George Scrap Iron Johnson
Robinson if you put my name on google search -Enrique Encinosa- you can track down my books and a lot of articles I've written.
Thanks for the kind words to you and Granberry.
I plan to use the article on Angel Robinson as a chapter in the English Cuban boxing book but I will make some changes and additions.
Getting back to the original topic of Scapiron, I saw him on TV against Frazier and he was an ordinary boxer with an ordinary punch, tremendous heart and a solid chin. His nickname came from his father owning a junkyard in Texas.
I too am interested in the journeymen. One fringe contender trial horse I saw several times in my teen years was Holly Mims. He was a very good fighter in an era of very good fighters and a tragic story for he died of cancer while very young. He had a phrase "You got to take the bitter with the sweet," that I loved and still use often in real life.
I remember a meeting with non boxing people where I told them - A great philosopher from Baltimore once said that you got to take the bitter with the sweet."
One of the guys at the meeting asked me who the philosopher was and I said Holly Mims. The guy looked blank.
"You know," I said "he hung out with Mencken, Kerouac, all those guys."
"Oh, him," he answered like he knew what I was saying.
I smiled inwardly for a couple of hours. Mims would have loved being grouped together with the sage from Baltimore and the king of the beat generation.
Thanks for the kind words to you and Granberry.
I plan to use the article on Angel Robinson as a chapter in the English Cuban boxing book but I will make some changes and additions.
Getting back to the original topic of Scapiron, I saw him on TV against Frazier and he was an ordinary boxer with an ordinary punch, tremendous heart and a solid chin. His nickname came from his father owning a junkyard in Texas.
I too am interested in the journeymen. One fringe contender trial horse I saw several times in my teen years was Holly Mims. He was a very good fighter in an era of very good fighters and a tragic story for he died of cancer while very young. He had a phrase "You got to take the bitter with the sweet," that I loved and still use often in real life.
I remember a meeting with non boxing people where I told them - A great philosopher from Baltimore once said that you got to take the bitter with the sweet."
One of the guys at the meeting asked me who the philosopher was and I said Holly Mims. The guy looked blank.
"You know," I said "he hung out with Mencken, Kerouac, all those guys."
"Oh, him," he answered like he knew what I was saying.
I smiled inwardly for a couple of hours. Mims would have loved being grouped together with the sage from Baltimore and the king of the beat generation.
Holly Mims was not a "journeyman."
Mims beat Sugar Ray Robinson in the very fight Robinson had after Robinson won his second title, the middleweight title, against Jake LaMotta.
Mims, who was barely 20 years old, beat Robinson convincingly.
Of course they gave Robsinson the 'decision.'
That was the worst mistake Mims could have made. After that no one wanted any part of him.
I have a film of Mims beating Jimmy Ellis (when Ellis was a VERY TALL middleweight).
Mims fought many times on TV, but many of those fights were when they called up Finley's gym in DC on a Tuesday or Wednesday to ask, "Can you fight (Rubin Carter, Emile Griffith, Dick Tiger) this Friday in a ten round fight?"
In Mims' fight with Carter he had the handcuffs on, but he knocked Carter down (4th round) to demonstrate to Carter who the better fighter was.
Mims also beat Joey Archer clearly and then stood by and watched Archer get the 'decision.'
Mims beat Spider Webb and knocked him down at a time Webb had been going great guns.
In a career of 97 fights against the top middleweights in the world Mims was only stopped once. That was on a butt late in his career against a nobody fighter.
Mims was supposedly from Washington, DC, but he was actually run by people from Chicago.
That was obvious when he was robbed AGAIN in a Washington DC (Mims' supposed hometown) fight against Giardello.
They wouldn't even give him a break in his supposed hometown.
Look at Mims' record and see how many fighters he fought twice, winning one and then losing one. Or vice versa.
That is the hand of the Chicago people who actually ran his career showing.
Mims beat Sugar Ray Robinson in the very fight Robinson had after Robinson won his second title, the middleweight title, against Jake LaMotta.
Mims, who was barely 20 years old, beat Robinson convincingly.
