I have to tell you, I really do miss the days of professional Boxing being available on regular, free TV.  Watching the 1988 Olympians such as Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker, Meldrick Taylor and the others become championship fighters under the tutelage Lou Duva and company can be likened unto taking a ride on the journey to the end of an era. And what an era it was! Network television was also responsible for capturing the drama of the sport’s “Hometown Hero’s” capturing and defending their titles before hordes of their rabid, hometown fans.

For those who followed the sport at the time, who can forget Virgil Hill capturing the WBA light heavyweight belt in September of 1987? The fight took place in Bismark, North Dakota, Hill’s hometown. To this day, it’s hard to fathom an “event” in North Dakota attracting the attention of  the hot camera lights. But when hometown son Virgil Hill fought there, that’s exactly what happened. Hill fought approximately 21 times there and never lost.

When he eventually lost his WBA belt to Thomas Hearns in a close, yet unanimous decision in 1991, the fight took place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. One can only wonder how the fight might have turned out had it been fought in Bismark!

Pernell Whitaker enjoyed the same type of status in his hometown of Norfolk Virginia. Whitaker grew up directly across from the 11,000-seat Scope Arena. It was only fitting that his third professional fight finally take place on his own “home field.” Whitaker recorded a 4^th round technical knockout over a fighter named Mike Golden.

By the time Whitaker stepped through the ropes one final time back in 2001, he’d logged no less than 13 appearances before his Virginia fans.  He was even married in the ring before his friends and fans in Virginia Beach. Whitaker once said, “When I’m at home, it’s like the fight is two against one. The crowd plays a big part. No matter who I’m up against, they always give me a big kick and make me fight a little harder.”

One of the fighters I used to love to hate was the WBC Jr. Welterweight champion – Billy Costello. Whether it was the way announcer  Gil Clancy always seemed to be fawning all over everything he did or the thousands of cheering, hometown fans… I can’t really be certain? Gill Clancy would talk about Billy’s impressive power and subtle boxing skills – all of which seemed to me to be average at best. I found myself shouting at the TV at the time, “This guy’s fighting opponents who can barely fog a mirror! No wonder he looks so good!”

When Billy finally got pounded out, it happened at Madison Square Garden (still in New York) against “Lightning” Lonnie Smith. Lonnie was dropped in the first, but came roaring back to send Costello repeatedly to the floor  – twice in the 2^nd, once in the 5^th and twice in the 8^th and final round. Still, Costello managed to somehow be ahead on one scorecard and close on the other two!

Nothing personal against Billy Costello, of course. He was just one of those guys I enjoyed rooting against back in the 80’s. He appeared with his wife a few times on TV and seemed to be a nice guy. Hopefully he invested some of his money and is living well today.

The next fighter who comes to mind is Vinnie Pazienza. By the time 1986 rolled around, he was well entrenched as Rhode Island’s “franchise fighter.” The fighter known as “The Pazmanian Devil” nicknamed the Providence Civic Center “The Devils Den.”  No other fighter in recent memory could pack in the hometown crowd like Pazienza could. There were times thousands of fans had to be turned away after the Civic Center would sell out for one of his fights.

When asked about the source of his appeal and star-power in Rhode Island, Vinnie answered, “I’m their franchise and my fights are their Super Bowl!”

Pazienza was a good fighter with a lot of heart, but just as importantly, he was a showman and an entertainer as well. Ali’s shuffles, bolo-punches (one of which turned out to be a one-punch knockout over Melvin Paul), shouting at his opponents – all these things were part of the Pazmanian Devil’s repertoire and his fans loved every minute of it.

Looking back, the fact that Vinnie had no qualms about getting hit in the face, bleeding, and getting generally “all lumped up,” it’s no doubt that all these things contributed to his overall appeal.

After getting severely injured in a car accident that resulted in a broken neck, Pazienza began an unlikely comeback that included capturing the WBA Jr. Middleweight title against Gilbert Dele as well as winning lesser alphabet titles at Middleweight and Super Middleweight. Looking back over his career, his bouts with Greg Haugen were some of the most entertaining with their comments and out of the ring antics towards one another.

When asked what he thought about the State of Rhode Island, Haugen replied, “The place is so boring, watching the tide come in can draw a crowd.”

One the West Coast, you didn’t have to look any further than the Arco Arena – home of Tony “The Tiger” Lopez, to witness the home town phenomena alive and in action.  Tony’s tiger striped robe and leopard skinned boots were on prominent display the night he defeated defending champion Rocky Lockridge for the IBF Jr. Lightweight belt. It was named the Fight of the Year – 1988 by Ring Magazine.

In September of 1990, Lopez decisioned Jorge Paez in front of 15,008 screaming fans at Arco Arena – an event which broke the live gate record previously held by the Ali-Norton II bout back in 1973.

In Tony Lopez’s case, he wasn’t always considered a headline attraction at the arena. His breakthrough fight came on March 25, 1988. One that night, he defeated Canada’s Tony Pep. And just like that, everything changed. Promoter Don Chagrin said , “I had promoted Carlos Palomino and Mando Ramos in LA, and through the years I notice you can feel when someone has arrived. I sensed that, particularly in Tony’s case. When Tony knocked out Pep, I got that same feeling. People didn’t want to leave the arena. I said to myself, ‘A star is born.’”

Unlike some of the other “Hometown” star attractions, Tony Lopez wasn’t the only “game in town” in Sacramento California. For Lopez, he had the benefit of “coming of age” in front of an existing crowd of hardcore boxing fans. It was in Sacramento that Lopez became a regular part of the sports scene, lending his growing popularity as a world champion to Sacramento scene.

In 1989, Tony Lopez lost to John-John Molina, in what many considered to be a premature stoppage. Molina and his corner were pelted with beer and ice. With the exception of possibly Philadelphia, Sacramento fans had the reputation as being some of the harshest fans in the nation towards out of town teams.

Vinnie Pazienza who lost by disqualification against another hometown hero in Loreto Garza at the Arco Arena said of the Sacramento fans, “They’re rude, low class, rotten people.”

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FAST FORWARD TO 2010

In recent times we’ve once again gotten a glimpse of the old-time, hometown hero – thanks to the creation and marketing of Showtime’s Super-Six Super-Middleweight Tournament.  Andre Reed stepped onto the world stage with a bang before his adoring, hometown supporters at the Oracle Arena in Oakland California where he defeated the defending champion, Mikkel Kessler, for the WBA Super-Middleweight belt. He later defended the title at the same location with a one-sided victory over the dangerous – Allan Green.

On the other side of the pond, the UK’s Carl Froch enjoys similar status and attention in his hometown of Nottingham. Froch recently lost his title on the road in a closely contested battle against Mikkel Kessler, who rebounded from his loss to Reed to gain the WBC belt. And guess what? It just so happens that Kessler made it happen in front of his own, screaming, cheering, hometown fans.

There’s no doubt that fighting in front of hometown fans usually does give a fighter somewhat of an advantage. Some may argue that it’s only mental. A fighter’s mentality, however, goes a long way in determining how well he performs on any given night. This is especially important when a fighter is facing an opponent whose skills are at a similar or near level to their own.

Of course, there have been fighters who are fan favorites and “hometown hero’s” just about everywhere they go. Ray Leonard and Oscar DeLaHoya are good examples of this. In many ways, Manny Pacquiao is now finding himself in a similar position.

Love them or hate them, the hometown hero’s have been a part of and hopefully will continue to be a part of boxing lore…

Perhaps the new Showtime tournament is a positive sign of things to come!

Years ago, an article about lightweight champion Pernell Whitaker happened to catch my attention. I wasn’t what you’d call a big Whitaker fan. In fact, it took many years before I actually came to appreciate his sublime boxing skills and ring accomplishments.

