recently when i came across an obituary on Tampa Tommy Gomez and remembered seeing him fight in buffalo against heavily favored Phil Muscato in 1947. It was memorable because it was the first fight i ever saw in person, a high school graduation present from my father. Gomez shocked everyone by scoring a first round kayo over the ninth ranked Muscato. His punching power was awesome. Tampa Tommy had 87 fights in his career, winning 76 with three draws. He scored 64 knockouts, a .735 percentage. One of the hardest punchers in fistic history with 28 knockouts coming in the first or second rounds, and another 21 knockouts coming in round three. Built along the lines of Rocky Marciano, Gomez was just as hard a puncher, but lacked the one ingredient the Rock possessed, he didn’t like the fight game and sometimes didn’t go into a battle with the needed intensity or training. Undefeated in his first 33 fights with 26 knockouts, Gomez’ streak was stopped by veteran Buddy Scott (the heavyweight champion of the South). He started another win skein, evening the score with Scott and splitting a pair of bouts with illfated Tommy Tucker who died in a plane crash while serving with the United States Air Force during WW II, Gomez enlisted in the Army in 1942, but still managed to work in five bouts, scoring impressive wins including knocking out veteran Tony Musto in one round and Buddy Knox in five. His only loss was the Rochester’s Irish Johnny Flynn (John Kowalczyk) in a hard fought six rounder at Madison Square Garden. Sent overseas in 1944, Tommy Gomez was a highly decorated infantryman who was severely wounded as the Yanks were crossing the Ruhr River in Germany, suffering sixteen bullet and shrapnel wounds. Upon returning to the States, he shocked boxing writers by claiming his wounds made him a better fighter saying the injuries to his arms, legs, back and chest made him more relaxed. His explanation appeared to make sense as Gomez reeled off six consecutive

Tommy Gomez

October-2010

Tommy Gomez

knockouts over Johnny Denson, Lou Thomas, 7-foot Big Ben Moroz, Freddie Schott, and 9th ranked Phil Muscato of Buffalo in one round and Jimmy White. They were now calling him the Southern Dempsey. This brought him into world rankings and a heavyweight elimination bout with the resurrected Jersey Joe Walcott, then running roughshod over the challengers to Joe Louis’ crown. The fight was strictly no contest as the cagey Walcott made the lunging Gomez miss with his haymakers and then countered with smashing blows, flooring the Florida fighter twice in the second and twice more in the third to finish him. Next, Gomez’ brain trust figured he needed a confidence builder and took a bout with veteran pro Joe Matisi, a 31 year old slugger fighting out of Buffalo, telling Gomez his opponent couldn’t take a punch. So, Gomez trained only briefly and once Boxing World & Other Sports

the fight started found his opponent to be able and willing to trade punch for punch and Tommy was again stopped in three rounds. Disenchanted, Tommy Gomez announced his retirement November 4, 1946. However, the following March, he made a comeback and scored ten straight dramatic knockouts including among his victims former conquerors Buddy Scott, Johnny Flynn and Joe Matisi. Fans all over Florida cheered their rejuvenated contender. However, the lack of training intensity struck again when Gomez encountered tough Lee Oma under strange circumstances. There was talk that Oma, known as a “businessman” in the fight game, would go into “the tank” and thus there was almost no betting on the fight. Gomez heard these rumors and trained only sparsely. 17

Tommy Gomez - Jersey Joe Walcott

Boxing is my Sanctuary

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knockdown. Fresh from wins over big men, Bill Peterson in one, Artis Donato in one and Ralph Moran in two, Tommy didn’t want to fight lighter men like Satterfield, but again his manager convinced him the Chicago belter had a glass chin. After a furious two rounds, Gomez hit Satterfield a right high on the cheekbone flooring him, but injuring his hand. Bob got up and survived the round. In round four, he started an attack of his own and broke two of Gomez’ ribs. It was a slugfest the rest of the way with

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When the fight began, it was evident Oma had no such “retiring” intentions and pummeled the surprised Gomez. In no condition to do battle, Tommy failed to come out for round two. Feeling penitent, Gomez went back to the gym with a vengeance and reeling off nine more kayos, two decisions and a draw in his next thirteen fights, setting up his last fight with another vicious puncher, Chicago’s Bob Satterfield. It was March 22, 1950. Gomez remembers this fight vividly, detailing every punch, injury and

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Satterfield getting the best of it. In round ten, he floored Gomez four times, but the Tampa gamester managed to survive although losing the decision. Gomez suffered a concussion and had headaches for week afterwards. In an exhibition bout a few weeks later, the headaches still persisted so Tommy Gomez called it a career. He rated Jersey Joe Walcott as the best he had ever faced, but also scored high marks for Bob Satterfield and Tommy Tucker. Tommy Gomez came up a little short in the championship department, but his punching power and charisma made him a key figure in the Golden Age of Boxing just before, during and after World War II. He went into the securities and investment business after boxing. The proud father of four daughters, he spent a lot of time in retirement with his new hobby, making cigars. Tommy Gomez passed away from a heart attack at age 86 on April 27, 2006.

The first reviews are in for local author Ted Sares’s recently published book Boxing is my Sanctuary and they are most laudatory. Writer John Howard of the Ventura County Star had this to say: “The passion he displays is, I believe, unequaled and his enthusiasm for boxing can't be contained. At times, I could almost feel the words come alive and jump off the pages. The author has a story to tell and does a great job in bringing out the many fights he's attended. At times, I felt like I was right there with Ted and his dad, “Big John,” feeling the hooks to the body, hearing the roar of the crowd, the smell of sweat and perfume, the taste of foamy Meister Brau, and the juicy Italian beef with roasted peppers.” Harold Lederman said the “...the book brought back so many great memories. The author has an amazing memory. There were so many great stories and great names in the book that I had absolutely forgotten.”

Tommy Gomez - Jersey Joe Walcott October-2010

Boxing World & Other Sports

Boxing is my Sanctuary can be purchased in book stores, through the web via Amazon, Borders or Barnes and Noble, or directly through IUniverse or the author, who can be reached at tedsares@roadrunner.com 18

Winning Respect By Ted Sares Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are; your reputation is merely what others think you are. –John Wooden My main thing is to go out there and win. That is what boxing is. You go out there and you fight and you win. It is not about looking pretty. --John Ruiz

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John “The Quiet Man” Ruiz has fought through adversity throughout most of his career. After a horrific KO loss to David Tua in 1996, he bounced back and launched an unbeaten string of 11 fights which included a stoppage of Tony Tucker. On August 12, 2000, he fought the first of three consecutive big fights with Evander Holyfield going 1-1-1, but seemingly having the best of it over the more popular Holyfield during the course of the matches. However, the fights were not fan-friendly and for many, Ruiz displayed a style that was ugly to watch with his continual clinching and roughhousing tactics (though his sneaky short rights were his forte). While his style made it difficult for an opponent to look good, he did what he had to do against “The Real Deal,” and jumped back into the mix. In fact, as he became the first Latino World Heavyweight Champion, he was saluted both in his home town of Chelsea, MA and in Puerto Rico where he was treated to a parade. Indeed, while he lacked the fan base of many other fighters and was not nearly as marketable,

…I’ve got to give him [David Haye] credit. He’s a credit to British boxing and a worthy champion. --John Ruiz

John “The Quiet Man” Ruiz

he had always been determined and gutsy and no one could look forward to an easy fight with John.

John Ruiz – Kirk Johnson (Photo credit HBO)

Evander Holyfield - John Ruiz (Photo by Mike Greenhill)

October-2010

He successfully defended his WBA heavyweight title belt against once rugged Kirk Johnson who he defeated by DQ (Johnson handed the fight to Ruiz by going low at least 5 times). Ruiz then lost the belt decisively and soundly to Roy Jones Boxing World & Other Sports

Junior in their historic fight on March 1, 2003. By now, John Ruiz had become the heavyweight fighter most fans did not want to watch. He had been winning close and ugly fights, but against Jones, his time finally seemed to run out. He had become the butt of jokes, but to his credit, he came back to beat Hasim Rahman for the interim WBA heavyweight title, and defended it successfully against Fres Oquendo (TKO win) and Andrew Golota (a close UD). He then met a rotund but still highly skilled James Toney who rolled his shoulders, slipped punches and countered with brutal accuracy in scoring a 12 round unanimous decision over The “Quiet Man.” Following this bout, Toney tested positive for a banned substance and the decision was changed to a “No Contest” by the New York State Athletic Commission. 19

James Toney - John Ruiz (Photo by Mike Greenhill)

Jameel McCline - John Ruiz (Photo by David Martin Warr/DKP)

be the 12th time the two-time champion would participate in a World Title bout (not including two title eliminators). By now, the fight against Haye in Manchester on April 3 has been vetted, but what needs to be highlighted is the grit and toughness that Ruiz showed. After a few rabbit punches (one for which Haye was deducted a point) John continued to fight on without complaining to the referee. He fought a determined fight always coming forward, but simply could not cope with the Englishman’s explosive power and speed. With his nose badly bleeding, and having been decked twice in the 1st, once late in the 5th, and again in the 8th, John was fast approaching the point where he would need to be saved from himself, because he is that kind of fighter. Finally, the towel was waived in the 9th and the inevitable TKO came. Now the time has come for this proud man to make a decision about his future. John has been in a lot of wars against a high level of opposition and has fought 331 rounds--but fortunately he is surrounded by savvy people who likely can help point him the right direction. Whatever he decides, he did accomplish one very important thing on April 3. “The Quiet Man” won respect across a broad fan base. You see, quit is not in John Ruiz’s DNA.

