The Unsung Heroes of Boxing

[HomicideHenry]

Mate Parlov, who retired with a career of 24 wins, 3 losses, 2 draws and 12 kayos, is seldom brought up in the annals of boxing history, but he was a major figure in boxing's last three decades. Starting off as a splendid amateur light heavyweight, his southpaw stance and all around ability made him an Olympic gold medal winner in the 1972 games.

He continued his amateur career until 1975, when he turned pro. In 1978, he won the light heavyweight crown from Miguel Angel Cuello via kayo. The following year he decisioned John Conteh over 15 rounds. He would lose the title to Marvin Johnson later on the same year. It wouldn't be until 1980, however, that his career was 'reborn'.

The WBC had recently created a new division, a gap between 175 and heavyweight. Many critics at the time written the 'Cruiserweight' title off as being a useless weight class for fighters who couldn't make it at either light heavyweight and heavyweight, much like critics in 1903 when a gap between middleweight and heavyweight was manufactured.

Parlov and Eddie Carmel boxed off for the newly created title, only for it to result in a 15 round draw. Either man could have claimed supremacy, so the WBC immediately scheduled a rematch. This time Camel won a unaminous decision, and became boxing's first undisputed Cruiserweight champion.

Mate Parlov retired soon afterwards. However, his career was not dismissed by this fan. It's sad that outside of RING magazine, I have not seen one single thread devoted in BoxRec, ESB, or SaddoBoxing to the memory of Mate Parlov, after his passing at the age of 59 this past year. Arguably the first of a new division, a world class amateur, a world champion at 175, he was without a doubt a great fighter---he accomplished all this in less than five years.

***

Kenny Lane never was a world champion, but he contended for the lightweight and junior welterweight titles. His record of 82 wins, 16 losses, 2 draws and 19 kayos, was a Who's Who of the prize ring, squaring off against such legends as Joe Brown, Carlos Ortiz, Paddy DeMarco, Ralph Dupas, Virgil Atkins, Carlos Hernandez, Curtis Cokes and Eddie Perkins.

He retired in 1965, only to return to the ring in 1982 at the age of 50, nearly five years before George Foreman made his own come back to the ring after ten years hiatus. Lane compiled 3 wins and 1 loss before hanging up the gloves again. At the age of 64, however, Lane seriously considered another return to the ring, but shelved the idea for the following reason: "It's hard to get anybody enthusiastic about a 64-year old."

Lane continued training on his own and tutoring others until the age of 76, reportedly even sparring one of his students the night before he suffered a heart attack and died. The lone title he held was the Michigan State version of the World title, which was presented to him, rather than won, in 1964. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004.

***

Often in boxing we dismiss journeymen and 'gate keepers' as being mere icing on the cake, paving the way for the real box-office attractions. What's sad is that without these men and women, there would be no sport at all. It's often said there is three types of journeymen, one shows up for a pay check to lie down, another can fight a little and just feels the better fighter out, and then there's the guy whose just a notch or two below the rest, you must defeat that guy to get towards the top.

We think of guys like John Ruiz and Jameel McCline as being one of those types in today's heavyweight division. But if you could rewind some six decades before, the top journeyman heavyweights, who fought virtually every name and no-hoper around, were Buddy Knox and Kingfish Levinsky.

Buddy Knox was an Ohio born heavyweight whose career ended with well over 200 bouts. These days you see heavyweights have no more than 50, and only fought a handful of good fighters. Knox was a perennial contender for the heavyweight title, coming within a hairs length of winning the Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York versions of the title when Louis was in the army. It was at this time guys like Elmer Ray, Turkey Thompson and Jimmy Bivins were battling it out for supremacy.

Kingfish Levinsky had fought in the years leading up to the young Joe Louis' debut and early years in the ring. He was more in the age of Dempsey, Tunney, Sharkey, Schmeling, Carnera and Baer. Throughout his years as a part time boxer and fish salesman, Levinsky racked up more than 300 fights, from light heavyweight to heavyweight.