As a local reporter was covering an amateur tournament Whitaker was competing in, he was taking notes when he heard a group of Whitaker’s friends chanting “Sweet Pea, Sweat Pea” during his fight. The reporter attached the nickname to Pernell Whitaker in the final draft of his report. The only problem was, his friends were actually chanting “Sweet Pete” – not “Pea.” It was too late. The name stuck. “Sweet Pea” Whitaker was born.

Pernell Whitaker went on to win a gold medal in the 1984 Olympic Games and was also the team’s captain. It was one of the last great, high-profile teams featuring such standout fighters as Meldrick Taylor, Mark Breland, Evander Holyfield, Virgil Hill and himself.

Whitaker was a pure boxer and completely unapologetic about his safety-first style. With only 17 stoppages in his eventual 40 wins, Pernell Whitaker won by employing “the sweet science” as opposed to  brute force.  As far as pure, God-given boxing skills go, Whitaker may have been without peer among his contemporaries. He once told an interviewer, “I’m just not ferocious, and I don’t equate ferocity with greatness. I’m slick and classy and graceful and I think, in time, people will recognize my artistry in the ring and give me my due.”

Whitaker turned pro on November 15, 1984 in Madison Square Garden along with several of his fellow Olympians who signed with Lou Duva & Company.  From an Olympic gold medal to a televised pro-debut at Madison Square Garden – it’s hard to get off to a better start than that. He wound up stopping a fighter named Farrain Comeaux in the 2^nd round.

He feasted on the “usual suspects” as most up and coming fighters do. His first real test against a seasoned opponent occurred on August 16, 1986 at The Sands Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. His opponent was Rafael Williams, whose record stood at 24-2. Although he defeated Williams by a clear-cut, unanimous decision, Whitaker was sent to the canvas for the first time in his career in the 4^th round. It would be accurate to say that Pernell Whitaker didn’t exactly have an iron chin. He could be hurt. On the few occasions he did get nailed with a big shot and hurt, he was very adept at bear-hugging his opponents and holding on until his head cleared. He just protected his chin and head from punches so well – it became a moot point against most opponents.

As Whitaker’s career progressed, he began to incorporate “hot-dogging” antics more frequently into many of his bouts. I personally believe this was Whitaker’s way of adding a little bit of emotion into his fights to counter those who criticized his style and his overall entertainment value. Personally, the hot-dogging attitude was one of the main things that made me root against him on several occasions.

By the time the mid-80’s had arrived, the depth of the lightweight division was a fraction of what it had been in decades past. The general belief has always been, there’s no such thing as a fighter with so much talent – there isn’t anyone who can push them to their uttermost limits. Not unless the division is weak. If this was true of Ray Robinson in his time, arguably the greatest fighter who ever lived, it would be true of anyone in any era.

As the sport’s popularity waned with the general public, so did the number of participants turning to the sport to make a living. Professional Basketball, Football, Baseball and other sports were certainly viable alternatives for young athletes as opposed to taking punches for a living.

In boxing, the balance between winning fights and entertaining fans can be a tricky one. Most fans are not as quick to embrace the sublime aspects of the sport as they are the more brutal, ferocious ones.

By the time Pernell Whitaker faced a very good Roger Mayweather for the NABF lightweight belt in front of his hometown fans at the Scope arena in Norfolk, Virginia, his defensive abilities had evolved from good – to great. Mayweather was dropped briefly in the opening round. He returned the favor in the 9^th. When the fight went to the scorecards, Pernell Whitaker had his first belt via unanimous decision. He defended the minor belt against Miguel Santana in front of his hometown fans four months later. He stopped Santana in six, one-sided rounds.

A tune-up bout followed. Then, on March 12, 1988, Whitaker stepped through the ropes to face the defending WBC Lightweight Champion – Jose Luis Ramirez. Ramirez boasted an amazing record of 100-6. Ramirez pressed the action but landed infrequently while eating counterpunches in return. When the fight went to the scorecards, most viewers assumed Whitaker would be crowned the new champion. Instead, Ramirez kept his title by split decision. At time, I couldn’t help but wonder if the judges hadn’t penalized Whitaker for clowning too much. While he certainly outpunched Ramirez throughout, his punches never came close to rattling or even slowing the stoic-faced Mexican down.

Still, Ramirez’s aggression through the fight was anything but effective. Either way you look at it, Whitaker was on the receiving end of a bad decision.

Eleven months later, Whitaker received another shot – this time against IBF Champion – Greg Haugen.  A perfectly timed hook dumped Haugen on his backside for the first time in his career in the 6^th round and Whitaker went on to lift Haugen’s title via 12-round unanimous decision. An easy first defense against an overmatched Louie Lomeli followed which set up a return against Jose Luis Ramirez. The fight took place right in Whitaker’s backyard at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. This time Whitaker was all business – zero clowning. He completely shut Ramirez down from the opening bell. When the bout went to the scorecards, he had scored a shutout on two of the three scorecards – winning every single round.

Wins against a tricky Freddie Pendleton and tough Azumah Nelson followed. Both were decision wins. A rare first round knockout victory over Juan Nazario three months after the Nelson victory added the WBA belt to his WBC, IBF collection. Pernell Whitaker had become the first fighter since Roberto Duran to unite the Lightweight title.

A prime Whitaker stood atop the lightweight mountain at the close of 1990.  In boxing, knockouts are scored by two kinds of punches. The kind that carry brute force… and the kind the opponents never see. It was with the latter that Pernell Whitaker scored the majority of his stoppages. Three title defenses of the undisputed title followed in 1991 – each by unanimous decision.

Then, in 1992, Pernell Whitaker stepped up in weight. He challenged the IBF Jr. Welterweight Champion, Rafael Pineda on July 18^th and took his title by unanimous decision. Pineda was a slow puncher and didn’t stand a chance. Whitaker once again jumped up in weight and added James “Buddy” McGirt’s WBC Welterweight title to his collection in March of 1993. It was a tough fight that McGirt was doing very well in until he suddenly abandoned his jab. Whitaker dug deep and outworked McGirt down the stretch – pulling out a close but unanimous decision victory.

In what should have been the biggest fight of his career, his first defense would be against the undefeated Mexican legend – Julio Caesar Chavez. Chavez was the reigning WBC – Jr. Welterweight Champion and was rising in weight to face Whitaker. With a record of 87-0, he was considered to be an invincible fighting machine by many experts. Trainers Lou Duva and George Benton crafted the perfect fight plan for the Chavez fight and he executed with style on October 10, 1993 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas before a crowd of roaring Chavez supporters.

When the fight ended it appeared that Whitaker had captured a clear-cut decision victory. Moments before the scorecards were read, commentator Bobby Czyz said, “I think you’ve just witnessed the best performance of his career – bar none.”

The judges, however, saw it differently and scored the fight a draw.

Whitaker shook off the setback and went on to defend his WBC Welterweight title and even stepped up in weight one last time to collect the WBA Jr. Middleweight title from Julio Caesar Vasquez.

It wasn’t until 1996 until the first signs of “slippage” began to occur. On April 12^th, he struggled in capturing a 12-round split decision victory over Wilfredo Rivera. Rivera was given an immediate rematch and Whitaker came away with a close, but unanimous decision. In his very next bout, he struggled against Cuban Diosbelys Hurtado and, behind on all three of the judges’ scorecards by varying degrees, poured it on and stopped Hurtado in the 11^th round.

Some people said that Pernell Whitaker had begun using cocaine at this point in life, but it’s difficult to say either way. In his next bout, he would lose his WBC Welterweight title to a young, undefeated, Oscar DeLaHoya. I watched the fight, and like many of Whitaker’s fights, he landed more punch, made DeLaHoya miss more punches… but didn’t capture the hearts and minds of the most important people – the judges at ringside.