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2005, roundly booed the judges scorecards. Ove Ovesen had it 111-116, Antonio Requena scored it 113-116 and Takeshi Shimakawa had it 113-114. The gritty Ruiz was not yet discouraged. On November 7, 2009, he stopped limited Adnan Serin in 7. This fight was also in Germany and this time John took matters into his own hands. In all, Ruiz’s record in Germany was 1-3 with the 3 losses coming by way of MD, SD and UD. Ironically, the UD may have been the worse decision of the 3, though the first loss to “The Beast from the East” was simply beastly. The “Quiet Man” had fared much better in the U.K. where he amassed a 5-0 mark before getting an opportunity to fight the explosive David Haye for the WBA World Heavyweight Title. Amazingly, it would

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Ruiz then decided to test the risky German Boxing scene and quickly found out why it is risky. In a hotly disputed MD loss that many felt was a bad decision, John surrendered his title to the undefeated “Russian Giant,” Nikolay Valuev. Ruiz's controversial and combustible manager, Norman Stone, retired shortly after this fight declaring that the Valuev decision was the last straw, After this somewhat disruptive change in management, John then fought undefeated Ruslan Chagaev in November 2006 in Dusseldorf, Germany and this time lost a close SD in a WBA Heavyweight Title Eliminator Undaunted, “The Quiet Man” dominated Big Jameel McCline in Cancun, Mexico in March 2008. This time, however, it was “Big Time”who initiated the clinching and holding tactics. It was almost as if he knew he was going to be KOd and knew the only way to go the distance was to hold and lean on Ruiz. Then on August 30, 2008, Ruiz lost another close decision to the “Russian Giant.” John, along with many others in the Halle, again felt he had won. The fans, as they did in the first match in December

Back Issues A limited number of back issues of Boxing World Magazine are in stock. Email boxingworldmagazine@yahoo.com for availability. October-2010

John Ruiz - Nikolay Valuev (Photo by David Martin Warr/DKP) Boxing World & Other Sports

Nautica Pavilion

By Samuel McKibbon Cleveland, OH, August 8th, 2010 --On August 20, 2010 at the Nautica Pavilion in Cleveland, Ohio Ron Warner and Antonio Castro of Warner Promotions LLC gave us their first show. A five fight pro card was about to unfold.

Michael Moore - Eric Draper

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(Photo by Melinda Rinehart)

Michael Moore - Eric Draper (Photo by Melinda Rinehart)

(6-0) vs. Mujaheed Moore (4-4) both combatants listed out of Cleveland, OH. I saw this a close fight. Massie was the stalker while Moore was the boxer. No real damage was done to either fighter throughout the 4 round affair. Moore

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1st Fight: Light-middleweight Michael Moore (3-0) Cleveland, OH vs. Eric Draper (1-4) Indianapolis, IN. Moore started the scheduled 4 rounder strong and showed an on an off attack style offense. Draper fought a more evenly keeled fight; he tried to square off where Moore tried to tee off. Moore did have Draper down more than once but only once from a good knockdown. It was the 2:02 mark of the 4th round when referee George Nickols signified a TKO win for Michael Moore. 2nd Fight: Heavyweight Jason Massie

counter punched well as Massie physically forced the issue. It seemed closer than the scores reflected. Scores were 39-37 x 3. Unanimous decision win for Jason “Big Daddy” Massie. 3rd Fight: Middleweight Wilkins Santiago (2-0) faced Matt Keglovic (1-2). Although Santiago appeared heavier at the start of the 1st bell Keglovic was game. Keglovic fought diligently with lots of heart. Santiago powered through Keglovic’s style with strong lefts and rights. Obvious damage was being done as Keglovic’s corner showed the white towel. Time was 2:08 of the 2nd round a TKO win for Wilkins Santiago.

Matt Keglovic - Wilkins Santiago (Photo by Melinda Rinehart)

Jason Massie - Mujaheed Moore (Photo by Melinda Rinehart) October-2010

Boxing World & Other Sports

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Dante Moore - Corey Rodriguez (Photo by Melinda Rinehart)

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quick speed. Moore displayed good foot work with overall good skills. This fight was declared a draw but I feel both guys stocks rose. Verdict here, a split draw. 5th Fight: The Main Event – Heavyweight Mike Sheppard (15-11-1) Palestine, WV vs. Nick Firtha (19-7-1) Akron, OH. Two titles were on the line the NABA US & OHIO STATE title. This one went the full 10 rounds. Firtha was more aggressive with offense using many

Nick Firtha (Photo by Melinda Rinehart)

short quick stinging arm punches that seem to be his trademark. Sheppard on the other hand fought from a defensive mode landing the harder shots but not nearly as many. Both men showed signs of exhaustion towards the end of an action packed fight. Two judges scored it 97-93 while one saw it 95-95. Firtha won the fight but Sheppard won the harder punches delivered.

Charley Burley, The Life & Hard Times of an Uncrowned Champion By Allen S. Rosenfeld

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4th Fight: Co-main Event - Jr. Middleweight Dante Moore (6-0-1) Cleveland, OH was up against Corey Rodriguez (4-1-2) Minneapolis, Minnesota. This was a great fight! Rodriguez seemed to fight similar to the shades of “El Perro”. Rodriguez only knew forward, he took it to Moore almost all-night. Moore handled Rodriguezs’ style very well with excellent counter punching that showed crisp lightening

The best boxing book on the market today is Allen S. Rosenfeld's “Charley Burley”. It is not just a book about Burley. It is a history of boxing during that time. The greats of that era. The plight of the Negro boxers during that time. ---Boxing journalist Jim Amato Available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com Mike Sheppard - Nick Firtha (Photo by Melinda Rinehart) October-2010

Boxing World & Other Sports

Gone But Not Forgotten

Mac Foster

Johnny Colan

Edwin Valero (Photo by Tom Casino) “Tiger” Ted Lowry

Renato Tontini

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Denny Moyer

Paul Bell October-2010

Stan Cullis Boxing World & Other Sports

Dolph Quijano 23

Cleveland says goodbye to Paul “Pablo” Ramos

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On May 22, 2010, Paul “Pablo” Ramos succumbed to arterial disease, in Clearwater, Florida. He was only 56. He had suffered through many illnesses since 1998, when he suffered a massive stroke on the way home from work at the Cuyahoga County Jail, where he worked as a Correctional Officer for many years. Paul Ramos first came into my life in the 1970’s when I watched him fight many of his major amateur bouts, including several exciting ones with future heavyweight champ, Michael Dokes of Akron. The roof would almost come off of old Navy Park when these two met in the Golden Gloves tournaments there. The combination of Doke’s arrogance and Paul’s local popularity made for great intrigue and hype prior to their fights. Dokes was a huge ham and threw roses to the ladies as he made his way to the ring. This made the crowd wild and many disliked him because of his antics. Trained by former Pro, Doyle Baird, Michael Dokes had a lot of skills but this attitude often rubbed the crowd the wrong way even before the fights started. Paul was a very likeable guy with a ready smile and a warm sense of humor. He was always upbeat it seemed, and I grew to enjoy my trips to the gym more and more when he was working out. Being a former amateur of many years before, I was only interested in staying in shape. Paul was always helpful in that regard and never took advantage of people who had far less experience or skills. I was grateful for that! Paul’s final record as an amateur was 120-27, but he would always tell people his greatest win was the night he defeated Mike Dokes to win the District Golden Gloves championship in March of 1975. Paul defeated local rival Gus Turner to win the City title. Gus Turner was ranked as high as number four nationally so it was a big win for Paul. He then met Dokes in the Districts. The two of them had a four bout series and Dokes won three of the fights, all of those wins being close split decision victories. In the 1974 Golden Gloves Northeastern Ohio District AAU finals, Paul lost the split decision to Mike Dokes. Many people felt Paul won the 178-pound championship that night but the judges