Levinsky lost to the greats of his time, including Joe Louis. He was a notch below them, but at heart, he was the journeyman who showed up to get paid. Levinsky could out box the likes of Max Baer, but failed to even last a round to Joe Louis. He was clubbed to submission by Carnera, but was able to outbox Jack Dempsey in exhibitions.

Today, we would more than likely describe him as a 'hot and cold' fighter. One minute he never ceases to impress, the next he is lackluster at best. But what these two guys accomplished is something that seldom any fighter does these days, and that is they were willing to take the risks, and did not avoid anyone, irregardless what the book markers odds were against them.

From the bottom to the top, rarely was an opprotunity ever missed.

***

Wrestling has long been an institution in boxing. In the 1600's, when 'milling' reamurged from its coma since the days of the Roman Coliseum, holds and take downs were every bit apart of the game as the jab. Even in early Queensbury, the change from the rough and tumble free for all wide open stance was hard to shake loose. Even great champions such as Jim Jeffries and Jack Johnson were instilled with an impregnable 'skill' of clinching.

Today we see Ruiz hug his opponents to death every ten seconds, but he is an exception, a throw back to the age where upper body strength and size, pressing and leaning against an opponent, was just as effective in the long run as repititive combinations.

It was standard that a man in the early 20th century know the basics of graeco-roman wrestling. Plain and simple. Sullivan learned from Muldoon, Corbett often wrestled exhibitions, Fitzsimmons took on a world wrestling champion in what is considered by many today as being the first 'mixed martial arts' bout, and even Jack Dempsey was known to have grappled a time or two when he fought as 'Kid Blackie'.

And, on the flip side, we have seen in retirement, many a boxer turn to rasslin' to make a profit. Carnera was ultimately wrestling's biggest attraction at one point, long after his boxing days was over. Unfortunately for Joe Louis, his pugilistic status didn't translate to big bucks in the wrestling world.

Then there is the opposite. At the end of a wrestlers career, some turned to boxing. Paul Berlenbach, the former light heavyweight champion of the world, was originally a world class wrestler. When he became famous the world over in boxing, he often did exhibitions and public work outs, among several publicity stills, of him with such talent as wrestling champion Ray Steele, slapping an arm bar on him.

In the last two decades we've seen such men as 'The Predator' Don Frye, 'Dr. Death' Steve Williams, Brock Lesnar, Mark Coleman and Randy Couture go the route of MMA straight after their wrestling careers were essentially over with. We sometimes recall former WWE wrestler Tony Halme (The Viking) make the transition from rasslin' to boxing, picking up a minor title here and there among the top journeymen of the day.

But before him, there was one man who set the mold. Dan Hodge, of Oklahoma, was a two time Olympic medalist in wrestling, and a Golden Gloves boxing champion. He was an innovator in a time before 'free for all' competition, proving he was quite possibly the greatest amateur boxer and wrestler of his time.

Though Hodge is best remembered for his career in rasslin', he immediately went into professional boxing after winning Olympic gold twice. He was a durable and very capable heavyweight, though he was on the small side. He was among the elite, if for a short while, in the era of Marciano. Only until being kayoed by Nino Valdes in the 9th round did he hang up his gloves and retired.

Hodge, however, claimed he quit boxing because it was too controlled by the mob and disliked being told who he could fight, when, and for how much. He was dead set on making his own destiny, rather than have others dictate his fate for him. How he would have managed, had he not retired, is anyone's guess. He was still fairly young and not too many heavyweights of that time could even go nine rounds with Valdes.

At the time Hodge only had ten bouts, and he went that far with the #1 contender.

Soon, Hodge would drift into rasslin' and become the greatest NWA Junior Heavyweight champions in history, even defeating the legendary Lou Thesz. But, Hodge never quite gave up his love for boxing, as he often staged exhibitions with his fellow wrestlers. The most famous of these was his 3rd round kayo of Terry Garvin.