DeLaHoya captured the title by scores of 115-111 and 116-110 (twice).

With this loss, Pernell Whitaker’s record stood at 40-1-1. Yet, one could make a strong case that he’d never actually been beaten in his entire career.

Six months after the DeLaHoya fight, Whitaker returned to face Andrey Pestryaev in what was called an eliminator bout for the WBA Welterweight title. A decision victory for Whitaker was overturned when he later tested positive for cocaine. He wouldn’t fight again for another year. You could say 1998 was a bad year for Pernell Whitaker. With multiple driving infractions piling up, including one for driving under the influence of alcohol, he entered a drug rehabilitation facility.

Whitaker returned to action in February of 1999. He did so against the undefeated Puerto Rican slugger, Felix Trinidad. Trinidad’s height, reach and jab proved too much for Pernell Whitaker to overcome. Whitaker took more punishment against Trinidad than he ever had before in his entire career. He dropped a 12-round unanimous decision but refused to fold against Trinidad’s pressure and was standing when the final bell sounded.

He would fight one final time, two years later, in 2001. The fight was against an unheralded fighter named Carlos Bojorquez who sported a modest record of 14-2-5. The fight was stopped in the 4^th round on the advice of the ringside physician after Whitaker broke his collarbone while throwing a punch.  His problems with sobriety, the police and cocaine seemed to continue throughout 2001.

Today, it seems as though Pernell Whitaker has finally put the worst problems of the past behind him. As a fighter, it’s all too easy to look at him with a critical eye. There were times during his prime years that he often seemed to run out of gas during the championship rounds. Other times, when hurt, he’d practically bear hug an opponent until his head cleared. Cases have been made that fighters like Chavez, Roger Mayweather and others weren’t in top physical condition when they faced him – or, had injuries that were unknown to the media at the time.

The bottom line, however, was simply this; Pernell Whitaker was a winner and world champion in four different weight classes. He won titles at Lightweight, Jr. Welterweight, Welterweight and Jr. Middleweight. He undeniably had one some of the best defensive skills of his era – if not the very best. He logged approximately 16 title defenses into his Hall of Fame career. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that on the right night, he could have out-boxed any lightweight who ever lived. Yes, I believe a fighter like Duran at Lightweight or Hearns or Leonard at Welterweight could have beaten him… but it’s not a stretch to see him out-boxing them either – on the right night.

It took Ray Leonard 15 rounds to finally catch and Wilfred Benitez, another defensive genius comparable to Pernell Whitaker. Is it so difficult imaging him having as much difficulty with Whitaker? Against Benitez, Thomas “The Hit Man” Hearns had to settle for a decision win. To assume Whitaker couldn’t have given Leonard and Hearns as much trouble as Benitez doesn’t seem too grounded in the obvious facts. And yes, I can picture either man catching him and stopping him as well.

As time and distance enables us to put the career or Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker in better perspective, I think it’s finally time to give the guy the only thing he really asked for throughout his career… a little respect. Here’s to Sweat Pea Whitaker – you’ve earned you due in this writer’s opinion as one of the great boxers of the modern era.

Two undefeated fighters. Two contrasting style. The Master Boxer meets the ultimate Pressure Fighter. They called it, “The Fight of the Century,” and almost 40-years later – it still ranks in many boxing historian’s books, including my own, as the biggest overall boxing event of the last 140 years. Although they’d meet a total of 3 times, nothing could match the significance of their first meeting on March 8, 1971.

With Muhammad Ali living in boxing exile after his refusal to be inducted into the armed services, Joe Frazier pounded his way to the top of the Heavyweight fray, capturing the recognition as world champion with a knockout victory over Jimmy Ellis. Before being stripped of his title, Ali had defended it a total of 9 times between 1965.

Ali entered the bout with a record of 31-0 (25). He weighed in at 215lbs. Joe Frazier’s record stood at 26-0 (23). His official weight – 205.5 lbs. By today’s stands, both men would be considered to be “small” Heavyweights. Of course, by today’s standards their punch output would probably off the charts, too, but that’s another story altogether.

The buildup to this fight was of the “once in a lifetime” caliber. By the time both men stepped through the ropes in Madison Square Garden on March 8th, just about every person in the civilized world was either watching, listening by radio or waiting for the results to be broadcast. The event became as much of a political event as it was a sporting event. Ali symbolized radical change while Frazier was the champion of blue collar America. Both men would earn 2.5 million for the bout.

The fight itself lived up to its billing. Frazier applied relentless pressure while Ali countered with blazing combinations. The pace was unbelievably fast and furious from the opening bell. By the middle rounds, Frazier began to take the lead.

In the 11th, Frazier ripped Ali with a hook and raked him with a blitz of follow-up punches. Ali was hurt badly for the first time in his career and only heart allowed him to survive the full 3-minutes. Finally, in the 15th and final round, Frazier exploded his big left hook off Ali’s chin and dropped the former champion flat on his back. Ali arose and appeared to be okay as referee Arthur Mercante gave him a standing 8-count. He later said in an interview – “I don’t even remember getting back up.”

The fight went to the scorecards and Joe Frazier retained his title by unanimous decision. The scores (using the rounds system) were – 8-6-1, 9-6, 11-4.

Afterward Joe Frazier commented, “I was there to do a job. I was gonna get that job done and nothing could have stopped me. If he had a couple of nine millimeters, I would have walked right through them.”

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LOOKING BACK

The Joe Frazier of the early 1970’s matches up very well against many of Boxing’s top Heavyweight champions. The post-Foreman version, the same version that fought Ali twice more, was not the same fighter. There is plenty of available film footage with which you can make the comparison. He just didn’t maintain the same type of energy from round to round.

The younger, lighter version of Frazier who dismantled Jimmy Ellis and defeated Ali by unanimous decision would have been a difficult task for just about any of the champions in the history of the sport. His pressuring style, high punch output and incredible stamina would have pushed many of them to the brink – if not over it.

A truly big puncher, like a Foreman, put Frazier down six times in total before the fight was finally stopped. The fact that Frazier arose so many times to continue seems to suggest that it would take one of history’s “all-time” punchers to keep him on the floor once he put him there. Foreman certainly fit that description.

The fight also reveals as much about Ali as it does Frazier. I always believed the Ali who fought Frazier in “The Fight of the Century” was Ali at his best. That’s not a knock on Ali. Frazier was simply the better man on March 8th. That version of Ali would have been able to outbox George Foreman much easier and take less punishment than the older version did in Zaire.

Ali once said in an interview that, although he lost half a step during his two year absence from the ring, he was much stronger when he returned. A reporter once asked him how the 1970 version of himself would have done against the faster 1960’s version. Ali told him not to assume the younger version would have won. Ali admitted that he was much stronger, smarter fighter in 1970. “Don’t assume the old me couldn’t have whupped the younger version,” he said. “I was physically a lot stronger when I got older.”

Almost forty-years later, “The Fight of the Century” remains just that. It was truly a fight for the ages.

Someone once said the hype leading up to a big fight is like sex. The build-up occurs in the mind, but the event itself usually doesn’t live up to the hype. There are exceptions of course. In some cases, the buildup can occur over such a great length of time, it’s almost a given the event itself will be anticlimactic. Of course, take away the buildup and you automatically neutralize the drama that we’ve become so accustomed to over the years.

This principle can apply to any big sporting event. In many ways, all sports symbolize combat on one level or another. This is much more apparent, however, in the sport of professional boxing. No sport symbolizes one-on-one combat as does the Sweet Science.

Let’s take a look at some of boxing’s – BIG FIGHT BUILDUPS!