By Jerry Fitch

October-2010

Paul “Pablo” Ramos

didn’t. In fact Ramos’ trainers, Mike LaQuatra and Frank Missella made such a fuss at ringside that it appeared the trainers were only seconds away from starting a rematch with the ringside officials. Paul won the 1976 Open Division title over Andrew Norfleet and then won the District Championship by default, when his opponent, rival Gus Turner, turned up sick and couldn’t fight. All told he went to the Nationals six times but never won the big prize. Paul lost twice to future light-heavy champ, Michael Spinks, once in the PanBoxing World & Other Sports

Am trials. Four times he was a semifinalist in the Nationals, and also fought the Poles and the Russians in international bouts. He was not fond of the scoring in many of those bouts which of course occurred during the Cold War. Paul was born in Yauco, Puerto Rico on August 20, 1953, but moved to Cleveland with his family when he was only months old. He actually started in boxing around the age of twelve and had a lot of experience by the time he entered local tournaments. 24

Nick Duganier, Paul Ramos, and “Uncle” John Giachetti

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Paul started fighting for the Mike LaQuatra-Frank Missella A.C. Later Mike LaQuatra combined with “Uncle” John Giachetti to guide Paul in his amateur career. Paul would then fight under the Sweeney-Giachetti banner and train at the SweeneyMike LaQuatra Giachetti gym at East 34th and Superior Avenue. Near the end of his career he also trained at the Parma Boxing Club on State Road. Paul would eventually decide to try his hand at the professional level. He turned pro on October 20, 1976, with a second round knockout over Ray “Lucky” Patterson of Chicago, in Cleveland. Paul was trained and handled by long time friend, Nick Duganier. Nick had cut his teeth learning the trade under the guidance of John Giachetti, known to all as “Uncle John”.

To say boxing was not exactly booming in the Cleveland area when Paul turned pro would not be a stretch. Through early 1978 Paul only had a total of eleven fights, all wins. Two of his wins were against Ivy Brown who would be ranked in the top ten in the Cruiserweight division and Jerry Martin, a fighter with much promise, who

Fred Brown - Paul “Pablo” Ramos, Rahway State Prison, 10/29/79. October-2010

Billy Douglas - Paul “Pablo” Ramos, referee Gene Glen (Photo by Terry Gallagher)

would eventually fight for the light-heavy championship three different times. Some will say that Nick and Paul did not have the right connections to get the big fights. They were often offered low end paydays to meet some of the better fighters around and turned them down for the most part. With very little fight action in Cleveland eventually Paul had to start fighting out of town and met such fighters as Gary Summerhayes, David Conteh, Fred Brown and Johnny Townsend. He fought in many places, even in Rahway State Prison in New Jersey (against Fred Brown). His biggest win during that stretch was a close decision over former contender Billy Douglas of Columbus, Boxing World & Other Sports

Ohio. That fight took place at the Richfield Coliseum. Eventually Paul would meet Rudy Robles in Las Vegas, Murray Sutherland in Pontiac, Michigan, and Jerry Celestine in New Orleans, where he was stopped for the only time in his pro career in the ninth round. He fought Robles again in Vegas, went to Cologne, Germany to fight a draw with Chisanda Mutti, lost a tough decision to Eddie Davis in Stateline, Nevada and in his last bout he met former champion, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, where he lost a unanimous decision in ten rounds. Paul’s final pro record was 19-4-1 with eight kayo wins and the one kayo loss. He lost four of his last six fights and decided 25

Drotar) who lovingly cared for Paul right to the end. They were married 37 years and had two daughters, Christy and Nicole, and a granddaughter, Ailani. Paul’s dad Pablo Sr. is deceased but he left his mother Nida (nee Flores) a brother Frank (Rae Marie) and a sister, Maria Cruz (Roberto).

Paul was also an uncle and great-uncle to many and a friend to all that knew him. It was exciting watching Paul fight during his career but the best thing I will always remember about him was what a genuinely great guy he always was. May he rest in Peace.

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to hang up the gloves for good as he was going nowhere and had a family to take care of. He was handled in his last few fights by Richie Giachetti, most famous for being the trainer of heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. Paul leaves a wonderful wife, Debi (nee

October-2010

Trainer Nick Duganier - Paul “Pablo” Ramos Boxing World & Other Sports

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Transcribed and edited by Lindy Lindell From 1999 to 2007, Gerald Evans promoted more than 30 professional boxing shows in Michigan. His most successful run was promoting Troy Rowland, who achieved a #12 rating in the WBC; Evans promoted near-monthly shows with Joel Langlois, using Langlois’ venue, the DeltaPlex in Grand Rapids as the venue for Rowland’s exposure for all of the cards there but one. The string of shows abruptly terminated when Evans, as matchmaker (he pretty much did all the matchmaking for the shows he was affiliated with) brought in the 22-7 Fernando Zuniga for the 21-1 Rowland; when Zuniga stopped Rowland, Evans was dismissed. Rowland “retired” after two more fights and a broken jaw sustained in a bout with Ted Muller, only to return for two tune-ups and a decisive losing effort against Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. Says Evans, “I had a good run with the DeltaPlex, but there is no long- range security in boxing.” Recognition of this enabled him to stay at least semi-active in the areas of real estate sales (hardly lucrative due to a business riddled with foreclosure in the past two years) and financial planning. These somewhat related areas of endeavor have inspired Evans to publish The Credit Boot Camp: The Comprehensive, Step-by-Step Guide to Improve Credit Scores for Individuals and Businesses. The 100+ page, ring-bindered book is designed with a military-oriented motif that keeps one on course as one wends through the business world and provides a helpful glossary of related terms (www.thecreditbootcamp.com).

“I Had to Learn on the Job”: an Interview with Gerald Evans

Now, when someone comes up to me and tells me that they want to promote, I say, “How much do you want to lose?” You see, you can’t tell these people anything. They say that they aren’t going to lose money. They’re gonna do it this way, which is going to insure that they aren’t gonna lose. You can’t tell them anything. There was this guy in Kalamazoo who wouldn’t listen. I told him that he wasn’t going to draw more than a thousand folks, but he kept saying, “Oh, no. We’ll draw 3,000.” Well, we drew about 300 and lost about $50,000. October-2010

Gerald Evans

People in boxing don’t listen. They do not listen. You can’t tell a manager that he doesn’t have the next world champion. This promoter from Grosse Pointe Park, a lawyer named John Carlisle, was determined to fit a square peg into a round hole. I dealt with Joe Smelley, another promoter [who was done putting on shows at that time], who had this fighter, [Cornelius] K-9 Bundrage who just won the IBF Junior-Middleweight Title from Cory Spinks. Smelley told me that K-9 could beat Roy Jones, Oscar de la Hoya, and some other fighter—all in the same night. Another guy told me he had access to a heavyweight who could beat Mike Tyson. The trouble with the fighters they are talking about is that they don’t have the tools—to beat me. Sometimes it is very easy to be seduced by these people. They might flatter you. They might buy you a Boxing World & Other Sports

nice dinner, at which time a love-in is being conducted from their end. After a while, I stopped going to the gym, because the people who push fighters who go there have no sense of reality. In my opinion, Michigan doesn’t have any real good trainers. I don’t see the teaching that is necessary to built champions here.

Cornelius K-9 Bundrage, Don King, and Cory Spinks (Photo by David Martin Warr) 27

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Carlos [Llinas] had a good thing going when he had television come in for those Fox Sports Net shows, but apparently he lost his contract because the fights themselves weren’t particularly good. Casinos have been in Detroit for ten years now, and they’ve been no help to boxing. They don’t want to spend the money. They want television-type shows. Translation: good matches. But that money was and is a problem. They don’t want to spend it. When you have only one fighter who can fight, as was the case with Carlos Llinas having Vernon Paris, you have a house fighter that you don’t want to get beat, nor should you. The problem is that you tend to be overcautious: you bring in someone who can’t win and that fighter undoubtedly knows this. He doesn’t come to win, and with that mindset, he never does, and he rarely puts up a good fight. So which master does the promoter serve? Does he try to make good fights and risk getting the house fighter beat? Or does he put his main efforts into protecting the house fighter, and thus makes fights no one wants to see? There is no real answer here, and that’s why promoting is a bitch. * * * * * When I first started promoting, I had to learn on the job. I had to learn by doing. At first, I wasn’t ready for the likes of Chico Crout. He was a man who never should have graced a ring with his presence. Here’s one example. After sparring with Damon Fuller, he walked out of the ring and said, “I’m not sparring with a lefthander,” and he was laughed at over at Kronk. When I asked him about this, I posed this question to him: “Chico, what if you’re fighting a righthanded guy and that guy switches to lefty on you, what are you going to do?” There was no answer, of course. Another time, we were out at the Palace one day and Jimmy Mackled came up to me and said that Boyd Gardner, who hadn’t had a fight in ten years was being offered for a fight against Chico. Chico had been active and Mackled told him that Boyd was going to kill him. Scared Chico to death. His legs started quivering. Chico was saying to me, “You’re not trying to set me up are you?” He was a punk, a waste of time. But I was a neophyte at the time. Now, I wouldn’t even look at him. Also, I didn’t have the money. Without money, you can’t develop the talent. When I did those shows in Grand Rapids, I had somebody with deep pockets who was worth anywhere from two million to two billion. If you go to JoeLanglois.com, he’ll tell you that he can close a deal between