Of course they gave Robsinson the 'decision.'
That was the worst mistake Mims could have made. After that no one wanted any part of him.
I have a film of Mims beating Jimmy Ellis (when Ellis was a VERY TALL middleweight).
Mims fought many times on TV, but many of those fights were when they called up Finley's gym in DC on a Tuesday or Wednesday to ask, "Can you fight (Rubin Carter, Emile Griffith, Dick Tiger) this Friday in a ten round fight?"
In Mims' fight with Carter he had the handcuffs on, but he knocked Carter down (4th round) to demonstrate to Carter who the better fighter was.
Mims also beat Joey Archer clearly and then stood by and watched Archer get the 'decision.'
Mims beat Spider Webb and knocked him down at a time Webb had been going great guns.
In a career of 97 fights against the top middleweights in the world Mims was only stopped once. That was on a butt late in his career against a nobody fighter.
Mims was supposedly from Washington, DC, but he was actually run by people from Chicago.
That was obvious when he was robbed AGAIN in a Washington DC (Mims' supposed hometown) fight against Giardello.
They wouldn't even give him a break in his supposed hometown.
Look at Mims' record and see how many fighters he fought twice, winning one and then losing one. Or vice versa.
That is the hand of the Chicago people who actually ran his career showing.
Holly Mims and Georgie Benton were two fighters who were NEVER going to get anywhere near a title shot.
And each was as at least as good as anyone who held the title during their careers.
Benton's career was run by Philly 'people', and Mims' by Chicago 'people'.
It was pre-ordained that neither would get a title shot, but the handlers of their careers got a lot of good use out of them.
It is ironic that then Benton became the trainer of a number of fighters who won various titles in the degraded era of boxing after his career was over----
fighters who would not have qualified to lick his boxing shoes when he was fighting.
And each was as at least as good as anyone who held the title during their careers.
Benton's career was run by Philly 'people', and Mims' by Chicago 'people'.
It was pre-ordained that neither would get a title shot, but the handlers of their careers got a lot of good use out of them.
It is ironic that then Benton became the trainer of a number of fighters who won various titles in the degraded era of boxing after his career was over----
fighters who would not have qualified to lick his boxing shoes when he was fighting.
Interesting story. What's your source for the dinner conversation?granberry wrote:Mims said that when he had dinner at Robinson's house a few years later,
Robinson and his wife both told him they thought he had won that fight.
At the time Mims fought Robinson, that was Mims' 7th fight scheduled for 10 rounds.
In comparison, it was Robinson's 125th fight.
Mims told me.raylawpc wrote:Interesting story. What's your source for the dinner conversation?granberry wrote:Mims said that when he had dinner at Robinson's house a few years later,
Robinson and his wife both told him they thought he had won that fight.
At the time Mims fought Robinson, that was Mims' 7th fight scheduled for 10 rounds.
In comparison, it was Robinson's 125th fight.
I also heard him say the same thing on a late night (in those days 10 pm was late) local DC TV interview show.
I thought there was something fishy about Holly Mims' young death.enrique wrote:You are right, Granberry, Mims was not a journeyman but a contender and fringe contender.
I thought of him in that perspective because of his hard luck, road warrior career that was both noble and tragic.
When I said that to Adrian Davis, he said, "No. In the gym Mims used to stand there and let people hit him to the body for 'conditioning.' A LOT.
I think that was it."
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TheOneIsHere2008
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 1181
- Joined: 01 Jul 2008, 12:09
Re:
Was he an oncologist?granberry wrote:Nat Fleischer wrote that blows to the breast cause breast cancer, and for that reason women should not box.
But to be safe, don't box.
Re: George Scrap Iron Johnson
I jhave read that breast cancer can be intensified
by impact injuries whether that be from a punch,
kick or a tackle or even a ball hitting it.
I shall find a source from you.
BUT I have read this in a MA training magazine,
as well as a Black Belt magazine both were published
in the late 1990s. I shall find the direct quotes as well
as the magazine issue numbers.
I suppose women wear breast cups for this reason, but
that still would not lessen the impact of blow.