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Big Fight Buildup – The “OLD DAYS”

Jack Johnson vs. Jim Jeffries (July 4, 1910)

The Buildup: Promoter Tex Rickard created what you might call the original “Fight of the Century.” Jim Jeffries was the former, undefeated, champion of the world. In his prime, he was a monster who could withstand inhuman amounts of punishment while grinding his opponents down to eventual knockout defeats. Across the ring from him stood the reigning heavyweight champion of the world and the first black man to hold the title, Jack Johnson. It some quarters, this fight symbolized the white race against the black race. In others, good versus evil. By the time the bell sounded for the opening round, the entire country was on the edge of their seats. News of the round by round action was transmitted via wire around the USA and beyond.

The Fight: The fight itself was one-sided from the opening bell. The 35 year old Jeffries hadn’t fought in 5 years and looked every part the washed up fighter. Jeffries hit the canvas for the first time in his career in the 15^th round and was stopped moments later. He told a reporter after the bout, “I could never have whipped Jack Johnson at my best. I couldn’t have hit him.”

Gene Tunney vs. Jack Dempsey (September 22, 1927)

The Buildup: “The Battle of the Long Count” was the much anticipated rematch between Jack Dempsey and his former conqueror, Gene Tunney. Dempsey was one of the most popular champions in history and Tex Rickard used his promotional magic to create the first $2-million dollar gate. Over 100,000 people were in attendance. Many people assumed Tunney had caught Dempsey at just the right time during their fight bout. The Manassa Mauler had been out of the ring for 3 years when he lost his title by 10-round decision to Tunney a year earlier. This time, many people believed Dempsey would be better prepared.

The Fight: Tunney dominated the fight with his jab until the 7^th round when a right hand staggered Tunney. Dempsey swarmed Tunney and finally sent him to the canvas.  Instead of moving across the ring to a neutral corner (a new rule instituted in the event of a knockdown), Dempsey stood near Tunney and held onto the top strand of rope.  By the time referee Dave Barry moved Dempsey to a neutral corner, Tunney had additional time to clear his head and recover. He arose at the official count of 9, but had actually been on the canvas for 14-seconds. Tunney backpedaled out of danger for the rest of the round and boxed his way to victory through the final three rounds. The “long count” aside, the fight was clearly dominated by Tunney who retained his title by unanimous decision.

After the fight, Dempsey also stated that he could have “never beaten Tunney,” even in his prime.

Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling (June 21, 1938)

The Buildup: The year was 1938. Adolph Hitler was on the move in Germany, building the war machine that would ignite WWII. Hitler’s propaganda machine quickly jumped on the Max Schmeling bandwagon promoting Schmeling as being a proud representative of “The Master Aryan Race.” Schmeling also owned a knockout victory over Louis, derailing his initial run at the Heavyweight crown a few years earlier.  It was Louis, however, who got the first shot at reigning Heavyweight champion, Jim Braddock. Louis, however, didn’t want to be called champion until he avenged his loss against Schmeling.

The Fight: The fight never made it past the opening round. Louis jumped all over Schmeling from the opening bell and dropped Schmeling three times, fracturing two vertebrae in the process. It couldn’t have been any more one-sided had it been scripted. German TV blacked out the match after it was evident poor Max was no match for the 1938 version of the Brown Bomber.

Big Fight Buildup – “MODERN TIMES”

Muhammad Ali  vs. Joe Frazier (See accompanying article in this month’s magazine)

Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns (September 16, 1981)

The Buildup: The Ultimate Boxer vs. The Ultimate Slugger. The fight was billed as “The Showdown” and it generated every bit the intensity as its name intended. Leonard, a gold medal winner at the 1976 Olympic Games, was already a media favorite had claimed a portion of the Jr. Middleweight title with an exciting knockout victory over Ayub Kalule. Leonard held the WBC portion of the Welterweight title. Hearns, on the other hand, had brutalized Mexican bomber – Pipino Cuevas, for the WBA belt and had run off 3 consecutive title defenses. Leonard’s record stood at 30-1 (21). He’d avenged his only loss (a decision) against Roberto Duran a year earlier. Hearns was undefeated at 32-0 (30).

Fans and experts alike were split down the middle on their predictions of the outcome. While I predicted a Leonard victory from the onset, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen once Leonard got hit by Hearn’s booming right hand!

The Fight: By the time the opening bell rang, over 300 million people were watching worldwide. In a rare instance, the fight lived up to and possible exceeded the hype. In the end, Sugar Ray Leonard – behind on the scorecards, roared back to stop Hearns in the 14^th round. “The Showdown” won the Fight of the Year award – going away.

Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney (June 11, 1982)

The Buildup: Although time seems to have lessened its significance… Holmes vs. Cooney was one of the most anticipated Heavyweight title fights in modern history. When two fighters appear on covers of national magazines across the country, you know it’s a big fight. Don King masterfully woven the white vs. black angle into the story and by the time fight night had arrived, it was no longer just a fight… it was an event. Cooney had been crowned the “Great White Hope” of the modern era. His left hook had pounded out a path of wreckage leading up to his highly anticipated fight with Larry Holmes.

Both fighters were undefeated. Holmes entered the bout with a record of 39-0 (27 KOs). Cooney record stood at 25-0 (20 KOs).

The fight produced an all-time record gate over 7-million dollars.

The Fight: In the 2^nd round, Cooney was dropped by right hand. He arose and fought well until finally tiring around the 10^th round. He was rescued by Mills Lane in the 13^th round with Holmes pouring it on. He would never be the same fighter again.

They say getting knocked out can sometimes be like waking up out of a deep sleep. You can hear the sounds of the alarm clock… but what you see before your eyes is still the fog of the dream world. As Jim Braddock sat on the canvas, straining to make out the audible count of referee Tommy Thomas faintly heard in the distance, he was wondering why he was unable to move. His legs felt paralyzed.

By the time count reached 9… 10… he was back from the fog and once again – firmly entrenched in the land of the conscious folks. He was also the ex-Heavyweight Champion of the world.

In the world of boxing, every story comes complete with an ending. Even Cinderella stories.  There’s something to be said, however, for those in position to choose how it will end. And that’s exactly how it went with Boxing’s original Cinderella man.

Jim Braddock was born in 1905 in the infamous “Hell’s Kitchen” (a neighborhood of Manhatten) in New York City. Hell’s Kitchen was a renown “breeding ground” for underworld figures – especially for the Irish Mob.  Living on the West Side meant having your share of street fights as you grew from boyhood into manhood and Braddock grew in a hurry! He already stood over six-feet tall by the time he’d reached the age of 16. What stood out about James J. Braddock even at a young age to those who knew was the fact that he was always a gentleman.

Jim was the youngest boy in a family that consisted of six boys and two girls. At the age of 14, he said goodbye to school and began following in the footsteps of his brother Joe who was already earning prize money as a fighter. It was under the guidance of Joe that Jim began to learn the “boxing trade.” At the age of 20, Jim became the amateur – Light Heavyweight champion of New Jersey. He worked as a regular laborer at the docks to make a living as he developed as a fighter. Working the docks was a tough, physically demanding job. But it also helped develop his strength.

A year later, the wheels of destiny began turning when Braddock met boxing manager, Joe Gould, at Joe Jeanette’s gym in Hoboken, NJ.

Joe was 9 years Jim’s senior and had the type of connections to take his career to the next level. Under Gould, Braddock turned pro in 1926. Braddock went 14-0-2 before losing his first fight – a newspaper decision loss to Paul Cavalier over 10-rounds.

