Micky Duff

[Eddy]

What are your thoughts on Micky?; What is he doing now?; How would you rate the current promoters such as FW and EH compared to these old timers? Any ex pro-fighters opinions?

[whiskey]

In think Bob Mee wrote a book on him. He is now a hall-of-famer.

His story is an interesting one, his Jewish family fled to the UK when the Nazi uprising began, just prior to all hell breaking loose. He boxed a bit as a kid and then led the last 'old school' crop of fighters in this country.

I understand some former fighters didn't like his approach. Many like Calzaghe earned basically eff all from their time with him.

[mickey1975]

One of the most knowledgeable Boxing men ever. Seriously. It is true a fair few of his ex fighters dont speak too highly of him though. I believe he is in ill health nowadays, maybe even Alzheimer's disease. A true World player in his day.

[TJ77]

I was told by a former British world champ that Mickey Duff fleeced him on more than one occasion .
He said he had topped the bill at the Albert hall pissed blood for a week after and came away with peanuts .

[bennie]

Mickey Duff is arguably the greatest boxing man Britain has ever produced. Now aged 83 and battling severe Alzheimer's, Duff was a matchmaker, manager and promoter with the ability to 'suss' which opponents would make his fighters look good. Yes, Mickey made the odd mistake, ala Terry Downes against Dick Tiger, but he secured his promotional future with the world heavyweight title fight between Muhammad Ali and Henry Cooper at Highbury in 1966 and when he nailed Billy Walker down to a contract. The heavyweight golden boy sold tickets as fast as they were printed.
By the late 1960s Duff had seen off Jack Solomons and began developing a host of British world champions as his matchmaking skills went into orbit. He tumbled the great but ageing Jose Napoles care of Bethnal Green's John H. Stracey while the aggressive, heavy handed Rocky Mattioli was pushed back, nullified and dethroned by Hackney's Maurice Hope. He steered Liverpool's John Conteh to the world light-heavyweight title, a man Mickey described as the most talented and most frustrating fighter he ever worked with, and he endured a similar love-hate relationship with Joe Bugner while taking him to a crack at the world heavyweight title against Muhammad Ali in Malaysia in 1975.
In 1980 Duff took Alan Minter to America and they came back with the undisputed world middleweight title, and he made Cornelius Boza-Edwards, who couldn't sell a ticket here, a TV darling in the States. Duff ignored the howls of protest that surrounded his decision to throw in Kirkland Laing with the feared Roberto Duran in Las Vegas in 1982 as he had spotted Duran's weakness to movers. Laing bagged the win.
Hard-nosed, intimidating, an ex-pro of 69 fights, a surprisingly big man in the flesh, Duff worked the corner and pushed his fighters beyond their normal limits, knowing they were in great shape under trainers Terry Lawless, George Francis or Bobby Neill. This led to Jim Watt, a cut-prone, anemic-looking southpaw Scot, winning the WBC lightweight title in Glasgow and Lloyd Honeyghan's shock win over the previously unbeaten Don Curry in Atlantic City for the undisputed world welterweight title (Duff regards Honeyghan as the second most talented fighter he worked with). Mickey's later work with Duke McKenzie, the unfashionable Croydon man who won three world titles at different weights, included a brilliant boxing win over Gaby Canizales. Duff also secured the WBC flyweight title for Charlie Magri and a huge payday for John Mugabi against Marvin Hagler.
By 1989 Mickey was already showing the early signs of Alzheimer’s, his memory slipping, but he masterminded Michael Watson's stunning win over Nigel Benn and remained a major presence in boxing for several more years.

[dalcumly]

Dave Charnley , then European , British and Empire champion , was due to fight a routine 10 rounder on a televised show in Manchester promoted by Mickey Duff . A few days before the fight Charnley developed a heavy cold and told his manager Arthur Boggis that he couldn't fight . Duff was in a panic and said that if Charnley fought there would be a bonus .
The fight did go ahead and although Charnley won , he was lethargic and did not perform to his best . In the dressing room afterwards Dave asked Boggis about the bonus . Boggis left the dressing room and returned with a dinner service . Yes , a dinner service , plates ,saucers the lot .

Twenty years later Dave's brother William was speaking to Duff out in Spain at a party , and reminded him of this . Duff replied that ' you can get a discount on plates ' !!!! True story .

[johnty1888]

Duff's autobiography is an excellent read. In it he describes clashing at various times with the Kray twins and Don King, he never backed down from them on any occasions.....

[metchampion]

I was told by a former British world champ that Mickey Duff fleeced him on more than one occasion .
He said he had topped the bill at the Albert hall pissed blood for a week after and came away with peanuts .

When the story of the cartel (Astaire / Duff / Barrett & Lawless) broke in the nationals, the fighter I believe you're alluding to in your post made reference to receiving peanuts when asked for a comment. He quickly rescinded his statement and continued to box under the auspices of the 'cartel'.

At the other end of the scale, I know a boxer who appeared on a number of National
Promotions shows under Duff & Lawless, who will tell anyone that is interested, that he enjoyed the most successful period in his career, if not financially, then emotionally and results wise.

[orbtastic]

What did Calzaghe say he got from Duff after winning the British Title? A Chinese takeaway in his hotel room.

[Adamj1987]

i honestly thought he was dead, i'm glad to hear i was wrong and he is alive and well

[mickey1975]

i honestly thought he was dead, i'm glad to hear i was wrong and he is alive and well

He's not well!

[johnnykayo]

only last month i was talkin to john mugabi in grazianos bar in canastota,new york after he had been inducted into the hall of fame. anyway he said not a good word for micky as he said that he was robbed by him with his earnings from the hagler fight,he was promised a large amount and ended up with peanuts !!!! i beleive micky is in a nursing home in south london and has bad dementia and has ballooned to about 16 stone,i always found the man alright the times i have met him in canastota when he use to go up to a few years ago and i always say speak as you find.

[bennie]

Mugabi squandered all his money from the Hagler fight in just a couple of weeks.

[metchampion]

Up until a few years ago, I used to see Mickey every week at the Turkish Baths in Canning Town. It was a shame to see him struggling with his memory at times, but more often than not, he was more than happy to sit for hours on end, just recalling various snippets from his past.

I used to like hearing him discuss fighters that I wasn't lucky enough to see, like Henry Cooper. Mickey told me he admired Cooper, but couldn't stand his Manager, Jim Wicks. (I didn't push the point, but often wonder if it was because the Bishop was one man who was Mickeys equal in terms of negotiating).

He was always coming out with little one liners and sayings to express his point. For example, In 2000, I asked his opinion of Audley Harrison and whether he thought he could achieve what Audley was predicting he would in the pro game. I'll never forget Mickeys reply, "In a room full of blind men, the one eyed man is King".

I lost my Grandmother to Alzheimer's recently and wouldn't wish it on anybody. But for this rotten disease, I honestly think, that like Don King and Bob Arum, age wouldn't have proved a barrier for this once great boxing brain to be involved in some way today.