Depressing thread...

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 09 Jun 2004, 09:14

Boxing seems to have a track record of producing tragic cases - those who have fallen from great heights to low depths.

Jeff Harding is just the latest. It's not really the same thing but we have recently had Nicky Booth and then Danny Costello whose lives have been affected by drugs.

Joe Louis, forced into fighting way beyond his prime to pay the taxman ended up a shambling Las Vegas greeter.

There's a rather sombre article in here for me. What are your sad suggestions?

J · Post by J » 09 Jun 2004, 09:19

well publicised and discussed on here, Kirklaind Laing's fall into crack addiction and alcoholism leading to vagrancy is pretty startling.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 09 Jun 2004, 10:03

Richard Evatt is going through a particularly hard time at the moment in Coventry through drink.

kevo · Post by **kevo** » 09 Jun 2004, 10:45

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote: Joe Louis, forced into fighting way beyond his prime to pay the taxman ended up a shambling Las Vegas greeter

Didn't he end up on the columbian marching powder aswell?

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 09 Jun 2004, 10:49

Yes he did, ended up as a greeter in hotels working for peanuts and spending all of his money on chang.

And why? Well, because the American government harrassed him to the end of his days over money made during his boxing career, he was crucified for back taxes after he retired, despite his work during the second world war, when he was the poster boy for the army, and purses he donated to armed services charities.

fornicating tragic.

kevo · Post by **kevo** » 09 Jun 2004, 10:52

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Yes he did, ended up as a greeter in hotels working for peanuts and spending all of his money on chang.

And why? Well, because the American government harrassed him to the end of his days over money made during his boxing career, he was crucified for back taxes after he retired, despite his work during the second world war, when he was the poster boy for the army, and purses he donated to armed services charities.

fornicating tragic.

I know, what a gang of twats.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 09 Jun 2004, 10:55

Another sad story I read in the ring magazine years ago was about Kid Chocolate, in his day one of the most celebrated overseas fighters around, and a man feted by heads of state and female movie stars.

At the end of his career, the cuban government took away everything he owned, and he lived the last twenty years of his life destitute and close to starvations, with nothing but memories and pictures of his glamorous former life.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 09 Jun 2004, 11:06

Carlos Monzon (murders his wife) , Alexis Arguello (Cocained Addict), Jack Johnson (fugitive), Sonny Liston, (Murdered by the mob?), Jake LaMotta (jail, alchoholism).....

It's a long list....

However, there are plenty of success stories, Max Schmelling (still alive, national hero and goodwill ambassador), Larry Holmes (multi millonaire with his own business empire) but they just aren't as popular or sensational.

glittermonkey · Post by **glittermonkey** » 09 Jun 2004, 11:12

I think the saddest thing for me is the fact that you can see guys fighting now that will probably go down the same road as the boxers already mentioned.
I can't see Tyson turning it around, i dread to think what Holyfield will be like in 10-15 years time, i'm always worried about what will happen to Tapia after boxing, Julio Cesar Chavez has already said he doesn't know what's going to happen to him, and they're just the most obvious examples.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 09 Jun 2004, 11:25

glittermonkey wrote:I think the saddest thing for me is the fact that you can see guys fighting now that will probably go down the same road as the boxers already mentioned.
I can't see Tyson turning it around, i dread to think what Holyfield will be like in 10-15 years time, i'm always worried about what will happen to Tapia after boxing, Julio Cesar Chavez has already said he doesn't know what's going to happen to him, and they're just the most obvious examples.

Sad to say it but you are totally on the money GM. Tyson is simply an accident waiting to happen; as Toney said about Holyfield - soon he won't even be able to spell retirement; Tapia dying of old age would be the most surprising story in boxing; and Chavez will succumb to the bottle. :(

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 09 Jun 2004, 11:32

Jimmy Young is another sad story, very talented, some say he beat Ali in their Title fight, could have been a Champ, would have given Holmes all he could handle (IMO).

Leon Spinks within a few fights was Heavyweight Champion of the World, then went downhill fast.

Aaron Pryor, top quality fighter of the 1980's fell prey to drugs, thankfully seems to have turned his life around in recent years.

Wifred Benitez World Champ at 17, shot at 24, then came the brain damage.

Jerry Quarry, fought them all in the 1970's and beat many of them, ended up brain damaged, for the last few years of his life couldn't even shave himself.

Frank & Antoney Fletcher top class fighters in the 1980's now both in prison.