At the time, people weren’t sure whether to credit Braddock skills or Gould’s matchmaking for the results being produced in the ring. In 1927, Braddock stepped it up a notch, facing the tough, skilled and experienced – Pete Latzo.  Braddock, a decided underdog, showed both skill and power – breaking Latzo’s jaw and winning a 10-round decision. He then faced a highly rated Tuffy Griffith and stopped him in the 2^nd round.

Although he lost a tough decision in his next fight, he won the following three bouts after that – including an impressive 9^th round TKO over Jimmy Slattery – the former Light Heavyweight Champion of the world. It was then, after fighting four years as a professional that Jim Braddock’s moment in the sun had arrived. Or so he thought.

On July 18, 1929, Jim Braddock met defending Light Heavyweight champion Tommy Loughran in Yankee Stadium for the championship of the world. Fifteen, one-sided rounds later, Braddock left the ring empty handed with his reputation as top-notch fighter severely damaged. Braddock looked bad. And perhaps even worse, fell into a mental slump.

Jim only managed two wins in his next nine fights and dropped decision losses to – Yale Okun, Maxie Rosenbloom, Leo Lomski, Billy Jones, Harold Mays and Babe Hunt. In the period of time between 1930 and 1932, Jim Braddock did win a few fights, but he was losing more than winning. He also lost to and up and coming John Henry Lewis (who would himself go on to become a world champion).  He had gone from hot prospect to journeyman, within the space of months.

By 1933, the effects of the Great Depression were widespread across the country. People were pinching pennies like never before and spending money on attending live cards was put on hold for many.

The parallels between then and now are obvious in many ways. One striking difference, however, would be the absence of credit in the form of credit cards as we have today. How many homes today are filled with things that haven’t been paid for? How many cars repaired with parts funded by a lending institution? Back then, it was basically cash or nothing as it’s starting to become for many families once again today.

For boxing on the East Coast, especially the hotbeds of action in Jersey and New York, only the popular, in-demand fighters were seeing any regular action. For the most part, that left Jim Braddock in the position of an out of demand, out of work fighter. Jim was an honest, proud man and he was not willing to take handouts from anyone. So he returned to the docks. Even there, however, the hours he logged from week to week weren’t nearly enough to do anything but barely get by. With a wife and children to support, Jim applied for relief which he considered to be a close cousin to outright panhandling.

He said in later years that he vowed to repay every penny he’d received from welfare. When the rubber met the road, though, his kids had to have food on the table.

In June of 1934, Primo Carnera was scheduled to defend his Heavyweight title against Max Baer. On the undercard, the promoters needed to find an opponent for up and coming John “Corn” Griffin. Jim’s manager Joe Gould practically got on his knees and begged for Braddock to be inserted as the opponent for Griffin. He told them that Braddock was desperate for money, just to put food on the table for his kids.

Finally, they agreed to give him $250 for a 6-rounder against Corn Griffin. It was basically a charitable donation.

For Jim Braddock, this was more than a fight for a quick payday. With no money, little food and little hope for tomorrow besides this single night – he was fighting for his life.

The Jim Braddock who answered the bell for the opening round wasn’t the same man fans had become used to seeing. This Braddock answered the bell with destruction on his mind. When the smoke cleared in 3^rd round, Corn was lying on the canvas like a heap of broken rubble.

The trainers and sparring partners in the gym as well as the promoters in the front office knew of Braddock’s situation. No one really expected much Jim to do much in the ring against Griffen – let alone stop him. Suddenly, a small ray of light began to shine through the dark sky over Braddock’s life.

Jim’s manager, Joe Gould, was basically in the same boat his fighter was. Together, they forged a comeback the likes of which are seldom seen in the sport of boxing. Next up, five months later – a rematch against John Henry Lewis. Jim had been defeated by Lewis once already – two years earlier. This version of Lewis was even better than the earlier version – having defeated Maxie Rosenbloom twice and entering his prime years as a fighter. He’d gone 16-fights in a row without a loss.

The fight took place in November of 1934. Jim sent Lewis to the floor in the 5^th round and came away with a decisive, unanimous decision victory over 10-rounds. In this writer’s opinion, the legend of “The Cinderella Man” was basically born with this victory. A supposedly used up, shot journeyman had defeated a complete fighting machine in John Henry Lewis.

Next up, Art Lasky. Lasky stood 6’ 4” and had two inch height advantage as well as a 15-pound weight advantage. He also brought a record of 33-2-2 into the fight. Braddock was once again – the underdog. The fight was scheduled for 15-rounds. Braddock, whose record now stood at 43-23-4 took Lasky to school – winning an easy 15-round decision.

Max Baer was the reigning Heavyweight Champion of the world. He toppled Primo Carnera in the 11^th round in a completely one-sided fight. Max Schmeling was the number one contender and Jim Braddock’s victories had vaulted him to #2. It was then proposed that Schmeling face Braddock with the winner to meet Baer. Schmeling passed.

Jim Braddock then got the nod to face the defending champion, Max Baer. Baer’s power could be likened to a Sonny Liston or George Foreman in his time. Two deaths had been attributed to the punishment he was capable of dealing out in the ring. Some people literally begged Braddock not to face Baer. It’s been said that even Braddock’s wife feared for her husband’s safety.

The official odds were 10-1 in favor of Baer. The odds on the street with the bookmakers was set at 15-1. It was the biggest upset in boxing history which stood until Buster Douglas defeated Mike Tyson in Tokyo many years later. The days of struggling to pay the bills and keep food on the table were over forever. Jim Braddock walked away with a 15-round unanimous decision and was the new – Heavyweight Champion of the world!

One of the first things he did was to make good on his promise to pay back all of the money he’d received as a welfare recipient. Jim Braddock was on top of the world.

Jim enjoyed his days as the Champion of the world. Everyone wanted to see Jimmy Braddock. It would be two years before he’d finally put the title on the line. Jim Braddock was, however, among many things – a realist. He’d left his very best in the ring that night against Max Baer. With a record of 45-23-4, he was already a veteran of 72 fights. He realized his best years were behind him.

All Braddock wanted was one more big money fight to set up his family for life. Rather than excepted the challenge of Max Schmeling, who desperately wanted to get Braddock into the ring at this point, Jim decided to accept the challenge of Joe Louis. If Braddock were to lose his title, he wanted to lose it to an American fighter.

Braddock and Louis met on June 22, 1937. Braddock’s purse was $320,000. The fight took place at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Forty-five thousands fans piled in to see the action live. Hundreds of thousands more listened in on radio.

Braddock looked sensational in the opening round. He scored with hard right hands to the head, sending Louis to canvas for a 9-count! Louis got up and in round two, started to go to work on Braddock. By the 7^th round, he was beaten up pretty badly and his manager Joe Gould wanted to stop the fight. It just wasn’t meant to end that way, though. Not for Jim Braddock. He was a proud man… and he wanted to go out the way other great boxing champions before him went out. He wanted to go down fighting.

In the 8^th round, Louis unloaded and Braddock went down. They say getting knocked out is a little like falling asleep. It can happen without you realizing it… until you wake up. As Jim Braddock fought his way back from the fog of the dream land, he heard the referee’s final count of 8… 9… 10. The problem was, he just wasn’t able to move his legs fast enough to beat it.

Jim Braddock would go on to fight one last time, once again – as the underdog. Seven months later he defeated Tommy Farr in Madison Square Garden. Both Farr and Braddock had lost in their previous fights to Joe Louis. Braddock fought very well, much to the surprise of many who supposed he was through once and for all after the Louis fight.

It was a fitting for Braddock to exit the sport on a high note. In a sport filled with so many tragic figures, it’s nice to celebrate the triumphant ones.

There are two types of “dirty” fighters. One is the fighter who sometimes fights dirty. And then, there’s the outright DIRTY fighter. Mike Tyson is well-known for his ear-biting meltdown against Evander Holyfield. Actually, Holyfield himself wasn’t exactly a stranger to using his “head” for things other than strategy during his career. But neither man used fouling as a regular part of their overall strategy throughout their careers.