Along with this, the only requirement to be a promoter is for that person to come up with the money. It used to be $250 and now I hear it’s $750. They’ve stepped things up with the new rules that came into practice several years ago: You’ve got to be credible. You’ve got to have good character. I think some promoters are reluctant to come to Michigan because of the commission and because of their regulations. Murad Muhammad did a show in Michigan but after that one show he told me he wasn’t going to come back— that the commission gave him problems. I think that there should be a boxing czar who is appointed by the governor, but that person should know something about boxing, not someone just because they have political connections. I think that boxing could still work in Michigan, but the promoters have to be prepared to promote on some kind of regular basis. This means that dates for months in advance have to be announced. In this way, talent could be developed. There is a promoter who has been promoting with some regularity [Carlos Llinas], and he has developed one fighter, Vernon Paris. I understand that there are some problems with him, but this happens in boxing. When Paris went down for a year due to drug suspensions, there was no one to fill the void. Llinas drew some nice crowds by putting some ticket-sellers on like Darryl Cunningham, but I knew from wearing my booking agent hat that Cunningham can’t fight.

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Detroit was known to produce champions—Tommy Hearns, Hilmer Kenty and Milton McCrory over at Kronk. Now they call Michigan for opponents. Michigan is now in the same category as Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin. Casinos have contributed to the decline of boxing overall, at least in the Midwest. Casinos want championships. Everybody has to be some kind of champion. Everything is watered down. Nobody is committed to getting in shape so they can have twenty fights—with steadily increased opposition—to go on toward having a real championship fight. You go to the Indian reservations and they want their own championships. It becomes in this snowball effect an inferior grade of talent that is pushed out there. Most of these guys are really four-round fighters— with really no capability of moving up in any real, significant way. You turn the lights on, push ‘em out there, and they fold at the first sign of adversity. Building up paper mache boxers has hurt boxing in Michigan, as well as the boxing commission and the people who decide what bouts can be put on. They have allowed gross mismatches. Some of the regulatory figures have a vested interest in seeing certain fighters doing well even though they should have an independent interest in the fights and the fighters. This doesn’t help because they can’t draw the line between being a fan and a regulatory person. I’ve been speaking in terms of generalities, but to make the case, I’m going to shout out with this specific example: Al Low was commissioner and when I submitted Jeff Thompson for a fight in Michigan not long ago, he was turned down. Thompson hadn’t fought in years and the first digit of his age was “4.” Then Al Low realized who I was talking about. It was “Jammin” Jeff Thompson, the former world-title challenger, a fighter he was familiar with because he had managed him. With this recognition, Thompson was okay to fight in Michigan. That’s not being a commissioner. That’s being a fan. You could see that the demise of boxing in Michigan began about four or five years ago when Bill Kozerski, who lost his television contract at the Palace [of Auburn Hills] about five years before that, then promoted irregularly before getting out entirely. Kozerski had put on good fights and good shows at the Palace, but along with the loss of television, he could see the handwriting on the wall: the talent was no longer here.

Carlos Llinas

Despite all that, I still think that boxing could make a go of it here in Michigan. How? #1 is that some good trainers would have to come here since they don’t seem to be developed. Then, something would have to be arranged whereby there could be some support in the way of television. Boxing World & Other Sports

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two million and two billion in thirty days. When I was on my own and independent, I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t develop the talent when I was doing those shows at Club International in Southwest Detroit. I couldn’t take those thousand-dollar losses, to say nothing of those 10- or 15-thousanddollar losses. Eventually, the money runs out. The well runs dry. (Laughs) If you can develop a site deal, or a sponsorship deal, or a casino deal, you need to have a series of shows—say a quarter mill for ten shows. Then you have a basis to work with. But a sponsor or a casino isn’t going to put up 25 gees to have two thousand people see it so there has to be some kind of broadcast entity involved. That’s why Carlos had a good thing going: that television signal could go to the masses and that in turn appeals to sponsors. Then you have to bring in investors, longterm investors. These investors have to understand that they aren’t going to get paid for the first show. They might have to wait 90 days to get the money that they’re gonna get back on that first show, and then they probably aren’t going to make a profit. The promoter needs to stress that this boxing isn’t a short-term investment. It’s a long-term operation where people will gradually come on board as they realize and understand that the product is something that they want to “buy into.” Now, when [John Carlisle’s] Team Cannon [from Detroit] was operating, Carlisle, as a lawyer, had a very nice list of fellow lawyers, a list of clientele who could be counted on to buy tickets. He was very good at “working” those lawyers to get them to come to see the fights and his fighters. These lawyers, who paid big bucks to buy expensive tables do not represent the typical demographic. But Carlisle was able to successfully maneuver the asses of these lawyers and their wives into those expensive seats. It was a good idea and practice because it worked. So you had a situation, where these fat cat lawyers were responsible for a large percentage of the gate, even though they might not have represented that much of the crowd. Afro-Americans weren’t going to spend that much. All you have to do was to look around ringside and see who is sitting there. The idea is to build somebody that these people can attach to. You have to craft an image that someone wants to be associated with—not only with the fans, but with sponsorship. Okay, say that the promoter is going to do ten shows over the period of a year-anda-half. He has to continually think about doing things differently so that, say, the October-2010

John Carlisle’s Team Cannon

patron might like some variation of the cramping of the four walls. I’m talking to an amateur promoter now from Muskegon who is doing a show called “Boxing, Barbeque and Beer”—an amateur show out on the beach in August. This way, he’s appealing to not only the guy who is interested in boxing, but to someone who wants to have a beer on the beach. And you keep things going. Maybe bring a slide for the kids. A promoter always has to think of broadening the base of appeal to beyond that of just the fight nut. A promoter has to do this so that he has some staying power. If not, each show you’re going to have to bring on investors. Yeah, I think about getting back into boxing, and then I find a thousand reasons Boxing World & Other Sports

why not to. To do a boxing show, you have to put in those hours. You can’t just say that you’re gonna put in five or eight hours a day. You have to put in 15 or 16 hours a day. To put on a decent show these days, the least amount it will cost is about $25,000. There are certain set costs that you can’t get out of: the insurance has gone up, the officials have never been known to not ask for the maximum they could get, and boxers never forget to ask for meal money. You have to put on a decent main event and a decent co-main and then you have prelims, hopefully with some local flavor and, and, included among those one or two of those guys willing to fight. 29

affront. You have to ask yourself, if I’m losing even though I’m putting forth all this effort, then why am I doing it? I was doing a show at Club International and I was divvying up the airport run, and what happened at the time was that the Marriott was giving me rooms at the family rate, but here was the catch: my partner had struck the deal so that he could get only two rooms per Marriott site. For this one particular fight, I got stuck doing all the driving, and so I had to pick up people at the airport and drop them at the airport Marriott, and then I had to pick up more people and drop them off way over in Southfield—that’s close to an 80-mile round trip. Then there was a third Marriott in Yipsilanti. Then you find yourself having the cycle start all over again when you drive all these people to the weigh-in. Things were much better in Grand Rapids with Joel Langlois, because he was financially fortified. He sent me an e-mail, saying, “How far do you want to go with this boxing?” He said, “I’m ready if you’re ready—all the way to the top. How much is it going to take?” I told him, “About five-million,” and he said that he was ready. He ended up dropping about a half-million before the Golden Goose that was Troy Rowland “died.” One of the things we had talked about was that we’d bring Floyd Mayweather, Sr., back to Grand Rapids to be the trainer. Number two, we’d need a base for where the house fighters could train. Joel had a working relationship with a health club, and if we didn’t go there, we’d set things up at the facility he owned, the DeltaPlex. We also needed to take care of the house fighters, find them jobs, put them on salary. I told Joel that this would be a three-year or fouryear program. I told Joel that he’s going to have to spend money at the front end—that he’d have to pay Floyd a good salary. He’s not going to be satisfied with 10% of $2,000—that’s not going to get it. We had talked about putting a mechanism in place, but it never really happened. Joel was taken in by the sizzle of the steak—nothing wrong with that, but it’s wasted if the people are already in the building. We had a lighted runway, with the fighters running through smoke on their way to the ring. This company Italio charged $25,000 for video-taping what they did, and I said to Joe, “Italio charging $25,000 is not putting one extra person in here.” I suggested alternatives, using videotaping equipment at the college and maybe people at the college who would do it for little or nothing. There were billboards that cost almost $10,000 a