***

When people think the word 'giant' they get sentimental childhood memories of Jack and The Beanstalk, and knights from the days of King Arthur. Long before Nicolai Valuev and the likes of Primo Carnera and Jess Willard, there was Charles Freeman.

Freeman was a circus acrobat and strongman billed as 'The American Giant', standing some 6'11", though he was exaggerated to as much as eight feet in height. Without ever having a single bout under him, he was transported to England to take on 'The Tipton Slasher' William Perry, and when this was accomplished, he emurged victorious.

Though many consider the Heenan-Sayers bout of 1860 to be the first international competition between an American and British champion, this wasn't so, as Tom Mulineaux did the feat in 1810 against Tom Cribb. However, Freeman did his foray into the prize ring when Ben Caunt was the English champion; some years before Mulineaux.

Freeman fought to a draw against Caunt, as they fought until there was no more sunlight. The next day the bout continued on, and Freeman won handily.

For all intents and purposes, Charles Freeman, became the first undisputed heavyweight champion under the London Prize Ring rules. However, it was to be his last fight as he didn't care too much for the life and punishment of a pugilist, he retired and opened a pub and continued the life of an acrobat and strongman for the British public.

He died relatively young, as most giants often do, and his body was sold to a prominent surgeon who would later put his skeleton on display. Freeman was one of the earliest known cases of pituitary gigantism in medical history. It was reported he was 7'2" at death.

In two bouts he accomplished something the heavyweight division lacks today, an undisputed champion. And he wasn't even a trained boxer, just big.

***

Often we as fans over look certain fighters. Either they're too slow and awkward, they punch with their arms rather than shift weight to be more effective, or they got two left feet. We dismiss them and wager when the 'better' fighter is going to kayo the other guy.

Mismatches are as old as the sport its self, and every one in a while, there is a fighter who lacks color, charisma, skill and power, but makes up for it in bull-headed stubborness and an iron chin. 'Too brave for his own good!' many a critic will say of that type.

However, every now and again, the miracle of miracles happens, the 'bum' wins, or goes the distance and gives the superior fighter a real fight to the finish!

Ross Purrity is one, he drew Tommy Morrison and managed a TKO win over Wladimir Klitschko. Bigfoot Martin was another, he defeated Tim Witherspoon and went the distance with George Foreman. My favorite of these was Wimpy Halstead.

He looked like a bad ass, and he was. His nickname 'Wimpy' was a cruel joke in the very least. He was almost impossible to knock out and hard to discourage. On the regional and national level, he was something to be feared. On the world's stage he was just a skipping stone for the Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, and Wladimir Klitschko's of the heavyweight division.

That mattered little to Jerry Halstead. He gave his best every time out. He could stand toe to toe with most any heavyweight on the scene. He fought until his body could hold out no longer. If only heavyweights today had one tenth the heart and commitment to the sport, as Jerry Halstead did, we would have the 1970's and 1990's all over again.

***

[fourreal]

I'll never forget the Parlov - Cuello fight.
A single straight left to a highly touted Cuello's head put him out and it took his cornermen and the ring doctor several mineutes to revive him. Cuello never fought again

[Robinson]

Good read HH. Thanks for that mate.

The thing that frustrates me is that alot of pro wrestling
is ushered in the same breathe as wrestling and grappling.
And that some supposed mixed matches are deemed real
when many were simply works.

[Collins2000]

Are you suggesting Andre The Giant vs Gorilla Monsoon wasn't legit?

[Robinson]

It is as legit as Takada vs Coleman or Andre vs Wepner :)

as Mark Coleman said after his loss "Some times it PAYS to
lose, and we all have families to feed."
;)

[Collins2000]

It is as legit as Takada vs Coleman or Andre vs Wepner :)

as Mark Coleman said after his loss "Some times it PAYS to
lose, and we all have families to feed."
;)

Isn't that what Nancy & Fat Useless Boring Irene say about Ali vs Liston (1)?