Andrew Golota was well acquainted with the low-blow. He even bit an opponent’s shoulder on one occasion (a maneuver Harry Greb would have undoubtedly approved of). But with Golota, it was more a case of mental meltdowns which spotted his career.

These can all be used as examples of men who fought dirty on occasion.

What follows, however, is a list of Boxing’s DIRTIEST fighters. These men didn’t just foul every now and then. They turned fouling into an art-form.

Fritzie Zivic: Perhaps THE dirtiest fighter of all time. Zivic mastered the art of low blows, thumbing the eye, head butting and dragging the heel of the glove over an opponent’s cut. Both the fans and the media alike detested Zivic’s use of “foul play” in the ring. After a foul-fest against an aging Henry Armstrong in which he took his Welterweight title, the crowd booed and jeered him. It didn’t bother Fritzie in the least. Armstrong was led back to the dressing room with both eyes swelling shut and gashes which had been torn through both eye lids.

Fritzie’s manager Freddie Fierro once said, “Fritzie was the kind of fighter who could walk into a clinch with a clean opponent and when the referee broke them apart, the clean opponent would look like a veteran pug, all broken up with blood streaming down his face. And all that damage without landing a single punch.”

In reference to his fight with Lightweight great – Lew Ambers, Zivic said, “I dug my thumb into his neck all through the fight, his Adam’s apple must still be in a sling.” Zivic enjoyed his reputation and was unhappy that many fans considered Harry Greb to be the meaner fighter of the two. Keep in mind, Zivic wasn’t just the type of fighter who felt at home dishing it out. He could take it, too! Zivic’s face looked as though it’d been fed through a shredder and then hastily stitched and molded back together again. Would Zivic have been as successful had he been a clean fighter? Obviously, he didn’t want to find out!

Harry Greb: Long before Mike Tyson thought about taking a chunk out of Evander Holyfield’s ear in their infamous rematch, Harry Greb had turned “the bite” into an art form. He could do it without getting caught and disqualified too! Like Zivic, going into a clinch with Harry Greb was basically taking your life into your own hands. Elbows, thumbs, knees, backhands, the dragging of the glove laces across the face – these were all part of the Greb arsenal. A New York Paper wrote, “He has two active hands that fly around in all sorts of weird motions, but the top of his head is his most dangerous weapon. If the rules of boxing were strictly enforced, Greg wouldn’t last a round before being disqualified.”

As the Middleweight champion, he challenged Gene Tunney for Tunney’s American Light Heavyweight title.  For Tunney, it was an education in street fighting like he’d never had before. In the first round, Greb rammed his head into Tunney’s face, breaking his nose. Holding Tunney from behind the head with one hand, he’d then blast him with the other. It was amazing Tunney made it to the 15^th round. He finished the fight with cuts above both eyes as well as blood streaming from the nose and mouth.

Greb enjoyed fighting not just in the ring, he enjoyed fighting on the streets, too. He hated police officers but was smart enough to keep out of physical altercations with them. There were several times in the ring that Greb lost patience with referees trying to separate him while he was engaged in his style of “in-fighting.” He’d then yell at them and – challenging their authority! For Greb, the ring was his cage… and he felt completely at home playing the part of an animal.

Like Mickey Walker, Greb’s swarming style was perfectly suited for bigger, heavier fighters and he did very well against them. Pound for pound, he was one of the greatest fighters ever. Why then did he foul so often? As one writer put it, “It was just a natural extension of his personality.”

Sandy Saddler: Saddler logged an incredible 144 wins in an amazing career. Unlike Greb and Zivic, Saddler preferred to play by the rules until his opponent crossed the line. All it took was one time… and the rules went right out the window for the rest of the fight. His 4 brawls with arch-rival Willie Pep rank way up there as some of the dirtiest, most foul-filled fights of all-time. Elbows, butting, heeling with the glove and lacing, they were “everything-go’s” foul-fests from start to finish. While Pep and Saddler wrestled on the inside, Saddler thought nothing of putting Willie in a headlock before throwing him to the floor.

Even the referee was knocked to the floor several times in an attempt to separate the two fighters. Needless to say, the boos and jeers shook the joint to the rafters!

Saddler said afterward that he felt insulted by those who insisted he was a dirty fighter.

In 1956, Saddler added an extra-helping of “dirty” into his fight with Flash Elorde. Sandy butted Elorde, turned him and hit him from behind. Then, after another headbutt opened a gash over left eye, he tore it open even further using the laces of his gloves. The fight was finally stopped in the 13^th round due to the severity of Elorde’s bleeding. New York Daily columnist Dan Parker wrote: “Saddler has cheapened the title during his long, unpopular reign.”

My father who saw Saddler throughout his career once said to me, “Sandy Saddler? Oh, he was one dirty fighter!”

In Boxing, Legends can be born and destroyed with a single fight. A meteoric rise to the top can also result in a meteoric crash back to the earth again. Boxing history is filled with the stories of “unbeatable fighters” meeting sudden and unexpected demises. When you get right down to it, though, would you really want it any other way? Recently, I was reminiscing about boxing in the mid-80’s and the state of the game as a whole. It was a time when Donald Curry appeared to be the heir apparent to Sugar Ray Leonard as king of the 147lb. division.

For a space of time, Donald Curry was as complete a fighting machine as you’d ever hope to see. He was a very solid puncher with fantastic counterpunching skills who threw accurate, pinpoint combinations. He also boasted a near, air-tight defense. A boxing writing at the time occasionally referred to Curry as, “The Secretary of Defense.” Curry had the ability to catch punches on the arms and gloves while tucking his elbows in to protect the body. He always seemed to be in perfect position to counterpunch effectively. Curry was also an outstanding body puncher. Technically speaking, he was sound in every aspect of the game. On the night he won the title, he was knocked down briefly to one knee for the first time in his career, but arose quickly to regain command and win the fight.

Many analysts started considering him a threat to reigning Middleweight King – Marvin Hagler, even when he was still fighting at 147lbs.

Donald Curry won the vacant WBA Welterweight belt with a 15-round decision over Jun Sok Hwang on February 13, 1983. By the time he met top contender Marlon Starling (an outstanding fighter in his own right) for the 2^nd time in 1984, he’d really matured as a fighter.  During their first meeting in 1982, Curry edged Starling with a close 12-round split-decision victory. The NABF and USBA Welterweight titles were on the line. A stronger, sharper, more mature Curry won a clear-cut 15-round decision over Starling in the rematch. Curry retained his title in the process.

Six consecutive stoppage victories followed the win over Starling included wins over Jr. Middleweights – James “Hard Rock” Green and Pablo Baez.

The Baez win set up a highly anticipated Welterweight title unification bout against the WBC Champion – Milton “The Ice Man” McCrory. McCory was a tall, lean, Kronk Gym fighter under the guidance of Emanuel Steward who guided Thomas Hearns to a WBA Welterweight title back in 1980. At the time, it seemed like Leonard-Hearns all over again. Two young, undefeated fighters were unifying the Welterweight Championship of the world.

Like Hearns, McCrory stood 6’ 1” and possessed a strong jab and good right hand. Although he didn’t generate the same type of power from the right hand as Hearns did, he was still a very talented fighter who fought very effectively from the outside. Most boxing experts predicted it would be take a while for Curry to be able to get on the inside and negate McCrory’s height and reach advantages. Most expecting a grueling fight – similar to the Leonard-Hearns war.

Two rounds and two big punches later, McCrory was counted out and Donald Curry was the undisputed Welterweight Champion of the world.