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When you get boxers and their so-called cards of 10 to 12 fights so that he can managers who are not willing to fight a fulfill his contractual obligations. I took a competitive fight—what are you going to fighter down to Cincinnati for a card have? A bunch of first-round knockouts? headlined by Tim Austin and we started at People very quickly get tired of that. If 3 p.m. you’re building three or four fighters, you But we had to wait 2 ½ hours because of can’t expect to put all of them on a card television. The people in the stands had to and expect to have a good show, so you wait, too, and it’s this kind of thing that need to have a kind of rotating situation turns people away. whereby Fighter A fights on your show, A lot of people get into promoting but Fighter B, also a fighter you are trying because of the perception that it’s a to build, might not. Fighter B gets to fight glorious position. It isn’t. I got involved a on the next show. couple of years after being in the Ideally, these big penitentiary. I always promoters should had an affinity for Don I think that there should be a supplement the club fights boxing czar who is appointed King. I thought he was with their fighters, paying by the governor, but that very intelligent. Yeah, I for their fights. In this knew that he was a person should know way, the big promoters showman with the hair, something about boxing, not are keeping their the laugh, but beyond inventory of boxers busy, someone just because they that he treats the which in many cases they have political connections. running of boxing as a are contractually business. You either obligated to do, and also helps the small make money or lose money. I made good promoter out with some of that financial money in Grand Rapids, but my situation burden. I had a case where the manager of was totally different. In Detroit, I lost. I Syd Vanderpool paid for a main event fight lost on every show I had in Detroit. The card I did at Club International, Detroit. cops who were running security, I was The fight almost went the route, though paying them $150 apiece and they were the opponent for Vanderpool didn’t come complaining, saying that since I was to fight; rather, he came to survive. But making all kinds of money, they weren’t the burden of the expense of that fight was getting cut in on the gravy. Well, I was very largely taken from me. I think I spent trimming the budget because I wasn’t even less than $500 on that fight. making money. I couldn’t afford paying Now, if I could get the main event and the cops that much and at the same time the the co-main, then I can handle the person who was paying the checks was undercard. When I talked with one of the saying, “Get rid of them. They’re charging Detroit casinos by way of a third party, the you too much.” casino said that they would take some of Those people out there who think that the gate in lieu of giving us rooms, I said, promoters are getting all this windfall of “How can I make it. I’m guaranteed to money are looking at it from the outside. lose. The only question is ‘How much?’” They don’t understand. You’ve got to So when I did the numbers with them have at least $25,000 coming through the telling me that they wanted television type gate if you’re going to make any money— fights, I figured to lose $70,000 at least. if you don’t have something like television, The casino is making $1 million a day and or concessions, or a site fee. It’s like I’m making about $500-$600 a week. where is the money coming from? You’ve Something is not adding up here. I’m not got to have a ring. I was paying $400going to expose myself to that kind of $500 for a ring and all of a sudden the financial risk just to have a good party for people who were renting me the ring, people, and to have everyone tell me, looked at the crowd as said, “You’re “Hey, Gerald, you’re a great guy.” No! making money. The rent goes up to If you take, let us say, Don King, he had $1,000.” When I first went out to Center the Mitchell brothers, who were sitting on Stage on the west side of Detroit, I was the bench, inactive. Put ‘em in a fight, charged $5,000, when, in retrospect, Don, and pay for it. You’re getting work $1,000 would have been more reasonable. for them and you’re fulfilling your They took advantage of me because I was agreements with them. Do that rather than green. When losses bite into you, this is taking on the expense for a whole show. I how you learn—the hard way. could have worked with Don and When you promote, you obviously structured deals with him about tape delays become very conscious of saving money and what have you, but it never came to here and there in any way you can because that. As it is, Don has these marathon when you take a loss it’s kind of a personal October-2010

Boxing World & Other Sports

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month. These were the kinds of things that I couldn’t control. I was in charge, but I was a kind of figurehead in certain aspects like these. Yeah, I was in charge of the boxing because they didn’t know boxing. I didn’t know that much about boxing, but I learned on the job and I remembered what I learned as I went along. I put emphasis on the word “remembered” because you can’t be letting the shine, the glare, the glamour of what you have to work with is any more than it really is. With all the cosmetic expenses in place, I knew that we were losing money, sometimes $30,000 a pop, even when the attendance was at its peak. We lost on every show, almost breaking even on the last show. When the losses started piling up, they handicapped me by saying that they were only going to pay $100 a round other than the main event. I was always

This 2004 fight card featured an exciting main go between Rowland and Charles Whitaker. Rowland rallied to score a 10-round majority decision win.

Troy Rowland (Photo by Bob Ryder)

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opponents knew they had to take it to him to win. Those fights were also against guys who might have had half a name, but who were on the way down. When I first got involved with Joel and Troy, Bill Kozerski had his contract. But Bill really wasn’t that interested in him. He had to pay for his fights. He didn’t see that much talent there. He was baggage. So Bill had no problem in releasing him from his contract. Then before we started going down the road with Troy, I had a conversation with Joel that went like this: Troy was a promotable fighter, and he could possibly fight for the championship, but he wouldn’t win. He said, “Okay, I see what you’re saying.” In other words, I was confident we were on the same page. But then, Joel forgot we were on that page when he called me when I was in Houston one day. He called to say that they he called him to fight Jermain Taylor for $60,000. He asked me what I thought. I told him to take the fight, but for $150,000 because Troy was going to lose. “Really?” he said. “His people are talking that he could beat Jermain, and, as a matter of fact, people were saying that he could beat Bernard Hopkins.” When I heard this, I said, “Joe, are you okay? Are you feeling okay?” I told him that we needed to talk about the situation face-to-face. By the time I got back to Grand Rapids three or four days later, I found out that HBO had rejected Troy as an opponent. When I met with Joe, I said,

trying to save the promoter money, but he wanted to cut corners by cutting purses of the fighters. You do that and you make lesser fights. My thing was to cut expenses of some of those things I’ve already mentioned, but don’t cut the fighters because you get what you pay for: there is no substitute for good fights. It is what it is. Troy Rowland, our Golden Goose, had a good amateur background. He was a good-looking kid who looked like the kind of person you’d want your daughter to marry. He had good size, good boxing ability. But he had no power and he didn’t have the ability to throw the left hook. What he had was gameness, a decent sense of working with the press, and a carefully nurtured following that made him appear to be more than he was. His style of fighting was mechanical, but he made good fights because, properly matched, his fights were exciting because his always smaller October-2010

Boxing World & Other Sports

“I thought we had an understanding, that Troy was never going to be a world champion,” and he went on telling me that people were telling him that he could beat Hopkins. I don’t know who these people were. Probably some people working for him who couldn’t spell “boxing.” Joe had gravitated to that point that he was hearing what he wanted to hear. A couple of local judges obviously couldn’t see what was in front of them. One had Troy winning a round that he got knocked down in and another had him winning the fight that he eventually lost, against [Fernando] Zuniga, that he got knocked down in and beaten up. So people get caught up in the moment, but with Joe it was bad because here was a millionaire who had to make deliberate, unemotional decisions to make those millions and here he was “losing it” because he was doing that that Don King tells people you shouldn’t do: fall in love with the fighter. Once Troy lost to Zuniga, he went from being the best thing since sliced bread to people walking out of the building and comparing Troy to a bitch or a whore.

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Boxing World & Other Sports

Boxing’s Unusual Names

ARCHIE “OLD MONGOOSE” MOORE: Oldest fighter to ever win a world title at age 39 (before George Foreman). Was light heavyweight champion longer than anyone (nine years and one month), and knocked out more fighters than anyone in history (anywhere from 131-145, depending on the source). Member of boxing’s Hall of Fame. MICKEY “TOY BULLDOG” WALKER: Welterweight and middleweight champion. He also fought twice for the light heavyweight title. One of the greats in boxing and member of the Hall of Fame.

JAKE “BRONX BULL” LaMOTTA: Great middleweight champ. Had six classic fights with Ray Robinson. Elected to the boxing Hall of Fame in 1985.

TIGER JACK FOX: Was a top light heavyweight who fought all the best fighters from 1932-1950, engaging in 147 total bouts.

“GORILLA” JONES: Middleweight champion in 1932. Had 145 bouts and was never knocked out.

TIGER FLOWERS: Member of boxing’s Hall of Fame. Won the world middleweight championship from the great Harry Greb. Died at

MARVIN CAMEL: The first world cruiserweight champion, and first Native American world champion, winning the title in 1980. The new division was created in 1979 but Camel and Mate Parlov fought to a 15 round draw so they had to do it again, before Camel won the title.