My GF wrestled pretty competitevely on a state and national
level and she had to wear special bra's under her trunks to
protect from such injuries.
So what Granberry said does not suprise me as a line of
theories and thinking.
by impact injuries whether that be from a punch,
kick or a tackle or even a ball hitting it.
I shall find a source from you.
BUT I have read this in a MA training magazine,
as well as a Black Belt magazine both were published
in the late 1990s. I shall find the direct quotes as well
as the magazine issue numbers.
I suppose women wear breast cups for this reason, but
that still would not lessen the impact of blow.
My GF wrestled pretty competitevely on a state and national
level and she had to wear special bra's under her trunks to
protect from such injuries.
So what Granberry said does not suprise me as a line of
theories and thinking.
-
TheOneIsHere2008
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 1181
- Joined: 01 Jul 2008, 12:09
Re: George Scrap Iron Johnson
Robinson wrote:I jhave read that breast cancer can be intensified
by impact injuries whether that be from a punch,
kick or a tackle or even a ball hitting it.
I shall find a source from you.
BUT I have read this in a MA training magazine,
as well as a Black Belt magazine both were published
in the late 1990s. I shall find the direct quotes as well
as the magazine issue numbers.
I suppose women wear breast cups for this reason, but
that still would not lessen the impact of blow.
My GF wrestled pretty competitevely on a state and national
level and she had to wear special bra's under her trunks to
protect from such injuries.
So what Granberry said does not suprise me as a line of
theories and thinking.
Thank you for that information. I trust your veracity. Lesson learned...Granberry should stay out of the ring...
And if Laila Ali fought granmama my money is on Laila
in one...
Re: George Scrap Iron Johnson
Whether it has been clearly linked or not at this
time I do not know. BUT the incidence rate seems
to indicate that it is higher.
When I get home I shall dig up the old martial arts
mags and have alook. The article that delved into it
most was in regards to Tae Kwon Do competition and
whether the chest protectors were up to scratch.
I wonder if fat boobied men are at risk as well ?:P
I suppose those with a higher level of oestrogen floating
in there bodies.
On a side note. I think boobies are good, and should not
be punched.
time I do not know. BUT the incidence rate seems
to indicate that it is higher.
When I get home I shall dig up the old martial arts
mags and have alook. The article that delved into it
most was in regards to Tae Kwon Do competition and
whether the chest protectors were up to scratch.
I wonder if fat boobied men are at risk as well ?:P
I suppose those with a higher level of oestrogen floating
in there bodies.
On a side note. I think boobies are good, and should not
be punched.
-
TheOneIsHere2008
- Heavyweight

- Posts: 1181
- Joined: 01 Jul 2008, 12:09
Re: George Scrap Iron Johnson
I have read of men who have had breast cancer...It is rare but possible...Robinson wrote:Whether it has been clearly linked or not at this
time I do not know. BUT the incidence rate seems
to indicate that it is higher.
When I get home I shall dig up the old martial arts
mags and have alook. The article that delved into it
most was in regards to Tae Kwon Do competition and
whether the chest protectors were up to scratch.
I wonder if fat boobied men are at risk as well ?:P
I suppose those with a higher level of oestrogen floating
in there bodies.
On a side note. I think boobies are good, and should not
be punched.
Re: George Scrap Iron Johnson
Didnt the 1988 Chinese Olympic womens swim team get prostate
cancer ?
cancer ?
Re: George Scrap Iron Johnson
You're right, that it is possible, and its not as rare as you think.TheOneIsHere2008 wrote:I have read of men who have had breast cancer...It is rare but possible...Robinson wrote:Whether it has been clearly linked or not at this
time I do not know. BUT the incidence rate seems
to indicate that it is higher.
When I get home I shall dig up the old martial arts
mags and have alook. The article that delved into it
most was in regards to Tae Kwon Do competition and
whether the chest protectors were up to scratch.
I wonder if fat boobied men are at risk as well ?:P
I suppose those with a higher level of oestrogen floating
in there bodies.
On a side note. I think boobies are good, and should not
be punched.