The sky seemed to be the limit for Curry at the time. His demolition of McCrory elevated his status to one of the very best, if not “the best,” pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Although there weren’t any rumors of this published at the time, there were sources who later stated that Curry began having drug problems outside the ring. Cocaine use was one of the rumors I heard mentioned over the years that followed. At the time, though, everything appeared to going great for the Lone Star Cobra. Curry defended his unified title with another second round blowout against an over-matched Eduardo Rodriguez, looking unbeatable in the process.

Little did the world know at the time, it would be the last time the top-rated, pound-for-pound version of Curry would ever step into the ring.

His next defense occurred six months later against Britain’s Lloyd Honeyghan. Honeyghan was a brash, confident fighter who was also undefeated at 27-0. When the bell rang, Curry suddenly seemed like a different fighter. Honeyghan was aggressive, physical and used his head like a little battering ram at times. Curry seemed to lack energy, confidence and the snap in his punches that had disposed of some of the best Welterweights in the world up to that time. Gone was the airtight defense and sharp counterpunching skill. It looked like Donald Curry… but it wasn’t the same fighter.

After suffering a bad cut along his left eye and a broken nose (probably from an unintentional butt), Curry remained in his corner after the 6^th round.

Pandemonium broke loose in the ring. It was an upset of upsets. Just like that, Lloyd Honeyghan had gone from unknown outside the UK to becoming an overnight sensation. Interestingly enough, it would be Curry’s old nemesis – Marlon Starling, who would later go on to relieve Honeyghan of his title for good via a 9^th round stoppage in 1989.

At the time, most of us thought Curry had a off night and the misfortune of getting butted and cut badly over the eye. Most fans and experts alike expected Curry to return at Jr. Middleweight with a vengeance.

Although Curry did return, he only showed flashes of the skills that had once made him the best fighter in the world. Keep in mind, Curry was still only 26 years old.

Two  strange disqualification wins followed at Jr. Middleweight in which he won and defended the USBA title. Then came his first shot at the Jr. Middleweight belt against the undefeated Mike McCallum. McCallum could do it all, but he’d never faced a fighter on Curry’s level. McCallum had just stopped Milton McCrory in the 10^th round three months earlier and was now facing the man who’d stop Milton in only 2 rounds a few years earlier.

For a few rounds, Curry looked great. It was like the Donald Curry of old had returned. It was a physical fight but Curry was ahead on all the scorecards going into the 5^th round.

A year after the McCallum loss, Donald Curry would go on to capture the Jr. Middleweight title with a 9^th round stoppage over a very solid Gianfranco Rosi. At the time, I remember thinking that maybe Curry would finally settle in and realize the potential he’d once shown at 147lbs. He had the misfortune of catching a perfect left hook against Mike McCallum and… after all, this is boxing, right?

I think I personally felt this way because I really considered Curry (like many others) to be one of the genuine nice guys in the sport.

Curry followed the win over Rosi with a testing of the waters at 160lbs. His first opponent at Middleweight was against no-hoper, Mike Sacchetti. Sacchetti was dispatched in five rounds. Curry then returned to Jr. Middleweight for his first title defense against Frenchman – Rene Jacquot. Jacquot boasted a modest record of 23-9-1.

Once again, the old curse seemed to have returned. Curry looked tentative and lethargic throughout. It was as though he’d become the same man who stepped into the ring against Lloyd Honeyghan all over again. When the smoke cleared, Rene Jacquot had relieved Donald Curry of his WBC Jr. Middleweight title in 1989’s Upset of the Year (Ring Magazine) by unanimous decision.

Curry would go on to log two more comeback wins which culminated in a shot against Middleweight Champion Michael Nunn. Curry, behind on all three scorecards, was finally stopped in the 10^th.

He returned to Jr. Middleweight where he would have one final attempt at a title against boxer/slugger – Terry Norris. Curry was stopped in the 8^th.

Curry’s career was like shooting star. It burned bright and brilliantly in the sky for a moment in time… then it was gone.  If drug use was the cause of his sudden and rapid decline, it would certainly make more sense than some type of unexplained “phenomena.”  It’s difficult to recall such a complete fighter as Curry who fell so quickly and rapidly.

Usually, when an undefeated fighter loses in such a fashion, he falls into the category of overrated or over-hyped. This wasn’t the case with Donald Curry. Curry actually went from being the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world to appearing – shot, in just one fight.  Although he regained flashes of his former self – here and there, he would never again regain his status as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Of course, all those years of living life at full-throttle have a way of doing that to a man! Even though I met him many years ago, I clearly remember that – even at the age of 70, Mickey Walker was the kind of guy who seemed ALIVE in every way, shape and form. His eyes were a bright, burning fire – and there was always a smile upon his face. He was the life of the party, above even the likes of Tony Galento, Jersey Joe Walcott, Emile Griffith and all the other fighters I saw regularly at the Ring 25 dinners in Newark, NJ.

At such a young age, I didn’t realize what great fighters these men were as I listened to them trade stories of their great ring wars with one another. When Mickey Walker spoke, though, everyone listened.

My Grandfather was a big man and had the kind of voice that could really thunder. Right in the middle of one of Walker’s stories, he walks up to him, stops him and says, “This is my grandson! Give him an autograph!” Walker turned around… then looked down. There I was. He stuck out his hand, gave me a big smile and said, “Hiya, kid! How you doin’? You doin’ okay?” He gave me a big handshake and signed a piece of paper I had with me.

Even then, you could tell the fighting spirit of the “Toy Bulldog” was alive and well. It wasn’t too difficult imagining what it would have been like to have a prime version of him coming at you in a whirlwind of leather. I’m sure the smile would have been more of a, “It’s gonna be nice turning your ribcage into a heavy bag,” than a, “Hiya,” if you know what I mean?

What I learned directly from the old-timers was – Mickey Walker loved to fight!

His career began in 1919 – right at the beginning of a decade that would become known as “The Roaring Twenties.” The 1920’s roared, too, with the likes of gangsters, bootleggers and the era of prohibition.  Mickey turned pro at the age of 17. The fighters of his day didn’t have the luxury of learning their trade in the amateurs before turning pro. They learned how to fight in the “school of hard knocks” – literally.

By the time Walker was 19, he was facing world-class fighters. He defeated Jack Britton by unanimous decision to take the Welterweight title in 1922. He pounded and swarmed Britton aggressively throughout the 15-round bout, dropping him in the 12^th. Mickey defended the Welterweight title 4-times officially.  During that time, he also fought many non-title fights against both Welterweights and Middleweights. The names on Walker’s record read like a who’s who of boxing history.

At the age of 24, in 1925, he jumped up in weight to face legendary Middleweight King – Harry Greb. Greb retained his title via 15-round decision. It was a tough give and take fight throughout until Walker ran out of gas around the 14^th round.  Greb pulled out the fight with a late round surge. What’s amazing about this fight was the fact that a 24-year old version of Walker fought toe-to-toe with one of the greatest fighters of all-time. Greb was the type of fighter you boxed… not the type you trade punches with. Even so, Mickey more than held his own

Afterward, both fighters partied with friends and supporters late into the night at a speakeasy. Eventually, discussion over who won the fight became more heated. Mickey suggested they continue their fight out in the street to determine the “real winner.”  It’s been said that Walker won “the 16^th round.” In reality, though, both men were very drunk and it’s not likely that it was a very interesting fight. Supposedly, both men later slept it off on the sidewalk.

After the death of his manager, Jack Bulger, Mickey Walker was signed by the infamous Jack Kearns who guided Jack Dempsey to the Heavyweight Championship of the world. Mickey then lost the Welterweight title via a closely fought 10-round decision against Pete Latzo.  In his very next fight, he looked like a shot fighter – getting badly cut and losing to Joe Dundee by TKO in the 8th round when he could no longer see the punches coming. Some people blamed the two consecutive defeats and sudden decline on Jack Kearns, saying he was a bad match for Walker.