10. TONY “THE TIGER” LOPEZ: Popular junior lightweight champ from Sacramento, California. Known for his aggressive, non-stop style. 11. BILLY FOX: Started his career with 43 consecutive knockouts, (second most in boxing history). Was unsuccessful in two attempts for the light heavyweight title against Gus Lesnevich in 1947 and 1948.

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DICK TIGER: Two-time middleweight and also light heavyweight champion, from Nigeria. “Fighter of the Year” in 1962 and 1965. Member of Hall of Fame. Died at the age of 42 from liver cancer.

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For example, let’s look at ANIMAL names, as we stroll through memory lane:

getting stopped in the 2nd round. Was the first Argentinean to fight for a world title.

the age of 32 from the effects of an operation. Was also known as the “Georgia Deacon”.

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By Steven J. Canton Perhaps no other sport in the world produces so many picturesque, colorful, zany, unforgettable names as those used by professional boxers. There are animals, birds, insects, Acopy cat” names, geographical names, destructive names, and catastrophic names...in short...descriptive names that somehow fitted the boxers properly.

“Gorilla” Jones

LUIS ANGEL FIRPO “THE WILD BULL OF THE PAMPAS”: Had the famous fight with Jack Dempsey, knocking him out of the ring before

Billy Fox

12. RALPH “TIGER” JONES: One of the best middleweights during the 1950's. He spoiled Ray Robinson’s comeback in 1955, winning a 10 round decision. 13. CLEVELAND “BIG CAT” WILLIAMS: One of the top heavyweights during the 1950's and 60's. October-2010

Luis Angel Firpo Boxing World & Other Sports

14. STANLEY “KITTEN” HAYWOOD: A popular welter and junior middleweight of the 60's, lost in a bid for the world junior middleweight title to Fred Little by a 15 round decision in 1969. 15. FRANK “THE ANIMAL” FLETCHER: Southpaw middleweight from Philadelphia, always in crowd pleasing fights from 1976 through the mid 80's.

There has also been an interesting array of “Bird” and “Insect” fighters, who have entertained boxing fans for years. Among them are: 1.

AARON “THE HAWK” PRYOR: Great junior welterweight champion from Cincinnati, Ohio. Had two memorable fights with Alexis Arguello, winning both by K.O. in 1982 and 1983. Elected to Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996.

MARLIN STARLING: Known as the “Magic Man,” from Hartford, Connecticut; won the world welterweight title by knocking out Mark Breland, a former gold medalist at the 1984 Olympics, but was unsuccessful in a try for the middleweight title against Michael Nunn.

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BRUCE FINCH: Top welterweight from Las Vegas, turned pro in 1973, was NABF Champion, but lost in a try for the world title against Sugar Ray Leonard. Fought all the best fighters of his day.

CARLTON SPARROW: Junior lightweight, also from Las Vegas. Was top ranking when stopped by Roger Mayweather in an excellent fight in 1982. With two top fighters, Las Vegas must surely be for the birds...

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18. GENE “MAD DOG” HATCHER: Boxing would not be complete without a mad dog...and a good one too. Was world junior welterweight champ, from Fort Worth, Texas, winning the title by beating Johnny Bumphus by an 11th round T.K.O.

19. JACK “KID” WOLFE: The first world Jr. featherweight champion, winning the title in 1922. He lost his title the following year and the title fell into obscurity until re-introduced in 1976.

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TOMMY “SPIDER” KELLY: One of the first bantamweight champions, winning the title in 1890. He was from New York City.

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17. GLENWOOD “THE REAL BEAST” BROWN: Turned pro in 1986 after winning the New York Golden Gloves 139 lbs. Title. Was unsuccessful in two attempts at the world welterweight title against Maurice Blocker and Meldric Taylor. Did win the IBO world middleweight title.

Jack “Kid” Wolfe

Spider Webb

16. JOHN “THE BEAST” MUGABI: Started his career in 1980 with 25 consecutive knockouts, then lost by K.O. in a great fight with Marvin Hagler for the middleweight title. Later won world junior middleweight championship.

20. GENE “HONEY BEAR” BRYANT: Popular middleweight contender during the 1960's.

ALEX “BIRDMAN” BYRD: Started his career in 1981. Hailing from Detroit; was a good lightweight but couldn’t understand how he got his nickname.

FREDDIE ROACH: This Las Vegas lightweight contender during the late 1970's and 1980's was the best from a family of fighting Roaches. He was an exciting fighter, but had a tendency to cut easily. Has established himself as a top trainer after his retirement.

SPIDER WEBB: One of the top middleweights during the 1950's. He fought all of the best fighters of his day and had one title attempt, losing a 15 round decision to Gene Fullmer in 1959. Boxing World & Other Sports

Tommy “Spider” Kelly

Sometimes a fighter only had one name, but he used it twice...for example: 1.

TONY ANTHONY: One of the top light heavyweights during the 1950's. He was stopped in the seventh round by Archie Moore in his only attempt for a world title in 1957.

HENRY HANK: Detroit middleweight contender for many years: was known for playing possum when hit, falling into the ropes, then coming back with a tremendous left

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hook and a big smile on his face. He fought for the light heavyweight title in 1963, losing a 15 round decision to Eddie Cotton. Boxing history has also given us a: 1.

SMALL MONTANA: He was small (Flyweight champ from 1935-1937) but never fought in Montana. He was from the Philippine Islands.

Sometimes two different fighters with the same name have won world titles at different times. Perhaps it began with the first Jack Dempsey back in the 1880's. Fighters since then who adopted those names hoped to be destined for greatness too! 1.

JACK DEMPSEY “THE NONPAREIL”: Was the first middleweight champion, winning the title in 1884. He was born in Ireland. He died at the age of 32. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1954.

DAVEY MOORE: Won the world junior middleweight title in 1982 in his ninth pro fight. He made three successful defenses before losing his title to the great Roberto Duran. He was crushed to death when an unoccupied vehicle rolled down his driveway and ran him over as he tried to stop it.

JACK SHARKEY: Engaged in 168 bouts from 1915 until 1925, as a bantamweight. Twice lost 15 round decisions for world championships.

JACK SHARKEY: Heavyweight champion from 1932-1933. Elected to Hall of Fame in 1980. He had lost to Max Schmeling two years prior to winning the title by a foul in the fourth round. He won the title in a rematch by 15 round decision.

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JACK DEMPSEY “THE MANASSA MAULER”: Won the heavyweight title from Jess Willard and became one of the most popular fighters ever before losing to Gene Tunney. Also elected to the Hall of Fame in 1954. Owned his famous restaurant in New York City, until his death in 1983, at the age of 87.

he died in a fight with Sugar Ramos, when he lost his title in 1963.

JOE WALCOTT “THE BARBADOS DEMON”: One of the greats. Was welterweight champ 1901-1904. Killed in 1935 when struck by an automobile at the age of 62. Member of Boxing’s Hall of Fame.

ROCKY KANSAS: Lightweight champ 1925-1926. He neither lived nor fought in Kansas. He was born in Buffalo, New York, fought most of his 165 fights in that city, and died there in 1954.

TIDBITS

Everybody knows that the “Man of Steel” is Superman. Actually, the real “Man of Steel” is TONY ZALE, the former great middleweight champ from Gary, Indiana. Tony, a member of boxing’s Hall of Fame, had three tremendous battles with Rocky Graziano, winning two of them. He was champ from 1941 - 1947, then won back and lost his title again in 1948, before retiring after 87 bouts.

The first boxing gloves were used in 1743, in England. At the time, they were known as mufflers. They were used strictly for teaching boxing by the then champion, Jack Broughton. The first time they were used in a title bout was 149 years later, when John L. Sullivan lost his heavyweight title to Gentleman Jim Corbett on September 7, 1892 via a 21 round K.O. Sullivan had been the first American world champion. October-2010

RUBIN “HURRICANE” CARTER: Top middleweight contender during the 1960's, he lost a 15 round decision for the title against Joey Giardello.

TOMMY “HURRICANE” JACKSON: Heavyweight contender during the 1950's. Lost in a bid for the title against Floyd Patterson, in a savage bout in 1957. This was Patterson’s first title defense.

AL “EARTHQUAKE” CARTER: Excellent lightweight during the late 70's and 80's, from Alliance, Ohio.

EUGENE “CYCLONE” HART: A popular middleweight from Philadelphia during the 1960's.

“LIGHTNING” LONNIE SMITH: From Denver, Colorado, he turned pro in 1980 and won the world junior welterweight championship. He was known for his quick boxing style and unorthodox moves.

“STORMIN” NORMAN GOINS: Lightweight contender from Indianapolis, Indiana. Had two memorable fights with Aaron Pryor and Howard Davis Jr., losing both.