Micheal Dokes, talented former Heavyweight Champ, got into drugs and is know in prison for beating his girlfriend to a bloody pulp.

Greg Page, Former Heavyweight Champ, Brain damaged.

Micheal Nunn, one of the best and talented Middle and Super-middles of the modern era, now in prison for drug dealing.

Iran Barkley, triple world Champ, but still lives with his mother in the Bronx and has vision problems.

It's a very long and sad list.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 09 Jun 2004, 11:33

Meanwhile Hector Camacho, like many great assholes in the world, is still happy as a pig in shit.

Jim Morrison = dead
Janis Joplin = dead

Motley Crue/Aerosmith = Probably outlive all of us

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 09 Jun 2004, 11:33

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:
glittermonkey wrote:I think the saddest thing for me is the fact that you can see guys fighting now that will probably go down the same road as the boxers already mentioned.
I can't see Tyson turning it around, i dread to think what Holyfield will be like in 10-15 years time, i'm always worried about what will happen to Tapia after boxing, Julio Cesar Chavez has already said he doesn't know what's going to happen to him, and they're just the most obvious examples.
Sad to say it but you are totally on the money GM. Tyson is simply an accident waiting to happen; as Toney said about Holyfield - soon he won't even be able to spell retirement; Tapia dying of old age would be the most surprising story in boxing; and Chavez will succumb to the bottle. :(

Fair play to Larry Holmes, he predicted Tysons down fall in 1988.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 09 Jun 2004, 11:35

Let's not forget Donald Curry either, had the world at his feet, lost it all. Seems to have turned it around at a late date.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 09 Jun 2004, 11:35

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin, nows there's a lady who could sing, and I mean really sing.

R.I.P.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 09 Jun 2004, 11:38

Yes it doesn't seem to happen to tennis players does it?

Add two great lightweights to the list: Esteban DeJesus and Edwin Rosario.
Both died from drug complications - DeJesus picked up aids from a used needle I think.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 09 Jun 2004, 11:43

Tommy Morrison - HIV.
Salvador Sanchez - Died in a car crash.
Trever Berbick - Convicted of raping his babysitter.
Bert Cooper - Drugs.
Oliver McCall. - Drugs.
Tony Tucker - Drugs.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 09 Jun 2004, 12:25

Former British heavyweight contenders:-

Paul Sykes - Drink problems and in and out of prison and general unpleasantness I've been told.

Cliff Fields - Bad drink problem for years recently rushed into hospital with drink related illness.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 09 Jun 2004, 12:34

MightyWarrior wrote:Yes it doesn't seem to happen to tennis players does it?

That's where you are wrong, Rob. Henman is currently dealing white powder (Ariel) and loads of players in the 70s were chained to that God awful drug Robinson's Barley Water. 8)

Seriously, you make an important point. Even footballers don't go down the nick as often as fighters.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 09 Jun 2004, 12:47

American boxing scribe Nigel Collins wrote a book citing the tragedy of many fighters..."Boxing Babylon". Great read.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 09 Jun 2004, 12:55

Undefeated Welsh Heavyweigh Rudi Pika took his own life.

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=022576

Fellow Welsh Pro Dave Pearce died at a young age as well.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 09 Jun 2004, 12:57

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote: That's where you are wrong, Rob. Henman is currently dealing white powder (Ariel) and loads of players in the 70s were chained to that God awful drug Robinson's Barley Water. 8)

Seriously, you make an important point. Even footballers don't go down the nick as often as fighters.

Just watching old Tim crash out in the first round of the Wife Beaters ( Stella ) too.

Yes, "Tennis Babylon" doesn't have the same ring to it does it.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 09 Jun 2004, 13:01

KOJOE90 wrote:Trever Berbick - Convicted of raping his babysitter.

Complete lunatic was Trev. Once said he'd lost a fight because someone had drugged him via the air conditioning unit in his hotel room I think.

Had a punch up with Larry Holmes too, outside of the ring. I recall Larry jumping on top of a parked car, Starsky and Hutch style, as he was chasing Trevor down the road.

TheRiverCityHippy · Post by **TheRiverCityHippy** » 09 Jun 2004, 13:22

barney ross had some very very hard times growing up and after he retired.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 09 Jun 2004, 13:24

headhunter wrote:barney ross had some very very hard times growing up and after he retired.

That right he got badly wounded in WW2 and got addicted to morphine whilst trying to relieve the pain if I recall right.

Depressing thread...

Depressing thread...

Re: Depressing thread...