Things got even rougher.

Being the life of the party often comes at quite an expensive price. For Mickey Walker, his ring earnings were going quickly and after two losses, he was already in need of money. He returned to action four months later and defeated Shuffle Callahan in the 5^th round. Two more wins followed and by December of 1926, Jack Kearns had guided Walker to title shot against the reigning Middleweight Champion, Tiger Flowers. Flowers was coming off two defeats of the great Harry Greb – the first in which he lifted the title. Both fights were close and many felt Greb deserved the decision in both.

There is some controversy surrounding this fight and which way the decision went. The fight was scheduled for 10-rounds.  Mickey Walker was the aggressor, Tiger Flowers landed more punches. It really depends what you like. The bout was scored on the rounds system and although Mickey Walker scored two knockdowns (one with the second punch of the fight in the opening round, the other in the 8^th round), it didn’t figure into the scoring at all as it would today. Under the 5 or 10-point must system, there wouldn’t have been any controversy at all. Either way, Mickey Walker won the decision and the title and the rest, as they say, is history.

Once again, the good times were rolling at the local speakeasys!

Mickey defended the Middleweight title three times. Then while still weighing only 160 lbs., he began stepping up in weight to fight Light Heavyweights.  He defeated world-class fighter at 175lbs. such as Mike McTigue and Paul Berlenbach.  Then, on March 28, 1929, he faced the great Tommy Loughran for the Light Heavyweight Championship of the world. Loughran retained his title by close, split decision. The legend of Mickey Walker had officially begun.

It wasn’t long before the reigning Middleweight Champion of the world was beating ranked Heavyweight contenders while still weighing a scant – 160lbs. Walker seemed to thrive on taller, heavier fighters. His body attacked, one of the greatest of all time, seemed to work against naturally larger, taller men with amazing effect. Walker fought Jack Sharkey to a 15-round draw and defeated Paulino Uzcudan and King Levinsky.

In 1932, he fought Max Schmeling and fought well for 6-rounds until Schmeling began using his natural size advantage more effectively. The fight was stopped by Jack Kearns before the start of the 9^th. Walker wanted to continue and said afterward, “Kearns was the one who threw in the towel, not me.”

Mickey’s next attempt at winning the Light Heavyweight title came against another all-time great – Maxie Rosenbloom. Rosenbloom retained his title by decision. He met Maxie a year later, and defeated him over 10-rounds, but unfortunately for Mickey, Maxie’s title was not on the line.

Towards the end of the year 1934, the Toy Bulldog was finally reaching the end of an amazing career. He parted ways with Jack Kearns and his career wound down as so many of the greats do – dotted with losses here and there. According to the Ring Record Book, his final record stood at 115-21-4 (61 KO’s) 22 No decisions. In his post boxing years, Mickey Walker was quite successful as an artist and became a very good painter in his own right.

I have a few little pictures of a “Toy Bulldog” he drew for me to this day.

Many of the ex-fighters I met while growing up in New Jersey were overly generous with their money. As a result, many of them lived rags to riches (and then back to rags again) stories. It’s sad that Mickey went down that exact road. The last time I saw him was in 1973 (if I remember correctly). Sometime between 74’ and 78’, things went downhill pretty badly for him, health-wise and financially.

He was found passed out on curb in Freehold, New Jersey in the spring of 1981. Suffering from the advancing effects of Alzheimer’s Disease and not having any type of identification in his wallet, it took approximately a week before the nursing home found out who he was. He finally passed away on April 28, 2010. He was 79-years old.

On many pound-for-pound lists, Mickey Walker rates in the top ten all all-time and number three at Middleweight, behind Ray Robinson and Harry Greb.

Joe Louis vs Shannon Briggs
Briggs looks like a deer caught in headlights as the opening round gets underway.  He survives a rocky opening stanza and seems to be surprised to be making his way to ring center as round two gets underway. By the third, Biggs realizes the “Brown Bomber” is just a man after all (even though he hasn’t won either round). By the fourth, Briggs gains a little confidence and starts throwing more punches.  A right cross drops Briggs on his back in the 5^th, and Louis finishes the job with unerring efficiency at the 2:45 mark. Shannon’s cornermen fill him in on the details of his defeat as they walk back towards the dressing room. (Louis KO5)

Muhammad Ali vs. Trevor Berbick
A prime Ali does what the “post-prime” version couldn’t do in the Bahamas. Beat Trevor Berbick. Ali breaks down Berbick over the course of the 15-round fight and the outcome is never in doubt. A three-punch combination sends Berbick to the floor in the 15^th and final round. Berbick, swollen badly around both eyes and bleeding profusely from a cut over the right eye from the 9^th round on – has no answers. He tries unsuccessfully to lift his exhausted carcass off the floor before referee Stanley Christodoulou’s count reaches ten. Ali’s alive and well and living in the All-Time Heavyweight Champions Tournament. (Ali KO15)

Jack Johnson vs. Ingemar Johansson
It’s no surprise when we conclude there’s no way on planet earth that Ingo’s going to outpoint “Lil Arthur.” What we’re wondering is, what will happen if he lands his “Ingo’s Bingo” directly on Johnson’s chin. As this one turned out, we were still wondering when – in the 12^th round, an thoroughly “pounded” Johansson went down for the count of 9 after being ripped by a Johnson combination that finished with a ripping uppercut. Johansson rose at 9 but was, for all intensive purposes, done for the night. With Johansson’s right reduced to the impact of the marshmallow from the 13^th on, Johnson turned up the heat in the 14th and dropped Johansson for good in the 15^th and final round. (Johnson KO15)

All-Time Heavyweight Champion Tournament – 2010

(Round 1 Match-ups)

The rules: Each fight is scheduled for 15 rounds using the 10-point must system under the unified rules. Only the referee can stop the fight. There is no standing 8-count. Three judges will score the fight. If the fight is stopped due to an accidental headbutt, the bout will go to the scorecards after 4 rounds. A fighter cannot be saved by the bell in any round, including the 15th and final round.

Joe Louis vs. Shannon Briggs
Muhammad Ali vs. Trevor Berbick
Jack Johnson vs. Ingemar Johansson
George Foreman vs. Tommy Burns
Rocky Marciano vs. Leon Spinks
Jack Dempsey vs. Tommy Morrison
Mike Tyson vs. Jess Willard
Larry Holmes vs. John Tate
Gene Tunney vs. Mike Weaver
Sonny Liston vs. Primo Carnera
Joe Frazier vs. Gerrie Coetzee
Evander Holyfield vs. Sultan Ibragimov
James Jeffries vs. Oleg Maskaev
James Corbett vs. John Ruiz
Riddick Bowe vs. Bruce Seldon
Lennox Lewis vs. Tony Tubbs
Vitali Klitschko vs. Hasim Rahman
Wlad Klitschko vs. Frank Bruno
Ezzard Charles vs. Buster Douglas
Jersey Joe Walcott vs. Nikolay Valuev
Max Schmeling vs. Ruslan Chagaev
Ken Norton vs. Lamon Brewster
Bob Fitzsimmons vs. Michael Dokes
John L. Sullivan vs. Sam Peter
Max Baer vs. Chris Byrd
Oliver McCall vs. Michael Spinks
Jack Sharkey vs. Greg Page
Michael Moorer vs. Tony Tucker
Floyd Patterson vs. Bonecrusher Smith
James Braddock vs. Pinklon Thomas
Ernie Terrell vs. Tim Witherspoon
Jimmy Ellis vs. Ray Mercer

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