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Small Montana

The list of “Natural Disaster Fighters” is also interesting:

Joe Walcott “The Barbados Demon”

“JERSEY” JOE WALCOTT: Oldest fighter to ever win the heavyweight championship at age 37 (before George Foreman). Member of Hall of Fame. After retirement he became a referee and chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission. DAVEY MOORE: Won the world featherweight title in 1959. He was a classic boxer and puncher. Tragically Boxing World & Other Sports

GABRIEL “FLASH” ELORDE: Great southpaw champion from the Philippines. Fought from 1951-1971. Won world junior lightweight title in 1960. Had two unsuccessful attempts for the lightweight title losing both times via 14th round T.K.O. to the great Carlos Ortiz.

for his aggressive, hard punching style. 5.

ROBERT “BAM BAM” HINES: A Philadelphia southpaw world junior middleweight champion. He started his career in 1981 as a junior welterweight.

RAFAEL “BAZOOKA” LIMON: Was a two-time junior lightweight champion from Mexico City. He began his career in 1972. He was a southpaw who displayed tremendous courage and was always in crowd pleasing fights.

JAMES “BONECRUSHER” SMITH: He was one of the few fighters to lose his first fight by K.O. then win a world title later in his career. He was the only heavyweight champion who was a college graduate.

MICHAEL “DYNAMITE” DOKES: He won the heavyweight title by K.O. over Mike Weaver in 1982 but lost it the following year to Gerrie Coetzee, of South Africa.

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HERE’S A LIST OF “DESTROYER” FIGHTERS.”

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INTERESTING FACTS ORLANDO ZULUETA, was a top ranked lightweight, from Cuba, during the 1950's. He was known as “The fighter with knives in his gloves,” because his opponents always seemed to get cut. Tragically, Zulueta was stabbed to death outside a San Francisco bar in 1971. He was only 45 at the time.

JOE LOUIS “THE BROWN BOMBER”: One of the greatest fighters of all time. Was a world champion longer than anyone in history, in any weight class; over 11 years and 8 months.

ROCKY MARCIANO ATHE BROCKTON BLOCKBUSTER”: Retired with a perfect 49-0 with 43 by K.O. record as heavyweight champion in 1956. Tragically killed in an airplane crash August 31, 1969, the day before his 46th birthday.

THOMAS “HIT MAN” HEARNS: First fighter in history to be a world champion six different times! He is from Detroit and was also known as “The Motor City Cobra.”

RAY “BOOM BOOM” MANCINI: From Youngstown, Ohio, he won the lightweight title in 1982. Was known

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JOHNNY PAYCHECK was a country singer who was in and out of trouble with the law for years. He was best known for his hit song ATake this Job and Shove It.” However, the other JOHNNY PAYCHEK was well known to boxing fans long before that. He was a popular heavyweight in the 1930's who once fought Joe Louis for the title in 1940, losing by 2nd round K.O. Sports fans know that DUANE THOMAS was a great running back for the Dallas Cowboys football team, but did you know that another DUANE THOMAS was a world junior middleweight champion from Detroit about 12 years later?

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Gabriel “Flash” Elorde

OSCAR “SHOTGUN” ALBARADO: Began his career in 1966 and won the junior middleweight title via a 15th round K.O., in Tokyo, in 1974.

Most everybody knows that JIMMY CARTER was the peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia who became President of the United States. But, did you know that the other JIMMY CARTER was a great lightweight champion? In 1954, he became the first fighter to hold the same world title three different times. He fought from 1946 until retiring in 1961 after a total of 120 bouts.

Michael “Dynamite” Dokes is sent to a neutral corner by referee Ronnie Tillman. (Photo by Terry Gallagher)

10. TONY “TNT” TUCKER: Started his career in 1980 after a great amateur career. He won a version of the heavyweight title, but then lost via 12 round decision to Mike Tyson. These fighters had familiar names but the same names as personalities in other career fields. For instance: Boxing World & Other Sports

JACKIE WILSON was a well known singer from Detroit in the 1950's and 60's. Perhaps, you will recall his biggest hit, “Lonely Teardrop.” JACKIE WILSON, the fighter, was long retired, after 122 fights from 1931-1947. He was good enough to have won the world featherweight championship during his career. Everyone, whether or not a boxing fan, knows DON KING, the boxing promoter with the eye-catching hairdo, but how many know DON KING the middleweight fighter from Indianapolis during the 1980's? He was not a great fighter but did fight Duane Thomas for the USBA junior middleweight title in 1983. During the 1960's and 70's AL MARTINO, an excellent singer, was hitting with such songs as “Spanish Eyes,” “I Love You More and More Everyday,” “Painted, Tainted Rose,” and many many more. During the 1980's another AL MARTINO was getting hit by such fighters as top contender Johnny De La Rosa. Martino was a so-so lightweight southpaw, from Washington D.C., a good boxer, but no punch. RICHARD BURTON was one of the great movie stars of all time but his 36

ED “TOO TALL” JONES was a great all-pro defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys. ED “TOO TALL” JONES was also a heavyweight boxer with a 6-0 record, 5 by K.O. in 1979 and 1980. Actually, in this case, it was the same man. Though he was undefeated in his brief career, he realized his skills as a boxer were limited and he returned to the gridiron where he continued to star for the Cowboys.

Mathew Saad Muhammad (Photo by Larry Basista)

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To baseball fans, the name PEPPER MARTIN brings back memories of the 1931 St. Louis Cardinals Gas House Gang and the classic world series that year. To boxing fans, the name PEPPER MARTIN brings back memories of a great junior lightweight contender from the 1920's who lost two world title fights by 15 round decisions in 1924 and 1925.

Mike Tyson (Photo by Larry Basista)

JIMMY JONES was a popular singer during the 1950's and 1960's. His biggest hit was “Handy Man.” Back in the 1920's JIMMY JONES was one of the best welterweights in the world, losing in a world title attempt against the great Mickey Walker.

Music listeners of the 1950's remember JOHNNY RAY and his ballads, such as AThe Little Cloud That Cried.” Boxing fans remember JOHNNY RAY from 1913-1924 and his 138 fights against the top flyweights, bantamweights, and featherweights of his day. Some of the names he fought were a who’s who of boxing’s immortals...Johnny Dundee, Johnny Kilbane, George K.O. Chaney, Rocky Kansas, just to name a few.

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When we hear the name BILLY GRAHAM we think of the great evangelist, who is known all over the world. Boxing fans however, probably remember the BILLY GRAHAM who was the great welterweight and middleweight who fought from 1941 until 1955. He had 102 victories and 9 draws out of 126 total bouts and fought such fighters as Kid Gavilan, Carmen Basilio, and Joey Giardello.

outfielder, made baseball history by winning the National League batting title, while playing in the American League! He was traded during the 1990 season...while leading the league in batting. No one topped his average and he had gotten enough at bats to qualify for the title. WILLIE McGEE may never make boxing history, but nevertheless was a decent middleweight, though he had a mixed bag of wins and losses. McGee fought out of Tampa, Florida. He started his professional career on April Fool’s day in 1983.

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counterpart in boxing was a decent middleweight from Kingston, Jamaica, fighting out of New York during the 1980's. He lost to Mustafa Hamsho in 1986 after he had won 12 of his previous 14 fights, 10 by K.O. He had a 40-2 amateur record, including a New York Golden Gloves title.

Fighting in England in recent years, with limited success, were PAUL NEWMAN, GARY COOPER, RAY PRICE and TOMMY COLLINS. Newman and Cooper, of course, were otherwise known as brilliant actors, while Price and Collins were fixtures in Nashville, as a singer and writer/producer.

TOM LANDRY was one of the greatest coaches the game of football ever had. Ironically, TOM LANDRY was also a heavyweight fighter from Beaumont, Texas during the 1980's with a rather nondescript record against mediocre competition. Sometimes, even a famous name does not help. WILLIE McGEE, an excellent October-2010

Ed “Too Tall” Jones (Photo by Mike Greenhill)

Following boxing, like following any sport, is a very interesting hobby. They say that great names come and go in any field of life. However, as we have noted above, sometimes the names do not change, only the person with the name. Perhaps some of these names have brought back memories for the boxing fan. Maybe we now have a better understanding what is meant when they say: Athough he is gone, his name lives on!” Boxing World & Other Sports

Roberto Duran (Photo by Jeri Borgen)

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WBC Fight Results

Omar Niño W-RTD-6 Ronal Barrera, WBC light flyweight title, 9/04/10, Guadalajara, Mexico (Photo by Leopoldo González, HG BOXING)

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Saul Alvarez W-KO-6 Carlos Baldomir, WBC Silver light middleweight title, 9/18/10, Los Angeles, California

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(Photo by NAOKI FUKUDA/WBC)

Edren Dapudong (right) W-KO-1 Jesus Jimenez, WBC Silver flyweight title, 6/19/10, Nayarit, Mexico(Photo by Leopoldo González, HG BOXING)

Alfredo Angulo W-TKO-1 Joachim Alcine, WBC Continental Americas light middleweight title, 7/17/10, Rancho Mirage, California

Terdsak Kokietgym (right) W-TKO-8 Carlos R. Rodriguez, WBC Silver super featherweight title, 10/04/10, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand (Photo credit: Kokiet Group, World Boxing Council)

Erik Morales W-KO-6 Willie Limond, 9/11/10, WBC Silver light welterweight title, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

(Photo by NAOKI FUKUDA/WBC)

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Boxing World & Other Sports

(Photo by ALMA MONTIEL/WBC)

Review of Champ in the Corner: The Ray Arcel Story entry was being offered up for membership in the Bum-of-the-Month club. Arcel gamely met the challenge even if his fighters didn’t or couldn’t and it certainly honed his cut skills, which were acknowledged as the best in the business. Arcel wore the press’ unkind moniker gracefully during that decade of the Brown Bomber’s reign of terror, as he was referred to as “the Meat Wagon” for obvious reasons. With his civility intact and his hopes unblemished despite the string of defeats, he kept trying until he brought out a winner—namely, Ezzard Charles, who finally surpassed the aging champion with youth and hand speed. Arcel, however, had too much admiration for the great Louis to think about gloating over his long-awaited triumph. No better example of Arcel’s character exists than his going alone to face the wrath of the media after the No-más fight in New Orleans. Having brought out the best in the wild kid from Panama in Montreal, he had to endure the ignominy of Roberto Duran’s failure alone, heartbroken, as he faced the boxing commission to answer questions. When his wife Stephanie asked him how he could stand to defend a man who wouldn’t even speak to him after the fight, he replied: “How could I not? He is my fighter. Whatever he did, until he’s on that plane back to Panama, until the wheels leave the ground, he is my responsibility. I am his trainer—perhaps never again, but still for now—and this was my obligation” (Jarrett 213). Arcel’s list of champions begins with Charley Phil Rosenberg and includes Benny Leonard, Jackie (“Kid”) Berg, Cerefino Garcia, Jimmy Braddock, and Larry Holmes (for the Gerry Cooney fight at which time Arcel was a venerable 82 years old), but he was in the corner for other great contenders or champs like Jimmy McLarnin, Billy Soose, Teddy Yarosz, Lou Nova, and Tony Zale. Arcel and Whitey Bimstein, whose own stable included Harry Greb, Dempsey, and the man who beat Dempsey twice, Gene Tunney, comprised a team that also produced champions or contenders like Abe Goldstein, Lou Brouillard, Maxie Berger, Sammy Farber, Paolinoi Uzcudun, and Max Baer. Many of these fighters are captured in the sixteen pages of the biography’s illustrations. Ray Arcel was long known and admired in boxing circles by the early 1950s as a

second, trainer, and promoter, but he had always managed to avoid the complications of boxing with its unsavory criminal element in the era of the infamous Mr. Gray (a.k.a. Frankie Carbo and Blinkie Palermo). That would end in 1953 when Arcel decided to engage a couple partners in a television venture called Saturday Night Fights. It involved matching popular local fighters with talent from other cities around the country. It was small enough to help club fighters, make a little money, and Arcel mistakenly thought, small enough to stay below the radar of organized crime’s control of televised boxing through the International Boxing Club and the Boxing Guild of New York, largely a front organization that took payoffs to make fighters available. Arcel recalls one threatening phone call in March 1953 and then, on 19 September 1953 while talking to trainer Willie Ketchum outside a Boston hotel adjoining Boston Garden where the thirty-fifth scheduled SNF was to take place, a man calmly walked up to Arcel and smacked him across the forehead with a lead pipe. Arcel was taken to Massachusetts General and lay in a bed for nineteen days, much of that time on the critical care list and protected by armed police. Although there were calls from across the boxing world for the FBI to investigate, the crime was never solved and the mobsters who arranged it were never brought to justice. Arcel was a serious man who did not like or tolerate buffoonery, even though he often exhibited extraordinary patience for his fighters who invariably became nervous or on occasion hysterical the closer to fight day. A lazy fighter of the caliber of “Two-Ton” Tony Galento disturbed him right to his core and brought forth this rhetorically splendid assault upon the obese saloon keeper from New Jersey whom he had once tried to train:

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By Terry White Rev. of Champ in the Corner: The Ray Arcel Story, by John Jarrett (Chicago: History, 2008). (The book was originally published in 2007 in Gloucestershire, England by Stadia Press and is distributed in America via Independent Publishers Group of Chicago.) By Terry White

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Longtime trainer Ray Arcel was inducted into The Ring’s Hall of Fame in 1982 and if any corner man deserved to go there, it was surely he. He had no equals as cornermen go—maybe Whitey Bimstein and Eddie Futch deserve mention as peers—but Arcel worked before, during, and after the golden age of boxing. He handled some of the greatest names in the best divisions in the sport over the course of a career that spanned the 1920’s through the 1980’s. Everyone who knew him spoke of him as a gentleman and a class act. He was devoted to the art and psychology of the game as well as of the fighters he handled with his consummate skill. Every fighter was different and Ray Arcel tried to understand each man and bring out the best in him on fight day. It wasn’t always easy and it wasn’t always a disciplined champion into whose ears he poured forth his wisdom. For the decade of Joe Louis’ reign, in fact, it was Arcel in the opposite corner trying to instill courage and strategy in a less-than-able opponent. Arcel once recalled Louis’ smirk in the center of the ring as his latest October-2010

Boxing World & Other Sports

‘I never had much time for that guy Galento [. . .] Two-Ton Tony, the roly-poly pug with the bulging paunch and the sledge-hammer punch, was tough enough. I’m not denying that. He was strong as an ox, and his powers of endurance and his ability to soak up punishment and absorb pain bordered on the freakish. Moreover, he could fight dangerous in an ugly, brawling rough-house fashion. And he did 39

not lack guts. But outside the ring he was nothing but a comic, noisy man whose circus-tent antics and crazy eccentricities certainly brought no credit to the game.’ (121)

2010 Ohio State Former Boxers & Associates Hall of Fame Inductee’s. Front Row (L to R) Arnold Mitchell, Nick Pappas, and representing Dominic Tomaro is Anna Marie (daughter). Back Row (L to R) Representing Barry Wright is Fred Wright (nephew), Marc Haire, OSFBA President Mike Galassi, Errid Calderas, and OSFBA Vice President Marty Healy.

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(Photo by Terry Gallagher)

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That seemed to be Ray’s ultimate epithet of scorn: to be someone who brought no credit to the game. When the beer-swilling Galento refused to break a sweat for Arcel during training, it caused the exasperated 40-year-old manager to strip off his clothes, vault into the ring and deliver a series of body blows to the gelatinous belly of Galento to teach him how sparring should be done—Manassa Mauler-style. Arcel followed the disgusted Dempsey right out of the door. My sole criticism of the book is its publication date. Not that author John Jarrett is to be blamed. He’s been writing about the sport since his first article was published in 1951 in Boxing News. Ray Arcel’s passing in 1994 meant that a generation of boxing contemporaries was gone with him and men who are in their seventies and eighties who might have provided new anecdotes before their memories dimmed or the Grim Reaper hauled them off could not be collected. The book is therefore something of a pastiche of other texts where Arcel’s words, anecdotes, or commentaries about him or by him are evoked from other printed sources. Mr. Jarrett, to his credit, culled the best passages everywhere Ray Arcel’s name occurred including old Ring magazine articles, a Saturday Evening Post piece circa 1950 up to several recent books like When Boxing Was a Jewish Sport and Corner Men. Instead of that single quotation mark running down the left-side of the page indicated a long borrowing, however well-chosen ort inserted, the reader wishes for a fresh anecdote, something about Ray Arcel known only to a few insiders, more offhand comments to friends that never got reported before. Still and all, it’s better to have the book than to have the record scattered in perpetuity across stacks of Boxing Illustrated moldering away in somebody’s basement. Not that I believe there were any dark corners to Arcel’s life waiting to be discovered or lost to history. Insofar as any man is the record of others’ interpretations, this man was pretty much what everyone believed him to be: a serious, dignified, genuinely good-hearted, scholarly-looking, knowledgeable man in a sport where gentlemen were sometimes few and far between. October-2010

Tim Coleman (right) W—TKO-3 over Patrick Lopez, 10/01/10. (Photo by Tom Casino/SHOWTIME)

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The 11th Annual Summit County Boxing Hall of Fame inductees. Front Row, (L to R) Delmar Suttles, Michael Dokes, Robert Clupper, Sr. and Norman Fears. Back Row, (L to R) Randy McGrady, Ted Scheibelhood, Eugene Primes and Jim Myers. August 22, 2010. (Photo by Melinda Rinehart)

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